Olivia's Grammy

I have lots of iron skillets of all sizes. I don't cuddle them either. They were alreadys seasoned when I got them bc they were old. I was them with hot sudsy water, scrape them when something is stuck and I've never reseasoned them. If I think about I stick it in the cold oven to dry or leave it in the sink. I've never had a problem. I use the same cornbread pan for months then change to another one. I have three different ones. All my cast iron is Griswold or Wagners. Wagners is older than Griswold. I cook my peas in the biggest one, like a dutch oven. The peas leave a ring around the pan and I use a scratchy to clean it. No problem, but all I cook in that pan is peas.

smagruder

Brand new. wash, dry, wipe with bacon grease... place in oven at about 350 for a couple of hours. When you use it....never use soap to clean it. water and then wipe a little veggie oil on it to keep it seasoned. Good luck Craftybear... there is nothing better than something cooked in a cast iron skillet.

Kimkankwilt

Pam. Spray some on, wipe it out, good to go..

BellaBoo

The way my grandmother did. Coat it with Crisco or any all vegetable solid shortening. Lard will smell funny. Turn it upside down on the oven rack and heat it to 350º for 4 or more hours. Let it cool in the oven. The excess shortening will drip off the skillet and not get sticky build up. Then she scoured the pan with hot water, no soap at all, then repeated the process. Her cast iron skillets were smooth as glass and nothing stuck to them. Not even an egg with no oil at all. She taught me to coat the spatula with oil before using so the food wouldn't stick to it.

aronel

I season mine by coating them with bacon fat, put them in a very hot oven and leave them for an hour. Do this when the weather is nice and you can open your windows. Or you can send them camping with someone - coat them with grease and throw them in the campfire. I also have coated them and put them on top of the stove. Any of these methods will work. Never wash with soap!

Barbshobbies

We got a set of cast iron pans after the Dr. told me I would always need iron in my diet. Bought the 1st. one, med, size. Couple years later, picked one up at a rummage sale. Then bought one that was small, to fry eggs in, and finally the family got bigger and I got a real big one. None of the family ever need iron in our blood again. 50 years later we still use only cast iron, they will never wear out. I read all the hints here on the board, and think I used every one of them, depending on how busy I was at the time.

winter012

I have my Mom's & Grandma's cast iron skillets. I use them occasionally anymore as I get older & they seem to get heavier!!!! LOL I always washed mine in hot water with a scrub brush, put it into the oven to dry, then wiped it with oil or shortening, & put it back in the oven at 325 deg. for an hour or more, upside down. When done, wipe out with a paper towel, & store in cold oven. This has worked for years & years & years....

wanda lou

crisco amd a hot oven, never wash... just wipe them out with a paper towel.

cheri stonespinner

I pretty much use mine every day but I only cook with olive oil. If I use anything else for oil they start to rust. I wash them in soapy water with the rest of my dishes and only have a little problem if I was cooking hamberger and didnt put olive oil in first.

kathidahl

Same here and going on 50 years...