Five Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Cast Iron Skillet

Cast iron skillets are really great for cooking, for a number of reasons. One: They last a very long time (we are talking generations here), Two: they require little to no oil when you are cooking, which is great for preparing light meals, Three: Cooking with this type of skillet adds iron to the food you are preparing in it.

Four: These pans can go straight from the stove top to the oven when cooking, and heat is evenly distributed throughout the iron, providing an even temperature all the way around, and Five: You do not have to worry about what utensils you are using in it while preparing your food. Unlike Teflon, it is not going to get scratched up and diminished in quality, with metal or stainless steel utensils.

So, if you have a cast iron skillet, or are considering purchasing a new one, the following five tips will help you care for it in the proper manner, to ensure yourself years of great cooking.

One: You must wash an iron skillet by hand. Do not put it in the dishwasher, ever. Use hot, soapy water and then dry it. You do not want to allow water or moisture to remain in or on the pan when you are storing it, to prevent it from rusting. Once dry, use a paper towel with a bit of oil on it, to swipe across the inside, bottom of the pan. This is called keeping the pan seasoned, and it will keep it ready to use. If you keep your pan seasoned your food will never stick to it while cooking.

Two: If you are purchasing or have a new iron skillet, you need to properly season it for use. First you want to wash and dry it. Then rub it down with oil on the inside, and bake it for an hour or two at 350-degrees. Once you have taken the skillet out and allowed it to cool, you need to repeat the process several times.

Three: If your pans get spots of rust, immediately scour the area with a steel wool pad to remove it. Then you want to wash, dry completely, and preseason (also called curing) the pan, as directed in tip number one.

Four: Store pans without lids to avoid moisture build-up.

Five: Remove food immediately from the pan when it is finished cooking, and do not store food in the pan. You don't want the iron transfer from the pan to turn your food black, and you don't want any acid in the food to harm the pan.

These five tips, all easy to do, will keep your iron skillet in great working order now, and for many years to come.