Comments on: Seasoning Your Cast Iron Cookware

By: Cookware Lady - Susan

Cookware Lady - Susan — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:22:56 +0000

Nice post:) Cast iron cookware is just too heavy for me and just like you said, you need to learn how to clean it.

By: melody

melody — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:29:55 +0000

my roomate accidently left my grandmother’s cast iron skillet on a lit burner and went to work. I found it an hour later severyl charred. should I season it like it says above or is there something different i should do?

By: Rick Mansfield

Rick Mansfield — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:53:29 +0000

Excellent post on cast iron. I’ve added a link to it in our newest “Cast Iron Around the Web” entry at http://www.cookingincastiron.com

By: Hilary

Hilary — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:13:31 +0000

I think almost all new cast iron is preseasoned. I would find out what kind it is and check the info that came with it when you bought it, or go to a website. I know all Lodge cast iron is preseasoned now. I got mine before that nonsense!

By: Margo

Margo — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:36:56 +0000

LOVE all 4 of my cast iron pieces! But my Dutch oven is new – made by Lodge – and I read somewhere that modern cast iron is not a smooth as the old stuff. Use metal utensils as you cook and they will eventually help to smooth out the surface so you can have even better non-stick.
One of my favorite benefits of cast iron: the iron-fortified food that means I finally am not anemic anymore!

By: JayMonster

JayMonster — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:12:58 +0000

Canola Oil is best known for its low saturated fat content and not good for this purpose.

If you fear (or just hate) lard, then Palm Oil or Coconut Oil are your next best bets.

By: Sara at On Simplicity

Sara at On Simplicity — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:02:39 +0000

Out of home ec ignorance, I actually cleaned the seasoning off a cast iron skillet that was preseasoned.

I was super-proud of myself that day. But reseasoning it was actually was easier than I thought. I have yet to give it a real workout though, and it sounds like a great excuse to go on a bacon binge…

By: WackyLisa

WackyLisa — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:09:21 +0000

I dry my cast iron pan on the stove on med-hi after I clean it. Often I’ll then re-oil it. However, the salt trick means I don’t have to use water as often.

Just don’t forget your pan on the stove, my uncle forgot the 16″ skillet one day as it was drying and it broke in half.

By: EarthlyJane

EarthlyJane — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:43:06 +0000

thanks for answering so quickly and for ALL the great tips!

By: Kristin

Kristin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:46:22 +0000

I have cast iron pans. I got them brand spanking new and now 10+ years later we’ve got a nice seasoning on them. It only took a year for us to get them nice and seasoned.

I have to admit, I use soap. I have a little scrubber pad that I put some ivory dish soap on, scrub the pan out, rinse with hot hot water – put it on the stove, heat it up, and then I use Crisco on a paper towel and wipe the entire inside.

If I have a stuck on section of food, I use salt and a paper towel and scrub scrub scrub until its gone. Then I make sure that I use a goodly amount of Crisco, since I have taken off a coating of seasoning with the salt.

Once your pans are seasoned, they can really take a lot of abuse, but they really cannot take the dishwasher.