When my grandma gifted me one of her cast iron pans, the first thing she taught me was how to season cast iron pan. She tells me how important it is to season my cookware to make the most out of it. Seasoning is simply the process of coating the cookware with oil. Then, heating it up until the oil polymerizes and forms a protective layer.
Most of the cast iron pans sold today come pre-seasoned. However, my Nana’s cast iron is a product of years of cooking. The natural oils from the food she cooked seeped into the pan. Then, it will create a nonstick surface that is better than any synthetic coating. And as she passed down one of her cast irons to me, she told me how to season cast iron pan with cooking. And I’m also going to share it with you.
But before we proceed, we should also know the importance of seasoning and its advantages to better understand why we should season our cast iron pans.
Why Should I Season my Pan?
When my Nana handed me one of her cast irons, she told me how important seasoning is. When you season cookware, you’re essentially adding a layer of oil to the surface that will help form a barrier against water and other liquids. This can help increase the durability of your cookware since it’s less likely to experience any corrosion or damage from moisture.
In order to keep food from sticking during cooking and to prevent rusting, it is necessary to season cast iron and carbon steel skillets and pans. Seasoning is a simple process that creates a natural nonstick surface on your cookware by filling the pores of the metal with polymerized oil.
Although the cast iron that I got from my Nana has been seasoned, she still taught me how to season cast iron. It’s recommended to re-season cast iron after two or three years. So by learning how to season it now, I’ll be able to take care of it for years to come.
My Nana taught me three simple ways to season cast iron pan, maintain its non-sticking feature, and increase its durability.
Season Cast Iron with Cooking
Nana said that the simplest way to maintain my cast iron seasoning is to cook on it and use it frequently. Every time you cook with cast iron, you’re adding layers of oil from the food that improve the seasoning. Over time, this will create a natural nonstick surface far superior to anything you could buy at the store.
However, not everything you cook in your cast iron can help with its seasoning. Some foods might actually ruin the seasoning, such as highly acidic foods. If you want to prevent ruining the seasoning on your cast iron, it is best to avoid cooking acidic foods.
Seasoning Cast Iron without an Oven
Since my Nana is a traditional cook, she usually seasons her cast iron without an oven. She usually uses two methods when seasoning her cast iron, including using only the stovetop or grill.
When she seasons her cast iron on the stove, she puts vegetable oil on a paper towel and rubs it all over the pan. Afterward, she heats up the pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the oil dries and removes the pan. Then, she’ll repeat the process until the pan looks smooth and glossy.
If she is using the grill, she will repeat the first step. She will set the grill to 375° to preheat the pan upside-down for at least an hour. Then, once the cast iron pan’s appearance becomes glossy, she will let it cool down before wiping it with a clean cloth.
Seasoning Cast Iron using an Oven
My Nana’s traditional method has almost the same process as using an oven to season cast iron pans; the only difference is it’s using an oven. The first step to seasoning cast iron using an oven is spreading cooking oil over the pan.
Before you can get started, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 375°. Then, you’ll need to place the cast iron pan in the middle of the oven upside down. Bake the pan for at least an hour and let it cool down in the oven before removing it.
What Oils to Use When Seasoning Cast Iron
As we all know, cooking oil is the main ingredient in creating a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan. But I bet you’re also wondering about what kind of oil to use when seasoning cast iron. Well, there’s really only one answer to that question: any kind of oil will do! Whether you use vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, or shortening, they all work fine. But one should consider various factors such as affordability, availability, and having a high smoke point when choosing the best cooking oil for seasoning cast iron pans.
My Nana traditionally uses lard to season her cooking, but she doesn’t suggest that I do the same. She says that you must use the cookware frequently when using fat to season, which can be a lot of work. Lard can usually go rancid if the cookware is kept for an extended period of time.
What she recommends for seasoning or curing cast iron is vegetable oil or canola oil. Vegetable oil is a great way to season cast iron because it is inexpensive and easy to find. Plus, it also has a high smoking point, which means it can withstand high temperatures without burning. This makes it ideal for creating a nonstick surface on your pan.
On the other hand, canola oil is also an excellent choice for seasoning cast iron cookware as it is highly refined and contains a high smoke point. It has the perfect balance of flavor and heat, making it an ideal ingredient to use when seasoning cast iron.
No matter which oil we choose to cook with, my Nana always reminds us to heat the pan to the oil’s smoke point. This is the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke and break down, releasing free radicals that can be harmful to our health. It can also cause to ruin the seasoning.
