seasoning cast iron question
 

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I bought some cast iron skillets at target and the directions for seasoning were to rub in some vegetable oil and then bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees. I did that, they work great.

Today I bought some more cast iron pans but they were the Lodge brand instead of whatever I found at target. The Lodge directions are different, it states:
melt some shortening, rub that into the pans and then bake them upside down in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Why bake them upside down and if I don't have any shortening can I just use plain vegetable oil since isn't melted shortening oil?? Btw I have some saffloweroil and I have some vegetable oil which is better? I tend to save the saffloweroil for putting in receipes and the veg for cooking but just thought I would ask.
Thank you!! :love

I'd just do it like the ones you got from Target, using the vegetable oil. In my experience using cast iron, as long as they are seasoned by some method (even the stovetop) it works! :thumb

I love cast iron too!
Marvel

I've always used olive oil, never had a problem.:)

Thank you both :D. I will just use the oil then. I'm getting rid of my teflon piece by piece, now that I have a cast iron skillet in every size I need I can get rid of the teflon stuff!

I just got some cast iron too. I was planning on rubbing bacon grease all over mine, then baking. I don't think it matters, as long as it's oil getting baked into it.

I :love my cast iron...If I could afford it, I would get rid of teflon and the other crappier pans I have. Cast Iron lasts forever...teflon, on the other hand, lasts maybe 4-5 years...

Teflon lasts me on average 2-3 years but I am hard on it! I use it a lot and I don't baby it so it looks like crap quickly. :LOL It is much cheaper for me to convert to cast iron in the long run!

Look for sales, I have picked up my stuff pretty cheap just for looking out for sales. Or check thrift shops and yard sales once and awhile you can come across some.

I've always used edible-grade mineral oil for mine (you can find it at the drugstore in the laxative section--!!!!). It never goes rancid. Whenever I use the skillet, I wash it out, heat it on the stove, and rub a little bit in. They are gorgeous, if I do say so myself . . .

I love my cast iron! You really can't ruin them unless you let them rust. What I do when I want to fix up my cast iron all nice and shiny is I will deep fry something, like french fries or whatever in it. Brand new, though I did the rub the oil and upside down in the oven. Cast iron is so fun cause things really cook differently than in teflon! I got almost all of my cast iron at a garage sale. I went to one that had a box of cast iron for $8, it had two skillets, two pots AND a dutch oven!!! I totally freaked, trying to remain calm as to not give away my excitement I asked if it was $8 for the whole box and it was! That was just the best deal I ever got!

Holy cow wemoon that is an awesome deal!! I saw a box like that in sams club and it was $50 I think!

And I agree stuff does cook totally different, I think stuff tastes better cooked in cast iron too.

I want to get some pots and/or a dutch oven but for now I at least replaced all my teflon skillets and frying pans.

;) Major score deal! Did you read my entry about cast iron in my blog? It was one of the first ones I did...I really really love cast iron!

sometimes cast iron is to be cooked upside down like that when seasoned because it has a thin, waxy coating to protrect it, so you turn it upside down and it melts and burns off.

The only good thing about Crisco is it really seasons cast iron wonderfully!

I have a cast iron muffin pan that is non-stick because of Crisco.

When seasoning remeber light coat of oil heavy coats just make a gummy mess and not that hard coating you want.

I season at 250 for a couple of hours, when the coat is hard I add another.


Dh and I have a square egg pan that I seasoned and WOW can it cook an egg! Even if you turn the egg over and get it folded you can still get the egg straightned out because it doesnt stick!


2 :thumbs for cast iron

I always have problems cooking eggs in my cast iron, they suck up sooooo much oil and then stick to the cast iron.

I saw preseasoned Lodge brand skillets at Crate&Barrel. Whats up with that? It looked kinda weird. I'd rather season myself.

Also, does cast iron vary in quality? I want nice ones. (translated - I am a cookware snob) :bag

About rust - it's not a problem. You just scour it off and start over (according to Lodge). I got a really old skillet and it was awful - layer upon layer of nastiness flaking off. It's taking a long time to "fix" it, but I like the challenge. I cook a lot of real (from the farm) bacon. :yum

http://www.westonaprice.org/motherli...tsandpans.html
Good read about Teflon & cast iron.

Does anyone know what to do with cast iron that wasn't seasoned right? Do I have to do anything to it before I reseason it?

Cool :thumb So those ones at garage sales for 50 cents that are rusted to beat hell are still a good deal?

I don't think you need to do anything before you reseason it, other than make sure it is clean.

Speaking of which, how do you all clean your CI? I put mine on the stove with a bit of water and then heat it and scrape any food off. I repeat a few times until it is all clean and then oil it.

I have misused my cast iron, I'm sad to admit. :bag: I run really hot water into it, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub it with the "plastic wool" side of a scrubber sponge, KWIM? Sometimes the sponge has some residual soap in it. :eek Plus I haven't oiled them in a long time. I think mine need some TLC.

YIKES!!!! I'm a-thinking you should think about changing your washing routine! CI is so easy to clean if you heat it on the stove with water, everything just scrapes right off :)