Seasoning a Cast Iron Skillet
Seasoning a cast iron skillet is an essential step towards creating the smooth, non-stick cooking surface that will make your skillet a joy to use. A cast iron is a time-tested cookware, essential to any well-stocked kitchen. It is valued for its durability, heat conduction and most uniquely, the depth of flavor that can be wrought from the iron surface when correctly maintained. Before a cast iron skillet can be used, it must go through a process known as “seasoning”. This refers to coating the entire surface with oil in order to protect the iron from rusting. At its best, a cast iron skillet can be so smooth as to be used without oil; at its worst, it is a pan that requires a few minutes of attention before it becomes your lifelong favorite.
Again, one of the great aspects of cast iron skillets is durability. Not only is it difficult to ruin these pans in classic cooking mistakes such as forgetting to turn off a burner, or searing out the bottom of your pan with extreme heat, it is also hard to dismiss a cast iron skillet as worn out, old or too rusted for use. Exceptions include a crack or nick or other damages to the structure of the metal; in most cases, though, not only can a “ruined” skillet be salvaged, a well-maintained skillet grows smoother with age, richer in flavor, and naturally, more beloved by the cook who had cared for it over the years. Salvageable skillets can be found at antique stores, estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores, in attics, or they can be bought new and pre-seasoned from most kitchen supply stores.
Seasoning a cast iron skillet is simple and can be done at home, but there is more to the process than simply applying oil to the cooking surface. Before seasoning, the surface of the skillet must be cleaned thoroughly. If the surface is rusty or rough, it should be scrubbed with steel wool or a stainless steel brush and then washed clean. The entire pan, including the bottom and the handle, should be coated with a generous layer of cooking oil, lard or animal fat, rubbed into the surface. Any oil that is excess and dripping can be wiped off with a paper towel, but it should coated enough to really glisten. Next, the oil needs to be integrated into the iron by cooking the skillet in the oven for about an hour, at about 375 degrees.
A smooth and slippery cooking surface can be attained through repeated seasonings, or over time with use. The important thing to remember when seasoning a cast iron skillet over time is to not wash with soap or scrub the surface too vigorously. Ideally, just wipe the skillet out with a paper towel. Your goal should be to build a surface of oil on the skillet, so if extra cleaning is necessary it is best to use just water. In this case, be sure to thoroughly dry the skillet and then season it with more oil.
