• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Camp Joy

Learn To Love Your Cast Iron Skillet

September 7, 2008 by Joy the Baker 94 Comments

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!

Previous PostNext Post

Categories: tips

Previous Post: « Honey Roasted Plums with Fresh Thyme and Greek Yogurt
Next Post: Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Johanne Christmas

    May 31, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
  2. lil Joshu

    August 16, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    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.

    Reply
  3. Maxie

    January 16, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    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.

    Reply
  4. vicky

    July 8, 2012 at 9:35 pm

    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?

    Reply
  5. Matt

    July 31, 2011 at 1:36 am

    Does Coconut Oil (or other oils for that matter) work? Or does it have to be exclusively bacon grease/vegetable oil?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Eve Bedingfield

    July 5, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Noah Binder

      August 10, 2011 at 5:37 am

      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.

      Reply
  7. Ron

    June 19, 2011 at 12:11 am

    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.

    Reply
  8. Vicky

    June 9, 2011 at 10:11 am

    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!

    Reply
  9. Shaun Somers

    June 3, 2011 at 11:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. Cast-Iron Skillet Blueberry Pancakes « Figsinmybelly says:
    July 22, 2012 at 11:09 am

    […] To start, here are 2 great resources for cast-iron skillet cleaning and care: One. Two. […]

    Reply
  2. Búsáhöld | Eldað í Vesturheimi says:
    May 10, 2012 at 11:03 am

    […]  Svona pönnur eru alveg fáránlega ódýrar hérna í Bandaríkjunum miðað við að með réttri meðhöndlun geta þær enst í margar kynslóðir. Mig langar voðalega lítið til að teygja mig í ódýru […]

    Reply
  3. Kate’s in the Kitchen: Lessons Learned « GoodFood World says:
    February 26, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    […] non-stick pan is a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.  You should have no problem so long as you treat your cast-iron right. Happy […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN tips

How To Make The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

[I’]m not one for secrets.  Especially where chocolate is involved. I always have a few tricks up my sleeve and I can never keep them secrets for long.  Brown sugar baked bacon is one secret.  Sweet, salty, crisp, and perfect.  Adding that bacon to biscuits,  completely over the top good!  Brown butter in everything, most…

Read More

Brown Sugar: Pack It!

Let’s talk about brown sugar!  It’s easily one of my favorite baking staples.  It’s deep, sweet, and utterly lovely. Commercially produced brown sugar (the kind most of us probably buy) is a mixture of granulated sugar (from canes or beets) and molasses. Wait… do you know how brown sugar is made?  Unrefined sugar is stripped…

Read More

Why Use Parchment Paper?

There’s always a certain amount of chaos in my kitchen. The oven is screamin’ hot.  There are egg yolks in the egg whites.  Flour : Everywhere.  I have an 8-inch round pan, a 9×13-inch pan, a burnt saute pan from Ikea, and a wooden spoon….and now I need a special spring-form pan just for a…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

2023 CAMP JOY SUMMER ZINE – get it here!

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

MY FAVORITE CAMPING GEAR

SHOP MY FAVORITE GEAR HERE! 

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

CHECK IT OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

close up of strawberry shortcake recipe with soft whipped cream

Dad’s Biscuits Make The Best Shortcake

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker, author of books, lover of butter
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
📝Inquiries megan@underscoretalent.com

joythebaker
We’re About to Be Friends featuring @grossypelos We’re About to Be Friends featuring @grossypelosi and his gigantic meatballs! ♥️🤝🤯
Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made wit Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made with an old sugar cookie recipe I made back in 2009 (like whaaat?) and a boatload of warm autumn spiced @taylorswift added to the dough.⁣
⁣
This cookie recipe explodes on my site every September and for good reason. We’re fall girlies and we love a little nutmeg glaze. ⁣
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile! Xo
I don’t know what it is about this year, but I j I don’t know what it is about this year, but I just need more light-hearted fun, more hugs, more breakfast made by mom, and more coffee walks in the sand. Let’s do autumn now, nice and steady.
🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeas 🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeast bagel magic for your Sunday morning. ⁣
⁣⁣
Two Easy No-Yeast Bagels⁣⁣
1/2 cup self-rising flour⁣⁣
4 tablespoons greek yogurt (plus a teaspoon or two more if needed)⁣
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash⁣⁣
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated gouda or gruyere⁣⁣
Everything bagel seasoning⁣⁣
3 tablespoons baking soda with 2 cups of boiling water. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
In a small bowl, use a firm spatula to work together the flour and yogurt. Add a few teaspoons of yogurt if it feels dry and knead into a cohesive ball for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if it gets overly sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and gather your toppings. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide dough in two and roll each piece into a roughly 8-inch rope. Bring the ends around and pinch into a circle. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with grated cheese in two spots.  Pour boiling water over the baking soda and float each bagel in the water for 20 or so seconds.  Use a slotted spot or spatula to transfer the bagels on top of the cheese.  Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with more cheese and everything bagel seasoning. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and smearing with cream cheese.
The secret to really great muffins is eating them The secret to really great muffins is eating them warm, with a big smear of butter and a sprinkle flakey sea salt. ❇️ This goes for any muffin but is especially delicious on these a Vegan Carrot Zucchini Harvest Muffins because they have so many veggies they’re basically a salad. ❇️ Full recipe linked in the bio! Xo
This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is pa This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is packed with oats, @guittardchocolate baking wafers, and candy coated chocolate pieces from @traderjoes. ✌️ It’s the perfect weekend bake, babes! Full recipe linked in the profile!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up