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How to Restore, Season and Clean a Cast Iron Skillet

Learn how easy it is to restore, season and clean your old cast iron skillet so that it will last for generations to come.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 1 Clean Pan
Course: Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: French , American

Ingredients

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 brillo pad
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • nonabrasive scour pad with 2 tablespoons of salt or soft bristle cleaning brush

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To Restore: Scrub under hot water using a brillo pad on all sides to remove all rust spots.
  2. Dry thoroughly using a kitchen towel or on a stovetop burner on high heat.
  3. To Season: Generously rub 3 tablespoons of oil into both sides of the pan using a paper towel.
  4. Next, use a separate paper towel to remove any excess left on oil.
  5. Place upside down in the middle of your oven rack at 500° for 1 hour. Store or use.
  6. To Maintain: Scrub with hot water using a nonabrasive scour pad with 2 tablespoons of salt or a soft bristle cleaning brush to remove all unwanted stuck-on food particles.
  7. Dry thoroughly using a kitchen towel or on a stovetop burner on high heat.
  8. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and rub it into the pan on both sides.
  9. Place in the oven on the middle rack at 500° or over a burner on high heat until it reaches the oil smoking point. You do this so the oil does not spoil.
  10. Cool and store.

Notes

  • Chef Notes:
  • • There is no cast-iron pan that is too far out of reach to be cleaned using this process.
  • • Anything can be cooked in a seasoned-up cast iron skillet, even something as simple as sautéed vegetables.
  • • The same process also applies to carbon steel pans