From: summers%cascades.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Jim Summers)
Subject: Re: seasoning new cast iron
In-reply-to: kostkows@oasys.dt.navy.mil's message of 9 Sep 92 20:42:29 GMT
Organization: U of Utah
Distribution: na
Date: 10 Sep 92 09:39:58

In article <24795@oasys.dt.navy.mil> kostkows@oasys.dt.navy.mil (June Kostkowski) writes:
   I hope I caught you in time - DO NOT ** I repeat - DO NOT scrub a cast
   iron pan with steel wool.  The best way to season a cast iron pan:
       Buy a half pound of cheap bacon or salt pork.  Cut into small pieces.
       Put the pan on a high heat and let it get hot.  Carefully drop in
       bacon (be careful it will probably splatter).  Stir and keep on
       cooking until bacon is done.  Make sure you get the grease to "slop"
       up the sides of the pan.  Turn off the heat, let everything cool.
       Discard bacon, drain off fat, take a paper towel and rub what's
       left in pan all around.  Using several paper towels, clean out the
       inside of the pan.  DO NOT wash!!!!!  After you do this, every time
       you go to use your pan, put it on the burner and let pan get hot,
       then add shortening or oil (the secret is to let the pan get hot
       before you add anything).  You really can't successfully cook in
       a cast iron pan without a little fat.  If you ever have wash the
       pan you will have to reseason it.  Unless you make gravy or something
       else equally as gloppy, you shouldn't have to wash (with soap and
       water) the pan.  After each use, just clean good with a paper towel.
       With frequent use, your pan should turn black.


Isn't there a FAQ on this???  If so, could someone please update it
and resend it?

The reason (the only necessary reason) you "season" a pan is to keep
it from rusting.  Cast iron will rust from casual washing in soap and
water if it isn't protected.  Your origional method of seasoning the
pan:

   "...should wash them well, coat them with vegetable oil inside and out,
    then put them in a 300 degree (F) oven for one hour - voila, fully
    seasoned pans."

sounds correct, and worked just fine on mine, except that I used
peanut oil and cooked them at 500 F.  This smoked the kitched for
about 15 minutes, and for the rest of the hour the oil burned on into
a smooth coat (there were a couple bubbles, be sure to turn the pan
upside down in the oven).  I repeated this twice and am quite happy
with the final product.  Make sure that the oil isn't still tacky to
the touch; it should feel smooth -- like teflon.

Cleaning:
  *Do* clean your pans, bacteria can grow there just like everywhere
else.  Soap is good, and will not remove the seasoning.  Like June
said, don't use steel wool, this can eventually remove the oil and
then the pan will rust.  Tuffy pads appear to work well to get off any
baked on crud, but don't go crazy with them -- again, you don't want
to take off the seasoning (that is, burnt on oil), but you *do* want a
clean pan!

The above should also apply to woks (see the $.50 WOK story), as
again, the main thing to fear is rust.  If you are trying to get
"seasoning" flavor to carry over from cooking to cooking, then you are
leaving bits of food and oil in the pan to cook in the next dish.
This is a good place for bacteria to grow, so don't do it.  Wash your
pan immediately and DRY IT THOROUGHLY (I put mine in the over for a
couple minutes).

Hope this helps,

LostBoy
jim