Posted on 08/27/2017 5:07:42 PM PDT by djf
Hello!
I bought a large (12 in diameter) cast iron pan at a garage sale today.
It has been only very lightly used, the manufacturers name LODGE is plainly visible on the bottom. Little or no burned grease or discoloration evident.
So I did wash it once very lightly with mostly water but just a hint of soap and am now trying to season it.
I put in about a tablespoon of unscented coconut oil and let that melt and worked it in with a paper towel, then turned off the heat.
So I am wondering about the best approach to season it. I know that means NEVER washing it with soap again... but what else should I do? Rub it down with salt or a salt/oil mix? Heat it till it starts smoking? I guess all these years I've used good quality teflon and never had to worry about it!
TIA!
Pan? Do you mean a skillet?
Bacon.
Light coating of cooking oil and heat in the oven for while.
And don’t worry about soap later, just avoid scrub pads.
You just said you oiled it, heated it and let it cool. You did season it.
BTW, I have grandma’s iron skillet and it’s been put in hot soapy water and scrubbed with a metal scrubby a couple times a week for the past 100 years. It works just fine.
How do you clean it after cooking with it??
It is gonna stick no matter what is done. Unless yu have the food swimming in lard.
Quite universal....
Also keeps muzzies away.
It’s all good.
Lodge, best cookware anywhere.S. Pittsburg, Tn. Lasts a lifetime.
Clean oil...
Use vegetable oil. Use a paper towel and rub no more than a tbl of vegetable oil on the inside.....all around. Place in an oven that has been preheated to 250 F for 45 min. Remove allow to cool. Place a til or two of salt in a paper towel. Hold firmly and rub down inside of pan. Repeat oil and salt once more. Finish with one last oil.
Should be good to go
BTW, I have grandma’s iron skillet and it’s been put in hot soapy water and scrubbed with a metal scrubby a couple times a week for the past 100 years. It works just fine.
Put it in the oven for 1 hour at 350, upside down. Lay it on the rack and put something like a cookie sheet on the next rack underneath it to catch possible drips from the oil. Let it cool after baking and remove. There are YouTube videos on seasoning. I used flax seed oil based on recommendations.
I looked at it pretty good at the garage sale, could tell it was a quality item. Seven bucks... I guess that’s ok. I’ll use it to cook my steaks and bacon, probably still use a smaller teflon pan for eggs.
No soap. Bacon advice is good. Are you sure it wasn’t already seasoned?
“Use vegetable oil.” That’s the ticket.
I use a soft bristle brush on my Lodge, then let it dry upside down on a dish towel.
Then vegetable oil applied with a paper towel(s), or it will rust like a Ford Fiesta.
It turned out a beautiful glossy black. It could probably use another go at it.
I just put some hot water in mine, loosen food, dump out the water, wipe with a wet paper towel, and put in the oven upsidedown just until it is dry. Then put it away when cool.
There are tons of different tricks for restoring them on youtube.
Not accurate
Wipe a light coat of bacon grease inside and out. Put a cookie sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drips. Put the cast iron on the upper rack. Crank the oven to 500 degrees and go watch an old movie on TCM. After 2-3 hours, turn off the heat and when the pan cools sufficiently wipe off any excess. You’re looking for the grease to cook into the metal and fill all the mini craters in the metal. Most times you can simply wipe out the pan after cooking. If you have to wash it, just use water and dry the pan immediately. Water left to dry results in rust. If you screw up the seasoning, just repeat the process.
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