Caring For Your Cast Iron Cookware
I love my cast iron skillets and have been using them for decades. In fact I have the same pans I had 20 years ago! You treat them right and they will last you a long time.
Why Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron cookware is heavy-duty, versatile, valued for its heat retention, durability, and ability to be used at very high temperatures.
Nutritionally, it can boost your iron intake.
And it’s loved for it’s non-stick cooking (without the toxic chemicals found in other non-stick cookware like Teflon).
However, cast-iron pans are only non-stick when they are properly seasoned. Seasoning a pan involves coating the pan with a high heat-tolerant fat such as avocado oil (which has a smoke point of 500-520 degrees) and then allowing the oil to bake into the iron. This will create a non-stick surface. Seasoning is also used to protect the cast iron from rust
To Season:
- Before your first use, clean pan with hot, soapy water and a scrubber. Rinse and thoroughly dry.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Apply oil to to the pan: top, bottom, sides and handle. Get the inside AND outside (this helps prevent rust forming on the outside of the pan).
- Place pan upside down in heated oven.
- Place a baking sheet or aluminum foil below the pan to catch the oil drippings
- Bake the skillet for one hour. This will give you your initial layer of seasoning. (I have read that this process should be done a couple of more times, but honestly I’m too impatient for that).
- Let skillet cool in oven before removing.
- Repeat the process when you notice foods are sticking to the pan or it isn’t cleaning so easily. You should season your cast iron about twice a year. If you cook acidic foods frequently, you may need to season your pan more often.
Washing Cast-Iron
After you season, don’t use soap to wash your cast iron. Soap will remove the layer of seasoning you just added.
Instead try these steps:
- With a soap-free dish rag, wipe out the pan while running under hot water. Clean thoroughly but don’t scrub or be too rough.
- Once the pan looks clean, gently wipe dry or place on a burner over medium-low heat until the pan is completely dry and has gotten fairly hot.
Tip: If I have gone too long without seasoning and I notice my food has stuck to the bottom of the pan, I fill the pan with hot water and let it boil, allowing the food to loosen. I then gently scrape the food out with a spatula and wipe with a wet rag, Afterwards, I re-season.