Cast Iron pan seasoning Question
I have a new in box Lodge skillet that was sent from Lodge as a replacement to one I previously bought and had problems with. I had done exactly as the Lodge instructions said .. never used soap ...
Forum Discussion
TexasShadow wrote:
...spray a light squirt of PAM or any brand oil, then wipe that all over the cooking surface and then put a fresh paper towel in the skillet and store away as usual. I wouldn't call my skillets totally stick-free, but mostly they are and it does depend on how hot I get them.
The reason yours are not totally stick-free is because you're using spray oil, which contains sticky stuff.
After cleaning, we use a paper towel to smear a very, very light coating of bacon fat or Crisco, let sit a while, wipe the excess and store. Every few weeks, we grease, heat in the oven to 400 degrees, turn off stove and let cool. Wipe any excess away and store. This method been working over 100 years in our family, and all our CI is non-stick, whether Lodge, unmarked CI from who knows where, Wagner or Griswold.
OP, the key is proper seasoning and proper heat. You pretty much never need to use high heat, as CI holds the heat so well. As for seasoning, grease, heat in oven, let cool, repeat at least six times before you use the new pan. That will give the pits a chance to fill in. Then be sure to cook with a fair amount of oil/grease the first few times to further season the pan.
Or, if you're a DIY type, look on YouTube for the techniques used to smooth out that pan's interior to more like CI was produced before 1958. Once it's as close to baby bottom smooth as old Wagner and Griswolds were, clean and season and you'll be astonished at how non-stick it will be.
Good luck.
