Keep Your Cast Iron Skillet Clean and Performing Well
Cast iron skillets are making a comeback, because they provide a healthy and relatively non-stick surface to create great meals. It will last forever if you take care of them properly. Here are some tips to keep your seasoned cast iron skillet performing like new.
Season your cast iron skillet before it's first official use. Seasoning means that you basically bake oil into your skillet at a high heat. You can cover your skillet with Crisco, place it face down on and cookie sheet, and bake it in the over on 375 degrees for an hour. Cool and wipe down before cooking.
Never wash your cast iron skillet with soap! You don't want to strip the oils that you baked into your pan. Instead scrub your pan in hot water with a scrubbing sponge that's dedicated to your cast iron. Don't use your dish washing sponge! Remember... no soap. To get off stuck on food, heat the pan on the stove with a little water inside. Scrape it with a flat spatula to get off the food that's loosened by the heated water. Make sure to cool it a bit before emptying the water and drying.
- Re-season your cast iron skillet between uses. This isn't as hard as it sounds. Just heat it on the stove until the handle is warm to the touch. Drop in a dollop of Crisco and let it melt. Turn off the heat and spread the Crisco to cover the entire surface of the pan. Heat the pan again until the oil is smoking. Turn the heat off and wipe out the excess oil.
If you do these 3 simple steps, you will enjoy your cast iron pan for years to come.
Thanks for reading!
(All photos by me)
I’ve seen people just put them in the dishwasher because they dint know any better. It is just shocking the mistreatment and abuse some people put their pans in. I cringe at the very thought they would ever do such a thing.
I’m hoping one day to have one passed down to me on day.
Yes and then they wonder why they're hard to cook in. Let's hope that you inherit a cast iron pan or get one as a gift!