Seasoning cast iron?

[Retired Spook]

Ok here's a dumb question. After I do the burn off and am satisfied. Do I let the pan cool off completely before seasoning it, or do I season it when it's cool to the touch.

Chris

Clean it in a fire, take it out with tongs, let it cool so you can touch it with a pot holder but dont wait to long or you will see a little rust (that you can easily remove with a wire brush since it will only be surface rust), wipe it with melted Crisco (I always do when still quite warm) to keep it from rusting, and then you can season it whenever you want thereafter.

Seasoned in an oven (upside down) with very thin almost dry coats of Crisco 2 or 3-times and you will have a great pan that will only get better the more you use it.

 

[gmc2003]

Thanks

Chris

 

[JWFokker]

For the pan used for an oil change you're going to want to burn it in a fire. 500F in an oven isn't going to remove the metals that are in motor oil. 700F+ is what you need.

 

[chopsaw]

Appreciate it chp. I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

Not motor oil , and I didn't go crazy on the fire . This will give an idea of the effect in general . That's an early 40's Lodge that was my Grandma's .

 

[Retired Spook]

In my humble opinion, you need a much larger fire. You should not have to scrape anything but ashes off the pan. The entire pan should look like it just came out of the forge.

 

[chp]

Not motor oil , and I didn't go crazy on the fire . This will give an idea of the effect in general . That's an early 40's Lodge that was my Grandma's .
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Looks like a good start. I certainly understand taking it slow with a family piece, next run you can probably bury it into the fire more. A little hotter and a little longer and the old seasoning will just turn to ashes. I think you are going to be very happy with the end result. Good luck!

 

[chopsaw]

That pans been done for over a year . We had a saying at work , " You're going at it like you're killing snakes "
I used it this morning for eggs . Inside is like glass .

 

[Retired Spook]

That pans been done for over a year . We had a saying at work , " You're going at it like you're killing snakes "
I used it this morning for eggs . Inside is like glass .
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That looks about perfect.

 

[FreshGround]

For those needing to rescue a pan but are not in a situation where they can build a fire, I've had good success with spraying the pan all over with Easy-Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner and then putting it in a plastic garbage bag.

 

[JWFokker]

Very good idea. You want to strip it to bare metal.

 

[801driver]

A gallon of vinegar in a plastic pan just slightly larger than your skillet soaking overnight submerged will work also.

 

[bill ace 350]

For those needing to rescue a pan but are not in a situation where they can build a fire, I've had good success with spraying the pan all over with Easy-Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner and then putting it in a plastic garbage bag.

Yup. works great

 

[tbern]

For those needing to rescue a pan but are not in a situation where they can build a fire, I've had good success with spraying the pan all over with Easy-Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner and then putting it in a plastic garbage bag.

How long do you leave it in the bag?

 

[FreshGround]

How long do you leave it in the bag?

I left it overnight, and the one application was sufficient. But I live in AZ and it was a black plastic bad so it got some help from the heat. Also, my pan wasn't that bad. I've watched YouTube videos where folks leave it for 4 hours. There are a lot of YouTube videos on doing this.

 

[tbern]

Thanks for your info, appreciate it!

 

[bill1]

I'd suggest a graded approach. First assume the finish/sesasoning that was on it before was possibly adequate to protect the base metal. So the first thing I'd do is scrub it well in very hot and very soapy water and dry immediately. Does it smell like motor oil? If so, move to the vinegar or oven cleaner approaches. Use the 1000F kiln or fire stripping approach as a last approach.
If at any point in this graded approach you get to where it doesn't smell, then heat it on a stove to 200F. It won't smoke, but if there's still engine oil there you'll smell it and you can go back to your prior step. If not, wash it again and then take it to 350F or just a bit less than what you last seasoned at...you're trying to avoid the smoke point. If you still can't smell engine oil at that point, I'd say your pan is clean and ready to cook with again.

 

[Plinsc]

I was thinking back to my Grandma ( on dads side ) , she used cast iron to feed her 12 kids.
Cooking started at breakfast and ended at supper!
She never stuck her pans in an oven to season, just some lard after each use.
You could have ice skated in those pans!
Wiped clean after cooking and lard while it was still hot(warm)
I think I overthink the process.