There are two good reasons I can think of to use cast iron for cooking: 
1. Cast iron is heavy and retains heat, you use lower temperatures to cook and the pans disperse the heat evenly all across the bottom of the pan.
2. The iron content! People who use cast iron exclusively are less likely to have low iron problems.
When you buy cast iron, be sure to choose the best pans you can afford and look for a very smooth cooking surface.
Here is how to season cast iron before using it
Be sure you’ve washed your pan well using soap and a scrubbie like Scotch Brite.
1. Heat your oven to 250* F .
2. Using a paper towel or lint-free clean cloth, rub about 1 teaspoon of some food grade oil like lard or shortening into the cooking surfaces of the pan. You want just a very light coat of oil.
There are other oils that people recommend like high grade, organic flax seed oil. This oil leaves a very hard, durable surface. Peanut oil is a good choice for seasoning cast iron too since it also gives a nice hard, shiny surface after being baked. I prefer to use lard though. Its been the oil of choice for many years to season cast iron and it works very well for me, giving a slick, smooth seasoned surface.
3. Place the skillet into the oven, close the door and let it bake for about 30 minutes.
4. Take the pan out and rub some more oil onto the cooking surfaces. Put the pan back into the oven and let it bake another 30 minutes. Repeat three more times for a total of 2 1/2 hours in the oven at 250* F.
This is the initial seasoning and doesn’t have to be repeated unless your pan gets food burned onto it or is damaged in some way.
Your pan is ready to use. When you start to use it, be sure to cook some greasy foods at first, its good for your pan. Cook bacon and fry all kinds of things.
Contrary to some opinions, you can use soap to clean your pans each time you use them. I do. Clean your pans immediately after use and they will be easier to clean. The initial seasoning won’t wash off. You can lightly season them each time you use them. Once you get into the habit, its not difficult, or really , even time-consuming.
Here is how to lightly season your pans after washing.
1. Turn a stove burner on low.
2. Wash and then dry your pan.
3. Place the pan on the low burner. Allow it to dry completely. This dries off any moisture that could be lurking in the pores of the pan.
4. Next, carefully because the pan is hot, rub about 1/2 teaspoon of oil onto the cooking surface of the pan.
5. Put the pan back on the burner for another 10 minutes. Turn off the burner and allow the pan to cool. Its now ready to cook again.
Storing your pans
Cast iron is forgiving and you don’t really need to store it specially except that you must keep it dry. I keep a heavy duty paper towel between the pans but that’s not really necessary.
I have 16 pieces of cast iron right now. My oldest piece is over 200 years old and has been in my family that long. I still cook beans in it and I use it over the fire. My favorite pieces are my skillets that are slick and shiny inside because they have been kept seasoned for over 50 years.
Do you have cast iron? Do you use it?
Hello and welcome! I'm Sylvia Britton, and I've been online since 1996 offering encouragement and help in the spirit of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 at Christian Homekeeper. CHK is the original Homekeeping site on the internet
So how do you clean your cast iron? I got a set as a gift and have not used because I don’t know how to clean…. some say water and soap others say never water or soap… so yikes…..
Sherlei,
That’s a great question!
Rinse out the pans with hot water, dry them and then proceed with the seasoning instructions above.
Thank you for coming by!
I love the tips. 250 degrees is really low compared to other advice I’ve seen, but, I’m really finding in my personal experience low and a long heat, and regular renewing, works better for a good non-stick like surface. I’ve been having to buy new, and getting Lodge pre-seasoned stuff, but, their idea of pre-seasoned really isn’t a proper season at all. I’m up to a griddle/grill and 2 skillets… I want a dutch oven but I never camp! Maybe a tiny one that will fit inside my oven. 😉
Terry- don’t tell your son, but I have a glass top, and I use my cast iron on it all the time, no problems w/it what so ever….. 😀
I love cooking with my cast iron! I have several skillets in sizes ranging from about 6″ to 14″ and a couple of deep chicken fryers, too. I also have a griddle and a dutch oven. I’ve only used the DO while camping, though. My son is always on the lookout for new cast iron pieces and he usually “stores” them at my house because his wife has a glass cooktop. I dread the day they get a new stove!
I don’t blame you for dreading that day! I catch my older children eyeing my cast iron frequently 😀
Yeah, I don’t always get it done as soon as I’d like. The nice part is when the hubby tries to help and fills them with water, and I don’t know it until the next day….eewwweeee YUCK!! lol
@Cecily – I think the not cleaning right away is where I run into difficulties. I love my cast iron skillets, but I also tend to visit with my husband, tend to the animals and so on, and I’m not as – erm – prompt on cleaning up as I could be.
All of my skillets are cast iron. But I use copper bottom sauce pans. I’ve thought about switching those to cast iron too b/c they need to be replaced. But I’m not sure b/c I can’t put them in the dishwasher and they’d likely be very heavy. I love how non-stick my cast iron is. I don’t use soap on mine, but I’ve discovered (and from watching it in one of Wardee’s video’s) that cleaning it right away makes it tons easier.
I do have several good recipes for the Dutch Oven! I will be aharing those and how to cook with a DO on my Radio Show on Thursday night, May 12 at 7 pm central.
I will be sure to post a link to the show as soon as I get it.
my husband loves cast iron and searches for antique cast iron at yard sales. Do you have any good recipes for the dutch oven. We love to cook roast in it and all sorts of stuff.
I’m so glad you posted this! I use cast iron, though not exclusively, and I had no idea that it could be washed with soap and lightly seasoned. That is handy knowledge to have. There’s nothing quite like cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet, but cleanup can be rough.
Yes I do use oils and butter when cooking in the cast iron. Healthy oils and butter are good for us!
Most of my cast iron is very shiny and slick on the cooking surfaces, so I don’t need to use much oil.
I may have to look into getting cast iron, it does ot sound nearly as har as I thought. Do you still use oils and butter while cooking?