How to Clean and Season a Cast Iron Skillet

 I love cooking with my cast iron skillets. Lodge cast iron skillets are the only brand I buy. I have three cast iron skillets, 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch. When you buy a Lodge cast iron skillet, it is already seasoned and ready to use. But over time and use, you must re-season your cast iron skillet.

Last week I was making some hash brown potatoes in my 10-inch skillet, and they stuck to the bottom of the skillet. I knew it was time to re-season my skillet.

My 8, and 10-inch skillets are seasoned and ready to cook again

You can search YouTube, and you will find many videos on how to season a cast iron skillet. Today, I'm reviewing the method that I use and that has worked well for me over the years.

The first thing that I do is clean my skillets. I use mild dish soap, warm water, and this copper scrub pad.

 I want to make sure that I get any food particles left behind. 

Next, I dry them with a soft towel. Then, I put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

This ensures my skillets are completely dry.

Now that my pans are dried, I added a thin layer of olive oil. Then, I pre-heated my oven to 400 degrees. 

Olive oil has a smoke point of about 350 degrees, so you want to be at least 20 degrees higher than the smoke point.

When the oil hits the smoke point and above a chemical reaction occurs called polymerization. 

This chemical reaction bonds the oil to the pan, creating a layer of natural seasoning.

Cooking with cast iron frequently using oils also helps build up a layer of seasoning in your pan.

I set the pans in the 400-degree oven upside down and baked them for 1 hour. You can add a cookie sheet or tin foil under the pans to catch any oil that may drip. Then, I turned the oven off and let them cool while still in the oven. After 1 hour if you need to use your oven remove the pans with an oven mitt and set them on a cooling rack.

You can repeat this process as many times as needed to develop a layer of natural seasoning. With proper care, your cast iron skillets will give you years of cooking delicious food. 

These are three Lodge cast iron skillets I own and use:

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 3 Skillet Bundle. 12 inches and 10.25 inches with 8 inch Set of 3 Cast Iron Frying Pans

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven With Loop Handles

When fellow contributor, Dawn Rae, started tempting me with homemade bread recipes, I decided I needed a dutch oven.  My husband loves homemade bread and I enjoy cooking, so it was time to test my bread baking skills again.

It has been years since I have baked bread other than my banana bread.  I used to bake bread every week, but I got out of that habit when I let my sour dough starter ruin.  I would love to find another really good sour dough starter.  Until then, Dawn's Artisan Bread Recipe is great!  Actually, it is faster and easier than the sour dough bread I used to make and my family seems to be just as happy with Dawn's Artisan Bread. 

There are a lot of dutch ovens available, but I wanted the cast iron version.

 Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven with Lid/Skillet

The Versatility of Cast Iron

 Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven on Gas StoveI have cooked with a cast iron skillet my entire life.  It is heavy compared to other skillets, but you can't beat it when frying fish, frying pork chops, or baking cornbread.  

You can use cast iron on a stove top, electric or gas, as long as it has range burner elements (not recommended by some glass stove top manufacturers for a flat surface glass stove top).  

Update: Contributor Sam Monaco comments below that he uses his cast iron skillet on his glass stove top all of the time.

Cast Iron will also go in the oven, which is how my mother, my grandmother, my great grandmother and I have all baked cornbread.  That is why I wanted the cast iron dutch oven.  I knew it would be most excellent for baking!

Cast Iron can also be used on a open flame, like a campfire.  I have been known to fish which is rather ironic since I don't eat trout or catfish.  However, when you come from a family with 4 brothers and a mother who loves catfish, you better fish or you are left behind counting the hours.  Besides, I love quietly floating down the river in a boat, soaking in the sun and the beauty of nature surrounding me.  

One year, Dad hired a guide.  We caught our limit by midday, but didn't have any desire to stop fishing.  So, we pulled to shore, built a campfire and cooked our fish in a cast iron skillet along with some potatoes the guide provided.  After lunch, we fished a few more hours and brought home fish for dinner.  That is how I discovered a cast iron skillet could be used over a open campfire!

My Cast Iron Dutch Oven

 Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven With Loop Handles, 5 qtCheck PriceI purchased a 5 qt. Lodge brand cast iron dutch oven and I have be thrilled with it for several reasons.

• The lid doubles as a skillet
• I really like the handles on both the lid & the dutch oven
• It is just the right size for the oven
• Perfection in cooking due to even heating 
• Easy to wash, dry & re-season* 
• I know it will outlast me, which means I will never have to buy again
• Lodge is a trusted name in cast iron.  Over 100 years in business

*Seasoning cast iron is simply rubbing it lightly with vegetable oil after washing while it is still warm from the hot water wash or you can place it back in a warm oven after applying the oil.

I chose the basic cast iron dutch oven mainly because I loved the dual purpose lid.  I knew I could flip the lid and bake cornbread on top while a roast baked below it in the dutch oven.  The top would not only be a lid for the roast, but also a skillet for the cornbread.  

One note about using the lid on the dutch oven.  In the photo, you see the lid and dutch oven handles are evenly aligned.  I prefer to offset them slightly so lifting the hot lid is much easier.

Dawn Rae chose an enameled cast iron dutch oven which should be fine for cooking on a flat, glass stove top.  You can read her review here: Enameled Cast Iron - Pricey But Worth It 

You too can Bake Dawn's Easy No-Knead Dutch Oven Artisan Bread! 

To make my bread in the intro photo, I used Dawn's recipe. 
I added 3/4 cup cranberries, 3/4 cup walnuts & 1T honey.
Simply click the image below for her recipe. 

---

Read More Product Reviews On
ReviewThisProducts.com

 

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven With Loop Handles Reviewed by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: