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.
Sticking. 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.
Cooking with a cast iron pan that has a little bit of surface rust on it isn't likely to hurt you. If your pan is seriously rusty or has visible rust flakes, you shouldn't cook with it until the rust is removed and the pan is washed and re-seasoned.
It can be beneficial to season your cast iron in the oven a few times a year. We recommend oven-seasoning when restoring a rusty cast iron pan. Follow our easy steps to season cast iron in the oven and download our Seasoning Guide to add a quick go-to reference to your cookbook.
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 oiled pan upside down, on a baking sheet and place both in the oven. Then set the oven to 350° F. Heat the pan at that temperature for two hours. Turn off the oven, but leave the pan inside and allow oven and pan to cool completely- about two hours.
Resist Soaking Your Pans – Soaking cast iron pans in water is just a recipe for ruining your seasoning and inviting rust. Don't Use the Dishwasher – Never put your cast iron skillet in the dishwasher.
With proper care cast iron cookware can withstand a lifetime of use. Actually several lifetimes as these cast iron pans and dutch ovens are often passed down from generation to generation. Taking care of cast iron cookware is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.
They are most likely carbon deposits. This happens due to overheating of fats and oils. Using an oil with a low smoke point will carbonize at high temperatures and cause residue from the pores of your pan to rub off onto your food. While unappealing, they won't hurt you in such a small amount.
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.
The rust might add an unpleasant metallic flavor to your food. Plus, it makes using the skillet much more difficult. Rust develops when there's no layer of seasoning on the surface of the iron. And without that seasoning, you're more likely to experience food sticking to the pan.
Yes, Coke contains phosphoric acid which helps remove rust from cast iron. Pour Coke on the rusted area and wait 15 to 20 minutes for the acid to break down the rust. Then wipe the pan with a scrubby sponge or dish towel. Repeat this process until the rust is completely gone.
Bake upside down in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour (line the rack below with foil to catch any oil drips). This will protect the surface and give it an almost nonstick quality. Some people tout another seasoning method: heating the pan on the stove.
Understanding Seasoning
Iron, on its own, is gunmetal gray and highly reactive, able to rust within minutes in humid air alone. Try to cook in a bare iron pan, and not only will the rusting be a problem, but your food will stick to it as well.
Eggs fall into the category of sticky foods that are not ideal for cast iron skillets that haven't built up their seasoning yet. While cast iron can become non-stick with sufficient use over time, a newer skillet will almost certainly cause your eggs to stick to its porous surface.
If a crack appears in your cast iron pan, it's time to ditch it. Even a hairline crack will expand and contract when heated and cooled, and ultimately the pan will split—a potentially dangerous situation if it happens during cooking! Plus, cracks are difficult to clean and may harbor bacteria and rust.
"Your cast iron skillet should be washed after every use, but never soaked in the sink or put in the dishwasher." To help you care for your cookware without damaging it, we're sharing how to clean a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven — including techniques using coarse salt and dish soap.
Cast iron fell out of favor in the 1960s and 1970s, as teflon-coated aluminum non-stick cookware was introduced and quickly became the item of choice in many kitchens.
If you're just swiping a layer of oil onto the surface of your skillet, you're not seasoning your cast-iron correctly.
Common cooking oils like olive oil will gradually produce seasoning, but won't be as effective as grapeseed oil. Canola, other vegetable oils, and shortening are a little better.
Turn off the heat and allow the cast iron skillet to cool in the oven. This allows the seasoning to further cure and adhere to the iron.