Hello, welcome! Thank you so much for being here.
Today I’m sharing the steps I take to clean and season my cast iron pans.
I found this beautiful pan at a thrift shop earlier this year and had to snag it. It’ll be perfect for homemade pizza night!
Since this pan had been through some use – and even had a few rusted areas on it – I first stripped off the previous seasoning before re-seasoning the pan.
This post will be helpful to you if you 1) have an older pan that needs some extra attention before seasoning, or 2) a new pan that you only need to season.
Besides the pan used in this post, we only have one other (12 inch) cast iron pan, and only this year have I become comfortable using it for more than just frying up bacon in the mornings.
Now I’m using the cast iron to cook german pancakes, pizzas, dinner skillets, and even (gasp) eggs!
Cooking with cast iron doesn’t have to be a nightmare or a headache.
Keep reading if you’re ready to season your cast iron!
Common Questions
Why cast iron?
Let’s start the answer of this question with: I’m not an expert – or a scientist. However, upon hearing about the chemicals present in non-stick and other metallic pots and pans, I dug deeper into that thought and concluded that I’m only comfortable using cast iron and certain stainless steel pots and pans. If you’re considering abandoning your cook and bakeware that is not cast iron, definitely do your own research and find out what you are okay with your family using. Here are a few resources I looked into:
What oil to choose?
When selecting an oil to use for seasoning my new-to-me cast iron pan, I chose an oil with a high smoke point. I’ve seen many people use coconut oil, but I decided to use avocado oil.
What are your tips for cooking with cast iron?
While I see myself as a novice when it comes to cooking with cast iron, here are two steps I’d take from my experience of cooking with cast iron.
1) Preheat your pan before dumping any ingredients in – whether you’re browning meat, sautéing veggies, or baking a german pancake.
2) Make sure you’re cooking on a pan with a clean surface. If there’s already food stuck to the bottom of the cast iron, whatever you’re cooking next in that pan with stick to that remaining food.
How to Clean and Season Cast Iron
Tools you may need
Cast iron pan
Steel wool
Oil
Towel
Hot pads and oven mitts
Directions
Stripping Your Cast Iron
1. Preheat your oven to 450 F.
2. Place cast iron on rack upside down and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Wearing oven mitts, use your steel wool or scrubbing brush to buff off the old seasoning and rusted areas.
Seasoning Your Cast Iron
1. Using your towel, coat the entire pan – inside and out – with your oil. You want an even application without oil pooling in your cast iron. I would err on the side of less is more. You can always add another layer after the first.
2. Place the cast iron pan upside-down on the middle rack in your oven. To catch any drips, consider placing a baking sheet or casserole dish beneath the pan.
3. Heat for 30-45 minutes.
4. Repeat this process until your cast iron no longer looks dull, but has a rich, satiny depth of color. I did this twice to the pan in this post.
Thank you so much for your time!
