Cast Iron Seasoning

So you think I am crazy huh? I do cook with cast iron cookware. I love the way it cooks our food....it makes it taste so much better. It gives the food such a nice texture and flavor. I started using cast iron about 20 years ago when Jeff and I first were married. There were several pans in 'his' kitchen when I moved in....left over from his mother's cooking days. It is a little hard to care for and some people are bothered by the fact that you NEVER use soap on it. But I thought I would share with you the task that I go through every so often to season it. I SHOULD do this after each use but who has the time for that and the clean up is so easy since nothing sticks to it. Cast iron is the original 'non-stick' pan.


First I line up all my cast iron cookware on the counter. I have a really long island and just sort of move my way down the line. Then, I pour in some olive oil....umm maybe about 2 tablespoons or so....that is really not important at all.

Next I pour in some kosher salt. The kosher salt is important because of its coarseness. It is abrasive and that helps restore the finish. The pale yellow circle in the center of the oil is the kosher salt....it isn't really yellow but when mixed with the olive oil it turns the pale yellow color that you see.

Then with a thickness of about four paper towels I give the oil and salt mixture a little elbow grease and start scrubbing. I keep my kosher salt in the little salt box on the counter. I just use it out of that container as opposed to the blue box it comes in. I like period pieces and that is the container they used before salt was sold out of a box. I am a big container person....almost everything that comes into this house comes out of its original packaging and into a container I have here. My goal in life is to be surrounded by beauty.....however please note that I did not change the olive oil bottle....I like the one it came in and I just refill it from the large can in the pantry. See the nice shine on the pans....now they are properly seasoned. I hope you have enjoyed my little lesson on seasoning cast iron cookware. Why don't you fry up some potatoes....or make some fried chicken and let me know if your taste and texture isn't just like the way your Grandma used to make it.