Comments on: How to Clean and Re-Season a Cast Iron Skillet

By: deb c

deb c — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 19:02:48 +0000

It is quite common for Flaxseed oil to chip and flake. It makes for a beautiful looking pan, but it just doesn’t hold up to normal use.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 05 May 2021 20:39:12 +0000

In reply to S. Colorado. It's an old classic! I think if it works for you, it works!

By: S. Colorado

S. Colorado — Wed, 05 May 2021 17:04:08 +0000

I Love, love, love using cast iron pots & pans. I have been using them for decades and can’t say enough about them to encourage more people to try them! I have ALWAYS used bacon grease to re-season all of my cast iron cookware! I’ve never had any issues with stickiness or lack of non-stick issues when cooking after using strictly bacon grease when seasoning them. I’ve also never had any issues with rancid food or even any type of “food poisoning” type issues using cast iron seasoned with bacon grease! This is what my great grandmother, grandmother, and great aunt have used for ever & we’ve never had any negative issues because of it! Any reason NOT to use bacon grease to season/re-season cast iron?

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:12:06 +0000

In reply to Angie Evans. You just used too much oil too. I'd just give it a little wash and scrub and call it good. Then start cooking! That natural cooking process will do wonders for seasoning.

By: Angie Evans

Angie Evans — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 23:27:18 +0000

So I bought a new preseasoned 12” cast iron skillet and didn’t realize that I didn’t need to season it again before I used it.(1st time with cast iron) I used canola oil and baked it in a 350* oven for an hour and left it in the oven to cool down with the oven. It’s sticky now. Should I scrub it down and start over seasoning it and use a different kind of oil? And paper towels leave fuzzies on it when I season it and dry it too. What am I doing wrong?

By: CatS

CatS — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 20:19:19 +0000

In reply to Laura Reno. Wish I'd seen this comment. I used veg oil & now understand why my 3 pans are sticky. Oh well. Once these two finish baking I'll pull out the steel wool & avocado oil & redo. Great resource!! Thanks melissa for the article & for all the excellent comments & tweaks on recureingmy ancient pans

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 23:29:03 +0000

In reply to Laura Reno. Avocado oil or grapeseed would be my first choices for you, if you look up the oils that you have, look up their smoking point. The oil with the highest smoking point is your best option.

By: Laura Reno

Laura Reno — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:03:15 +0000

I don’t use vegetable oil. I have olive, grape seed, avocado oils and ghee. I do have old bacon grease too. Can I use any of those to treat my pans?

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 18:00:54 +0000

In reply to Shelly. I'd try not boiling the water in it. It should like that might be some of the issue. Do you have a chain-mail scrubber, it's my favorite for cast iron!

By: Shelly

Shelly — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 14:17:33 +0000

I am having trouble keeping a seasoning on my lodge skillet. I don’t use soap. I do lightly use a scrub pad meant for nonstick skillets. Sometimes I boil water in the skillet to remove stuck on bits. And always oil it after cleaning.
I have had to reseason this skillet 3 times in the last 6 months. This last time I scrubbed the inside bottom down with Bar Keepers Friend and a stainless steel pad. I oiled it down with flaxseed oil, baked it at 450 for an hour , let it cool, and repeated it 6 times. I cooked chicken breast in it and then steaks last night. I boiled water to remove the stuck on bits and the seasoning is coming off again. What am I doing wrong?