The logic of seasoning cast iron pan is heating up some oils at a very high temperature in it. The oils would transform into molecules absorbed on the surface of the cast iron pan. And these molecules form a protecting layer for the cast iron pan. The layer will keep cast iron pan from the corroding of the oxygen and moisture in the air and having rust.

However, you may have some questions about it. Like what kind of oil we can use for seasoning cast iron pan, what exactly the temperature should be, any difference between seasoning a new cast iron pan and doing on a rusty one, and what the detailed steps are.

No worries, I will answer all these questions for you in the following. And I am very sure they will work in you kitchen because I have tried them all on my own cast iron pan.

Now let’s dive right in.

How to Season Cast Iron Pan

In this part, I will mainly tell you how to season a new cast iron pan or one that you have been using but are not happy about the seasoning. If what you are looking for is about how to season a very old, not be in use for a very long period, seasoning flaking, or even rusty cast ironpan, you can first move to the next part.

Nowadays, most cast iron brands designed their products with pre-seasoning before selling them to customers. However, some people dislike the seasoning applied at the factory, but prefer to strip it down and apply the seasoning themselves. This is fine. By seasoning your new cast iron pan yourself, it can make your cast iron pan more protected and get the best results. And here are the how-to steps.

Step 1. Wash and Dry the Cast Iron Pan Thoroughly

Step 2. Rub the Cast Iron Pan All Over With Oil

Step 3. Bake the Cast Iron Pan in Oven or Somewhere Else

Step 4.  Repeat the Steps 2 and 3 for 4-6 Times

What If Seasoning Cast Iron Pan Fails

How to Season Rusty Cast Iron Pan

The difference between seasoning a rusty or seasoning-flaking cast iron pan and a new one is that we need to remove the rust and restore the cast iron pan first. After you finish removing the rust, you can just follow the steps shown in the last part. Anyways, here are the details about how to remove the rust.

Step 1. Remove the Old Seasoning

Step 2. Remove the Rust

Step 3. Re-season the Cast Iron Pan

What to Do Next?

After we finish the seasoning, it does not mean it will last forever. However, we can do some extra work to maintain the seasoning. Frequent usage is obviously the first one, especially if you season it with some animal oil. Besides, every time before you use it for cooking, you can preheat the cast iron pan. Another practice of mine is that we can occasionally cook with recipes to prolong the seasoning lifespan, like caramelized onions, roasted carrots with maple and coriander, cornbread, bacon, and skillet-roasted chicken with shallots and herbs.

BTW, these steps are also working for other cast iron cookwares.