TIL I was supposed to season my cast iron pan after every use, not just once a month

I kept wondering why my eggs were sticking so bad lately, even though I thought I was taking good care of my skillet. Then last weekend my grandma came over and saw me scrubbing it with soap and she just shook her head. She told me I should be wiping a thin layer of oil on it after I dry it, every single time. Now I do that and it's like a whole new pan. Anyone else grow up thinking you only season cast iron every now and then?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanward1mo ago

Wait wait wait, you were scrubbing it with soap? Like actual dish soap? My jaw literally dropped when I read that part. Everyone in my family would probably faint if they saw someone do that to a cast iron. I mean I get where you're coming from about the seasoning schedule though, I used to think a monthly oil bake was plenty too. The thing is once you get in the habit of that post-cook wipe down it becomes second nature and you'll never go back. Your grandma knew what she was talking about for sure.

wren_rodriguez1mo ago

Nah I was totally with you before, I thought soap was basically a death sentence for cast iron. My whole life I'd been doing the salt scrub thing or just wiping it out and hoping for the best. But then I tried it on an old pan that was way past saving anyway and honestly... it was fine. Like the seasoning didn't even flinch. Now I'm thinking I might have been overcomplicating it for years for no reason. Your grandma probably knew that modern dish soap isn't the same as the old lye stuff and just let people think what they wanted.