Coming home with your new Dutch oven or other piece of cast iron is always exciting and if you're like most folks, you want to start using it right away. However, if you haven't purchased a "pre-seasoned" piece, you will have to spend some time and go through a few steps to "season" your new piece prior to using it.
When you purchase a new piece of cast iron that is not "pre-seasoned," it will be covered in a wax coating. This coating protects the cast iron from rusting during shipping. The first thing you have to do is remove that wax coating.
Removing the wax coating is a simple matter of placing the piece in your grill or oven and literally melting it off. If doing this in your oven be sure to have a foil-lined tray below the cast iron piece to catch the melted wax. Set your oven to about 300 degrees, or place over medium heat in your grill until all the wax has melted off. It won't take long, so be sure to keep an eye on your cast iron and the oven! Carefully remove your cast iron from the oven and allow it enough time to cool so that you can handle it.
Once you have the wax removed and your cast iron is cool enough to handle you can start to season it. Don't be alarmed as seasoning is actually quite easy. When initially seasoning an oven, I prefer to use a high quality olive oil as it not only penetrates better, but also doesn't smoke as much, so your house won't fill with smoke. Trust me on this, as I've seasoned with shortening in the past and I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call the fire department!
Saturate a clean lint-free cloth with the olive oil and coat all the surfaces of your cast iron piece. Place your cast iron in the oven at 425 degrees and set your time for an hour. Be sure to place a foil-lined tray on the rack below your cast iron so that any oils that drips will be caught on the tray. Some smoking may occur, and you may even notice some odor, but if you use a good olive oil, it won't be much and you won't have to worry about the neighbors calling the fire department!
Once your oven timer goes off, turn off the oven, but leave your piece in there to continue the seasoning process as the oven cools.
Of course, at this point, you can start to cook with your newly seasoned cast iron, but it really won't be as non-stick as you'd like. Seasoning takes time. I usually season my new pieces at least two or three times prior to using them to cook.
To maintain the seasoning, I prefer to use a Cast Iron Conditioner to keep it properly seasoned. After each use, apply a small amount of Cast Iron Conditioner and thinly coat all surfaces of the cast iron. The more you use and season your cast iron, the more non-stick it will become.
When using newly seasoned cast iron, it's best to avoid cooking acidic foods like tomatoes. While probably not good for YOUR health, for the health of your cast iron, you're better off starting with greasier foods, which will enhance the initial seasoning.
Following these simple steps will help to give you that treasured cast iron piece you always wanted!
Julie Miklaszewicz is an avid RVer, having visited 48 states by the time she was 16 years old. She has yet to fly anywhere and prefers traveling with her truck and fifth wheel with her husband and three children, enjoying the beauty of the U.S.A. from the ground. While camping and at home, she prefers to cook in her cast iron Dutch ovens and numerous other cast iron cookware. She and her husband, Greg, are the owners of the RVing Outpost, located in Abbotsford, WI.
NOTE: All products referred to in this article can be found on-line at the RVing Outpost.
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