Nov
26
Cast Iron Skillet: How to Season and Protect Your Cast Iron
By
Cast Iron Skillets are the original non-stick “Teflon” coating. An iron skillet seasoned properly will keep food from sticking, is great for browning and easy to care for. And good cast iron cookware will last a life time. Cast iron skillets have been handed down from generation to generation. Rita’s favorite cast iron skillet was handed down from her mother and is at least 100 years old. This video shows you how to season cast iron skillet using a bit of vegetable oil and a few hours in a …
25 Comments
November 26th, 2009 at 3:10 am
After I’m done with that I do the rest of what you said for the seasoning
November 26th, 2009 at 4:00 am
The only issue I have with this is, you use soap to clean off the coating. I have never used soap on my cast iron cookware. When it comes time to season them I build a fire with them in the middle of it. Once I see that the coating and grime is off I let them burn for another 15 minutes for good measure. Then I have a bucket of warm water ready. I dip them in the water until cooled after that I rinse them again. and put them on the stove, turn the burner on to dry them.
November 26th, 2009 at 4:16 am
I use soap without problems – but what ever works for you is great. ~Rita
November 26th, 2009 at 4:19 am
your never supposed to use soap when you wash a cast Iron skillet Rita, Hot water and a coarse pad is all you should use, most professional chefs swear by this rule. the reason being Iron is very porous and certain spices/ foods and even soap can remain in the skillet for months and months after it was initially introduced. thus soapy tasting food
November 26th, 2009 at 5:02 am
You can use canola veg oil, solid veg shortening, lard or bacon grease. I like a neutral oil. Lodge Co. uses a soy based oil for their pans. Bacon grease will impart a flavor. Rinse and completely dry on stove for a minute, then smear on a thin coating of fat. The black stuff may be carbonized oil. BTW there’s a debate about whether you should clean with just hot water or soap. I use soap without problems. You’ll just have to use a little more elbow grease with only hot water. ~Rita
November 26th, 2009 at 5:45 am
You said no to olive oil but what about vegi oil?
Also can I use bacon grease? I wouldn’t mind that taste to anything I cook in my cast iron
Also have a question when I wash my pan with liquid dish soap and then I place it with vegi oil on the stove top and let it heat up when I go to wipe out the excess oil there is alot of black in the oil. Its not flakes but its like the coating or something coming off. Is this normal? Im concerned that I am eating this stuff when I cook. Is it bad for me?
November 26th, 2009 at 6:38 am
I season the outside too – it keeps it from rusting.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Great video! One tip I would like to share with people who don’t want to use paper towels is, I keep a small amount of lard in a container in the fridge, and in the container is a scrap of an old t-shirt. I use this little piece of cloth to rub the fat on my cast iron. It works great, and the cloth can be used over and over before it needs to be washed. To wash it, I simply soak it in a sink full of dishes with soapy water, when I done washing dishes, into the washer it goes. No muss, no fuss.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:51 am
great video..people can throw away several disposable skillets every year, you are helping the envornment by promoting cast iron!!!
November 26th, 2009 at 8:02 am
wow talk about paper towels
November 26th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Egad you’re right. At 3:42 one sees the most egregious waste; probably four times as much as needed.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Your aunt threw out a load of cast iron cookware? No offense, but your Aunt is a complete and total idiot. Cast Iron pans in a kitchen are more precious than gold, and the older the better.
November 26th, 2009 at 9:10 am
She is so cute! Mom sent this video to me and my 2 sisters – thanks Rita
November 26th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I love my cast iron but boy it sure is heavy and doesnt help my arthritic hands/wrists lifting it..also its easy to burn yourself on and u need to watch it around small kids..keep on back burners til cooled.,,its the only thing i cook my cornbread in..and if u fry chicken it really makes the crust.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:21 am
When my grandmother died, I asked if I could have her cast iron pans. She had them in all sizes. But when I went to get them, my aunt had thrown them all out. She told me they were gross and black. She didn’t know what a seasoned pan was. What a shame!
November 26th, 2009 at 11:12 am
I agree. I’ve always hated those flaky teflon coated pans. I too hate that cast iron is more expensive; however, it is still cheaper than buying one of those lousy non sticks every time it falls apart.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Thanks, Rita. I wish the new generation new the beauty of these. They all use non-stick and incidentally cast iron now is sold at a higher price than teflon coated nonstick (dirt cheap). People should know that it is better to cook naturally, than use chemical coated utensils.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Thank you so much!! I love my skillet, it is a large, deep, wagner ware skillet with a matching lid. It is the only one I’ve ever had, and I just couldn’t believe how much better foods tasted cooked in it vs my stainless steel. I appreciate your video, good job!!
November 26th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Though I usually don’t recommend cooking sprays on cast iron it sounds like it’s good and seasoned so you’re good to go. If your Mom used it a lot and you do apparently, that’s the key – use it, keep it clean, dry and wiped out with oil if necessary. Lucky you to have that heirloom! ~Rita
November 26th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
My mother gave me a cast iron skillet 10 yrs ago and I use it every other day. I have never seasoned it and am wondering if should season it. I wash it in palmolive liquid, dry it and then spray cooking spray, wipe off excess with a paper towel and put it away. I have no sticking problems, but am now wondering if I need to season it. How do you know if it needs to be re-seasoned? Thanks for the video, very informative!
November 26th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Great video, but you sure do like to waste paper towels.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Let it heat up on the stove to make sure all water/moisture is removed, then add shortning and turn off heat.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
do you have to wash a cast iron skillet after you are done with it? or just add more shortening?
November 26th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I wouldn’t use olive oil as it imparts a flavor.~Rita
November 26th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
thanks for the video! what happens if i only have olive oil? will that mess it up?