I need some pointers on seasoning an iron skillet.?

Actually, water is OK for cast iron skillets; it's soap/detergent that should be avoided.

This is the use and care info that came with my iron skillet, a Lodge skillet I purchased within the last two months.

1. Rinse with hot water, and dry thoroughly.

2. Before cooking, prepare the surface with cooking spray or vegetable oil.

3. After cooking, clean with a stiff brush and hot water. Using soap is not recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used.

4. Towel dry immediately amd apply a light coat of cooking spray or vegetable oil while the skillet is still warm.

5. Store in a cool, dry place. If you have a lid for your skillet, place a folded paper towel between the lid and the skillet to allow are to circulate.

6. DO NOT wash in dishwasher.

I use running hot water and a vegetable brush to clean mine, then rinse, dry and add the vegetable spray or rub in a little oil so it's ready for the next use. The website link below in Sources gives some info on re-seasoning your skillet if food is sticking to the surface or there are dull, gray spots. Rust spots can be scoured off with fine grade sandpaper or steel wool, then re-season it as directed in the link.

Maria

Clean it well, put a light coat of vegetable oil and put it in a preheated oven at 350 for about a half hour, you can do this anytime that you have to scrub it to clean it but as another poster said, you really should not wash them with water. This also helps if you get a crusty build up while you are cooking, lower the heat and allow the pan to cool for a moment, then add a small amount water and it will boil the scaly stuff off. The heat will protect the seasoned finish and loosen up the crud making it easier to wipe out and clean. Finally, always wipe the cooking surface down with an oily (vegetable oil) rag before storing.

Some of the long drawn out versions above are for the initial seasoning of a raw cast iron skillet, the short version is fine for re-seasoning.

First off, never wash an iron skillet with scrubbing pads or detergent. Clean it while it's still hot by using hot water only and scrape it with a non-metallic scraper (just as you would with any non-stick cookware). They dry it thoroughly with a dry towel. Always clean cast iron immediately after cooking, while it's still hot or at least very warm to the touch. Never store food in cast iron cookware as it ruins the seasoning.

To season new or re-season old cast iron cookware, scrub it thoroughly with hot soapy water and dry immediately with a dry towel to prevent rust. Then coat the cooking surface with bacon fat or lard. Do NOT use liquid cooking oils or sprays as they will leave a sticky residue on the cookware. Then place it in a low oven (250 to 300 F) for about 30 minutes. Remove it and pour out any liquid and return it to the oven and bake it for 2 hours. Repeat this process (aside from the cleaning) 3 or 4 times until the cooking surface is coated with a smooth, hard, dark surface.

My mother and both grandmothers also seasoned the outside surface and placed a cookie sheet under it while it was baking to catch any drips. I have not had to season or re-season any of my cast iron cookware in over 20 years so I have not done that but they swore by it.

Hi!

How to Season Cast Iron

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position one rack in the top third of the oven. Position another rack in the bottom third of the oven and place an empty foil lined backing sheet on the bottom rack. This sheet will catch any dripping from the cast iron.

2. Open your windows or turn on your stove hood fan. There may be some smoke, but I’ve never had this issue.

3. Over a medium flame, rub a thin layer (about 1 Tablespoon) of vegetable shortening, like Crisco, or oil—bacon grease works great, too—all over the inner bottom and sides of the pan with a paper towel and tongs.

4. Place the oiled pan upside down in the heated oven over the foil lined baking sheet.

5. Bake the cast iron for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cast iron to cool to room temperature in the oven. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times for best results.

When the pan is perfectly seasoned, the inside with be smooth and shiny. Sometimes after seasoning my pans come out a bit sticky. This usually clears up with a bit of cooking. I usually make sure that the first few things I cook in a newly seasoned cast iron are either fried or sauteed in a bit of oil.

Note: Never cook tomatoes in cast iron. The acid from the tomatoes will break down the seasoned pan.

Another Note: Hardcore cast iron people have different cast iron for different purposes. For example, they season their dessert cast iron with vegetable oil, but their savory cast iron with bacon grease. They have certain cast irons they use for cornbread and other they use for fish dishes. I stay safe and just season all of my cast iron with a tasteless oil so they can go either way.

You're not supposed to "wash" them, not in the traditional sense. Water is bad for your cast iron.

To clean, you should heat some oil in the skillet with some coarse salt and once it's very hot, wipe out the inside with some balled up paper towels or a clean washcloth. The salt will act as an abrasive to clean the pan, and the oil will help season it. You can use a damp washcloth too if necessary, but make sure you dry it when you're done.

The way my mom taught me was to use paper towels to put a very thin layer of a solid shortening (like Crisco) over the skillet. Then put it in t he oven at a low temperature, I used 300 degrees. Leave it in the oven for a half hour to an hour. Once it's out and cooled a little bit wipe it out with clean paper towels.

Any time I use mine I hand wash it with regular dish detergent. I turn one of the burners on the range on to like, medium high for a minute or so and then turn it off. I set the skillet on the range and leave it to dry on that burner. If you use the dishwasher it takes all the seasoning out of it. If you leave it to air dry sometimes it'll rust. It seems like they're a lot of trouble, but you're right about them cooking the most awesome food!

YAY. My dad educated me very well on this. Heat the cast iron skillet on the stove for about 15min (once the handle is hot too) then just spray pam or pour cooking oil on it and take a bunched up paper towel and rub it all around coating it. Get a glove so you can pick it up and even season the bottom with oil, as well as the handle. By doing this everytime you cook, over the years it will be amazingly nonstick because the oil will have set deep into the pan's pores.

MOST important thing to remember: never use soap to clean it! Just steel wool and hot water, then heat it up to sanitize for cooking again.

throw in a hot fire for a couple of hrs. then rub down w/grease put in 350 oven for one hour.