How to Season Cast Iron Cookware?

Question

I know hardly anybody uses cast iron cookware, but it is my prefered choice when cooking. I first got them when I moved into my apartment and my grandma gave me her old cookware. I need to know how to season them. It seems like everything sticks to the cookware! I've had it for a while and the constant sticking is getting annoying.

Answer 1

Hi! Yes, more people use cast iron pans than you could actually believe. It is about the best cookware that you can use once it is seasoned, and especially once its been used over time it will become slick as glass, so then you wont even have to use oil to cook anything in it. To season the pans, just rinse them out really good using a dishrag, and then use some shortening all over it once its dried. Then put in a hot oven for about 2 hours. Once pan is dried, repeat the process of shortening, and put back in the oven for another 2 hours. Let it cool. Take it out of the oven and then, just put a plate over the top of it, or if it has a lid, do that, and then let it sit overnight ( with the shortening in it! not water!) and the next morning, rinse it out, and cook some bacon in it! That really is the best way to really get it to where it doesnt stick! Dont be surprised if food might stick for the first few times, but after that it should start having a slick coating on the bottom to prevent sticking. After cooking in it, all you have to really do is just rinse it out, dry it and shorten it, because once you cook in it again, the heat will kill all germs. And if for some reason, the bottom gets a little rusty looking, dont worry, just wash it with soap and water, and then cook some bacon in it. A little iron never hurt anyone, it is actually good for you, but dont do this if it is so rusty that you cant wash it out, lol. By the way, your grandma gave you her cast iron pans? If so, you shouldnt have to season them???? Thats if she used them a lot. They shouldbe slick as glass by now, if she had them since she was younger. My grandmother has some cast iron frying pans that shes had since she was in her 20s that was handed down to her by her mother. Cast iron will last forever. Well, i hope I could help you, and congratulations on your cookware! It really is the best for cooking!   Cathy

Answer 2

Cast iron should only be cleaned with a mild soap and water. They should be "seasoned" or have some sort of coating on them. The more you scrub, the more you'll dry it out, causing things to stick.

Answer 3

Understand that seasoning is the process of treating new cast iron cookware to give it a "non-stick" cooking surface. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a stiff brush and some mild, sudsy water to wash your new cast iron cookware. Dry your cast iron cookware completely using a cotton towel. Cover the entire inside and outside surface of your cast iron cookware either with melted shortening or a spray-on type of vegetable oil such as Mazola or PAM. Place your cast iron cookware on the middle rack of your oven and bake for an hour. Leave the cookware in the oven to cool before removing it.

Answer 4

Clean the cast iron well and to dry put on a hot burner.  When the water is gone, use a paper towel folded and rub SHORTENING, not oil, all over the inside of the cast iron, with the burner still on.  Let it heat for a minute and then take off the heat.  Store in a dry place, like the oven when it's not in use.

Do this after each use to prevent future sticking, the only thing I don't cook in my cast iron is eggs.

Answer 5

Make shure they are clean. heat up the pan to med. put anuff olive oil in to cote the bottom and sides. let cool. drain all oil. wipe out pan with paper towl.  the pan should have a light shine to it but no standing oil. your done.

after you wash your pan use a small amount of oil on a paper towl and wipe the inside of the pan before you put it away.

I don't know if this helps sticking but it keeps rust away. to avoid sticking use oil or non stick spray. if you do get stuck on food just fill up the pan with hot water and let sit for a little wile. most stuff will just rince out after that.

Answer 6

Cook a bunch of bacon in it.  "Seasoning" is just what occurs when the cast iron molecules expand from heating, and allow fat molecules to get in between them.  When the cast iron cools, there are fat molecules trapped inside of the cast iron, and hence, it is seasoned.  Only way to season it, is to use it.  

Get it hot and cook something fatty in it.  When the pan gets hot, the molecules in the iron expand, letting the fat molecules in.  When it cools, the molecules will be trapped inside.  So, cook your bacon, eat your bacon... but let the bacon fat sit in the pan until it is totally cooled.  It is now seasoned.

Answer 7

You may want to star from the very begining by Using sand paper to get down to the bare iron. Then you lightly oil the pans and lids all over with a paper towel. Set them in your oven and let them stay "unused" while you cook. Take them out occasionally and oil them some more. In about a week they should be seasoned enough to use. Cleaning is important. To properly clean cast iron you NEVER use detergent. Use hot water and a dishwashing brush. Once you have brushed and rinsed away all food particles, dry and lightly oil cookware before storing.

Answer 8

Mine never stick.

I clean them with , salt and oil. The salt acts as an abraisive.

after it is clean , I add more oil and put them in the oven at 350 for ... an hour or so.

I rarely use water , but if I have too (pineapple upside down cake) I just soak in "COLD" water (no detergent) , so I don't lose all the cure.

Answer 9

First of all, if it is old cookware it should already be seasoned. If it is new, I usually take a cup of oil and pour it into the pan, then I put the pan into the oven at 350 for about 8 hours. After that, I let it cool in the oven and when cooled, take it out, dumpt the oil and wipd the inside of the pan with a paper towel.

I never stick it in the dishwasher and only wash it by hand with a little soap and a light scrub. Afterwards, I wipe it dry with a paper towel, put a few drops of oil in the pan and wipe it around with a paper towel. Doing that keeps my pans in very good shape at all times.

If you ever scrub the pans or put them into the diswasher, the coating will come off and you will need to season them all over again.

Answer 10

rub vegetable oil in the pan and along the cooking sides, then put in a warm oven for a couple of hours. that's how we've always done ours.

Answer 11

Cast Iron is the best tool to cook some great food...

It holds heat like no other pan or pot can...

I found that seasoning it with vegetable oil and table salt...

Never never  any dish soap or in a dishwasher... Those chemicals ruin the Iron in the pan or pot... I have found out that to not having things stick I use a little more oil or olive oil...

I have a Cast Iron Dutch oven and I make a awesome Beef stew... So if you have used soap or dishwasher don't fret just keep seasoning it like 4 to 6 times... Clean only with Hot water and a soft cloth only for cleaning them...

Enjoy your Cast Iron and good luck...