Seasoning after cleaning?

[mcchar81]

Should you season after cleaning?  I think a read somewhere that you should season after cleaning or the cast iron will rust again...is this true?  I only thought you seasoned the cast iron if you were going to use it for cooking.  I don't use mine for cooking - just collecting.

[C. B. Williams]

Harry: You must either season or 'rust proof' in some way. For display only, some like mineral oil, however I prefer the dark black color of seasoned iron cookware, then maybe a light coat of mineral oil. If a piece is new the grey color as it was made, might be best, however I think a used piece should look black seasoned. Any comments?

[maria]

As a cook (not really a collector, not in the league with the rest of you guys), I like 'em black! Glossy black. So black and smooth you can almost see yourself in the bottom of the pan. So yes, season. If you don't, they'll rust quicker'n you can say, um, "That pan is rusting again."

[Steve_Stephens]

Easy way; just oil with your favorite oil after cleaning.  I use solid crisco applied with a paper towel on a warm pan and wipe dry.  Oiling is not seasoning but just the first step in seasoning.  I don't want to bother going any further.  For pans that I use I oil them, cook in them, and let them get seasoned after a number of uses.  For humid climates you may need to use some other oil for better protection.  If you like your pans on the dark side you can darken them as well as even out the color by heating the pan in the oven to at least 450 degrees.  I let it reach that temp. and leave in the oven for anouther 10 minutes or so.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

So yes, season. If you don't, they'll rust quicker'n you can say, um, "That pan is rusting again."

Maria, while seasoning is good because it looks good and does help protect cast iron from rusting. It is not true that if you don't season it, it will rust. A nice oil will keep it from rusting. In my opinion, I think the way I do it serves the interest of those who like cast iron dark, but yet don't want to season a piece because they ain't gonna be cooking with it, but if they change their mind some time, they can. I strip the piece down naked, either electro or lye, and then wash it down good with soap and hot water, and steel wool, and then dry it by towel and put it in a preheated oven at 325 for about an hour, then I take it out and put mineral oil on it, it smokes and it darkens it up too, and keeps it from rusting and makes it look real good and you only gotta do it once. Then if you wanna use it to cook with, wash the mineral oil off with soap and hot water, and then season to suit yourself.

[Steve_Stephens]

...then dry it by towel and put it in a preheated oven at 325 for about an hour,

Perry, what does an hour in the oven at 325 deg. do?

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

...then dry it by towel and put it in a preheated oven at 325 for about an hour,

Perry, what does an hour in the oven at 325 deg. do?

Steve

Steve, it makes the piece very receptive to the mineral oil. It makes the piece like a sponge, you can see it drink the oil into it, it covers it very uniformly and darkens it too, if any of you all ain't ever tried this, I would very much recommend it. Someone on here said, why do to all that trouble, if you are gonna do that, you might as well season it. Seasoning is a totally different treatment, its like apples and oranges. If you want to show it, you want it to look dark, and you don't want it to rust, and you don't want to cook in it, but can if you should EVER decide to, this is the way to go in my opinion. I know thats a long answer, but thats my story and I'm stickin to it.  ;)

[Charles_A._Burger]

Perry

Does it make the piece as receptive to other oils or is mineral oil special in this respect?

Chuck

[C. Perry Rapier]

Perry

Does it make the piece as receptive to other oils or is mineral oil special in this respect?

Chuck

WEEEEEELLLL Chuck, I would say that because the heat helps break the oil down, that the heat would help break any oil down and therefore make the piece more receptive to the oil. HOWEVER, bear in mind that mineral oil will not break down and become rancid and sticky and gommy, like a lot of oils, or shortening. SO, if you are gonna just show it, there are other reasons to favor mineral oil rather than it keeps items from rusting. Of course you understand this is my opinion and certainly there are others on here who may have a different or varying opinion.

I totally support everyone's opinion as long as it is not in conflict with my own.  ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

Perry, it sounds like you oil your pan AFTER its hour in the oven.  What I was wondering is why an HOUR?   If you just heated the pan to about 425 for 10 minutes that would seem to do the same thing (heat the pan) and then oil it.  You'd be saving 50 minutes of energy with the same results.  You probably could even heat the pan to very warm so you can still hold it and get the oil to coat the same but the oil would not be burning on the pan like at 425.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

Perry, it sounds like you oil your pan AFTER its hour in the oven.  What I was wondering is why an HOUR?   If you just heated the pan to about 425 for 10 minutes that would seem to do the same thing (heat the pan) and then oil it.  You'd be saving 50 minutes of energy with the same results.  You probably could even heat the pan to very warm so you can still hold it and get the oil to coat the same but the oil would not be burning on the pan like at 425.

Steve

Oh yes Steve, AFTER is right. If you put it on BEFORE, and then stick it in the oven, you got a big bunch of smoke that will not be nice at all. I just do it for an hour because I know that works. If you heated the pan for 10 minutes at 425 I'd say that would work too. The only difference is you'd have a lot more smoke because it smokes just a tad at 325 and that seems to work just fine, so the hotter you got the item, the faster the oil is going to be consumed, and I also think that MAYBE, you'd be burning up oil as opposed to it being sucked into the item, in other words it'd be more prone to burn up instead of go into the item.

[Steve_Stephens]

I have never noticed that my iron sucks oil.  I don't even know if the tale about iron having pores is true or, if there ARE pores, that they are large enough to entrap oils.  Sure would like to know more about pores in iron but haven't been able to find out anything on the net.
Steve