I just got a brand new cast iron skillet! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prep and season it?

Answer 1

This will sound strange, but is the traditional way to season a pan...anyone with classical culinary training will tell you this one. Wash the pan so any factory "dust" is off of it. Don't scrub with steel wool or anything too harsh though. First fill the pan around 1/3 - 1/2 with cooking oil. Peanut oil is best because it can get to a very high temperature without burning (this is known as the flash point). Then add a whole pile of table salt ( depends on the size of the pan but at least 1 cup). Careful not to let the oil over flow. Bring the pan to a very high heat, with the oil and salt in it and then turn the heat off. Let the pan cool to room temperature and then repeat several times (I try to do it at least 5 times). Dump out the oil and salt and rinse (just hot water, not soap). That should get it good and ready for you.

Answer 2

Coat it with grease and get it very hot, maybe several times. When it is properly seasoned, it will turn black and a drop of water will bead up on the surface of the skillet. If you use it initially to fry things before you use it for baking and stir-fry this might be helpful. Don't wash all the grease off often you can just wipe it out. Never use steel wool, or ever let water sit in it (it will rust very easily) I have a well seasoned skillet that belonged to my great grandmother and I cook with it everyday..so I wish your skillet a long and prosperous life..many eggs and pancakes and skillets-ful of cornbread.

Answer 3

I have about 4 cast iron skillets of varying sizes. It's been a while since I have had to season a new one, but if I remember we coated the entire skillets surfaces with cooking oil, & baked it in the oven at a high temperature.
I don't remember how high or for how long, but I would try at about 500F for about 45 min to an hour.

Answer 4

Cast iron cookware should be cured, inside and out including lids, if the pan is new and has not been pre-cured by the manufacturer, or if your pan is old, and the seasoning has worn off.

Many manufacturers are now marketing pans that have been pre-seasoned. In this case, the curing process has been done for you, but read the product manual carefully to see if there are any initial washing instructions to follow.

The words 'curing' and 'seasoning' both refer to the process of coating your pan with grease and oven-cooking it, which fills the pores of the cast iron, and renders your pan with a natural, nonstick-type of coating.

To maintain the curing on your pan, you should only rinse or quickly wash with mild soapy water after each use. Too much scrubbing and hot water will remove the curing, and the pan will require a re-seasoning. It is normal for your pan to require a re-seasoning occasionally.

Curing/Seasoning Process

Prepare your pan by scrubbing it with hot soapy water, ensuring there is no food residue or rust, and dry it completely.

Warm the pan up slightly, and apply a coat of melted shortening to the inside and outside. Liquid cooking oils are not recommended.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put your cookware in upside right, on a foil-covered cooking sheet, to catch any drips. If you use a non-covered baking sheet, it will require a good scrub afterwards - the foil saves on the cleanup.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes. If it starts to smoke, reduce the temperature by 10-15 degrees until it stops. This may increase the time by a few minutes, but will not hurt the cure.

Drain off any excess grease, and put the pan back in the oven, this time upside down, for 1 to 3 hours. A re-seasoning may only require half of that time.

Turn the oven off, and let the pan cool down naturally before removing it.

Answer 5

I was taught to take cooking oil and rub a thin "glaze" all over the skillet..then place in a VERY low oven 200 degrees at MOST and let "cook" for several hours, (no less than four). This is winter time, so a good time to do this. Of course nothing beats frying in it for a decade like Grandma, but this will give you a good start.

Answer 6

Instructions
STEP 1: Scrub a new skillet with steel wool to remove its protective coating, and wash with mild, soapy water. (If reseasoning an old skillet, just scrub with hot water and a brush.) STEP 2: Use a paper towel to coat the skillet with vegetable oil. STEP 3: Heat, uncovered, for 2 hours in an oven at 250 degrees STEP 4: Let cool before use.

Tips & Warnings
Once you've seasoned a skillet, avoid washing it with soap whenever possible. Clean instead by wiping with a damp cloth after each use. If you must wash it, clean with mild soap, avoiding detergents and scouring pads; rinse and wipe dry immediately after washing, then oil lightly with vegetable oil.
If food sticks to the skillet after cooking, rub with a paper towel and an abrasive such as salt, then reapply vegetable oil. Store uncovered.
If food starts sticking to the skillet during cooking, reseason it.

Answer 7

The way we southerners do it is the most effective in my opinion.
We wash it in soap and water first then coat it heavily in oil or lard then throw it into the oven or campfire until it is black. Then you wash it again without soap from then on out. To keep it seasoned use bacon lard and keep it in the oven. It's worked well for 20 years for me.

Answer 8

wipe it with oil and rub most of it off. some say to heat it with a small amount of oil and then do this before you use it the first time

Answer 9

It should say on it ... but baiscally you need to fill the bottom with vegetable oil and heat it up for several minutes.

Answer 10

don't wash it.