How To Season A Cast Iron Skillet or Pan
If you choose to purchase a brand new cast iron frying pan you will notice right away that the pan is new and shiny looking, unlike the many black cast iron pans that you may have seen before. As a pan is used over and over the pan starts to retain some of the oils used in cooking and eventually becomes black from use. While it may be tempting to get out a scratch pad and scrub that pan until it sparkles, this is the worst thing you can do for your cast iron cookware. In order for cast iron cookware to maintain it's non-stick state or to move it in the direction of becoming a non-stick pan, it must be “seasoned” properly.
For a brand new piece of cast iron cookware that you want to season there are a few easy ways to achieve this, but this won't happen overnight. The first thing to do with a pan once you get it is to wash it with water to remove anything left over from the manufacturing process. Once washed, place some oil in the pan and spread it around. It's best to use something like lard or cooking oil, but do not use butter or margarine. Once you have coated it with oil, place the piece of cookware in the oven at about 350 degrees for 1 hour. Once it's done, remove it from the oven and you will notice that the pan now has a nice golden color to it. If you see and excess grease on the pan, now is the time to take a soft cloth and wipe the grease all over the pan, similar to how you would moisturize your hands. You can repeat this process a few times if you desire, or just start using the cookware right away. If you choose to start cooking, try cooking something with a high amount of fat, like bacon or sausage. Over time your pan will start to get darker and darker and eventually you will be the proud owner of a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan.
A properly seasoned piece of cast iron cookware will not allow food to stick, even though it does not have a fancy non-stick coating like most stainless steel cookware has. The goal of seasoning in general has two uses; to provide a non-stick surface to cook on and to prevent the piece from rusting as the cookware ages.
Here's Two Informative Videos On How To Season & Care For Cast Iron Cookware
Once you have seasoned your cookware, now comes the real test – Caring for your cast iron cookware.
