How To Season A Cast Iron Skillet

First of all, I gave my blog a little makeover, what do ya think?  I got a little bored with the old decor, so I spiced it up a bit.  Last night I had a little extra time on my hands and decided to season my cast iron skillets.  For those of you who don't know how to do it, here's a tutorial.

Cast Iron skillets have been growing in popularity recently, but it pains me to see people not taking care of them properly.  They aren't like your typical pot or pan, you can't just throw them in the dishwasher. I recently inherited a cast iron skillet that had not been properly cared for, and I was guilty of neglecting one of mine as well.

The skillet that I already had is the smaller one, I picked it up for a dollar at a flea market when I was in college.  It's the perfect size for one grilled cheese or one fried egg.  It got rusty from leaving it in the sink soaking- a big no no for cast iron.  The larger pan that I just received had some minor rust spots and was missing the shiny non-stick surface that these skillets need to have.

If you're interested in seasoning your own cast iron skillet, here's what you'll need:

Dish Soap

Steel Wool or stiff sponge

Clean, dry cloth or paper towels

Cooking oil or shortening

1. Preheat  oven to 325.

2. Wash skillet with warm soapy water scrubbing to remove all of the rust. Typically you should not use soap to wash your skillet, but since we're about to season it, it's okay.

3. Thoroughly dry skillet. Using a paper towel or cloth,  apply a thin coat of oil or shortening to the inside and outside of the skillet.

4. Place skillet upside down on oven rack and place a piece of foil or a sheet pan on the rack below to catch the drips. Bake for one hour.

5.Turn off heat and allow the skillet to cool completely before removing from the oven.

 

Here's what they looked like afterward.  After continued use and proper care, the larger pan should start to develop the dark patina.  I will season it a few more times to speed up that process.