Seasoning a Cast Iron Pan

Cast iron pans are durable and versatile for cooking. Proper seasoning and care of cast iron cookware makes your pans resistant to food sticking. This guide contains solutions for seasoning cast iron pans.

Solutions: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pan

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Season a Cast Iron Skillet

I rotate my 3 cast iron skillets and Dutch Oven and bake a batch of corn bread to keep them in top shape.

Pour one tablespoon of oil in bottom of skillet and put it in oven to heat while preheating to 400 degrees F to cook the cornbread.

Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and your liquid ingredients in another. When the oven is at temperature, take skillet out of oven and set on stove. Quickly mix ingredients until just mixed, pour into hot pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Your pan will just need crumbs wiped out and will be ready to use.

By Jeanne

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To Season a Cast Iron Skillet

To season a brand new cast iron skillet, heat skillet on stove top. When the skillet gets hot, remove from heat and thickly coat with any kind of cooking oil. The inside and outside of the skillet should be shiny. Then put your skillet in the oven at 250 to 300 degrees F and "bake" the skillet for a good hour. Let cool, then wipe down skillet with paper towels to remove any excess oil.

Now use skillet normally, after each use it should be wiped out with paper towels rather then washing. If your using a fairly new skillet that has just recently been seasoned, spray Pam over skillet inside and out and put back on hot stove until skillet is warmed back up again.

If your cooking ingredients have stuck to the skillet, wash in warm soapy water and re-season as stated above. Determining which method to use depends on the age of your skillet. If the skillet is fairly new you may want to season it in the oven several times, until you get a good amount of oil in the skillet.

By looneylulu from Ocean City, MD

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Seasoning Cast Iron Pan

When seasoning a cast iron pan, I always heat the pan on the stove pot until very hot. Using a paper towel dipped in oil, wipe the inside of the pan, the sides, and the bottom with the oil. Let cool and wipe out any residual oil. Do not wash the pan, just wipe it with a paper towel. When very dirty, wash with soap and water and re-season.

By Marty from Tell City, IN

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Questions

Here are questions related to Seasoning a Cast Iron Pan.

Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

I have a new cast iron pan that I would like to oil or season before using it? What is the best way?

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Most Recent Answer

By Tim (Guest Post)12/17/2008

I got an old wash pot for my birthday from my parents, and it has 17-3's stamped on the side of it. Can anyone tell me what this means?

Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets

How can I repair my cast iron frying pan that was washed with too harsh a detergent?

By anak

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Most Recent Answer

By Lilac01/12/2011

Fry bacon in it. Do not eat the bacon. Rub the bacon greese all over the inside and place the skillet in an oven under low heat. 180 will do. You may cook something else in there too to not waste the energy. Do this for an hour. Then wipe the skillet out good and it should be fine.

Problems Seasoning a Cast Iron Griddle

Cast iron griddle sitting on foil in baking pan. I bought an old, Griswald cast iron round griddle. I cleaned all of the rust off, washed and dried it, then tried to season it several times. No matter what I use or try, it keeps coming out sticky. I can't even wipe it out with a paper towel when I take it out of the oven. And it isn't black like my other skillets; it is more of a shiny gunmetal color. When I try to season it (twice now) it turns a coppery color. Any ideas of what I can try on it?

I have tried the conventional method (2-3 hrs in a 250 degree F oven with Crisco rubbed in it, and also placing it in a 450 F oven for 30 minutes. Thanks for any advice. It does say "cast iron' on the bottom.

By Kathy

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Most Recent Answer

By lyonpridej10/27/2011

If putting it in the oven doesn't work & you can't put it in a fire, you can get the sticky residue off by washing it with hot, soapy water, this is not going to hurt it, will just take the oil off. It sounds like maybe you put too much Crisco on it in the 1st place. Mine does that when I use to much oil, don't have a hot enough oven, or don't leave it in long enough. I just wash it off & do it over.

When I get a 2nd hand cast iron piece that is covered with crusty black stuff, I just send it on a Boy Scout camp out with my husband & sons. My husband sticks it in the campfire coals & lets it burn the stuff off.

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Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets

To keep my cast iron skillets and pots seasoned, I wash them in hot soapy water after use and then dry them on the stove. As soon as they dry, I spray vegetable oil from my spray pump onto the surface of the pot or skillet, wipe the excess off with a dishrag or paper towel and then take them off of the heat. The hot iron absorbs the oil and keeps the pots from sticking.

By Donna

RE: Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets

I have seen some people burn theirs off in a fire. Others say spaying the pan with Easy Off and placing in a black bag for a while takes off the gunk, to where you can re-season it. (07/06/2009)

By crunchberry

RE: Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets

You should not use soap when washing cast iron, they can absorb the soap. I use hot water, kosher salt, and a sponge with a scrubby side. They should be washed immediately after using for easier cleaning. I've had mine for over 10 yrs and use them for everything. You can make the best upside down cakes in them. (05/07/2010)

By blazincopper

Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

I bought a cast iron pot with cover at a garage sale. I have scraped and sanded with sandpaper several times. But, I forgot how to season it for use. Would appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Annette from Maine

RE: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

You can put any kind of oil (or bacon grease) smooth around the whole inside and put in warm oven (250) for an hour or so. This will let the pot season itself. Good luck! (09/12/2005)

By Mo

RE: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

We just got a brand new set of cast iron skillets for a gift at our wedding this past weekend. The side of the box they came in had directions for seasoning them and this is what it says: Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, wash thoroughly in hot soapy water and hand dry immediately. Using a cloth or paper towel, grease the pan thoroughly with a thin coat of vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening. Be sure to coat entire surface. Place cookware in the oven for 1 hour. Remove while hot and let cool to room temperature. Wipe away any excess oil, being careful not to scrub clean, and store.

Also says it should never be placed in the dishwasher or scrubbed with steel wool or scouring pads. Instead, wipe clean with a sponge or dishcloth in hot water, but without soap. Any burned-on residue can be removed by boiling a little salt and vinegar in the pan, or by rubbing it with a paper towel and course salt. Hand-dry immediately after washing and brush with a thin coat of vegetble oil before storing. (09/12/2005)

By tiffanyau

RE: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

For one NEVER wash a cast iron pan with soap it will cause sticking the next time you use it. As for seasoning one after you've cleaned it with water, place on the stove on high heat, wipe dry with a paper towel, then take and use some form of grease (not oil) and wipe the entire inside. If it's an OLD (Antique) set, the best way to season is build a fire grase the pan real heavy with bacon fat, lard or crisco all over the pan (inside & out), then place the pan into the fire until it's red hot, bring out the fire (be careful not to get burned), set to the side until the pan is cool enough to touch so that you can regrease, then store and use as normal. Then the next time you cook in it all you'll have to do is wash with water, dry on the stove (high heat), wipe dry, and grease the inside. (09/13/2005)

By Kiddo

RE: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

You can also season your cast iron on a barbecue. To clean the rust off your cast iron you may need to use vinegar. After you have TOTALLY cleaned the rust off, coat it with oil or shortening and put it in your barbecuer on medium for one hour. You could also do a search on the internet about cast iron pans or dutch ovens, there is a HUGE assortment of information there, I know, because I have been surfing that alot lately. :) Good luck with your lucky find. (09/13/2005)

By cmel8rg8r

RE: Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

The way (us Cajuns!) season an iron pot is... When we burn stuff like wood, etc. outside, you oil your pot ready good with cooking oil and put it in the burning fire until the fire goes out. ONCE COOLED DOWN, remove your pot and soap well with a brillo pad. Rinse well and pat dry. We ALWAYS put our pot on the stove, turn the fire on and heat it until it dries. Wait until it cools to save. Enjoy. (09/13/2005)

By CDauphinet