How to Season Your Skillet

With the wide array of different cooking surfaces now available, why cook on a cast iron cookware? There are many reasons that cast iron is a better way to cook. Cast iron is a heavy cookware that distributes the heat evenly when cooking. You will find that cast iron also keeps that cooking temperature consistent throughout the pan for those more delicate foods that require it. Cast iron also allows more heat to be retained to keep your food warmer longer. However, cast iron needs to be seasoned well if it is going to be the non-stick skillet you need in your kitchen. Here are five steps to seasoning or reseasoning that cast iron skillet.

1. Before Seasoning, Clean the Cast Iron Skillet
It is important that you start with a clean cast iron skillet. Wash your cast iron cookware in warm, soapy water and apply a stiff nylon brush to it. Scrub it well, cleaning it thoroughly. If your cast iron cookware has rust, use a steel wool pad to clean the rust. Rinse the skillet and dry thoroughly.

2. Apply Oil to Begin Seasoning Your Cast Iron Skillet
Take your clean, dry cast iron cookware and apply a thin even coat of vegetable oil to the entire surface of the skillet. Apply the oil on the inside and outside of the skillet using a paper towel. Set your well-oiled pan aside.

3. Oven Cooking to Season Your Cast Iron Skillet
The next step to seasoning your cast iron cookware is to place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven. This will prevent the oil from your skillet to drip onto your oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

4. Baking Your Cast Iron Skillet to Season
When your oven has reached 350 degrees, place the cast iron cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven. Having your cast iron cookware upside down will allow the oil to drip down and coat the entire skillet. Let your skillet stay in the oven for about an hour to get that baked on coating.

5. Storing Your Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
After the one-hour baking in the oven, turn the oven off and let the skillet cool inside the oven. If that is not possible, remove the cast iron cookware with oven mitts and place on a wire rack to cool for about an hour. Your new seasoned skillet is ready for storage. Place it uncovered in a dry location until you are ready to use it.