what is the best way to season cast iron pot
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Crisco the entire pot inside and out. Put in oven for a half hour or so. Repeat.
Never wash your pot with soap either. I usually just pour salt in it after I am finished and scour it with a paper towel. If its really tough I will use some water.
Never wash your pot with soap either. I usually just pour salt in it after I am finished and scour it with a paper towel. If its really tough I will use some water.
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I usually wash my pot... with no soap or VERY minimal soap if necessary. I dry it, then stick it in the oven, turn it on and let it preheat to 300-350. When it's preheated, I pull it out wipe it down with a paper towel with oil and let it cool down. Once it's cooled down a bit, I wipe off the excess with a dry paper towel, stick a paper towel in it and store it.
This is what I do everytime I use it, there's a procedure for seasoning pots in pretty bad condition but I don't recall what it is.
ETA: If you're too lazy to clean it right after you use it (like I am sometimes), DON'T stick it in the sink. Just leave it on the stove until you're ready to clean it.
This is what I do everytime I use it, there's a procedure for seasoning pots in pretty bad condition but I don't recall what it is.
ETA: If you're too lazy to clean it right after you use it (like I am sometimes), DON'T stick it in the sink. Just leave it on the stove until you're ready to clean it.
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bigjakewelch
Mill Spec
It depends on what type of pot you're seasoning. If a skillet then the oven would be fine but if its a Jambalaya pot then I'd do it on a crawfish burner outside. How I do it is I put it on a crawfish burner. I get it hot (not glowing but hot) and I put in Hog Lard, crisco will work too ( but hog lard seems to work better) . Take enough that when it would melt that it would leave about 1/2" in the bottom of the pot. After the pot is "Hot" turn the burner off. While the pot is still hot put the Hog Lard in the pot. Don't stand over the pot because it may catch fire. If it dose it's not a big deal #1 because you're outside and #2 you got the pot hot enough. After the fire dies out you can take a brush or something that won't burn your hand when it comes in contact with the hot grease and coat the rest of the pot while the pot is still hot. ( The reason for the pot being so hot is that you want to get the pores in the cast iron open to receive the grease as a protectant against corrosion) Then wait for it to cool down to the touch ( about 45 mins) and wipe out the remaining grease and store the pot. As a side note the other guy was right "Never wash it out with soap". Soap will break down the grease that's been impregnated into the metal and you'll have to do this all over again.
It takes years to season a pot good, but to start off I put mine upside down on a crawfish burner and get it red hot, then coat the whole thing with hog lard. Flip it over and cook bacon in it or just use bacon grease then bring the leftover grease temperature up until it catches fire then kill the burner and let it burn itself out. Let it cool then take a plastic Scotch brite to the inside with some salt and water and you should be good to go for years. You gotta get it real hot for the grease to get into the metal. Never use soap to clean it, just water and salt if you need an abraisive, no metal utensils to scrape it and always place it on a stove burner for a few minutes after you wash it to dry it out.
bigjakewelch
Mill Spec
Yes we do.
I just seasoned a couple of cornbread muffin pans Sunday on my grill after I was finished cooking on it.
Below is a link to what I've found to be the best result for seasoning cast iron cookware.
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
Below is a link to what I've found to be the best result for seasoning cast iron cookware.
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
Any of those ways will work. The main thing is lots of cooking oil or grease coated inside and out and getting it really hot. If it is new, you will have to do this several times in a row to get it ready. Also, if it is a new skillet, I add a little flour into the vegetable oil for the first couple of times. This gets the coating thicker, faster.
ETA: It is called seasoning for a reason. Whatever you decide to use will add its own flavoring to whatever you cook in that pot, so you might want to experiment with different ways to see what you like. For a jambalaya pot, bacon is king, but in my skillets that I cook all manner of things in, I prefer the lighter taste of vegetable oil. Bacon grease makes cornbread taste kinda funny.
ETA: It is called seasoning for a reason. Whatever you decide to use will add its own flavoring to whatever you cook in that pot, so you might want to experiment with different ways to see what you like. For a jambalaya pot, bacon is king, but in my skillets that I cook all manner of things in, I prefer the lighter taste of vegetable oil. Bacon grease makes cornbread taste kinda funny.
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Thanks for the reply's. I have a 12" skillet and a 7qt. dutch oven. I think I've had some success. I started from scratch by burning off the old coating. Then cleaned it really good. Then coated it with canola oil and heated it up on the stove until it started smoking. Then let it cool, coated it and reheated it again until it smoked for a while then let it cool. I cooked in it twice and still looks great and food doesn't stick. As far as cleaning goes I try to clean it soon after I finish cooking with it while it is still hot.
Do NOT scrub it with ant metal type pads or steel brushes. Do the following. Get one of these two cleansers Zud or Bar Keepers Friend and use this along with a plastic/non metal scrubber. Scrub the rust clean using the cleanser and warm water. Rinse under hot water really well. When done put into a oven or better yet an outdoor grill to dry(not too hot at first)then proceed to season. You can burn off the rest of the old season but I'd definitely do that outdoors and you must reseason it after it cools down from that. I'd give it a good cleaning and drying if you burn off old season. If you let this air dry it will only rust again.
charliepapa
Clandestine Sciuridae
I was always under the impression that the term "seasoned" referred to being experienced, old or well used, as in seasoned firewood, a seasoned professional, etc..
tallwalker
Well-Known Member
Old or well used? Haha... I consider myself "well seasoned". 
Seasoned?
Lol Myself....I refer to myself as a seasoned citizen:}
Old or well used? Haha... I consider myself "well seasoned".
Lol Myself....I refer to myself as a seasoned citizen:}
