Iron Skillet Question
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: JAX
Posts: 673
Iron Skillet Question
I own one iron skillet that I rarely use. I went to use it tonight and it seemed scuzzy to me. I know the ideal is to "season" iron skillets, but I don't know how to tell "seasoned" from down right dirty.
Does anyone know how to tell if a skillet is "seasoned" or just coated with old, cooked-on food I failed to remove properly?
I should know this cause my mother used nothing but iron skillets. (I must admit that when I was 12 or 13, I thought I was really helping in the kitchen when I scoured one of her skillets right down to the iron and proudly showed it to her. She didn't react much, but she did explain the "seasoning" thing. Wish she was here to answer this question....)
Thanks for any info you can share.
Does anyone know how to tell if a skillet is "seasoned" or just coated with old, cooked-on food I failed to remove properly?
I should know this cause my mother used nothing but iron skillets. (I must admit that when I was 12 or 13, I thought I was really helping in the kitchen when I scoured one of her skillets right down to the iron and proudly showed it to her. She didn't react much, but she did explain the "seasoning" thing. Wish she was here to answer this question....)
Thanks for any info you can share.
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
DH uses our iron skillets all the time. As soon as he removes the meat, mostly T-bones, he pours a little hot water in it. He uses no dishwashing liquid but uses salt to help lift any drippings. Rinses well and wipes with a paper towel then finishes it on the stove on a flame. Low burner till it's completely dry. Uses canola oil to wipe it. Not a lot just a bit. There are many videos on You Tube. I just grab the non-stick. He does fine with it. Check out you Tube just type in seasoning for cast iron skillets. Good luck!
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Carolina
Posts: 877
Clean it as well as you can, with soap and a scrubber, then coat with vegetable oil and bake for 20 mins at 350. It's seasoned. Then use normally. Repeated use causes a chemical reaction with the iron that keeps it seasoned. You only need to reseason if it gets rusty and you have to scrub that out. After several uses, you can even use it for acidic foods like tomatoes without fear.
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Tulsa, Ok
Posts: 4,582
I agree with Tessagin's advice--this is what we do. Most information says never to use soap in cast iron. If you are worried it is just dirty, rub it real well with coarse salt, rinse, oil and bake it for 30 minutes.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Posts: 939
I love my cast iron. They are the main pieces I use to cook. Many years ago, I had a piece that had a lot of build up that I just could not get off. I put the piece into the oven, ran the self-cleaning cycle of the oven. It took off all the crud and I just had to season the pan.
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Heart of Colorado's majestic mountains!
Posts: 6,026
I have a cast iron dutch oven that had been belonged to my mother and I have used it for fifty years. I do wash it with dish soap, dry it thoroughly and apply a small amount of oil on the cooking surface and store in a dry place. I do not have food build up on the inside and keep it seasoned so it doesn't stick. I do use a non metal scrubber on the outside if there seems to be a build up which seems to be a part of cooking. I really like to cook in it. I might take the advice above and put it in the oven when I self-clean the oven.
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 5,051
Paid $28 for a Lodge griddle. Biggest waste of money! It does not heat evenly and my pancakes are half cooked. Yes, i heated it up prior to using it. Tried it a few very dissapointing times. Very disappointed. LOVE my Hamilton Beach $12.00 griddle from Ktchen Collection. I keep adding Hamilton Beach cookware to my collection. Great non-stick!
sandy
sandy
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: NY
Posts: 2,497
I don't have an answer, but want to share a short story or two. I've picked up a few cast iron skillets from garage sales or GoodWill and we love making big choc chip cookies in them and I think their called dough babies. Mmm....good luck with your cleaning and may you enjoy many years with your skillet.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post