Email to sweet sara      

Recipe Categories: swtsara's HOME PAGEABM APPETIZERS BBQ BEVERAGES BISCUITS BISCUITSandROLLS BLM BREAD BREAKFAST CAKESandPIES CANDY CANNING CASSEROLES CHINESE COMPLETEMEALS CONDIMENTS COOKIES copycat CRACKERS CROCKPOT DAIRY DEPRESSIONERA DESSERTS DIPS Dough DOUGHNUTS EGGS ETHNIC FINGERFOOD FISHandSEAFOOD FROZENTREATS FRUIT HALLOWEEN HUMOR IMPOSSIBLE INDIAN ITALIAN JAMSandJELLIES JAR JELLO MAKEAHEAD MakeAMix MAKEYOUROWN MEATS MENU MEXICAN Muffins NONFOOD OLDRECIPES PASTA PASTRIES PIECRUSTS PIES PIZZA POTATOES POULTRY QUICHE QUICKBREAD RICE SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES SAYINGS SIDES SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS TIPSIDEAS VEGETABLES VEGETARIAN VOLUMECOOKING

SEASONING CAST IRON




Source of Recipe


email


List of Ingredients




To season a brand-new skillet, warm it over low heat and peel off the
label.
Wash the interior of the pan with warm, sudsy water (this is the only
time
you'll wash the pan with soap), cleaning it thoroughly with a natural
bristle
brush or a plastic scrubber. Rinse and dry the pan completely with a
kitchen
towel.

Using a folded paper towel, coat the entire inside surface of the pan
with
solid vegetable shortening. Do not use vegetable oil as it will leave a
sticky
film and not allow for proper seasoning.

Place the coated, empty skillet upside down in a preheated 300°F
(149°C)
oven and bake for 2 to 3 hours. Place a cookie sheet or foil beneath
the pan to
catch any drips. Remove the skillet periodically (be careful as the pan
and its
handle will be very hot). Re-wipe the inside with the greased paper
towel,
Afterwards, turn the oven off and allow the skillet to cool in the
closed oven
overnight.

To re-season an old, rusty pan, first remove the traces of the old
seasoning
by placing the pan in a self-cleaning oven and run the self-clean
cycle. This
should "ash" any remaining seasoning. Wash thoroughly, then follow the
instructions above for seasoning a new skillet. If the skillet has
rust, it can be
removed by steel wool. Sometimes a halved raw potato and scouring
powder will
be needed to remove stubborn rust.

Once seasoned, clean the skillet after each use with warm water and a
brush
(I keep a short-handled brush with stiff natural bristles that I use
only for
cleaning my skillet). Never scour the skillet, use soap, or an
automatic
dishwasher. For stubborn spots, clean the pan with a mixture of salt
and vinegar,
then rinse it well and dry it thoroughly on the stove over very low
heat. Store
the skillet without a lid or anything on top. To further control
moisture and
prevent rust, you can lay a paper towel inside the skillet.

In time, your cast-iron skillet with darken with use, turning from the
steely gray of a new skillet, to dark gray or black. Should the
seasoning break
down over time (it will if you cook with liquid, steam food, or cooked
with
acidic foods like tomatoes), just re-season it with a light coating of
solid
vegetable shortening, again baking the pan in an oven.



Recipe