Hi reader,
A few years ago I attended a photography workshop, where I not only had the opportunity to learn from some of the best food photographers on the web, but to also meet fellow food bloggers face to face.
Included among the incredible talent in the room was a woman who worked for Lodge cast iron.
We sat at the same table during the workshop, and during one of our discussions, I shared with her my own method for seasoning cast iron.
She agreed that my method was solid, but she also offered a cast iron hack – a tip of sorts – for when your skillet just needs a re-boost of seasoning and you don't want to scrub it down raw.
Coat it with a healthy, heat-tolerant oil (coconut oil, lard and tallow all work well) and stick it in the oven on the top shelf → when you're already using the oven.
That last line is the kicker.
Included in the basic seasoning process is to put the cast iron skillet in the oven. But many people (myself included) think this means putting ONLY the cast iron skillet in the oven, and nothing else.
On the contrary, the Lodge rep said that she puts her cast iron skillet on the top shelf in the oven when she's making cookies, baking bread or pretty much any other time when she needs to season her skillet AND she's already using the oven.
The iron soaks up the fat while she bakes as she normally would.
Let me say that again, just in case: When you're baking something in the oven, you can put the cast iron in the oven AT THE SAME TIME.
No, it won't affect your cookies. Or your bread or your roasted vegetables or anything else you're making.
Truly, it was like a light bulb went off above my head. Why hadn't I thought about this before?!
Now I don't know about you, but my general goal for the summer is to not use the oven as much as possible past noon.
Our kitchen windows get sun all day, but it REALLY heats up in the afternoon. No need to make it any hotter!
I plan to do any needed baking early in the morning, and thanks to this tip, I'll be able to easily re-season my cast iron skillet without heating up the house!
Happy cooking with cast iron!
Tiffany
PS – I already own a 12" cast iron skillet and a smaller 8" cast iron skillet, but the Lodge rep highly recommended the loaf pan for my next cast iron addition. She said it helps with the second rise, creates a beautiful crust and helps the bread to cook more evenly through too!
Here's my blog post on seasoning your cast iron skillet the RIGHT way!
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