Iron Pots Depot

Let’s face it – cast iron cookware is just plain different. How many people do you know that have a stainless steel or aluminum pan from the 1800’s. Cast iron cookware is made to last forever when properly cared for and because it cooks so evenly and allows the home chef to cook more healthily due to the lack of need for butter and oils, it’s easy to see why cast iron is proudly passed from one generation to the next.

Unlike most other types of kitchen cookware, cast iron skillets and dutch ovens also require a little bit of care before you start making your world-famous chili or frying bacon. Whether you just purchased a brand new cast iron camp pot or your great grandmother’s cast iron skillet has seen better days, you’re going to need to season it before you cook.

Contrary to some peoples’ feelings, seasoning cast iron is not only easy, it can also be fun. When seasoning cast iron, you should not think of it as a time consuming pain, but an investment in your kitchen cookware’s longevity and your health.

Seasoning cast iron only requires a few, simple steps:

1. Ready your cast iron. Even if grandma’s cast iron has taken on the red hue of rust, it is still salvageable. This is because cast iron cookware will last FOREVER. Heat your cast iron cookware to a temperature that is still safe to touch and then use steel wool and hot water to thuroughly clean it – removing any traces of food and rust. After washing the cast iron cookware, dry it thuroughly to avoid any further rust buildup before the seasoning begins.
2. Preheat your oven. For the seasoning process to take, your oven will need to be preheated to between 250 and 300 degrees.
3. Coat your cast iron. Use either lard or bacon grease to completely coat your cast iron pan. Avoid using any liquid oils as they will leave your cast iron’s surface feeling sticky and may not season properly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, remove the cast iron from the oven and pour out any grease that has built up and pooled in the bottom of the cookware. Make sure to use an oven mitt to remove the cast iron as it will be very hot.
5. Let it SeasonAllow the cast iron cookware to bake for at least 2 hours. This will allow the grease to fill the holes and pores and become completely baked in.

To ensure that the seasoning process takes completely, you may want to repeat the process several times. The beauty of cast iron is that if the cookware begins to rust or your food begins to stick at any time, all you have to do is repeat the seasoning process – saving you not only the money of having to buy new kitchen cookware, but also the time of running to the store and choosing a high priced skillet or casserole dish.

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