HOW TO SEASON A NEW CAST IRON POT

Luckytrim

Grill Master
Gold Site Supporter
(From Chef John Folse)


1. In order to start the process, wash, rinse and thoroughly dry the new skillet or dutch oven to remove the protective wax coating. I recommend drying the utensil over a low flame to remove all moisture from the porous metal, 2-3 minutes.
2. Put two tablespoons of liquid vegetable oil in the utensil. Do not use saturated fat, such as butter or bacon fat, because this fat will become rancid during storage. Use a paper towel to coat the entire surface of the utensil with the oil, inside and out — including all corners, edges and lids.
3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Line a large baking pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and turn the utensils upside down, including the lid, to prevent the oil building up on the inside of the pan.
4. Bake the utensils for 1 hour, turn off the heat and allow the skillet or dutch oven to cool completely in the oven with the door closed, 4-6 hours.
5. Remove from oven and wipe with a paper towel. This completes the seasoning process, and you are ready to use your nicely seasoned cast iron skillet.
GENERAL CARE
In addition to seasoning, the general care of cast iron is also important. By following these easy steps, you can ensure your cast iron pieces will be around to serve you for a long time to come.
1. Always wash with a mild detergent, rinse and dry thoroughly. I recommend placing a thoroughly rinsed utensil over heat or flame, 2-3 minutes, to remove any moisture from the porous metal. Never scour or use a dishwasher. (You may use a plastic bun to remove stubborn food particles).
2. Cook food with little water content the first few times. Avoid cooking acidic foods such as tomatoes, unless combined with other food. Uncover hot food as you remove from the heat, because steam may remove the protective coating.
3. Rust, a metallic taste or discolored foods are signs of improper or inadequate seasoning. If this occurs, wash thoroughly and re-season.
4. Since cast iron heats evenly, it is not necessary to use extremely high cooking temperatures. Best results are obtained with medium to medium-to-high temperature settings. Do not overheat or leave empty utensil on the burner. Never place the utensil on an already heated burner; rather, allow the utensil to heat as the burner does.
That black finish that good cooks covet will develop over time, providing years of good cooking and creating a new heirloom for future generations.
HOW TO CLEAN AN OLD CAST IRON POT
Extensive use of a cast iron pot will cause a crust to build up on the inside and outside of the pot. No amount of washing will prevent this build-up.
To clean follow this procedure:
* Wash pot as normal.
* Place empty pot in an open fire, fireplace, wood heater or in campfire.
* Allow pot to cook until the residue is burned away.
* HANDLE CAREFULLY – remove from the fire and set aside, allowing slow cooling until the pot is cool enough to hold.
* Use moist sand and cloth to scrub the inside and outside of the pot.
* Season as you would a new pot.
* Your 20-year-old pot will look the same as when it was new. Follow the same general care procedures.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
just cook bacon / sausage / fatty meats in it.

seasoning and sh*t happens, all by itself.

most of the vegetable oils turn into a sticky gummy mess long before they carbonize into a proper coating.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I find frying fish in canola oil freshens a skillet quite nicely.

I've even gone to using PAM to fry bacon.

I'm sure everyone has a trick that works for them.
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I hate using veg oil to coat dry cast iron because the oil turns gummy. So now I heat my pans/pots to dry, then use old fashioned blue can solid Crisco to coat hot pot/pans then wipe excess out. No gummy residue.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
I hate using veg oil to coat dry cast iron because the oil turns gummy. So now I heat my pans/pots to dry, then use old fashioned blue can solid Crisco to coat hot pot/pans then wipe excess out. No gummy residue.

I don't know if it's worth reopening a 6 month old thread, but if your seasoning oil turns gummy, the oil is applied too thick or the heat is too low. Polymerized oil will not turn gummy. Because of this, I don't believe that a single application of oil is sufficient. 4-6 very thin coats is much better and a pan so treated will outlast the owner.

Seems to me like there are a lot of errors in the OP. A properly seasoned pan will not rust. Neither will any heat in the cooking range affect it. Keep in mind that you are creating the surface at 500 degrees, well above the smoke point of the oil. The polymerized finish is a very hard plastic. A little scraping doesn't hurt it.

Properly polymerized oil will not turn rancid. Opinions differ on the best oil to use. I use flax seed. It will definitely turn rancid in it's liquid state, but once polymerized it lasts forever. I have several CI pans seasoned 10 years ago and never used, no signs of rancidness, no rust.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
seasoning cast iron has never been the same since Martha got out of jail.

I guess the Pony Express was 'invented' to deliver all these exotic oils to settlers.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
seasoning cast iron has never been the same since Martha got out of jail.

I guess the Pony Express was 'invented' to deliver all these exotic oils to settlers.

I agree on the oil. Go to a cast iron site like Wags (where the experts congregate) and you will find 10 posters with 12 opinions on the best oil.

All the fat needs to do is polymerize at obtainable heats and not be toxic. Nearly all fats will do that.

I've done a few using only pork fat out of the butcher's scrap barrel. Worked just fine.
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
seasoning cast iron has never been the same since Martha got out of jail.

I guess the Pony Express was 'invented' to deliver all these exotic oils to settlers.


To save yourselves all that aggravation & hassle, the cast iron cookware comes pre-seasoned.

You can start using it right out of the box. I like it better that way! :WitchBrewsSmiley::weber:
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
To save yourselves all that aggravation & hassle, the cast iron cookware comes pre-seasoned.

You can start using it right out of the box. I like it better that way! :WitchBrewsSmiley::weber:

You can believe that if you want, but new Lodge is nowhere near the surface of well seasoned old CI.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I got this at a garage sale today - #8 Wagner - and will need a little work to bring it back to life, but not much. The gal said they bought it at a garage sale and used it for tent camping before they got a camping trailer. It's didn't make sense to me but wasn't going to talk her into keeping it. US$10.00
 

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Johnny West

Well-known member
I'll keep my eye out for another one - lucked into that one. Another lady was wanting it just as I paid for it.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I joined the cast iron cookware group at Facebook and there are some wonderful pictures and information. Nice folks.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Today our Value Village had a 50% off sale and made it just as the doors opened this morning. I got this like new no-name #3 for $2.49, a #6 for $2.99 and a half dozen wide mouth Keer jars (new) for 50 cents each. I bought the number 6 as a project to clean up using skills read about on line. The rust on the bottom worries me but will give it the vinegar bath and hope that it works.
 

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ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
a (sand)blasting operation using pecan/walnut shells or a fine oxide intended for aluminum ist likely the best option on the rust. blasting produces an absolutely pristine grey iron finish - but you _have_ to find someone who knows the right media to use. too coarse or too hard can really destroy / mess up CI.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
I believe your no name is a Lodge made for Sears and a few chain hardware stores. It dates from mid century. Back when Lodge was worth buying.

I've not had much trouble with rust removal. Generally it's surface rust, and easily removed with steel wool. The curly kind works best. Use a little vinegar if you desire. The exterior use a rotary wire brush. There are also commercial removers on the market.

If you plan on doing more than a couple set up a dip tank made from a 5 gallon plastic bucket and a can of Drano. Fashion handles from coat hangers. Be sure to cover the bucket to keep critters out. I use a cement block over a piece of plywood.

If you ask 10 experts on the best methods, you'll get 12 different opinions, me included. So it pays to experiment. You'll also find you can do five in the same time as one.

Have fun. It's enjoyable to bring back a throwaway to like new.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Thanks, BigJim. I bought this skillet more for a project to try, as I certainly didn't need it, but the price was right. I will do the vinegar treatment then run the skillet through the self cleaning mode of the oven.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
Thanks, BigJim. I bought this skillet more for a project to try, as I certainly didn't need it, but the price was right. I will do the vinegar treatment then run the skillet through the self cleaning mode of the oven.

If I were using the oven, I think I would do that in reverse. You may find less rust after a trip through the oven.

I don't use the oven. So that's another opinion. But I de rust if necessary after the Drano treatment
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Heheheheheh, I was just thinking that earlier. I think I'll stay away from lye, though. I was wanting to do an oven cleaning cycle anyway and was going to wait for a cooler day. I'll report back. :thumb:
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
The oven cleaning cycle did a great job on the rusty skillet and also threw in another garage sale find that was pretty crusty. Today I'll do a vinegar and water soak and then they'll be ready for seasoning. Both say Made in USA on bottom and one is a 6 and the other a 7.
 

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lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Please explain the "vinegar treatment" (or a link or post number). I think I missed where it was explained. (I'm having some vision issues today). Thank you.

I have a few CI I think need stripping and reseasoning. How many hours did you set your self clean for?

Can't wait to see your end results.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
The vinegar treatment is a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Soak the skillet for 1/2 hour and then clean with an SOS pad. I left mine in for over an hour as I got called away. They were only partially submerged as I did;to have a vessel are enough for the two. I turned them and waited for another half hour, then did a scrubbing. I ended up scrubbing several times to get the affect I wanted. Wear rubber gloves - I didn't at first and my hands were a freaking mess. The vinegar and water takes away rust quite nicely. The skillet I got this past weekend that was in such bad shape with rust it will need another treatment on the bottom and will save it for later when I do another skillet. The #7 came out almost like new. I learned all this on the cast iron group at Facebook - great bunch of folks.
 

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lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
You did self clean (how many hours? I can program 2-4 hours) then the vinegar bath?

They look beautiful.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
My gas Viking runs for 2.5 hours then there is a half hour cool down before it will auto unlock. The mrs was pleased I cleaned the oven, too.

The vinegar bath is done last.

Some folks swear by easy-off oven cleaner or lye to clean before the bath but I'm not messing with that stuff.

There is also an e-tank but that will require more research and it's not like I'm getting set up to be a semi-pro.
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
My gas Viking runs for 2.5 hours then there is a half hour cool down before it will auto unlock. The mrs was pleased I cleaned the oven, too.

The vinegar bath is done last.

Some folks swear by easy-off oven cleaner or lye to clean before the bath but I'm not messing with that stuff.

There is also an e-tank but that will require more research and it's not like I'm getting set up to be a semi-pro.

I use a lye (Drano) vat. It's not that bad. The only rule is to remember is lye into water. Even so keep your face out of the line of fire. It can be reused over and over.

E tanks are not worth the bother IMO. They will reduce rust, but that's all.

Have fun. Old CI is way better than new, and way cheaper. Particularly if it's dirty and rusty.
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
And the thing is, that once you clean & season it, it's
gotta be keep that way, because it is so prone to rusting again! :wow:
 
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