Pro tip: my cast iron skillet was never actually seasoned, just burned on oil

I've been cooking on this lodge skillet for like 3 years and always wondered why eggs stuck no matter what. Last week my buddy who cooks at a diner came over and saw me scrubbing it with soap after breakfast. He just laughed and showed me how to actually season it with thin layers of crisco in the oven at 450. Tried it twice and now eggs slide around like a hockey puck on ice. Anyone else get years into a pan before realizing you did it totally wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jordan3d ago

I mean, I get that thin coats of crisco in the oven works, but that whole "scrubbing it with soap" thing is probably what killed your seasoning, not that it was never actually seasoned. Soap strips the oil film even if you think it's gentle. I've had my pan for about 5 years and I just wipe it out with a paper towel after cooking, maybe a little salt and water if something really sticks. If I treated mine like a normal dish pan it'd be rusty in a week. Maybe your buddy's method is right for starting fresh, but I dunno, I think keeping it simple without soap from day one is where it's at.

davis.adam1d ago

Did you try a vinegar soak to knock the rust down before laying on the new crisco coats?

the_elliot3d ago

Soap killed it and now it's haunting you with rust... classic cast iron ghost story.