How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

Forever I have wanted a cast iron skillet but it was one of those things I just never wanted to actually spend money on. Then Christmas rolled around and Santa, thanks mom and dad, brought me a wonderful cast iron skillet under the tree! Fast forward five months {insert monkey covering his eyes emoji here} and I had yet to use my skillet until this week. I think I was a little intimidated. I read multiple articles on how to season, care and refurbish the skillet. Hold up, I can't wash my skillet?! Eeek, que anxiety. AND what does 'season my skillet' mean?! Do I just salt and pepper...ok no, breathe Kristen. It really isn't that scary and I proudly will say I have now seasoned and used mine! Thanks to the Pioneer Women for the inspiration as well, that woman uses her skillet for everything!

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

 {which should be done before using it for the first time.}

1)  Wash the skillet with hot soapy water and a stiff brush. (This will be the only time you use soap on your skillet until you 'season' it again in the future.)

2)  Rinse and dry completely.

3)  Apply a very thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening to the cookware inside and out. Too much oil will leave your skillet feeling sticky.

4)  Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven (not directly on bottom but on the rack) to catch any drips. 

5)  Set oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

6)  Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven to prevent pooling.

7)  Bake the cookware for one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the skillet cool in the oven. 

8)  Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.

If you season your skillet and clean it properly then it should stay in good condition. At some point you may have to season your skillet again. If food starts to stick, or you notice a dull gray color, repeat this process to season it again. 

After using do NOT use soap to clean your skillet. Just use warm water and scrub clean. I then put mine back in the oven after preheating it to 400 degrees and then turning it off. I let it warm and cool in the oven. This also kills all germs since you aren't using soap. Soap by the way will result in a non-stick rusted skillet.

I will say I used mine to make skillet chicken and black bean nachos and they turned out awesome! I will post that recipe soon. So, if you have a skillet and you are intimidated then don't be and go give that baby some use!