I am scared to use my cast iron skillet (for the first time)!

[sunberst]

So I just purchased my first cast iron piece.

I was about to season it according to the package- "Rub with vegetable oil and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes".

Then I came to the board to see if there were any tips, and I found out that it is a stinky adventure (according to some). SO, I follow wallycat's Martha Stewart directions- "Rub with vegetable oil and heat over a burner until it smokes, then remove" (can be foundhere (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=19348))

I do this, and after about 5 minutes certain areas of the skillet are getting brownish and starting to lightly smoke. So I remove it.

Is that it? Is that all I need to do to season? Are the brown areas okay? Does that mean I just used too much oil and it was burning? Or is it suppose to do that?

I want to use it tonight for a stovetop to oven application (starting the food on the burner then moving to the oven to finish). This is a special dinner so I am a little scared to use it.

[sneezles]

A couple of questions...

•Is it a pre-seasoned pan?

•Did you wash it first with soap and water?

•Did you use vegetable oil or some other oil?

Even if it's a pre-seasoned pan it will still depart a bit of an iron taste for the first few uses. It's a good idea to cook some high fat item (bacon, for example) after first seasoning it.
Even thogh it might be pre-seasoned there is still a coating that needs to be removed with soap and water.
Depending on the smoke point of your oil it may not have been seasoned long enough. That's why I usually do the first seasoning in the oven (200º , upside down for at least 8 hours and usually use Crisco solid, then wipe out excess sfter it's cooled).
As for the brown areas it's probably just burnt oil that you can wipe out with a paper towel.
Don't be afraid to use it tonight just make sure that it's properly heat before you add anything to the pan, including oil.

[cluan]

Dear Sun--

My mother's process of seasoning hers was a very thorough daily rubbing with a paper towel that she'd doused with cooking oil. She would do this for weeks, possibly months, before she ever used them.

I realize this might not help you for tonight but that's how she did it...and she never cooked with anything but cast iron.

Carla

[wallycat]

The brown color is fine..that is the patina that the pan takes on as it seasons...evenutally, the browns turn to black and you have a shiny black pan :)
The more use it gets, the quicker you'll get it seasoned.
Go fry up something greasy :eek: :D :D ;)

[sunberst]

Originally posted by sneezles
•Is it a pre-seasoned pan?

•Did you wash it first with soap and water?

•Did you use vegetable oil or some other oil?* it is not pre-seasoned
*yes, i washed it with soap & water and dried it very well
* vegetable oil

[sunberst]

Originally posted by wallycat
Go fry up something greasy :eek: :D :D ;) an excuse to eat a pound of bacon. i have a weakness for bacon, but never eat it anymore. but since you are telling me that i HAVE to... ;)

[sneezles]

Originally posted by sunberst
* it is not pre-seasoned

Then I would season it again or cook the bacon! Depending on what it is you are fixing tonight you will still get an iron taste. In things like scrambled eggs and pancakes this is not a good thing but in a hunk of meat it shouldn't be a problem...fish and chicken may not be the thing to cook in it tonight either.

[Kay Henderson]

In my experience, there is more than one way to successfully season cast iron.

For seasoning or re-seasoning cast iron, I've usually put a good-sized glob of Crisco in the pan and put it into a slow oven for two or three hours.

My 1964 "Joy" recommends as follows: "To treat new iron skillets or Dutch ovens, grease well and place in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Scour with steel wool before using."

In the website listed below, the writer recommends seasoning with lard or bacon grease, and specifically recommends against vegetable oil.

I think the common thread here is that for seasoning purposes (for reasons beyond me), saturated and trans-fat fats would appear to work better than healthier fats.

I also second cooking things with saturated fat (such as bacon) when a pan is new.

I'll be interested in hearing what has worked well for others.

Here's the link:

http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html