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!
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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:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
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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).
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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.
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Bake for 1 hour; turn off the oven & let the skillet cool in the oven.
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That’s it; your skillet is officially seasoned & ready for use!
Daily Care:
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Let’s pretend you just finished inhaling that delicious Summer Gnocchi I just posted & your officially on clean up duty.
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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.
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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!
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BEEP BEEP BEEP IMPORTANT: at this point you want to make sure you THOROUGHLY dry your pan (inside & out).
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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!
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Oh Hey There Lovelies!!
Deep Clean:
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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.
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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:
Lesson Learned:
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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!
We just got our first cast iron pans a few months ago and I am in love! These are super tips! Thanks chica ❤
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Anytime Lady! We got hooked on cast iron a little over a year ago & haven’t looked back since ☺️
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