What is the best way to season/maintain a cast iron skillet?

Question

I have 3 cast iron skillets - one of which is a little bit rusted. How can I restore/care for them? One was my grandmother's, one my mother's and the other came from an estate sale.

Answer 1

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Seasoning

When you season cast iron, you are embedding grease in to the pores of the cookware. Without proper seasoning, cast iron will rust after coming in contact with water. To season your cookware, first warm your pot or skillet, then rub a thin layer of shortening (or corn oil as some cooks suggest) all over the the surface of the pan, inside and out. Lay the pan upside down inside a 350 degree oven. Most cookware manufacturers suggest heating the pan for one hour, while some cooks suggest up to 4-5 hours for just the right amount of seasoning. The shortening will turn in to a non-sticky, hard coating. Allow the pan to cool overnight as it will be quite hot. Remember, cast iron retains heat very well, so allow for ample cooling time. Some cooks recommend repeating this process one, or even two times, before using your cookware. Seasoning should also be repeated after each use of the cookware.

Note: Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can deteriorate the seasoned coating of your pots and pans.

Source(s):

http://www.mykitchentips.com/dir/Detaile…

Answer 2

Put Crisco or some other kind of vegetable oil on it, and bake it for about an hour. that's what my mom always did!

Answer 3

USE A SCOTCH BRITE PAD TO REMOVE THE RUST WASH GOOD, PUT ON DTOVE ON MEDIUM HEAT AND PUT SOME SHORTING INIT AFTER IT MELTS USE A PAPER TOWEL TO COVER ENTIRE INSIDE OF PAN.

Answer 4

wash it then dry it on the stove then put a little oil in it and wipe it with a paper towel. I've had my cast iron pot for 27 years. that's what I do.

Answer 5

Before you use your skillet or other cast iron cookware for the first time you must make sure it’s seasoned. By the way, if the following seems a little too demanding or complicated, never fear. Simply buy your cookware pre-seasoned and follow light maintenance as necessary.

First, wash and thoroughly dry your cookware. This is the only time you are allowed to use soap on your cookware. (If your cookware is pre-seasoned skip the soap). Cast iron has a porous surface that can retain the soap and contaminate your food. Also, soap negates all the hard work you would have done of seasoning, and you would have to start over again from scratch!

Thorough drying is important. There should be no moisture left in the pan. The easiest way to dry your cast iron cookware is to put it in a warm (160ish) kitchen oven for about 30 minutes, then let it cool enough to handle.

After your pan is cleaned and dried, grease the surface, inside and out with vegetable shortening such as Crisco.

Put a cookie sheet or aluminum foil on the lower rack of your oven .

Place the pan, upside down, in the cold oven on the top rack and set the oven for 350 degrees F.

Leave the pan in the heated oven for 1 hour, then turn the oven off.

Allow the pan to cool completely before removing – overnight works well.

Remove the pan and rub vigorously with paper towels to remove any excess oil.

Your cast iron cookware can be seasoned as often as necessary to maintain a good surface. The need to re-season becomes more infrequent with regular use and proper care.

For the first few uses it is a good idea to prepare foods with a high fat content, such as hamburgers. This helps to lock in the seasoning.

One caveat, avoid cooking foods with a high acidic content, such as tomato sauces, until your pan is well-seasoned.

Light maintenance for the well seasoned pan or pre-seasoned pan simply consists of making sure that after cooking and cleaning, you wipe a light coat of vegetable oil on all surfaces of the dry pan, and then store in a cool, dry place. Be sure to store with the lid off to allow air circulation.

Source(s):
castironchef.net