Iron Skillet Seasoning tip

[CatFan]

Any of you that cook with an iron skillet will like this. The "seasoning" on an iron skillet is actually carbon from burned oil that fills up the pores in the cast iron making the skillet smooth. To really get this to build up, you need to burn a thin layer of oil onto the skillet. Too much oil won't burn.

Use Crisco or bacon grease. Warm up the skillet so the grease melts when you rub it on, and coat the skillet inside and out. Drain any excess liquid. Place the skillet upside down (you don't want grease pooling or it gets too thick) on your gas grill, and heat it to around 450-500 degrees for an hour. Shut the grill off and let the skillet cool. Repeat as needed. Three thin layers burned on is way better than one thick layer.

The 250 to 300 degree instructions that come with new a skillet don't burn the grease like it needs to be done. It can be done in an oven, but it stinks up the house, and you need to put foil under the skillet to catch any drips.

I had tried for a long time to get a skillet right, and I tried this process once, and the skillet was way better than it had ever been, and no smell of hot grease in the house.

[crappiequeennc]

The way I did mine was this...My neighbor was have a bon fire...So I took my iron pots and pans over there...Greased them up and put them in the bon fire...I have never had any trouble with them....No smell in house and they are seasoned...:D

[shuorc]

Bought three or four pans new followed instructions and never got a good pan, went to a flea market to 'the pots and pans lady' found a good #8 griswold pan with a mirror finish worked so well i got another #7 love them both and WORK to keep season going, have a 10" that needs some help so it will join the chicken next time the grill is hot. Thanks for the info--shu

[Seymore]

This reminds me of what a buddy of mine did during college to season a skillet....his dad has his own shop where he welds cast iron cylinder heads. In that shop, he has a furnace to heat the cylinder heads, so my buddy rubbed the skillet down with crisco, and put that sucker in his dad's cylinder head furnace and fired it up....worked right nicely!!!

[joejv4]

Thanks for the tip, The grill is just the ticket - I'm tired of filling the house with smoke when I season a pan.

[Slipped Cork]

Alway's remember not to use soapy detergent water to clean after using or you'll have to start over.

[luvjign]

Alway's remember not to use soapy detergent water to clean after using or you'll have to start over.

So, just use hot water and scrub?

[Slipped Cork]

The detergent will eat away the oil.I alway's use cool water and rince and wipe clean right after using.If your skillet is good and slick it will wipe clean very easy.

[Litebite]

The more you use it the more you will choose it...........:D.....

[hawkman]

I like my iron skillets & dutch ovens but have heard that you aren't supposed to use them on the flat, glass top stoves like I have now. Anyone have any experience or opinions on this?