Cast Iron Cookware

Question: How to season/clean cast iron cookware?

(Posted by: Live life. on 2008-10-27 18:02:51)

I grew up with my grandmothers old cast iron skillets and have envied my mothers since I moved out of the house. I bought a preseasoned one today and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I wiped it down with an oiled paper towel and stuck it in the oven for about a half hour and then wiped the excess oil off in preparation for its first use. Is this correct? Also, what should I use to clean it? We used to stick my moms in the dishwasher and it was fine but I assume that will ruin the seasoning on such a new pan? I've heard soap is fine and others say never to wash it with soap. Whats best?

Posted by: Meghan C on 2008-10-27, 18:11:27

The seasoning that you have on it now should be fine. As you cook with it that will continue to season it more. As for cleaning it, you should never use soap. Just wash it out with water and a sponge.

Posted by: fishineasy on 2008-10-27, 18:27:18

If you can help it NEVER use soap on your cast iron cookware. I love mine and have grown up with it for years. I now have my mothers. As a child I watched her clean hers in there fire place and that is where I clean mine now. I wait until the fire dies down and the coals are good and hot and let the skillet (or whatever) sit with some of the coals in and around it. After the coals are cool I carefully remove the pan from the fire place and wipe it with newspaper, cleaning all the ash off. I work with it until it is clean then I start adding the oil (I use bacon grease just because momma always did) and heating it on the burner of the stove making sure it does not burn. I wipe it on the sides and then out and add more and do it again until I am satisfied it is cured enough. This process does not have to be does but about once a year. Just to clean it each time wipe it out and add more oil. nfd♥

Posted by: wildflower on 2008-10-27, 18:47:24

It takes a long time for the slick "teflon-like " coating to build up in a cast iron skillet, so I never, ever put my skillet in the dishwasher. And I never use soap/ detergent on my c/ i skillets either. This is what I do... After you have went thru the pre-seasoning process, then it is ready to begin using. At first, I mostly use my skillet to fry bacon, pork chops, fry fish, oysters or fried shrimp, (anything you want to fry) and that does a really good job of building up the slick seasoning. After you have finished frying your food, pour off any left over cooking oil/ fat and dispose of it. With a wide spatula (hamburger turner), scrape up any debri from off the bottom of the skillet. Wipe out any excess oil. Dump a coupla tablespoons of table salt/ kosher salt into the skillet and heat up to a medium or medium low temp. After a minute or two, begin scraping and pushing the salt around along with any debri that comes up. Turn off the heat and then scrape really good. Dispose of all the salt/ debri and allow the skillet to cool. (if you prefer, let the skillet cool down and then dispose of the salt/ debri mixture) Ocassionally, when I notice a carbon build-up on the outside of the skillet, I let my husband take the skillet outside and give it a few good blasts with his blow torch to burn off the carbon on the outside of the skillet. Some ppl. find it very difficult not to wash the skillet cause it is slightly oily but I won't do anything to risk losing that wonderful slick finish. I often store my skillet inside an electric oven, but not a gas oven. And btw, I never cook acidic foods in my c/ i skillet, never cook with wine in a c/ i skillet.