Season Your Cast Iron... The Easy Way!

Posted by Nadine Williams

If you are looking for the easiest way EVER to season your cast iron, you've come to the right place.

Our farm kitchen wouldn't be the same without the many old cast iron pans, griddles, dutch ovens and pizza pans! And here is the secret that your grandmother knew... a well-maintained cast iron pan is easier to clean, easier to care for and lasts longer than any Teflon(R) coated pan possibly could! Seriously!

TIPS FOR SEASONING CAST IRON PERFECTLY:

Make sure that your oil or seasoning product is free from mineral oil. Even food grade mineral oil is not for consumption. Unfortunately most of the products made for cast iron are made of mineral oil. You can check out our post on the dangers of mineral oil here. (But to make a long story short; it's not a good thing!)
Always use an old dishtowel when seasoning or cleaning cast iron, because it will stain your pretty dishtowels. We use microfiber towels for just about everything around the house— they work perfectly (and never seem to stain).
Never season using olive oil, butter, ghee, vegetable, lard or other oils that will go rancid quickly.
Pre-warming your cast iron prior to seasoning is an essential step that is well worth the effort! It opens the pores of the metal and allows the oil fully absorb.
Don't forget about the cast iron grates on your gas grill! You can season these the same way that you season your cast iron pans!

STEP-BY-STEP SEASONING YOUR CAST IRON:

If you haven't used our Meet Clean Wood Butter yet to season your cutting board, it positively works wonders! But we are talking cast iron today and... yep, it does that too! Also all of the ingredients (coconut oil, beeswax and essentials oils) are organic and food-grade so you can be confident that you will only be "eating" and seasoning with something safe for your family.

1. Preheat your oven to 170 F and then TURN OVEN OFF. Place your cast iron pan into the oven and allow it to warm with the residual heat from the oven for 15-30 minutes.

2. Remove from oven. Although it should only be warm and not super hot, be careful when handling. If it is too hot to touch, allow to cool until it is comfortably warm to proceed.

3. Generously apply Wood Butter to all surfaces of the cast iron (inside and outside). Again, preheat your oven to 170 F and then TURN OVEN OFF. Place your cast iron pan into the oven and allow it to stay until oven and pan have completely cooled. (About three hours or leave overnight.)

4. Using old cloth or paper towels rub off remaining product on surface. That's it! Your pan should be totally seasoned.

Now that your new cast iron is seasoned—stay tuned for an upcoming post on keeping your cast iron seasoned FOR-EV-ER!