As promised, this post will primarily focus on tips & tricks we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way!) for cast iron care at home. 

Initial Purchase & Seasoning:

Congratulations!!! No matter how you’ve come to own your 1st cast iron skillet, The Farmer & I officially welcome you to the club! 

GRISWOLD!!

A few things to start, regardless if your skillet is brand new & “Pre-Seasoned” or if Grandma finally let you have one of hers, we recommend seasoning it before your 1st use. 

Seasoning 101:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Use a paper towel to spread a thin layer of shortening (bust out that Crisco y’all!!) or a high smoke point oil all over the skillet (inside & out).

3. Place your skillet upside down on the middle rack of your oven. I recommend placing foil over a sheet pan on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

4. Bake for 1 hour; turn off the oven & let the skillet cool in the oven.

5. That’s it; your skillet is officially seasoned & ready for use! 

Daily Care:

1. Let’s pretend you just finished inhaling that delicious Summer Gnocchi I just posted & your officially on clean up duty.

2. When you’re ready to clean your skillet you’ll want to check to see if you have any “bits” stuck to the skillet. If so, we’ve found that Lodge scrapers do a pretty great job & are durable. They also have a grill pan version of these scrapers that REALLY come in handy if you end up with a cast iron grill pan. 

3. Once any “bits” have been taken care of, rinse the pan using hot water & a brush (this one works great!) to remove any remaining residue/grease in the pan. DO NOT USE SOAP!

4. BEEP BEEP BEEP IMPORTANT: at this point you want to make sure you THOROUGHLY dry your pan (inside & out).

5. Once dry you can put it away OR if you’d like to do what we do; we recommend warming the pan over medium heat on the stove with a bit of crisco to coat (inside only) for a nice finish ’til next time!

Oh Hey There Lovelies!!

Deep Clean:

• If your pan is rather grimy or rusty upon purchase, I’d recommend starting with a deep clean before moving on with seasoning & daily care.

•  Now we’ve never personally had to conduct a deep on any of our cast iron skillets; however the below methods are tried & true by Grandma’s from coast to coast:

  • Potato & Salt

  • Oven Method 

Lesson Learned:

• When I note to use shortening or a high smoke point oil (like vegetable oil or canola oil) I MEAN IT!!!! The Farmer & I made the mistake of using EVOO on our 1st pan–oooo lordy was our house smokey that day!! The Farmer & I actually had to leave the house for a bit we were coughing up a storm! 

Well folks there you have it; my two cents on cast iron care & maintenance on the home front!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts & any recommendations you have on methods you’ve learned along the way!