You let your skillet soak. Soaking your cast iron skillet in your sink is a recipe for rust, as is washing it in the dishwasher. Instead, clean it ASAP, even using simple soap and water if you must.
If cast iron is left in the sink to soak, put in the dishwasher, or allowed to air dry, it will rust. It can also happen when you store your cookware in moisture-prone environments, such as a cabinet near a dishwasher, an open cabinet in a humid location, or stored outside.
Extreme temperatures can ruin cast iron Per Cast Iron Community, the cowboy cleaning method can outright ruin your pan. That level of extreme heat will not only permanently warp the metal, it can change the compounds of it and cause orange spots that are incapable of holding seasoning.
Store it carefully: Store your skillet in a cool dark dry place or on the stovetop for regular use. If you have multiple cast iron pans, avoid the temptation of stacking them on top of each other for long periods of time as this can tarnish the seasoning. We also recommend hanging them proudly on your kitchen walls!
Highly Acidic Foods (Like Tomatoes)
The most common acidic food you might not want to cook in your cast-iron skillet is tomatoes.
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.
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.
The takeaway? It's safe to cook tomato- and wine-based sauces in cast iron, but you should save the vinegary pan sauces for stainless-steel pans—or dilute the vinegar (or citrus) with water or stock.
Two words: heat & oil.
The most common reason food sticks to cast iron is because the pan is simply too hot.
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.
Cast iron is harder, more brittle, and less malleable than wrought iron. It cannot be bent, stretched, or hammered into shape, since its weak tensile strength means that it will fracture before it bends or distorts. It does, however, feature good compression strength.
Avoid acidic foods and super high heat
Your cast iron can withstand heat - a lot of heat. A cast-iron skillet can withstand heats of up to 1500°F, which is much hotter than your oven could ever be. The seasoning will only burn off at about 800°F, so don't worry that you will damage your pan by cooking with high heat.
Cast iron shines when it comes to high-heat cooking, like searing steaks or charring vegetables, but it goes beyond that—you can use cast iron to sauté, bake bread, or even or make a table-worthy dessert.
In many cases, you should avoid cooking acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon juice, wine, and vinegar in your cast-iron skillet.
This might look intimidating, but remember that you really can't ruin cast iron. Even if you strip away most of the seasoning, you can still rebuild it into the sleek, nonstick skillet you expect.
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.
What oils can I use to season cast iron? All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.
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!
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.
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.