Cast iron frustarations...can't get it seasoned!!

[Drifter]

I picked up a cast iron skillet in a flea market for 6 bucks after reading a few threads about how people love their cast iron skillets. It is a wagner ware 1058s. I cleaned it up good with oven cleaner and elbow grease and have tried to season according to " the panman's" instructions on his website and by getting it real hot on the gasser with bacon grease. I have been usin the suggestions in this thread http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72107 and have been eating a lot of bacon!! (not complaining about that!!) but my end results are that my bacon and burgers still stick like crazy and don't even think about cooking eggs in it. I havent been washing with soap and water, just wiped out good and scrape after cook and preheat good before next cook. Anybody have any other suggestions or am I just gonna have to "stick" with non-stick skillets??

 

[NCsmoker]

Drifter, I have a 12" Lodge I have been using for 20 years now and a Duch Oven that belonged to my Grandmother. I remember when I got the 12" my mother told me to wipe it down with lard and stick it in the hot over for an hour. I did this about three time before I even used it to cook in and it has nice shine to the bottom of it now. I love cooking in cast iron but dang as I get older it gets heaver.

 

[billm]

Drifter, I have a 12" Lodge I have been using for 20 years now and a Duch Oven that belonged to my Grandmother. I remember when I got the 12" my mother told me to wipe it down with lard and stick it in the hot over for an hour. I did this about three time before I even used it to cook in and it has nice shine to the bottom of it now. I love cooking in cast iron but dang as I get older it gets heaver.

that will do it..I use Lodge pans on a daily basis..before the pre-seasoned stuff i would wipe down with Crisco and bake in hot oven..then wipe down again before first time use..you wont get an instant patina but after cooking on it a few times you will
I also give mine a quick wipe it down with crisco after every use (after washing out wth water onlyand hand drying right away so it dont rust)....
you might also want to keep your fire down a bit when cooking with it..dont need a high fire with cast iron..

 

[Contracted Cookers]

We deep fry fish in mine then just wipe clean .

 

[Zak]

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

This the most informative info i found on seasoning cast iron. I still have yet to season mine this way cause of the time it takes.

 

[Ribbin' Randy]

I seasoned mine (20+ yrs ago) with beef suet. Been my favorite pan ever since. If I remember correctly , I did several cycles of melt suet, let cool, scrape out wipe clean(don't wash). Good luck!

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

If you're having trouble with the skillet this is a must see.. My wife, who looks a bit like Porn Star Allie Sin now, is great in the sack... but dang if she doesn't do things to really piss me off... like when I find my skillet in the dishwasher.

See this solution

http://www.youtube.com/user/PopdaddysBBQ#p/u/53/w-Y3XBsbwI8

 

[FattyMac]

that will do it..I use Lodge pans on a daily basis..before the pre-seasoned stuff i would wipe down with Crisco and bake in hot oven..then wipe down again before first time use..you wont get an instant patina but after cooking on it a few times you will
I also give mine a quick wipe it down with crisco after every use (after washing out wth water onlyand hand drying right away so it dont rust)....
you might also want to keep your fire down a bit when cooking with it..dont need a high fire with cast iron..

That how I was taught as well. Also if if something does stick, use table salt as a scouring agent. Rise with water, dry, quick rub down with some oil or grease.

 

[jestridge]

I like to cook with cast iron, but frying eggs I stay with telfal

 

[rlt]

I don't know if this is heresy, but here is the method I have used in the past. You must have access to an open fire of some type. It need not be huge. Build a fire, and place a grate into the fire above the coals. Cover your cast iron in lard or "Manteca". Once you have covered it in the lard, place the pan on the grate, and let all of the lard melt. Pull the pan out, and let it cool. The pan will be hot. Wear a glove when you do this step. Repeat a few times. Three or four, maybe five, would be sufficient. Hope this helps. Cheers.

 

[jasonalan724]

Okay, i'll throw down my method, i cook mostly with cast iron, and one or two copper and stainless peices.

I use grape seed oil to season in the oven for two hours at about 450-500 in the evening. i use grapeseed becuase it has a super high smokepoint so it wont fill your house with smoke.
Then let cool over night in the oven, i dont even open the oven door, just shut it down after two hours. This will get you started on your way to a very nice petina.

On the occasion that something does stick i reheat the pan on the stove to a non fingernail melting temp, make a salt paste (1 tbs water/2 tbs coarse salt) and scrub the living daylights out of it. Wipe it out, back on the stove to heat up again and repeat with just dry salt. Then a quick rub with some grapeseed and into the cupboard. I hadn't done that until a few years ago and when i found out about the salt scrub i went and scrubbed up all my stuff, it has performed amazingly since. The first time you do that you will get black salt by the time you are done, but dont worry its not you season comming off. You can almost shine the bottom of your Irons if you scrub long enough.

And remember if you cook high acid food before it is WELL seasoned they will wipe out your seasoning.

 

[bigabyte]

I think the problem is using the bacon like that. give it another really good scrubbing with elbow grease to remove whatever is sticking, and then reseason a few times as per the advice here using just fat/oil and nothing else (like meat). I imagine you will get better results.

 

[Smokey Bones]

I've had access to a dozen scout and personal dutch ovens to use regularly on the past 15 years. Standard method has been to give a complete wipe down with "hard" Crisco grease (not the liquid kind, it will go rancid if the DO sits unused for a period of time). Then wipe off any excess. You want it covered with grease, not coated.

Heat to a medium hot temperature to expand and open the pours in the cast iron. This lets the now melted oil enter into the metal. Cool a bit and wipe off all excess melted grease, then let finish cooling.

I rarely need to continue to re-season after every use. But with an overly eager helper who washes with soap and water (some people never learn), then I will repeat.

Note: if you have a very hard to clean DO. I will find a dirt patch, thrown in a few handfuls of dirt (and some gravel size rocks would help also) rub it around for a good scrubbing. This will "sandpaper" it back down to clean metal. Empty it out, and then do a wash (no soap), and maybe a light re-greasing as well if needed.

 

[Big_T_BBQ]

The method I use was found in my wife's martha Stewart how to clean anything book, clean all rough and/or rusted areas with 000 or 0000 steel wool. put a LIGHT coat of oil on it (I use food grade mineral oil so it doesn't go rancid) then let sit in a 350* oven for 2 hours. Wipe excess oil and repeat.

I also put a light coat of the mineral oil on it after washing/drying it every time.

 

[Chuckwagonbbqco]

If there are 100 posts in this thread --you will hear 100 different methods of seasoning cast iron cookware. I have my own method--but do not want to add more confusion.

The good thing about all of these different methods that are working for so many different people is that it is proof that seasoning cast iron is easy and has many different flexible methods.

When I purchase any cast iron cookware, new or used, I look at the original surface. Some cast iron is very rough, and some cast iron looks like polished glass. I buy the smoother pieces. I fry my eggs in cast iron every morning and flip the eggs to turn them over---however I started with a finely polished cast iron piece.

There are websites like www.camp-cook.com that have more cast iron info than here at BBQ_Brethren--I would look to see what others say---then determine your own method. This is some of my cast iron at the "Smokin' In The Oaks" KCBS competition last year in Penn Valley, CA. You can see that most of the cast iron is shiny black

 

[huminie]

I like to crank up my gasser grill nice and hot, put the cast iron in for a while to get it heated, then spray PAM cooking spray on it, and wipe down the excess with some paper towels. Let it cool, then do it over. It may take several sessions to get it good and seasoned, but it always works well. I find that vegetable based oils work best and won't risk going rancid.

 

[Drifter]

If there are 100 posts in this thread --you will hear 100 different methods of seasoning cast iron cookware. I have my own method--but do not want to add more confusion.

The good thing about all of these different methods that are working for so many different people is that it is proof that seasoning cast iron is easy and has many different flexible methods.

you are right about the 100 different methods for sure. I'll just have to pick one and keep working on it. We have one that we cook cornbread in and it doesn't stick. My wife said if I cook anything else in it she'll kill me!! My dad also told me if I were to fry any kind of meat in the corn bread skillet then the cornbread will stick, so thats a no no at our house.

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[sdbbq1234]

If it is still really rusty, work with steel wool. Rinse with water and dry. Wipe with Crisco inside and let cook (season) in oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes, work melted grease into inside and outside with cloth towel (small piece).

If you do this a few times and cook with it, you get a non-stick coating. We can fry eggs on all 3 pieces of cast iron and they will not stick.

Also, we do not put tomato products in our cast iron stuff as the acid seems to eat away the nice coating that has built up. My mom calls it, "The goodie". We always wipe down the inside and outside after using. We will use canola oil or Crisco; what ever is handiest at the time.

wallace

 

[Mitch]

Just keep cooking bacon in it. It will get there

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

I believe all your greasy methods suck....

my is the best way... plus you get a wonderus chunk of cornbread!!!!