How to Season Cast Iron Pan Skillet in Oven? Detailed Guide
Cast iron pans have proved to be a great utensil for cooking. You can cook a wide variety of meals in the pan. However, seasoning the pan plays a prime role in deciding the taste of the meal. It further, depicts the longevity and durability of the pan. Well, how to season cast iron in the oven? If you wondering that too, you have landed at the right place.
Why is Seasoning Necessary?
A pan that is not seasoned will last early due to the development of rust. In order to prevent the pan from harmful and deteriorating effects of corrosion, you should at least season it twice or thrice annually. Seasoning will not only prevent the formation of rust but will also make your meals taste better. In addition to that, it will keep the food from sticking. Let us now get to the steps on how to season cast iron in the oven.
How to Season Cast Iron in Oven- Detailed Steps
Cleaning and Drying the Cast Iron Cookware
The first thing that you have to do when seasoning the cast iron cookware is to thoroughly clean its surface. Usually, soap is not used on cast iron as it is sensitive to that. Therefore, one usually relies on scrubbing the surface under hot water. However, one needs to completely and thoroughly clean the surface to ensure that there is no residue of any kind left. A coarse and hard scrubber made of steel would do the job of thorough cleaning.
The cast iron is not treated using soap. The reason for that is the soap, as well as the perfume oil, enters the pores of the surface. Therefore, when you start cooking meals in that pan, the food develops the taste of that particular soap. Options for acidic natural remedies like lemon juice are also not advised as they will destroy the appearance of the pan.
You are not required to clean and remove each and every bit. However, if the soap is stuck into the pan then you should completely clinic so that there is no soap left. After you have cleaned the pan, you have to dry it next. For drying, you can take the assistance of a clean cloth or a paper towel. Meanwhile, you dry the pan perfectly and move on to the next step, you can preheat the oven. The oven has to be preheated at 430 degrees Fahrenheit for around 10 minutes and the pan can be placed inside.
Oiling the Cast Iron Cookware
In order to season your pan effectively and perfectly, you are required to have a very effective oil. You can go for any cooking oil but it is preferable that canola oil or Crisco oil is used. Corn oil or peanut oil would do equally well too. However, whatever oil you may select based on what is available and affordable, you need to always check that it is not salted. You need pure, plain oil for seasoning.
Take the pan out of the oven. Now cool that a bit so that it is safe to apply the oil layer. Apply a thin layer of oil thoroughly to the pan. Make sure to only take enough oil so that it covers the pan evenly but is not excessive on the surface. As an estimate 2 tablespoons of oi would do perfectly well. You can apply the oil using a clean cloth or a paper towel. Make sure that there is no puddles formation.
Baking the Cast Iron Cookware
After you have put enough oil which covers the surface evenly, you have to proceed toward this step. Make sure to drip all the extra oil if added excessively. Now you have to place the cast iron cookware inside the oven again which was preheated at 400 Fahrenheit. Once you have done that, increase the temperature to 500 or more.
You can expect a lot of smoke as the oil will be burned. During this step, the oil changes its form from liquid to solid. It basically becomes plastic. Therefore, it has to be burnt, therefore producing smoke. It is advised to keep the area well ventilated and airy. Hence, you should open up the windows of that area. Turn on the fans as well so that the smoke is not collected and is dissipated to the environment.
You have to keep the pans there for around half an hour. After which, you need to switch off the power or simply turn off the heat provided. After 15 minutes, you need to pull the cast iron cookware oil. It will be perfectly seasoned. Don’t forget to repeat this process thrice for effective results.
Final Verdict
The cast iron pan is seasoned in an oven through 4 simple and basic steps. After cleaning the pan and drying it, you need to apply a thin layer of oil which has to bake later. Happy seasoned, durable pan!
Frequently Asked Questions
