Cast Iron Cookware question?

Question

I just got a cast iron pan, I seasoned it like the instructions said but when I made my eggs some parts were gray like parts of the metal had scraped off into the food, why is this? are the eggs safe to eat? and when I wiped it down with a paper towel there was gray stuff on it as well? how often does it need to be seasoned too? Appreciate all answers.

Answer 1

It takes a while to truly season a cast iron pan. Your eggs are probably fine and the "gray stuff" is from the oil in the pores o the iron. When you get done with it, wipe it out and put it away upside down. You can also spray it with cooking spray, wipe it out and stick it in a warm oven to continue seasoning. Give it time, a good cast iron skillet is one of the most prized possessions I own.

Answer 2

Diana it wont hurt ya non to eat them but its not too appetizing is it? What you have got to do is get that pan to where its all nice and black and has a nice patina just like Granny's old fry pan..Here is the secret:
put some cooking oil in the pan and take a paper towel and wipe it all over inside and outside bottom and top and place the pan in the oven and bake it for 2 hours on 400 degrees.
what this will do is seal the oil into the pan so that it doesn't rust..you might have to repeat this procedure if you mistakenly wash this pan in the dishwasher(a NO NO) or with any type of dish washing soap..see soap destroys the nice slick finish that you have tried to achieve...when you need to clean it just rinse out the pan with hot water and wipe it dry..then to make it stay nice add a few drops of cooking oil and wipe that in real good..Its a real joy to fry some chicken in an old fry pan and its easy too..I just heat up the oil in that pan and drop in some chicken that's been dipped into seasoned flour ..I cook it for 8 Min's then flip and cook 8 Min's more then drain and transfer the chicken to a crock pot on low setting till time to eat..Enjoy you new pan sweetie

Answer 3

From what I've read the iron will not hurt you. Supposedly it actually helps people get their mineral requirement. I admit I was surprised to read this.I would wash it and season it again and use it to cook heavier less delicate items until its fully seasoned. Don't eat the eggs I suspect they will taste bad. Use a stainless steel pan to cook your eggs. Make sure you've preheated the pan well, then add butter, oil, or a bit of each. Then add the egg.

Answer 4

Heh, you did the same thing I did when I got my first unseasoned cast iron...I cooked eggs. Did you get Lodge pans? Those are "pre-seasoned" but it does flake off. Cook stuff with oil or butter a lot, but not eggs. And when you're done, keep reseasoning with canola oil and whacking it in the oven. It's a pain to get them seasoned, but once it is, you'll love it and can cook anything in it.

Answer 5

you will almost always have grey or brown on the paper towel when you wipe it out. vinegar and baking soda is good for cleaning you cast iron. just remember to put a very light coat of veg. oil on pan before you put it away (or dry it on the stove with the burner on low) so it doesn't rust.

also, to properly season your cast iron, cover the entire pan inside and out with CRISCO and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 i think.

Answer 6

Warning if your pan has a wooden handle do not bake in the oven.

It takes several uses to build up the surface, and with the one I got recently the instructions actually said to follow their instructions several times.

Answer 7

why do you want to cook eggs in a cast iron pan.

Answer 8

scrub it with salt & steel wool - NO SOAP! then reseason it. You should only have to initially season it once, and then the more you cook in it, the more seasoned it becomes.