Nowadays most cast iron pans are already pre-seasoned but knowing how to season them is important.
They are such a great cooking tool for the kitchen. They are good for you because they can add dietary iron to food and are fabulous heat conductors. You can cook with them on the stove and then finish off the dish in the oven. I have even used them as a make-shift quesadillas press in the oven! I am always on the hunt for cast iron pans.
The Story
Every time I go to a thrift store, I look for cast iron pans. Unfortunately this one did not make the cut because it was too rusty. Oh the foodie stories this pan could tell! Still, for $4.99, it was too much work.
You can remove the rust but my hands are not super strong and even with my Dremel tool, it sound have been a huge project.
Instead I spent an extra $2 and picked up this second hand Cast Iron Fajita Pan instead which cost around 1/4 of the price of a new pan and was in pretty good shape.
The Intel
As you can see, the pan was extra-seasoned in the middle but the ends of it had been neglected.
Normally you would NEVER EVER wash cast iron with soap and water but in this case, because it was second hand, I did. Immediately after it dried I got to work.
I used paper towel to apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the entire surface.
I preheated the oven to 325°F.
I placed the pan in the hot oven with a sheet of aluminum foil below the rack to catch any drips. Your smoke detector might go off during this process BTW!
Bake for an hour. Turn off heat and allow to the skillet to cool completely before removing from oven.
The Joys of Cast Iron Pans
I love this pan! Yes, it is perfect for cooking veggies for fajitas but…
I have also used it for making my own slider buns and…
Toasting nuts and seeds… You name it! I am still on the hunt for a traditional cast iron frying pan but for now, I will appreciate my Cast Iron Fajita Pan.
Foodie Outcome
We went from this dry partly-well-seasoned pan to…
A pan that is well seasoned that can be used for just about anything you need a cast iron pan for. Not bad for a $7 investment and some time in the kitchen. Now I will make my own stories with this fabulous kitchen tool!
FANTASTIC post, thank you Suzie…I had always wondered about that…I have tried but never been sure I was doing it right. The pictures tell so much of the story too, thanks so much! xoO
Thank you so much for the feedback Olivia! It’s not hard at all, especially when you use vegetable oil. Glad the photo tutorial helps.
BTW, the first time I seasoned something I used solid vegetable shortening. OMG, I almost started a fire in my oven! Vegetable oil? Much easier.
I LOVE cast iron and have many as well. I also have one that is a flat iron used only for sweet bakes. Does a great job with the cookies, no baking paper needed.
Oh wow, never thought of baking with one before, love it, thanks Ivy!
I bought a flat round one just for sweats. Nothing savoury bakes on that one. Really makes a nice bake. But, it’s small. Only eight or nine, but that’s usually all I have in a test batch, so it works.
I also have cast iron that I use on the grill outside. Makes the best chicken. Or onions, corn, peppers, just so good. Love cast iron.
That’s a lot of cast iron Ivy, I am totally impressed. Glad there is someone else out there who wants a cast iron collection, LOL.
Suzie, you might want to look at Loblaws. Kenora and I picked up a couple of new cast iron frying pans there last year (and haven’t done anything with them yet unfortunately). I don’t remember how much they were, but I do remember thinking they were dirt cheap!
So I’m very happy to see this because it reminded me to go look for them, and told me what to do with them.
I got my first cast iron piece at the Superstore but lately they seem to have stopped selling them which is a shame because they were a great price. I’m glad the post helped Nigel!
Very cool Suzie, thanks for the info. I may keep an eye out for used ones at the garage sales. Ivy likes her cast iron and I like what she makes with the cast iron.
You are most welcome Tim! Yes, garage sales would be a great place to pick up a cool tool and I bet Ivy whips up a ton of foodie magic in it!
Love my cast iron cooking pans.
Coffee is on
They do rock, don’t they Dora?
Great info, Suzie. Something I always meant to look up to do.
Thanks Shell, happy to help!
Do you do the same with a brand new cast iron pan? Won’t they be sticky? And how do you store the pans/skillets?
With cast iron, it is better to be over-seasoned than under-seasoned but it probably isn’t necessary. After you use it, rinse (no soap) the cast iron and dry with a paper towel. Then add more oil to the pan, liberally. Use a paper towel to take off the excess oil and you can store it like a regular pan from there. I know it sounds weird but that’s the way it goes. The most times you use it and season it, the better the pan gets.
How do you clean a cast iron frying pan with hard gunk baked into the bottom of the pan, and do you ever completely re-season your cast iron pans?
Have you soaked it first? Salt is a good abrasive but you must always coat the pan with oil after you do any cleaning. I would only re-season if the pan got stripped of the oil. Hope that helps!