I mentioned last week how dear my cast iron skillet is to me.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. When I’m not eating the ridiculous baked goods that come out of my oven, I’m eating eggs. Eggs inside of fried corn tortillas. I eat eggs because, as a baker, I always have eggs in the fridge and they’re super easy to fry up and call dinner. Eggs, always eggs, with salt, pepper and tortillas. There, now you know.
I cook my eggs and fry my tortillas in the same cast iron skillet day after day. This skillet is always riddled with the evidence of some sort of cooked egg. But with a little hot oil, some salt and a paper towel, it’s as good as clean.
If you have a cast iron skillet that could use some love, here’s how to season and care for that bad boy. Cast iron skillets are too bad ass to waste away in your cupboard. Get to it!
Cast iron, in all of its natural cast iron goodness is a not a nonstick pan. It becomes a nonstick delight through a process called seasoning. Seasoning is basically oiling and baking your cast iron skillet. I’ve seen some cast iron pans sold pre-seasoned in stores. These pans already have their shiny black seasoned finish and you can cook in them immediately. You still may need to re-season these beauties as they go. You may also need to re-season your cast iron if you burn something into the pan and have to scrub it out with soap and water. It’s certainly not the end of the world. A bit of oil and a hot oven will bring your cast iron right back to life.
How to Season Cast Iron
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position one rack in the top third of the oven. Position another rack in the bottom third of the oven and place an empty foil lined backing sheet on the bottom rack. This sheet will catch any dripping from the cast iron.
2. Open your windows or turn on your stove hood fan. There may be some smoke, but I’ve never had this issue.
3. Over a medium flame, rub a thin layer (about 1 Tablespoon) of vegetable shortening, like Crisco, or oil—bacon grease works great, too—all over the inner bottom and sides of the pan with a paper towel and tongs.
4. Place the oiled pan upside down in the heated oven over the foil lined baking sheet.
5. Bake the cast iron for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cast iron to cool to room temperature in the oven. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times for best results.
When the pan is perfectly seasoned, the inside with be smooth and shiny. Sometimes after seasoning my pans come out a bit sticky. This usually clears up with a bit of cooking. I usually make sure that the first few things I cook in a newly seasoned cast iron are either fried or sauteed in a bit of oil.
Note: Never cook tomatoes in cast iron. The acid from the tomatoes will break down the seasoned pan.
Another Note: Hardcore cast iron people have different cast iron for different purposes. For example, they season their dessert cast iron with vegetable oil, but their savory cast iron with bacon grease. They have certain cast irons they use for cornbread and other they use for fish dishes. I stay safe and just season all of my cast iron with a tasteless oil so they can go either way.
How to Clean Cast Iron
1. When you’re finished cooking in cast iron, scrape out the pan, while still warm, with a wooden spoon. Wipe it down with a bit of oil on a paper towel. I usually use the canola oil I have on hand.
2. If scraping the pan with a spoon doesn’t get off all the grime, melt a tablespoon of vegetable shortening in the pan, turn off the flame and add a tablespoon of salt. Use a paper towel in tongs to scrub the pan. Wipe salt out with clean paper towel. Run under hot water, dry it well, and follow the re-seasoning directions above.
3. If the wooden spoon and the salt technique weren’t to your liking you can use a mild, diluted soap and a soft sponge to clean the pan. You just want to avoid strong soaps and super scrub pads. Dry the pan with a clean dry dish towel and set in a warm oven to dry completely. Follow the seasoning directions above to re-season cast iron.
Note: Never put your screamin’ hot cast iron skillet into water. It could crack.
Another Note: Yes, all this work to season and re-season your cast iron is totally worth it!
Johanne Christmas
And those cast iron pots are very, very, healthy! It has been long known that folks who cook with cast iron have more iron in their diet than those who do not. Why? Well you guessed it, trace amounts of the iron seem to leach into food as it cooks and is readily absorbed with that food when it is eaten! Johanne C.
lil Joshu
I worked as a historic interpreter at one point… one old idea that was used a lot for cast iron (and that I still love) is curing cast iron with honeycomb. Get a thick enough layer of honeycomb in there, hot enough to melt it smooth, pour out the honey, and let the molten honeywax stay (swish around so it coats the sides). It looks a little messy, but works VERY well, makes the food taste better, only needs recured every month or so, and acts like the 1800’s equivalent of Teflon.
Maxie
Late, but just wanted to say, I season my cast iron on the covered grill outside at about 450°. No smoke problems, except for neighbors wondering what the heck I’m cooking.
vicky
I only use hot water to clean my pans but once I forgot and left the water in too long. Now the pan has what looks like flakes peeling off the inside. Is that the old seasoning or actually parts of the pan itself? How can I fix it?
Matt
Does Coconut Oil (or other oils for that matter) work? Or does it have to be exclusively bacon grease/vegetable oil?
Thanks!
Eve Bedingfield
I have two cast iron skillets that I simply adore cooking in. Both pans were extravagant purchases for me but worth every penny. I have a small one I bought when I was single and it was perfect for everything. I bought a 10 inch skillet about seven years ago. I had good advice from my mom on how to season the first one so, I did the same to the second one. For the past year or so a crust has begun to form around the inner sides of the pan. I know scrubbing and scouring is not good, so I have just worked at it gently. It seems like you would have to remove it with a flat blade or a steel puddy knife. I don’t like the sound of either one of those!!!! I have followed the tips above which by the way, were my mother in laws exact advice, but I still can’t slide anything out of it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Noah Binder
If the salt doesn’t work, and putting it through your oven’s “clean” cycle doesn’t work, you are going to have to scrub and re-season. First try a plastic/nylon scrubber and if that doesn’t work, sigh heavily, grab some steel wool and give it hell man! Then go back to step one of this nice lady’s excellent instructions and get seasoning again.
Ron
This is quite a popular post, Joy! Thank you for this! Good info on how to season and just as critical, how to MAINTAIN cast-iron pans. I love mine. I had to source them halfway around the world, since they’re not too common hereabouts.
I use mine for Aebleskivers – so fun to do! Last batch stuck horribly – so I went back to re-seasoning the pan. It was so much worth it. I paid 40 dollars on postage alone for that heavy baby!
I’m gonna look over your recipes to find out what else I can cook in iron, Joy! Keep up the most excellent work on your beautiful blog!
R.
Vicky
I never tried the cleaning method suggested here but I will. My pan is in desperate need of re-seasoning! my experience has been that it is not the cast iron pan that causes problems, but the people around who can’t resist using soap and elbow grease!
I am a nurse-midwife and although it is not good for the pan, I often recommend that my clients cook acid foods in cast irons because it can actually add a daily dose of iron to the diet!
Shaun Somers
My skillet has been starting to stick. I vastly prefer cooking in it to my other frying pans, so I’m going to re-season as soon as possible. Luckily I have been saving my bacon grease (best thing to fry eggs with!).
Thanks for the great tips.
larry
i have a cast iron skillet that was my mothers and my problem is i am a very bad cook but love corn bread and i have seasoned it the way you said to do now how do i prepare it to makd easy corn bread
Twinsmama
Don’t know exactly what you meant by “prepare it,” but when I make corn bread, I put about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease or peanut oil in my 10-inch skillet (swirling it around so that the bottom and sides are well oiled) and place it in a 450-degree-F oven, leaving it to thoroughly heat while I mix up my batter (about 5 minutes). Then I pour the excess fat from the hot pan into my batter, stirring it into the mixture, and then pour the batter into the hot skillet and put it immediately back into the oven to bake.
I hope this helps.
Demitra
Hi, I am new to this and so wanted to do research before I started. Based on some other sites it seems as though oils can leave a sticky surface, but usually if it is not cooked for enough time. Does anyone have experience with this? Also, could I season it with bacon grease or lard and then once it has the nice non-stick surface use olive oil?
Thanks
Demitra
Hi, I actually tried to do this method and after 2 times it has become brown and not black. I used the equivalent of crisco in the UK (called cookeen). I baked it at 200C so about 400F for one hour. It is shiny but brown. Will it get black eventually? Does anyone know what is happening?
Michaele
Demitra, your pan will darken with use. You can’t get it black with one seasoning session, that only comes with lots of use and love.
Jen M O
How do you get rust off of the cast iron?
Your Southern Peach
Thank you JOY!!! I am a southerner that does not (currently) own a cast iron skillet but I’m ready to break down and buy one. I feel like I’ve graduated to “cast iron skillet” with my cooking skills :) I am saving this post for when I bring that sweet thing home with me. :)
Bobbye
A woman in Cumberlland Furance, TN advises that you never let soap touch your cast iron.
Scrubbing w/salt, then rub on the shortenng/grease.
When they are in truly bad shape, she intersperses them in a barrel between wood and paper, sets it all on fire and lets the fire purify them. She’s out in the wilds and has been doing this for decades. So, it would seem that putting them in your oven and setting it to clean would correspond to this.
I take a rough scrubbing pad and salt if something sticks, rinse it, wipe it dry, take my hands and rub shortening on nice and thick. Why use paper towels? Shortening is a great hand cream too. Look at the ingredients on creams.
My hair was very dry from a salon color – even Redken dries hair – so in desperation and anger, I took some generic cooking oil and rubbed it into the last four inches of my hair and brushed my hair, went to sleep. My hair soaked it up like a sponge and was soft and unoily the next day. Lots of simple ingredients will give great results all over our houses.
Nique
Hey I absolutely love all the tips and recipes you give us! Question?? Will this process work too on a skillet that has rusted. I bought three cast iron skillets from a garage sale that had rusted and I am hoping I can bring them back to life.
Thanks!
Alan Sibley
Joy
How do you get a smell like mold or mildew from a cast iron skillet. We have three that were in a trailer shed since we moved to Alabama in 1992, they were in a cabinet. My wife has cleaned them up but they one still has a little smell to it.
Thank You
Beatrice
You could try cleaning the pans with vinegar– that should kill the mildew. White vinegar and baking soda mixed together also work well, though I’ve never tried that combination in an iron pan. Of course you will then have to season the pans really well… Good luck!
SB
Wow – I just bought a cast iron skillet last week and immediately started using it (i was excited). No seasoning :-(( The scrambled eggs were sticking horribly…then when I washed it got all rusted out…I knew I had did something wrong (or didn’t do). I thought I was going to have to take it back or throw it out!!! Now, I am going to do the proper things to get it to work right..Thanks a mill :-))
Paula
Joy,
Reading your blog just makes my day!You quite possibly best your baking skill with your writing skill. You are really gifted! Anyhooo, I’m writing to ask if there’s a brand/maker of cast iron skillets that you’d recommend. Thanks!
Paula
Joy,
Reading your blog just makes my day. You are quite possibly best your baking skill with your writing skill. You are really gifted. Anyhooo, I’m writing to ask if there’s a brand/maker of cast iron skillets that you’d recommend. Thanks!
Kelly
I love that I came across this today. Perfect timing! My favorite skillet is my cast iron! I was just thinking it was time to re-season it, since things were starting to stick. Problem was I threw away the card that explained how to do that! Thank you so much for helping me save my most favorite skillet! :) You are the best.
kimberly graves
Loved it ! Your web site is the most informative site i have been to {i have been to all of them} , and i love my cast iron my mother has used them all her & my life.. So , Thank you very much . Sincerly kimberly graves
donna morriss
I have a cast iron skillet and has build up on the outside of it. how do you get the stuff off? thanks
Linda
I use my cast iron skillet(s) everyday and seldom wash them, but continue to cook day to day, letting the remaining flavors from one meal influence the next. After preparing fish, I do wipe the skillet well or, wash and re-season, if necessary. The cast iron casserole with lid is excellent for the preparation of any kind of soup! Enjoy!
Mary Ann
I have ruined what took my friend 11 years of seasoning his three cast iron skillets. The pans are scorched from too high of heat. Will the salt cleaning method you talk about completely clean them for re seasoning? He tells me the pans have to be one hundred percent clean of everything or the seasoning will pop off of the area where anything remains. Please help.
David
Mary Ann, if the pan is too far gone to scrape out with oil and salt etc. you can put it in the oven on self-clean it will slowly burn off anything left, then you can clean it (water only) and dry it quickly on the stovetop then follow the seasoning instructions. Sort of a last resort, but works.
Linda
Must I reseason often – or when is the cue to reseason?? I love my pan – found it at a garage sale for $5!
Thanks Joy – glad I found your blog!
GENIE
Do yourselves a favor and buy an OLD antique cast iron skillet. We got lucky and got ours from a collector who was selling them at a yard sale. We got a Griswold 4 (small logo) and Griswold 8 (large logo) for $24 and a no name vintage skillet size 6 for $5. The collector said that the older ones are better made and less porous. I probably should have bought more from him! He said that the older Wagners were also really good. They sell them on Ebay and he said that there are also shops that sell them. We made eggs in the #8 and they only stuck a bit… then cooked cornbread in the oven in it – perfect! Came out with no sticking… brushed out crumbs and wiped it out with cold water and a rag. He said to be sure to dry the skillet on a hot burner as air drying doesn’t always really dry them. And after it’s dry and still hot, rub shortening on with a paper towel then cool. He really knew what he was talking about so we’re following his directions. He also said to be sure to season the outside of the skillet due to the porosity and also the rust issue.
My mom had some old cast iron skillets (that my brother got) that she swears the eggs would stick to. I remember her seasoning them in the oven – and then washing them after use in hot soapy water with a metal scrub pad. She thinks I’m nuts but I know that I’m right! We’ll never go back to teflon again!
Jen
Thanks so much for the information! My skillet is supposed to be preseasoned, but I’ve had a hard time with things sticking – to the point I’ve had to scrub it which I know is bad for it. So, I’ve decided to season it myself and your instructions are greatly appreciated.
By the way, you are without a doubt on my blog roll now – I just love your blog. Its gorgeous.
david
i have to agree…you are a beautiful young lady. and tho’ you may live in cali’ you are a southerner at heart with your knowledge of cast iron skillets.
i still have the two that my mother passed on to me when i got married 25 years ago. we still use the non-stick skillets for certain things in my casa but i love my cast iron.
my 22 year old son has been bringing what i consider my future daughter in law for weekly dinners. no word has been announced but i’m not blind either. i just ordered 2 new cast iron skillets for them. it might be a year from now or two years from now.
whenever it happens they’ll get two seasoned cast iron skillets as one of their wedding gifts. thanks for the info joy.
Linda
Have been using my grandmother’s cast iron for years and have always had to scrub it vigorously to remove food. Yesterday at my mom’s she was using a cast iron skillet that had been seasoned and the scrambled eggs just slid out of the pan.
Thanks for your tips. I’m seasoning my 1912 pan as I type.
debora P
I love my stainless steel pans all-clad but I love my cast iron just as much. If you take care of them they will last forever, passing it on for generations!
Thanks for posting this, forgot what temp! I season these puppies on my grill outside (indirect heat) saves from smoke alarms which are too sensitive. Must make sure and regulate the temp though, take care!
Dave
My Cousin directed me to your site. She flipped out on me for placing my mom’s hand-me down cast iron skillet in the dishwasher. I thought, “What’s the big deal?”. But i guess there is proper etiquette for taking care of cast-iron. Just never occurred to me before! Thanks for the tips!
Amit
Hi, I’m thinking about trying a cast iron skillet and wanted to know if it will be ok to season it with olive oil. Olive oil itself is natural, balanced and people start using it before the Iron Age. Thing is, good olive oils have an after taste and I’m afraid that if I’ll season with it, my food will later keep the oil’s taste.
Donica Ben
The worst part about cast iron pans is the large amount of half-information you find on the net.
After de-rusting and seasoning my pan in the oven, imagine my dismay when I used it the next day and thought it would be totally non-stick! I had eggs stuck all over the thing and had to clean it completely and start from scratch.
The most important bit of information (which is usually omitted from sites about seasoning) is that an initial seasoning only stops the pan from getting rusty. Repeated use (with oil) is what (eventually) gets it non-stick.
A girlfriend of mine gave up on her cast iron pan until I told her that seasoning is like painting your nails. Many thin coats and make sure each coat is dry before adding another! One coat isn’t enough. Too thick of a coat will either get smudgy or will peel off.
Randy
Mostly-
Try cooking a couple of pieces of bacon at a low temp. That should melt the goop and grease together. Clean with hot water and salt and/or nylon brush. You may have to do this a couple of times. That has happened to me a couple of times. I seasoned with crisco and used too much.
Marcy
I have a cast iron chicken fryer. The cover has little protrusions that stick out located about 1 inch apart. They have sticky residue on and around them and they are a pain to clean. Any suggestions for cleaning and seasoning?
Thanks
Mostly
I think my iron skillet may be ruined. There is a thick coating of burnt vegetable oil on the bottom that is the consistancy of the stickiest molasses. It recently came out of the oven, along with smoke that filled the kitchen and yet didn’t set off the smoke detectors. I just tried to get the goop out of the cooled skillet using a towel/rag and it hardly made a dent in the goop. It’s really stuck to the bottom. Since it is winter, it seems too cold to attempt an outdoor bonfire of a burn to get the stuff out. Is there another way to save my pan? Any ideas? Thank you.
Presouz
OH YES PS
I found a BRILLIANT way to clean my GRILL CAST IRON PAN.. THOSE LITTLE grooves are KILLER to get junk out of I have tried the salt and everything I could. I had to re season it many time due to it. I just had to use it again today and regreted it after I was done cooking turkey burgers. There was such a mess, I did a 20 min soak and I was using my wooden spoon to try to get out the gunk from the grooves, I reached over and got my micro fiber cloth, with in less then a minute of using the fiber side of the cloth all the grooves were cleaned out!! TRY IT!! I am AMAZED… I had cut one of my micro fiber cleaning clothes into 4’s and used it to wipe out my waterless cook ware and I am so happy I found a way to clean my cast iron grill pan its the best pan for cooking meats and burgers! LET me know who you like this grand way of cleaning them up.
Presouz
Hi, I hope you can see this link its has all the info to remove the rust and crust GOOD LUCK
http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2009/01/easy-cast-iron-skillet-reconditioning.html
Lisa B
Good info. BUT how do I clean a really old cast iron skillet that has years of baked on food/oil (from seasoning)??? The way you describe is not enough. Help, we do not want to give in and just buy a new one.
Presouz
Hi, I have used cast iron for years and years, I stopped about 10 years ago due to my new Tfal pans. I will tell you those were nice but I did miss the cast iron. On a whim I bought a new cast iron grill pan, man o man I did my thing I do with my cast iron and seasoned it all up. I used it to cook some steak and I was hooked. Its great but the clean up was a mess with the grills in there. I had to reseaon it and have since learned if its seasoned enough it wont stick, also dont put meat in with it SOOO HOT. I get it really really HOT after I clean it to kill any germs and then lower the heat to cook. Still a bit of a mess depending on what meat I am cooking but nothing beats the grilled taste and look of the grill marks on the steak. On a side note, when I was a young’n way back when and the families all went camping, everyone brought their cast iron skillets to toss in the camp fire, this happen year after year, I still have those pans to this day passed down to me. Legend has it, this HOT CAMP fire cooking gets off the old old crusties and once wiped again with oil, they are like brand new seasoned pans. Anyone else seen this done?
Spring
Your blog is lovely. I am glad to see that other people appreciate the cast iron skillets. I know I do some “no-nos” with mine, but they are the same ones my Grandma has always done, and my pans are fine. I do cook tomatoes in my pans often, with no bad results. It supposedly leaches a bit of iron, which is good for those of us who tend toward being anemic. I also use soapy water, but do not scrub too hard. I always put the pan on the burner after washing to make sure it is completely dry, and then rub a tiny bit more oil on the pan. That’s what Grandma always did.
@Neal- I think the stovetop method should be fine with your skillet. It is all I have ever really done, and my pans are fine. I wouldn’t put the wooden handle in the oven! Just remember to coat the pan lightly and watch it. I think the real benefit of doing it in the oven seems to be not having to do it repeatedly with a brand new pan.
@Ellen- Try washing your pan, rubbing it with an oiled paper towel while cold, and then heating a goodly quantity of salt in it while stirring with a wooden spoon or a pancake flipper. The salt really helps remove rust and even old, flaky ick from mistreated pans.
neal
I have a cast iron pan with a wooden handle. I am worried that putting it in the oven would damage the handle. Suggestions?
ps. Love all this information! I’ve learned to cook with cast iron as a child, just recently got some “new” old pans from friends that are not seasoned. This is great!
joythebaker
ellen- is the rust on the cooking surface? you might want to scrub that off if it is and give it another good seasoning once it’s scrubbed off.
Brenda- don’t fret. can i be honest? my egg sometimes stick a bit to my seasoned pan also. not a big deal. just scrape off the cooked eggs, give it another good seasoning and get cooking again. sometimes stuff sticks.. and that’s definitely ok.
Brenda
I just cooked in my cast iron skillet for the first time and the fried eggs stuck to the bottom! I thought I had done everything right- it is an old pan that was nice and black, clean and smooth. I had reseasoned it in the oven last night and tried to use this morning. Any tips on what I did wrong or how to fry an egg? I used a little bit of oil and butter in the bottom first and heated up the pan first. Also I noticed that the yolks took a lot longer to cook. Help please!!
ellen
I have had my mother-in-laws cast iron for quite some time. My husband always talks about how great they are to cook in. After reading your tips on cleaning, mine are in the oven as I write. However, one pan still had rust on it and I seasoned it and put it in the oven. Will that hurt? Should I start from scratch with steel wool and then repeat the process?
Amy
Okay, you motivated me! I bought a 10-inch cast iron skillet at Goodwill today for $2.99, plus I pulled out the 12-inch and 6-inch cast iron skillets. Bad news is that the 12-inch and 6-inch cast iron skillets were stacked inside each other and the 12-inch skillet is rusted where the smaller one had sat in it. Guess I better get some steel wool and then get re-seasoning my pans. Thanks for the motivation!!!!!
Vera Kauffman
I was given a cast iron skillet with a red enamel coating on the outside for my birthday.I was wondering if they would need seasoning the same as the old fashioned black cast iron skillets.Could you send an e-mail telling me what procedure would be needed. Thanks Vera Kauffman
Jack
I just wanted to say I have 7 cast iron pans, and I season them one time every year. I will tell you the best way to do this is to cook 10 lbs of bacon, save the greese and poor in each pan, set on the stove – cook till it smokes. After it cools rub with crisco and put in the oven for two hours, at 350 degrees, let cool, wipe down, and you are ready for a whole year.
Judith
Ummm….
What if you’ve always cleaned your cast iron pans with soap and water just like everything else? Will starting seasoning now do any good? I have one small cast iron pan that I use occasionally and a cast iron skillet that I use for crepes because it has no sides. I always just leave it on the stove to cool and then scrub it with one of those sponges that has a tougher side (though it’s safe on non-stick) and regular old Joy.
Me
Joy – Do you know of any stores that sell unseasoned cast iron? I wanted to season my own. I know Lodge doesn’t make any that are not pre-seasoned. I tried going to Surfas, but no luck. (I’m also in LA).
Amber
Thanks for the help. Mine has sat because I burned something. Also, I look at blogs and have this vision in my head of what the blogger looks like and I am almost always wrong. You are very very pretty.
Nate
I’d love to use my CI pan more often but seeing as Annie does most of the cooking and she doesn’t like to lug that heavy thing out of the cupboard, there it sits most nights.
How is it ever going to get that glassy finish if it sits there unused, I tell you!
jonathan@dailydesignspot
i gladly put in the care and tlc to have the ability to cook in a beautiful silky smooth cast iron pan…
great advice by the way!! its so fun to find one at goodwill all rusty and for a $1… take it home.. and turn that find into something beautiful..
haha
jonathan
dailydesignspot.com
ps- long time reader but first time ‘commenter’.. keep doing what you do and thanks for all the inspiration!
Adriene
I cook almost exclusively on cast iron – it’s the best! And then my husband cleans them for me. I’m spoiled. :) Great post!
steph (whisk/spoon)
i love cast iron…am frying up some chicken tonight in mine!
hlehmann
I have two large cast iron pans that I use for 95% of all skillet cooking. They haven’t seen soap in a decade or two, and *nothing* sticks to them. Since one’s slightly smaller than the other, they also make a great panini press.
If your pan’s rusty, just use sandpaper or wire brush to clean it off. When it’s down to reasonably clean metal, season it a couple of times and it’s good as new. Just remember, *never* use soap. I’ve only destroyed one cast iron pan in my life, I made the mistake of plunging it into water when it was still too hot which created a huge crack across the middle.
danny
The Cast Iron Gods have smiled on me. I found two cast iron skillets and one cast iron “wok” type thingy at a yard sale. The lot cost me $5.
Also on Freecycle.com I got an iron griddle? that thingy that goes on top of the stove. FOR FREE! I used it at least once a week for the kidlet’s burger fix.
Thanks for all the tips… I was doing it all wrong!
peabody
Luckily I married a Southern man with a great grandmother who had a very seasoned skillet…no work for me. ;)
Gidget
Wow, thanks! I needed a handy guide to doing this right as I think I may have ruined my cast iron skillet and may need to invest in a new one. (It has some residue that looks rustish).
One question, and sorry if you did already answer this…
so everytime you use it, do you clean it and then re-season it? or only re-season every so often?
jessica
I’ve had my eyes on a cast iron skillet for a long while now. I put it on the Christmas list so hopefully one will come my way, or I’ll have to break down and buy one!
aimee
Hi, Joy, thanks for the great and informative post. You’ve read my mind, too – I’ve been contemplating purchasing a cast iron skillet I’m taking this post as a sign to definitely do it. I was wondering if you could make any recommendations as far as brand &/or type. I’ve heard that Le Creuset and Lodge are good brands but upon further research I see that there are enameled skillets as well as pre-seasoned skillets being offered. Do any these brands/options offer any specific advantages in your experience, or would preference be the only significant factor in choosing one over the other? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
joythebaker
Jen- LOL. Hilarious! Thanks for finding that for me!
Culinarywannabe
Joy, you totally read my mind! I just received my first cast iron skillet as a wedding present and had no earthly idea what to do with it! Really, amazing, just opened the box right before I checked this post out — talk about timing!!
Jen
Thanks so much, this is very timely as I just pulled out an old cast iron pan given to me by my grandmother and wasn’t totally sure the best way to treat it.
Also, I’m not normally a nit-picker, and I swear I’m not criticizing, but this typo made me laugh out loud:
“…sides of the pan with a paper towel and thongs.” Teehee! :)
maria
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!!
Jaina
Wow, what great information. I want to go buy cast iron stuff now! I’m always cooking eggs for breakfast, and sometimes for dinner. They’re just easy and delicious, and I love breakfast foods. :)
Joy the Baker
I know some people either love cast iron or simply don’t know what to do with it. Ev- I’m so glad I saved you from giving away your pans. I know once you get them all seasoned up, you’ll think they’re just glorious!
Sara- a cast iron skillet for your very own house? Sounds amazing!
Theresa- I’m so glad you’re enjoying yours!
Lissi- I think what I like most about my cast iron is knowing that they’re from way way way back in my family. It just feels right to have a bit of my grandmother and great grandmother in my kitchen.
Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments!
Julie
Thanks for the post. I have a really old cast iron skillet that was my mom’s. In fact I just made a big batch of fried chocolate pies in it yesterday.
Tiffany
thanks for the info! i’ve often heard of this ‘seasoning’ but never got the play by play.
sara
This is an excellent post. I am looking for a good cast iron skillet to buy once I move into my own house. I have always wondered how to really care for it and this is perfect. :) Thanks again!
Evan
Joy,
You have no idea what perfect timing this is! I was just about to offer BOTH of my 50-year old cast iron skillets to my sister because they just don’t work for me. No I know what to do! Thanks a lot!
Ev
Ingrid
Thanks so much for the info on caring for my cast iron skillets. I am going to re-season them and give them another try!
~ingrid
Mari
Thanks for the great tips Joy!
Miri
Thanks a lot for all the info, Joy! I didn’t even know you have to season your iron skillet.
Lissi
It’s nice to see that someone else loves their cast-iron, too! Everyone I know is into the non-stick whatever of the moment, but I love the cast-iron skillets I have from my husband’s mother/grandmother/greatgrandmother…who knows how far back. They’re fantastic! (and I always take good care of them.)
Julie
Thank you for this! I LOVE my cast iron pans, but it’s always good to be reminded about how to take care of it well! :)
Theresa
I’ve notice in previous posts that the cast iron skillet was playing a roll in your kitchen. I bought one about 2-3 months ago and it has become the best investment ever! I love it.
Aimee
My pans would really love the spa treatment like this. They deserve it…I really should find the time.
Abeer of baking haven
Thanx for the gr8 tips – i just bought a grill pan (i guess its similar to a cast iron, is it?) and these tips are marvelous!
Melody
You give such great informative posts Joy! I always learn something!