A cast iron skillet has become a staple in our kitchen. When you season a cast iron skillet properly it can last for years. Today I am going to share how I season my cast iron skillets.
Watch How To Season A Cast Iron Skillet Here
What Is Seasoning
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Seasoning is just a fancy way of saying oil baked onto a skillet. When baked properly, your skillet can enhance the flavor of your food, remain non-stick and last for generations.
When To Season A Cast Iron Skillet
If bought new, most cast iron skillets are pre-seasoned before they leave the factory. To keep this seasoning, it is recommended to use your skillet frequently. When you cook food in your cast iron skillet, you are basically just adding layers to the seasoning. This seasoning just gets better with age.
However, if your cast iron skillet is rusty, looks dull or is no longer non-stick. it is time to re-season that pan.
How To Season A Cast Iron Pan
Recently, I bought a cast iron skillet at the thrift store. You can see my thrifting trip here. The skillet was rusty and dull but since I know how to season cast iron, I scooped it up for $5.99.
I brought it home and washed my new to me skillet in warm water and dish soap. This kit is perfect for cleaning your skillet. I also love this little scrubber. Using dish soap to clean your skillet is fine since we are getting ready to re-season our pan.
Directions To Re-Season Cast Iron Skillet
- Make sure that you rinse and dry your pan completely. To make sure that your pan is completely dry, you can either dry it with a dish towel or place it on your stove and warm it up for a couple of minutes.
- After your skillet is completely dry use a paper towel to coat the bottom, handle and back of the pan with oil.
- After your pan is coated well, use a clean paper towel to wipe away the excess oil.
- Add your skillet upside down to a pre-heated 450-500 degree oven. (Do not leave your pan unattended)
TIP~ I like to add a piece of tin foil to the bottom of my oven to catch any oil that may leak off of my skillet.
- Bake your skillet for 1 hour.
- As soon as your skillet is finished baking, turn off the oven and allow the pan to cool down inside the oven.
- If you need to remove the pan before cooling, I love these Silicone Handle Holders for removing hot cast iron skillets from the heat source. Be careful because the skillet is very hot.
- Congratlations! You have successfully seasoned your cast iron skillet! You can either cook something now or store your skillet for later.
Why Use Cast Iron Skillets
- Cast iron gets very hot and stays hot so this allows the food to cook evenly.
- If seasoned correctly, cast iron is non-stick
- Cast iron increases the iron in our diets and less chemicals in our food.
- Since it helps enhance the flavors in food, cooking in cast iron makes the food taste better
What Oil Is Best To Season A Cast Iron Skillet
I love to use vegetable oil to season my cast iron skillets but I have also used Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I chose these oils because they are fairly inexpensive and readily available.
Can You Season A Cast Iron Skillet Too Long
Yes, if you season a skillet too long it will become sticky to the touch. Seasoning too long means that too much oil was added to the skillet. To fix this, add your skillet upside down to your oven and bake at 450 degrees for one hour.
How To Keep The Seasoning On My Skillet
Keeping this seasoning is easy! it is recommended to use your skillet frequently. The fat and oil released from food while cooking seasons the pan and it gets better with age.
How Often Should You Season Your Cast Iron Skillet
Three times a year is the recommended time to preseason your skillet However, if you notice that your skillet is dull, rusty or food is sticking, it is time to re-season.
When To Pass Or Throw Away A Cast Iron Skillet
You can find these skillets at thrift stores for very inexpensive, but if the skillet is cracked or has a hole in it, I would leave it behind. If the skillet is rusted, most of the time that can be scrubbed and reasoned and brought back to its original glory.
Have You Ever Re-seasoned A Cast Iron Skillet
If you have ever re-seasoned a cast iron skillet what other tips would you add to add to the life of our beloved cast iron skillets?
With a little bit of care and maintenance, these workhorse cast iron skillets can last for generations.
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