Seasoning cast iron
I'm in the process of seasoning my cast iron pan. I've already gone through the process three times, coating the entire pan in oil before baking it. I'm planning on doing this three more times. Do I need to coat the entire thing in oil each time from now on, or can I get away with just doing the inside?
Recommended by Food52
4 Comments
Personally, I don't season more than once at a time. I season twice a year (at the vernal and fall equinox as an easy way to remember when) and I just do it once. Cote liberally inside and out with oil, bake at 300 for 1 hour, leave in oven util it's still warm but I can touch it, and wipe out the oil. Then the next day, I'll fry something in the pan like onions in bacon fat. I'll do it even if I don't need them for a recipe. It seems to 'set' the finish on the pan. Without this extra step, the seasoning will start to wear off in a month or 6 weeks instead of lasting 6 months.
Though, keep in mind, I'm naughty and wash my cast iron in with the rest of the dishes, so that's probably why I need to season so often.