Cast Iron 101 - How to season and care for your cast iron skillet!
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I received a cast iron pan as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law. A couple days later I was talking to my husband's grandmother (Grandma Z.), telling her about the pan. It was actually the second one I had owned. The first one we received as a wedding gift. It just sat in a bin downstairs in our basement for at least three years.
I finally sold it at a garage sale I had one summer because I just didn't have a need for it. Or so I thought. What I THOUGHT was that the pan was really heavy. I didn't like the noise it made if I scraped it against any of my other pans and I knew FOR SURE it was not going to be easy to clean. No thanks.
Silly girl.
Okay, so fast forward again to the conversation with Grandma Z. The first question out of her mouth was, "Did you season it already?" I looked back at her (kind of a deer in the headlights look) and said, "Did I do what now?" For the next 30 minutes I received my first Cast Iron 101. What did I learn? A lot. She even mentioned that Grandpa Z. wouldn't let her use any other skillet when she cooked on the stove (especially his eggs). The flavor just wasn't there. It took awhile, but now I totally understand Grandma Z.'s appreciation for cast iron.
Today I'm here to pass along some cast iron tips - how to season your cast iron pan and care for it as time goes on. Some of my favorite foods to use my cast iron pan for are steaks and over-easy eggs. I just used it last week to sear some scallops and they were DIVINE.
Okay, let's get started. We're going to talk about seasoning your pan first.
What does seasoning actually mean?
When you "season" a cast iron pan, you're actually just baking oil into the pores of the pan to prevent food from sticking to its surface. Normally you'll season a pan when you bring it home from the store brand spankin' new.
Now, some pans are sold already seasoned, some are not. If you notice that food is sticking to your pan, it's most likely not seasoned. And if you've had your pan for awhile and notice that food has started sticking to it again, you can reseason it at any time.
You begin the seasoning process by washing the skillet with soapy water and a plastic-bristle brush. This is the only time you get to use soap and water on your cast iron pan! Alright, let's keep, keeping on.
- If you notice there are some food bits stuck on the pan, use coarse salt to scour the pan, then rinse it and dry it well.
- Take a paper towel and rub a thin layer of vegetable oil on the inside and outside of the pan.
- Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the oven with some foil and place the pan upside down on the top rack of the oven. Allow the skillet to "bake" for one hour, then turn the oven off and leave the skillet in there to cool.
- Store your skillet in a dry place without any cover. If your skillet has any rust on it, it's probably because it was put away wet or has been stored in too humid of conditions.
What do I do after I cook something in it?
- Rinse the skillet with water while it's still warm. Remember NOT to use soap.
- If there are any food bits, repeat step #1 above, using coarse salt to scour the bits away. This also helps to remove any flavors or odors that may be left from your delicious dinner you just cooked in the pan.
- Dry the skillet using paper toweling. Cast irons pans WILL stain towels. I learned this the hard way and ruined a flour sack towel my grandmother had given me years ago. Boo.
- Rub a few drops of vegetable oil on the inside of the skillet with a paper towel to restore its sheen.
- Store in a dry spot.
So, if you're anything like me, you still have at least one more lingering question. . .like:
Are you sure I don't have to use soap to clean the pan?
YES! The pan heats up so fast and so hot that it will kill anything left on its surface. Don't EVER put the pan into the dishwasher. The detergent and humid conditions will ruin the seasoning and encourage rust.
Tip: If your pan does rust, scour off the rust with salt and a plastic-bristle brush, dry and reseason.
Okay, so that's basically it. ENJOY your cast iron skillet and take good care of it. Cast iron can last you MANY years and can be passed down from generation to generation. If only I knew back then what a special gift we had received for our wedding. Well, live and learn I guess, right?
If you're a newlywed reading this post who also just received a cast iron pan, PLEASE keep it. Don't make the same mistake I did. You're going to love it. Believe it or not, flavors from the pan get better and better as time goes on. If you have owned your cast iron skillet for awhile, I'd love for you to share any additional tips or tricks you may have, as well as favorite foods you love to cook in it.
Fred Prager
What if you don't have an oven. Here in Thailand we have gas stoves but no oven. I've seen articles on stove top seasoning but none address tge outside of the pan. Csn u help?
Sara
Hi Fred, I've heard about seasoning cast iron pans over a fire. I found an article for you that could help. Good luck! https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-season-a-cast-iron-skillet-in-a-fire/
Lynn P.
Thank you for this! I was directed here by Pinterest! (how do they know I have a new cast iron for Christmas? LOL) I have been using soap to clean mine. Oops. so how do I clean it properly? How often do I season it? I thought I was supposed to do it every time I used it.
Sara
Hi Lynn, to clean the pan, all you need is some salt and water. I give instructions on how to clean your pan in the post. As far as seasoning, you shouldn't have to season it again until food starts sticking to the pan.
rod
Fry pans are not the only cast iron cookware. Two more favorites are the cast iron wok and the dutch oven. Use the wok for the best stir fries you ever cooked and the dutch oven which is a big pot with a lid to make chili. Season them all the same way. Good luck and good cookin.
Kim Lash
I just started cooking with cast iron this past week. Made amazing steaks in them and now I want to do more! What is the proper way to store one or multiple cast iron skillets and can you stack them?
Sara
Hi Kim! You can place a paper towel between the skillets if you plan to stack them. I know some people even put the skillets in smaller brown paper bags and stack them that way.
Sondra Jacobson
Couple of tips from someone using these kinds of pans since childhood.. and now I am 70. Never use soap... which leaves a residue that will affect your food. The hard crystal salt will scour any kind of debris.
Please note in the past these pans were cleaned with sand. Do use real steel wool when you clean a rusty pan... the artificial steel wool scrubbers don't do the small surface cleaning correctly. You want to see a completely even surface when you are done, not uneven levels of rust wear and base surface. This requires major work on really rusted and older cast iron. Wear gloves - steel wool hurts.
Oil - everyone says use vegetable oil... suggestion... most vegetable oils have a very high congeal quotient...and they are not very healthy. I recommend a combination oil of 1 to 4 ratio of sesame oil to Rice bran oil or a really high quality extra virgin olive oil that does not go rancid quickly.
After you have scoured the pan to a surface clean state, dry it with paper towels (tip: use high quality towels as the cheaper ones will stick to any surface that is uneven). Coat the pan with oil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour at a time until the surface is even, coating with oil ratio between each baking. You want to see a glistening pan... not uneven surface because the rust or other surface imperfections were not removed.
Donna
I have used cast iron for years, and that's all that was ever used in my home growing up. I use a Teflon pad to scrub out any food particles that remain after cooking, then place on the burner to dry and get hot after which I spread a little lard on it and put it away. Have not had any problems with this cleaning method over the years. Loved your tutorial by the way.
Sara
Great tips! Thank you, Donna!
Tilly
Thanks for the post! My husband and I just got a set of cast iron pans as a wedding gift and I'm so excited to use them! Thanks for sharing how to season and care for them.
Jami
I think coconut oil or lard works best. These fats will not oxidize in high heat and they really create a non-stick surface. I wouldn't believe it until I used my pan finally. I was the same way when I first received my cast iron pan! Now I cook everything in it!
Ray Boff
I have used my large cast pan for years afterusing I rinse & clean with soft wire brush place on stove top heat till dry & hot then coat with olive oil and leave on top my stove because I use it daily.b Ray Easter than oven when not new.
Nancy
I have a Lodge cast iron skillet and just got a hand-me-down Griswold skillet from 1930s that belonged to my grandmother. The Griswold skillet is smooth as glass. I find that a light coat of Crisco shortening works great for seasoning.
One thing I love making in the skillet is pizza! I buy a ball of pizza dough at the grocery store and use half per pizza. Oil the pan well with Olive Oil, spread the dough in the pan and top as desired. Bake at 425 until the top looks done, crust around edges is browned, approx 20 minutes, then move to stovetop and cook over burner until the bottom of crust is golden & crispy.
JETHRO PAUL RAYMER
Can you please sign me up for your newsletter
Sara
On the homepage of my site there's a little box for you to put your name and email address in to get signed up for the newsletter. Can't wait to have you as part of our community!
Z Doyle
So, what if you seasoned the skillet, and baked it in the oven per instructions you had, only to end up with too much oil baked in and it looks like glue? How do I clean and redo the mess. Thanks so much, Z!!!
Sara
This can happen if you use a little too much oil — the excess oil turns gummy and sticky once it cools. To get rid of it, scrub the "glue" away with a stiff brush or some kosher salt, and re-season remembering to use much less oil. All you need is a dab. Next time you use the pan, wipe it out with a paper towel or clean kitchen rag while the pan is still hot after seasoning to remove any additional leftover residue. Hope this helps!
Barry harrold
Hello,
I have had cast iron pans all my life and love them. I was taught not to wash them after every use. Now my wife would wash them every time they were used. I would season them by beating them up and putting a few drops of veg oil on them. Or so I thought I was doing it right. I have never heard of using salt then putting them in the oven.... now for the really bad news my wife won't use them at all because she has a glass top stove because it will scratch the glass. She has tried to get reed of my cast irons on serveral occasions. I just put them in a cabinet for later use, now I will have to get them out and season then the right way. Don't buy a glass stove top oven.
Jennifer Purple
I have 2 really nice cast iron pans. I just wish my husband to be would stop washing them with soap. I've tried telling him one is his, the other is mine, so that mine is seasoned the way I want and he can deal with his own, but he keeps washing mine too. I know he's trying to be helpful and telling him the same thing over and over is useless, so sadly, I just don't use the pans.
WayneJ
Nice and useful post. I was not aware of the damage soap will do to an iron pot. I own numerous cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, huge fish frying skillets, corn pone pans, muffin pans, you name it. Most are becoming family heirlooms. Nothing cooks as good as cast iron. I can't imagine making roux in anything else or cornbread.
When seasoning you might want to look into Flax Seed Oil. It is some trouble, 6 cures in a 400 degree oven and it will come out a shiny beautiful black with absolutely no residue....none, nada. Dry as a bone. After treatment a skillet will cook an egg without oil. It will slide around just like teflon. Beats anything I have seen.
I will have to designate which pots go to which children to keep them from fighting over them. 🙂
Thanks again for a great article.
Sara
I love the idea of flax seed oil. I'm going to make sure to try that! You make the entire process sound so easy! Thanks for sharing your great tips with us!