How to Season Cast Iron

A couple months ago I purchased cast iron pans and a grill sheet. I purchased the pans from Amazon Bayou Classic 7403, 3-Piece Cast Iron Skillet Set, 6″, 8″, 10″ for $23. 78 and I do believe they are still that price.  The problem is  I purchased a  returned item which was less money but  one of the pans needed to be re-seasoned and I did not know how to, o I asked my grandmother if she knew how and luckily she did. Grandmothers know everything apparently:)

So this is how you season cast iron.  With pictures to help you a long the way…

You will need to wash your cast iron with  a good amount of soapy water. There should be lots of suds in it to wash properly.  You need to dry it thoroughly, you do not want a wet cast iron when trying to season it or the seasoning won’t turn out right.  You can use a variety of oils to season, I prefer coconut oil because that’s what I usually have on hand and it can withstand high heat. Vegetable oil is of course cheaper and the most widely used oil. Whichever oil you choose make sure it can withstand at least 350 degrees in the oven.

Directions

Before you start, turn  your oven to bake at 350 degrees.

Wash cast iron with a good amount of warm water.

Dry the cast iron until it is completely dry, there should be no wet spots at all.

Coat the inside of pan with oil of choice , making sure the entire inside is evenly saturated in oil. Do not forget to get the inside “sides” of the pan.  Then coat the entire outside the pan. Even though you do not cook with the outside of the pan you still must season it or it will rust when you wash it.  If you are re-seasoning the pan you likely do not need to re-season the outside.

Place a sheet of tin foil on the bottom rack, I used a baking sheet since I do not have any tin foil at the moment.  Place the cast iron UPSIDE down on the top rack.

Turn on the  oven fan and it may be a good idea to open a window or two because there may be a little bit of smoke coming from the oven while baking the pan due to the oil. Bake the cast iron for 1 hour, turn off the oven and leave the pan inside to cool down.

The seasoning will build up over time. You will notice a shiny surface when it’s newly seasoned. Never wash cast iron with soapy water because the soap will be absorbed by the pan , your food will get a soapy taste and the soap will absorb the seasoning.  If you must wash the pan just use a scorching pad and warm water with some sea salt.

I will be adding new cast iron recipes to daily recipe in the next few weeks!  If you are looking for a recipe post it in comments