Learn how to season a cast iron skillet.
I spent years watching my grandma and mom use cast iron skillets in the kitchen. Once I was grown and married, I realized just how incredible these things are. Most everything just cooks and tastes better coming from cast iron. There is some getting used to caring for your cast iron skillets, though.
I wish I had some of my grandma’s or moms old skillets. The ones we use are the Lodge cast iron skillets (<– sold on Amazon!). We LOVE them! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Ree (the Pioneer Woman) use them too!
Seasoning your cast iron skillet is a must. Seasoning preserves the cast iron, keeps it from rusting and just makes cooking in them so much easier. To season your skillets, just follow these instructions…
How to season a cast iron skillet:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
You’ll be putting your skillets in here in a few minutes, so make sure your oven is preheated and ready to go.
Make sure your skillet is clean and free of any dust or built on food/grime.
If food has already built up on it, go ahead and clean with a nice sprinkling of kosher salt and warm water, using a stiff brush to scrub. Note: Never clean cast iron with soap! Soap strips any seasoning off. Make sure to rinse and dry the skillet really, really well.
Apply a layer of lard or shortening (like Crisco) to the inside and outside of skillet.
Just use a clean paper towel or your fingers. Rub a thin coat of lard all around the in and outside of your skillet. If you don’t have lard or Crisco handy, you can also use vegetable oil. Just know that lard or Crisco are usually better choices. I’ve found vegetable oil can make the skillets/handles a little sticky.
Place skillets in the preheated oven for 1-2 hours.
Place your cast iron skillets on the middle rack in the oven, upside down. Make sure to put a larger cookie sheet or alum. foil on the bottom rack to catch any lard/shortening drips. After one hour, check to see what your pan looks like. If it still looks wet, allow to go for another 30 minutes to an hour.
Other cast iron skillet maintenance tips:
Clean immediately after cooking, using method mentioned above. Don’t let dirty skillets sit overnight.
Thoroughly dry skillets after washing. Then wipe with light layer of oil or shortening before putting away.
Don’t let your cast iron skillets sit in water submerged for long periods of time, or overnight.
Never use dishsoap in your cast iron skillets. It will strip the seasoning away.
Use a paste of baking soda/water to clean stuck on grime. Baking soda is great at removing odors from your pans!
Do you have any cast iron skillet tips? If so, we’d love to hear them!
Jenni
Jenni here! I'm the owner and primary blogger here at Sweet Pennies from Heaven. Married to my better half for 17 years and mom to one awesome little boy. We have 2 dogs, Pepper and Izzy. My favorite thing to do is nap. I love sweets and coffee. Sweet coffee.
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I don’t have a cast iron skillet, but this is great to know for when I do get one.
Mine are due for a good seasoning. Thanks for the tutorial!
Thank you for this it is good to know although i do not actually have one right now.
Great tips! I will have to keep this in mind when I get my new skillets!
I did not realize the time and commitment needed for a cast iron skillet. Thank you for sharing these useful tips!
I needed this post! My cast iron skillet has seen better days and I’m needing a new one!
Using leftover bacon grease is the best way to season it! And never never never put soap on it! Scrub with hot water and a brush!
We have a cast iron skillet, but haven’t used it much. We bought it to try one recipe, and have only used it a few times. I need to break it out more often!
Important tips for any cast iron skillet! When I got my first one 10 years ago, I didn’t know that you shouldn’t use dishsoap on it. I just kept re-seasoning it…until I learned how to really take care of them.
I usually season mine about once every 6 months. There is nothing better than cooking in a cast iron skillet.
This used to be the norm back in the day. Today not so many people are using cast iron and boy, are they missing out!
I love my cast irons! I do give them a good wash from time to time and then towel dry so they don’t rust. I also use good bacon grease for seasoning. Since I broil in the oven with them so much I don’t bake them to season them. I just love that something old can be made new. I find them at the thrift store and yard sales all the time.
I love cooking with =cast iron. We love using them on campouts as well.
I have spent years wanting a cast iron skillet but too scared to get one. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I just didn’t know how to take care of one. Thanks to your post, I am no longer putting it off. Thank you for motivating me.
i LOVE my cast iron skillet. i wish i had the big huge one from my chidlhood lake house!
I have a couple cast iron skillets, but I don’t think I ever did that. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for this! We have one that I have not yet used bc it is not properly seasoned.
AWESOME! I have always heard about seasoning my cast iron skillet, but I never knew exactly how!
I remember the first time I heard about this I didn’t get it. Great explanation!
I do not have any tips for them, but I do know my granny cooks from them and her food comes out amazing!
Yea, “seasoning” doesn’t sound like it’s just oil, it sounds like you actually put SEASONINGS on it, like garlic and onion or something. ha!
We just got a skillet! Great timing!
We’ve never used a cast iron skillet so I didn’t know that you had to season it and couldn’t clean it with soap. We really need to get one and start cooking with it though.
I have never used a cast iron skillet so this is really interesting to know. I had no idea that you couldn’t clean it with soap either!
I just bought 2 of them at a yard sale. Thanks for the tips. I am going to season these babies right away!
My Mom had the most awesome cast iron skillet when I was growing up. It was the best. She threw it out a few years ago, and I nearly cried when I heard!
And to think I would have just washed it! This is a neat way to season 🙂
We love our cast iron skillets! We are bad and sometimes use soap to clean it, but we always re-season with a little oil after each washing anyway.
This is one thing I don’t have but need! I don’t know how we’ve survived so long without one… Our last was left behind when we moved and my MIL scooped it up:(
Wonderful tips. I don’t have cast iron pans and I don’t think that I ever will. I like my non-stick, but my mother in law swears by them!
These are all great tips and I love it.I have a cast iron skillet yet I never knew what to do with it or how to cure it
LOVE my cast iron skillet. One of the best kitchen items I won! Great tips on caring for them! Thanks!
I had no idea that there was a way special way to season it. Thanks for these tips!
I need advice: I loved cooking with my cast iron skillets, but goofed and bought a flat top (glass) stove. Someone told me not to use the cast iron on it. Has anyone had any success using this combination?
I failed to click to receive a notification, so I’m just reiterating: Anyone has a suggestion about my cast iron on my glass top stove.
Hi Ellen. Actually I have a glass top stove. I use our cast iron all the time on it. Just a few tips. Don’t ever drag your skillets across the stove top. Always pick them up to move them because they can and WILL scratch the top. Make sure that your cast iron skillets are flat on the bottom, and last – try to just use skillets that fit on the burner correctly. If the skillets are much bigger than the size of the burner, you’ll get uneven cooking. Hope that helps, and good luck!