Got a Cast Iron Skillet?
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A friend of mine was downsizing and I “inherited” an old cast iron skillet.
This one hadn’t really been used in a long time and it needed some work and I needed a “refresher” on use and care.
Luckily, information was not hard to find, our Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent, Avery Ashley had written an article and shared it on the Polk County, NC Extension website when he worked there.
Ashley offers great praise for cast iron saying it makes a wonderful cooking surface. It’s safe to use, lasts forever, holds heat like nothing else, and is naturally non-stick if
properly seasoned. (Being “seasoned” refers to coating it in oil and heating so it forms a water-resistant coating on the pan.) Some pans come pre-seasoned, and it should say this on the label if purchasing new. When buying a pan at a garage sale or thrift store, it’s best to assume you’ll need to season it yourself especially if the surface is rusty has some built-up crud.
If improperly seasoned or not fully dried before storage, cast iron can rapidly form a
layer of rust that can be difficult to get off. If your cast iron has a small layer of rust,
Ashley recommends using a wet towel, some kosher salt (for abrasiveness), and some elbow grease.
The next step is seasoning.
- Preheat your oven to 550 degrees F. (I noted that my oven only goes to 500
degrees F—other references say at 450 degrees F is enough—but it does need to be a very hot oven.) - Coat your cast iron generously in cooking oil (like Canola) and then wipe off
excess so that the pan is coated in a thin layer. You shouldn’t see any oil pooling. - Once your oven has preheated, place your cast iron pan inside and set a timer for an hour. It’s a good idea to turn on your hood vent during this process, since we are intentionally bringing the oil past its smoke point and some fumes will be produced. You should never see flames or heavy smoke from this process since we only use a small layer of oil.
- After an hour, take out your cast iron and let it cool until you can handle it. Then repeat the process exactly as before. Usually, 3 cycles of this will give you a nice seasoning. However, you can do it as many times as you like. Each coat will make the seasoning thicker and shinier.
Each time you cook with your cast iron after the initial seasoning, you will gradually add to the seasoning layer. As long as you are careful not to remove the seasoning layer during cleaning, it can last years before you need to season it again.
After use, when cleaning cast iron, it’s important to protect this seasoning. The two
important things to remember is DO NOT use soap and don’t use anything that too
abrasive like steel wool or an abrasive cleanser.
The easiest way to clean cast iron is with water and a damp cloth as soon as it’s cooled down enough to handle. The longer you wait after using it, the more difficult it will be to clean. If you have a good seasoning, it is usually no more difficult than a few quick wipes with a cloth or paper towel. The most important thing to remember is to never leave any water in or on your cast iron, and NEVER leave it in a wet sink. If you do wash with water, be sure to dry completely. It will rust very quickly in the presence of water. Cast iron should never be put in a dishwasher.
While this may seem like a lot of work, Ashley says that once you’ve done these steps and gotten to know your cast iron pan, you’ll start to see why people love them so
much.
Cast iron skillets perform best when cooking meat and baking items such as breads,
pies, cobblers, Dutch babies and frittatas. Unlike thinner pans, cast iron gets hot and
stays hot providing a consistent cooking temperature. I’m glad to have a versatile pan
that can be used both on top of the stove and in the oven. Now I just have to get busy
and clean it up.
Sources: Ohio State University Extension, K-State Extension and Polk County, NC
Cooperative Extension
Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at
clsyracu@ncsu.edu