How to season cast iron

Now that you know a bit about why I love cast iron (and if you missed that little gem, you can catch up here), it's time for the next important little tidbit of information that you should know. Ready? Set? Go!

The first time I tried to cook eggs in a cast iron skillet (which I assume were for Wes, given my body's prejudice against them), the eggs had black on them and the pan had egg on it, and it was a pretty depressing experience all around. But now I know something I didn't before. My pan just needed seasoning. And we are not talking herbs here, folks.

Recently, one of my aunts gave me a cast iron skillet that she rarely used. It wasn't in great shape, but I was happy to give it a new home. I was super excited about this because it gave me a chance to experiment with a pan that definitely needed some seasoning. Seasoning is when you coat a cast iron pan in oil of some kind, to give it that non-stick surface. This is why a pan gets better over time, every time you coat it in grease, that coating gets increasingly non-stick. Of course, you can just cook only greasy foods for a while (think: bacon for days). But it's much easier to jump in with a head start! Without further rambling, here is how to season a cast-iron skillet, complete with before and after pictures!

Step 1
Clean.

Pre-cleaning

You need to give your pan a good scrub. The best way to do this is to use coarse salt, a bit of water, and a good scrub brush. You don't need to use soap or any commercial cleaners, and in fact you want to avoid these as they will further damage any seasoning that the pan might have. Scrub until you have removed as much of the rust, dirt, etc. as you can. Make sure you dry the pan well when you are done.

Step 2
Oil. 

Once you have scrubbed your pan, you want to smear the pan in a good coating of oil. Choose an oil with a high smoke point such as coconut oil, lard, bacon fat, etc. You do NOT want to use olive oil, because this has a low smoke point and will burn and get sticky and gross (trust me, I learned this the hard way). Coat the pan all over, top and bottom.

Step 3
Heat. 

Put a layer of tin foil on the bottom rack of your oven, to catch any drips.
Preheat your oven to 350. Place your pan upside down on the top rack. After 2 hours, turn off the oven and let your pan cool there. After it is cool, remove your pan and use a kitchen rag to clean off any excess oil if needed.

Post-seasoning - might not look pretty, but definitely ready for use!

To keep your pan in good condition, periodically coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of oil after cleaning (I just put coconut oil on a paper towel and rub it on the pan if it looks a bit dry).

NOTE: Every time you cook something with fat, your pan is getting a little more seasoned. The best cast iron skillets are black and shiny from their built up seasoning.

My oldest pan that is now nice and black and shiny after a few years of use

You can check out this video from The Prairie Homestead of how simple it actually is to cook eggs in a well seasoned skillet. It works! Even my 9 year old cousin can do it (we tried!)!