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How to season cast iron pans

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Room To Grow	Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 6:07:13 PM I bought a cast iron pans at the thrift store...It I need to know what to do to season it. It is rusted a little...I cleaned it in the dishwasher and took it out right away and wiped it off so no more rust would form. But now what to do to season it. Thanks Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Maryjane Lee	Posted - Feb 22 2009 : 12:15:36 PM Alee, can't wait to read the page! I love my cast iron pans! I leave them on my stove ready to use! I have fun using my dutch oven outdoors! Hugs, Maryjane Lee Farmgirl #44 Sisters on the Fly #595 http://thebeehivecottage.blogspot.com/
keeperofthehome	Posted - Feb 19 2009 : 4:59:53 PM I just used my cast iron skillet tonight and it never seems clean enough. I try to get it good and moistened before frying, but sometimes it's a bugger to get clean. I still love it though. Blessings! ~Farrah www.oldfashionedhomekeeper.blogspot.com
Ronna	Posted - Feb 17 2009 : 12:29:06 PM Deni..you are so right on the salt scrub. I'd totally forgotten that trick and it does work well. Thanks for the reminder. There are a few cast iron I won't put anything wet in, cause they're so well seasoned, others I struggle with due to my own wish to use them for stews and such.
Deni	Posted - Feb 17 2009 : 12:22:53 PM In a former life I had an old perfectly seasoned cast-iron skillet. I seldom cooked "wet" stuff in it, and it never touched water. I usually just wiped it with a paper towel, but if it was cruddy, I poured a few tablespoons of salt on it and dry-scrubbed. It was like using polish. My ex's grandma taught him this method. She was an Ozark Farm Mama from the olden days. I bought an old 4.5 qt dutch oven at an antique store. It's just a little rusty. As I need to clean my oven anyway, think I'll try that method. I'm looking for the 1.5 qt size recommended for the sourdough bread. Keep me in mind if you see one listed -- or if you live near me, in Missouri. A house in the country is not the same as a country house. Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946) sunshinedreamkitchen.blogspot.com
Alee	Posted - Feb 16 2009 : 1:48:29 PM When I have to scrub mine because someone doesn't clean it up after cooking, I always dry it using a hot burner and then I smear it with some veg shortening. After it has cooled, I just wipe it clean and that really helps to continue the season. I love cast iron so much! Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com
5 acre Farmgirl	Posted - Feb 16 2009 : 12:14:29 PM I have done all of these plus more,,,all EXCELLENT tips, I use Coconut oil to season the first and good time, Coconut oil doens't turn rancid, then after seasoned, just wash as usual with the rest of my dishes and dry upside down over a low burner or in a warm oven... I never have any troubles with my cast iron getting rusty, unless it is not totally dried when put away..... Farmgirl Sister #368 BRAND NEW PAGE>>>>> PLEASE go to.... http://blogonthefarmandgarden.blogspot.com http://froccsfrillsfurbiloesandmore.blogspot.com
SheilaC	Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 5:17:25 PM oh yeah, I forgot to say that I had it upside down in the oven when seasoning! :)
jpbluesky	Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 2:06:27 PM thanks, Alee! I just bought a pre-seasoned cast iron loaf pan today, and want to learn how to "really" season it! This will help a lot! Farmgirl Sister # 31 www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com Psalm 51: 10-13
Alee	Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 1:00:52 PM Here is what MaryJane had to say over on the www.breadthemaryjaneway.org thread on page 15: I'm just polishing off a page of 'caring for cast iron' tips for the April/May issue of our magazine. In it, I'll tell you how to bring new life to old cast iron as well as season a brand new pan. In the meantime, here's a short version of how I oil/season a new pan: Rub a thin, even coating of organic shortening, unsalted animal fat, or edible coconut oil inside and out. Good quality salt-free lard works well and can be purchased in most grocery stores. (Oils high in saturated fats are less likely to become rancid. Although bacon grease isn't all that great because it's so "dirty" and can turn rancid easy.) Once it's oiled, place the pan upside down (this will keep the oil from pooling up) on the top shelf of your oven with a foil-covered baking sheet on the bottom shelf to catch any drips. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees, then turn the oven off and leave the pan inside until it's cool. When you pull it out, the surface will shine. For the next seven times you use it, treat your cast iron to fatty foods that deepen the seasoning and enhance its nonstick surface. More details soon!!!! P.S. We had more involved directions on page 66 of our She's a Keeper MJF magazine issue, Summer 2008. Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com
Ronna	Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 12:29:34 PM Every bit of rust has to be gone before seasoning. Use steel wool to get it all off. Antique store I bought from years ago would get the really ugly ones and use a wire brush on a drill attachment to get all the crud off before seasoning. If you don't get all the rust off, everything you cook in the pan will have a layer of orange rust. I've always used and been told to use a solid shortening to grease and then to let sit in the low heat oven upside down, using something to prop up an edge so it doesn't pool as it melts. Some dutch ovens with bail handles will sit up just far enough to be fine. Butter has solids that cause sticking and oil does not get into the pores of the cast iron enough. Wipe it out thoroughly when removing from the oven too, so you don't have pools of thickened grease to get rancid. One a pan is seasoned well, all it needs is a towel to wipe it out. If something does stick,a very short soak in hot water will loosen it. I use a firm plastic scraper to try before using water. Be aware that cooking anything acidic (tomotoes as an example) will cause problems with the seasoning. hope this helps a bit.
Room To Grow	Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 10:20:45 AM I dont have a self cleaning oven. I am doing what Sheila has suggested and it has been in the oven for 2 hrs now and I am taking it out to let it cool off a little and then wipe it out...What if it still has rust on it??? Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
gspringman	Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 7:46:18 PM Deborah What Sheila says about seasoning a cast iron will work well. Here is a site I found that tells how to take care of your pans even for re-seasoning them. www.kitchenemporium.com/ Gail
SheilaC	Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 7:29:36 PM I got some used cast iron pans and cleaned them by putting them in the oven on the self clean mode and then wiping out the ash (after they had cooled for many hours!). The next day, to season them, I rubbed crisco into them and baked them at 300 degrees for 2 hours--they are working great.

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