Do You Season Cast Iron Every Time You Use It?

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Cast iron possesses a unique and special attribute: the ability to store and harness flavors from the dishes being cooked upon it. This requires an initial seasoning of the cookware and the occasional touch-up seasoning a few times a year.

The goal is to get a solid base layer of seasoning, which only improves and strengthens flavors over time and with usage. Therefore, it is recommended that a person avoid using soap and water or soaking any cast iron cookware to avoid contaminating the seasoning.

Should You Season Your Cast Iron Multiple Times?

There will be a gradual process in which to flavor and season a set of cast iron cookware properly. The initial year of cooking might have an extra seasoning session or more than the years that follow.

The second year of use will then see about one or two situations where the cookware is intentionally seasoned again and not just cooked in.

The traditional way of usage will be to only use a certain piece of cast iron cookware when preparing particularly seasoned and flavored foods. This way, you can improve the flavors within the cast iron cookware and the quality of future dishes.

 

How Do You Know If Your Cast Iron Needs to be seasoned?

When properly seasoned, the cast iron will have an almost glossy smooth surface, not quite greasy looking, closer to a well-oiled appearance.

This is because the heating of the oils, or lipids, will absorb into the uneven areas of the metal, and after heating the cast iron long enough, it will cause the oil molecules to bond with the iron and form a slick coating.

The ultimate goal is to get a coating of seasoning built up over time to take on a shiny black appearance, which is a layer packed with flavor.

 

Is it Possible to Ruin a Cast Iron with Too Much Seasoning?

There is no possible way to ‘overseason’ a cast iron cookware piece, and there are, however, certain mistakes that can be made that will damage the kitchenware. Is not seasoned enough, cast iron pieces will flake and get into the foods being cooked.

The idea behind cast iron cookware is to last a lifetime, which is possible with the right oiling and seasoning techniques. Easy as adding a layer of liquid lipids or oils, then baking it into the surface of the cast iron cookware after each use.

 

Do You Wash Cast Iron After Every Use?

There are going to be certain techniques to wash cast iron cookware without damaging the surface or the seasoning layers. The simple answer is yes, and a person should wash their dishes after every use, just simple hygiene practices.

Otherwise, the only other thing that needs to be done after each user would be to oil the surface and season the pan every so often.

Oiling the cast iron after every use, as mentioned before, will ensure the lifetime durability of the cookware and provide some tasty meals along the way. Simple rinsing and light soap do not soak.

 

Can You Put Butter in a Cast Iron Skillet?

Butter is a wonderful addition to most dishes, adding flavor, amongst other helpful cooking properties. The key thing for cooking with butter on a cast iron is not to burn the butter, which can be extremely difficult for some on this type of cookware.

The best policy might be to add the butter after the other ingredients have been added to the cast iron cookery. This way, the butter melts into the rest of the ingredients instead of risking burning and damaging the cast iron cookware, yet utilizing the flavor of the butter also.

 

Final Thoughts on Do you Season Cast iron Every time you use it 

There are going to be many different dishes that are going to be perfect for cooking in a cast iron set of cookware.

The key is to maintain a certain level of seasonings that will complement one dish after the other, such as salty fish dishes with other seafood or red meats, only cast-iron sets.

It is actually quite enjoyable to have a variety of cast irons that complement the foods you love, just be sure to remember which one is which and to conduct a proper seasoning of the cookware at least once or twice in a year span.