Start with Vegetables Any seared, sautéed, or pan-roasted vegetable recipe is a great place to start breaking in your skillet. Vegetables won't stick to your cooking surface like fatty proteins, and are easy to spread out over the entire cooking surface, helping to build even seasoning.
A lot of people say bacon or sausage, but BRAND NEW cast iron; you gotta go with sauteed onions or veggies. They're harder to mess up and will start laying the micro layers of oil and fats that will build up the seasoning.
Foods that are highly acidic, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, and vinegar-based dishes, should be avoided when cooking with cast iron. The acidity can cause the iron to leach into the food, resulting in a metallic taste.
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!
You can generally use whatever oil you prefer, as long as the cooking temperature is below the smoke point of the oil. Olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, and grapeseed oil are all great multipurpose cooking oils—you can use them for everything from sautéing to baking.
You should season a cast-iron skillet at least once a month, but seasoning it after each time you cook with it also works. You may not need to repeat the entire seasoning process as you did before initially using it, but after each use, rinse it and give your cast-iron skillet a quick season by oiling it.
Quick Start Guide for Cooking in Cast Iron
Just give it a quick rinse, hand dry, and start cooking.
Rinsing your skillet with cold water while cleaning off rust will help prevent new rust from forming quickly. After scrubbing and rinsing your skillet, make sure you dry it thoroughly by heating it for a few minutes on the stovetop. Once dry, coat the skillet all over in a thin layer of seasoning oil.
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.
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.
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.
Before Cooking
Remove your new skillet from the package and wash in the sink with warm water and soap. This will be the only time it is necessary to use soap on your cast iron skillet. After rinsing, towel dry to remove any moisture, and your new Lancaster skillet is ready for use.
Cooking in cast iron regularly can offer benefits such as enhanced iron intake and excellent heat retention. However, it's essential to consider individual dietary needs and monitor iron levels, as excessive iron intake can be harmful.
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.
For one, cast iron pans aren't perfectly smooth and foods like eggs may get stuck. For the best results, make sure to keep your cast iron pan seasoned, and preheat the skillet for a few minutes before you add any food to it. This allows the pan to heat evenly and prevents most food from sticking. Add fat as needed.
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.
First, the black specks you see coming off into your food are not harmful. 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.
Do not try to use nonstick sprays like Pam to season your cast iron skillet, as they contain other ingredients that aren't good for your pan.
Caring for Cast Iron
Wash your pan — yes, wash it. With soap if it needs it. Scrubbing with the rougher side of a sponge if it needs that to remove food particles. Don't use steel wool, and do dry it completely.
What's the best oven temperature to season your cast iron? We recommend starting at just 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Most other seasoning guides recommend blasting the oven as high as it will go, but we've found starting with a lower, slower baking creates a stronger coat of seasoning that stands the test of time.
Lard and bacon are the best seasoning oils
This layer prevents water-soluble proteins (eggs, meat and cheese) from sticking to the pan.