We get lots of questions about this, so we thought we'd share our guide on how to properly season a cast iron pan: Wash the pan well and rinse, then dry completely. Coat the interior of the pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil, lard or shortening. Avoid using butter or a low smoke point oil such as olive oil.
Historically, lard was used for this purpose. But lard, like all animal fats, has a tendency to turn rancid, so shortening is a better bet. Never use butter, margarine or any fat containing milk or salt to season cast iron.
Butter is good for cast iron. You can't season with it because it'll burn at those temperatures, and you need to make sure you get your pan clean after use or it'll go rancid. Otherwise, it's absolutely fine.
What is the Best Oil to Season a Cast Iron Skillet? Many experts recommend grapeseed oil and flaxseed oil to season your skillet. I have used flaxseed oil for many years now and have been very happy with it. Above all, you want a fairly unsaturated oil with a high smoke point.
Coat your new cast iron pan inside and out with bacon grease or olive oil, I prefer bacon grease. Put the pan in the oven and set the temperature to 400 degrees. After an hour, turn the oven off and allow it to cool. Your pan is now seasoned. Never wash the pan with soap of any kind!
Bake your cookware upside down at 450 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven for one hour. Allow the pan to cool down completely, and repeat three more times.
Oil, especially canola oil (bad, unhealthy oil), should not be used. If a quick oiling (not seasoning) in between is desired, it's best to use a high temperature oil like avocado. A quick rub can do the trick, if your pan looks a bit dry. I have one pan that is about 100 years old!
You should only need to fully re-season your cast-iron cookware one to two times a year, but you may also want to give it some extra seasoning love anytime you cook something that requires a heavy-duty cleaning.
Best High Smoke Point Oils
Refined Avocado Oil - The smoke point of refined avocado oil is between 480 to 520 degrees Fahrenheit. Canola Oil - All canola oil is refined and has a smoke point between 400 and 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Grapeseed Oil - Grapeseed oil has a high smoke point of 420 degrees Fahrenheit.
This will save it from burning if the pan is very hot. Add a splash of oil to overheated butter: Neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola or grapeseed, has a higher tolerance for heat than butter. Adding a splash of oil to overheated butter will lift its smoke point, armoring it against an impending burn.
Just like on your stove, you'll want to preheat your cast iron to medium-high. This can take 5-10 minutes, depending on your grill. If your grill has a lid, closing it can help your cookware to preheat more quickly. Cast iron has great heat retention, so after you preheat, you may need to turn down your heat.
Having a small amount of oil after cleaning is not a problem. In fact, keeping a pan from drying out is an important part of long term maintenance. Over-cleaning your cast iron pan is unnecessary and will only stand to damage your seasoning. For many meals, this will be the only necessary step to cleaning your skillet.
When you season your cast iron, the oil on the skillet undergoes a process called polymerization. Applying too much oil prevents proper polymerization, leaving your cast iron streaky, sticky, bubbly, and tacky. Always wipe off the excess oil(leaving a very thin layer) before putting it in the oven.
Lard and bacon are the best seasoning oils
A proper seasoning fills in the tiny crevices and pores in the surface of your cast-iron pan with a hydrophobic, plastic-like layer.
A little soapy water now and then will help banish stuck-on food and reduce the elbow grease. Use warm water and gentle dish soap and scrub your pan where it needs it. However, don't use abrasive scrubbers like scouring pads or steel wool, because it will take off your hard-earned seasoning.
Clean your cast-iron skillet each time you use it. Doing so prevents stuck-on food from staying on the skillet between uses. If the skillet is only slightly dirty, a quick wipe after cooking in it will work. If dirtier, or food is stuck, then scrubbing it is best.
For long-term care, it is best practice to oil an iron skillet after each use. A well-seasoned skillet has a distinct look to it. It is noticeably dark with a shiny, semi-gloss finish. Of course, if you rarely use your cast-iron skillet, oiling it only two to three times a year will work.
Place the cookware in the oven upside down. Place a large baking sheet or aluminum foil on the bottom rack. Bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour. Allow to cool.
Since olive oil is such a pantry staple, many people naturally wonder if they can use olive oil to season cast iron. You can use olive oil to season cast iron, but you need to choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil, which should have a smoke point close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking on unseasoned cast iron can result in sticking, rusting, and a myriad of other issues (some of which are outlined above). Lucky for cast-iron newbies, most skillets sold these days come pre-seasoned. Take your store-bought seasoning a step further though and add your own before you call it good to go.
Yes, you can season the pans for frying, sautéing, or baking in cast iron cookware like pans, pots, or skillets with butter, but it's not the right choice to season it for the first time. Butter immediately starts to smoke when added to a heated pan because cast iron can withstand a lot of heat.
2) Pour a small amount of flaxseed oil into the pan. I have tried seasoning with coconut oil, canola, crisco shortening etc. I did get a reasonable result with canola, but have seen the best results using flaxseed. 3) Using a dishcloth, wipe out ALL excess oil, leaving only a thin layer on the pan.
The Cause: Occasionally food may stick to your cast iron cookware. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as not using enough fat or oil when cooking, using cookware that isn't well seasoned, or when breaking in new cookware that hasn't built up additional layers of seasoning.
Cast iron cookware's disadvantages include its heavy weight, the need for seasoning and maintenance, potential reaction with acidic foods, and lack of slickness for delicate cooking tasks.