DIY: Outdoor Cooking: How to Re-Season Your Iron Cookware. Video Tutorial at the End of This Instructable!

by Timeless Decor Crafts and More

2.6K699

Intro: DIY: Outdoor Cooking: How to Re-Season Your Iron Cookware. Video Tutorial at the End of This Instructable!

I acquired these two Iron Skillets for our camping cookware at a yard sale for $1 each. What a great find! However they do need re-seasoning.



STEP 1: Scour You Cookware

The first step in re-seasoning your Iron Cookware is to clean all the debris as much as you can. Use a brillo pad or a scouring pad and scour the pan completely, inside, outside and don't forget the handle. Rinse thoroughly.

STEP 2: Dry Thoroughly

Dry your skillet completely and thoroughly.

STEP 3: Grease Pan With Oil

Next you put a small amount of vegetable oil or solid oil into your pan and spread it around evenly and sparsely with a paper towel front, back and don't forget the handle.

STEP 4: Bake

Next you want to put a sheet of aluminium foil on the bottom rack of your oven and place the pan on the top rack of a your oven at 375 degrees. Bake the pan for 1 hour then turn off the oven and allow the pan to cool completely in the oven as it cools down.

Always put your pan in the oven upside down, otherwise the oil might "pool" in the bottom of the skillet and leave a big sticky spot in the pan. The aluminum foil is put on the bottom rack to catch any oil that may come off the pan.

STEP 5: Here's the Difference

Here is the difference of the two pans. What a difference!

If you'd like to see the video instructable please check this link out here:

How to Re-Season your Iron Cookware for cooking over a campfire (and at home)

9 Comments

pfred2 8 years ago

You could toss the pans into a burning pile of leaves too. That is how the old timers did it.

Timeless Decor Crafts and More 8 years ago

I think I have seen my mom put it right into the camp fire to get the gunk off. You sure couldn't put Teflon on the fire! Thanks for the reminder.

amberrayh 8 years ago

Thanks for the thorough instructions. How would you recommend maintaining the pan on a day to day basis? My roommates seem to think that leaving the cast-iron pan on the stove w/food scraps in it is the way :(

Timeless Decor Crafts and More 8 years ago

Your cast iron should be RINSED after each use ~ DO NOT USE SOAP! If there are any stuck on residue on the pan, use a course salt like kosher salt and a paper towel to "scrub" out the leftover gunk. ALWAYS dry your iron cookware THOROUGHLY use a very light coat of oil on the cooking surface I let mine heat up on the stove for a few minutes to "seal up" and evaporate the oil that I have just applied this is the secret to keeping rust from forming between seasonings, Cover with a paper towel to protect it from dust. Hope this helps!

slo5oh 8 years ago

Leaving in dirty is not bad. I often leave mine this way for several days and up to a week. Cleaning it is easy, just heat it back up, then use a wet stiff brush to "steam" clean it. The problem with cleaning it after each use is that you really should "oil" it up after you clean it. Unless you have somewhere to store it upside down, the oiled pan will collect lint, dirt, hair, etc. so I always end up cleaning it again before I use it anyway. If the pan has a great seasoning on it, you can wash it (NO SOAP!) then dry it and store it without oiling it and it won't rust, but a little nick in the seasoning and you'll start to get some rust.

Pygar 8 years ago

A soak in vinegar overnight would take off the rust before scrubbing...

Northrrn_Joe 8 years ago

That pan looks brand new!
Great instructable.