cast iron seasoning

[swampwalker]

Anybody out there that can give me a hand here it would be greatly appreciated. My kids recently gave me a Wenzel cast iron set consisting of 2 fry pans, a dutch oven and a griddle. It is not a high price set but was wondering if somebody could let me know the correct procedure for seasoning this set it

[Booger]

There's an excellent article that goes into specific detail on the Cabela's site. Here's a link: Going Dutch (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/inthefield/fieldguides/guidebooks-story-1.jsp?hierarchyId=179&title=Go+Dutch+with+Lodge+Cast-Iron+Ovens&contentId=dutchoven_510162_all)

I tried the technique and it worked great for my oven.

Booger

[beeell]

That article will get you there. I actually go a step further with it. I alway cook some bacon in it right after I season it and it has cooled. That seems to make the surface almost teflon-like. After that a couple of times you can fry an egg on that skillet.
Also, during the seasoning process, I put salt in the skillet. Not sure why, but thats what grandma told me to do, and I'm still using her skillets that wear made in the 50's.

[swampwalker]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the info, will give it a try here in the next couple days, once again THANX!

[Flatcoat1]

Swampwalker, be sure to take care of the cast iron after you have seasoned it. I never let mine stay in soapy water. After I wash mine I always dry it on the stove until it is bone dry. Flatcoat

[Mark]

Swampwalker,
You are going to LOVE this cast iron thing. Cast iron is the best for frying, and baking, but not cooking. If you are going to boil anything, the seasoning will come out of the cast iron and turn your meal grey, while losing the non stick properties.

For instance, if you put raw potatoes in with a little butter, cover them with the lid, and apply heat, the taters come out great. If you boil these same taters, you will lose the seasoning.
Fortunately, seasoning is pretty easy, I don't do it like the Cabela's article, I burn the finish on at 450 F. I've tried the 350 route and the seasoning always seemed a little gooey.

If I do a pot roast, I line the inside with foil. This keeps the finish on, yet I get the heat conducting properties of cast iron. I also make raw fried potatoes- a little butter in the pan, slice in raw potatoes, and fry them up. When they're just about done, the kids come around with a bowl and snipe crispy taters out of the pan, into their bowl. I turn my back, pretend not to notice until the bowl is full, then grouse at them. They run away with the crispy taters and giggle. What fun.
Frying chicken is best with cast iron. I put the pot on my turkey fryer and fry the yardbird outside. This keeps that fried chicken smell out of the house, and makes clean-up very easy.

Don't get me started on cornbread....
Mark

P.S. The deal with the salt has nothing to do with seasoning. Salt is used as a scrubber to get rid of a spot or two where the food does stick. You use coarse Kosher salt for this. M

[BigKat]

For what it's worth,I've always put a little oil in iron skillets right after washing them,then place them in the oven at 300 degrees for 15-20 min. It seems to work for me.

[Bota]

Where you get it???

[Rodeoclown_bullfighter]

Dont Use Soap To Clean It

[Black Mamba]

Cabelas sells the conditioner cleaner item 51-4236.

[rezrunner]

swampwalker,

If it has a protective wax coating you have to cook it off first. you can do this by placing it on a grill until it stops smoking than wash with a mild detergant. coat the pans with veg oil that is all you have to do, or cabelas does sell a cleaner and a seasoner that works really well. Hope this helps


rezrunner

[Ballin Lashay]

Why doesn't someone just ban this guy?! :-P nah.... i kid i kid, your alright

[Jim R. Glines]

Hi all, in one of the post Mark said hard to cook in will loss your seasonning. My wife and I threw away all of our pots and pans a few years ago, and only cook with cast iron. I do lots of cooking, and I cook it all in cast. spud, roast, pies, I never have lost my seasonning. I fry eggs, tilt the pan and the eggs slide to the side of pan just like non stick. I cook pasta, once you get them broke in you can use them on anything. Back in the days before non stick, comeing from the east headed to the west, in a coveard wagon, I am sure they cooked stew, roast, boiled water, baked and what ever else that need done. Fry in the new cast iron as much as you can to start, don' t bake in them right off, and if you bake use tin foil in them till you get them seasoned good, then cook anything you want. NO!!!!!!!! SOAP!!!!!!!!! Just hot water and a soft scruber of some sort.

Thanks
Jim

[Mark]

Jim,
Go ahead and boil water in a seasoned cast iron pan. You will lose the seasoning. Make beef stroganof in a cast iron pan, and you will lose the seasoning.

I'm a real fan of cast iron, but you just can't use it for everything. You can't blacken in anything but cast iron. Conversely, cast iron can't be used for everything. I will also be quick to point out that in the old days there were lots of porcelain cooking pots. Tin pots were also extensively used. I'll bet you've never seen or heard of a cast iron coffee pot?
Cast iron is absolutely wonderful for baking and frying, but not for everything.
Mark

[LLOYD L]

My 1 cent since almost everything has been covered here. The last answer by Mark is right on the money. Cast iron is not really good to boil in since this will remove the seasoning and affect the product which you are cooking. Also, delicate sauces such as a white sauce will darken if made in a cast iron cooker. This is, of course not aesthetically desirable. I have found it OK to use soap such as dawn to clean with provided that you use one of the soft scrubber type sponges which state the product is safe for teflon type cookware. Needless to say, steel wool type cleaners will completely remove the seasoning.

[Cahfer]

Great information