I've had my cast iron for decades. I used to use it on top of the stove and in the oven, but several years ago we got a range with a glass cook top. I was afraid the heavy pans would scratch it up, so now I only used it for baking. I like how cast iron cooks food evenly, but I don't like that evenly-cooked food stuck on the pan!
The seasoning process is easy but time consuming. First I removed the cooked-on crud by scrubbing it with a mixture of salt and oil, rinsed the pan thoroughly in hot water, and dried it well. Next, I smeared it with a light layer of shortening (inside and out, while I was at it), then put it in a 300 degree oven and baked it for 2 hours. When it was done I took it out and wiped it down with a paper towel. I noticed the outside was nicely seasoned, but the inside still looked a little dull so I repeated the whole process again. This time it looked better, but I'll know for sure the next time I use it.
A good seasoning should last for months, as long as the person cleaning up after dinner remembers not to wash the pan with soap!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my cast iron collection.
ReplyDeleteHappy Baking.
And Happy Baking to you, too!
DeleteI had a cast iron pan once when I was just learning to cook and this was before the google days and I had no idea how to season it so didn't do it properly. That was the end of that.
ReplyDeleteOH! That would have been a bad experience.
DeleteGreat information, thank you. I was just recently writing about cast iron griddles and learned there that you cannot use soap for cleaning it. Things like that are so important to know.
ReplyDeleteCecilia, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. You're right about soap and cast iron. They're a bad combination.
DeleteUt oh! I know I've watched my MIL cast iron pan with soap. Yikes. I don't own one.
ReplyDeleteNo worries....that's what reseasoning is for.
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