Can bacon grease be used to season cast iron?

Part of caring for your cast iron skillet is seasoning it to keep the surface smooth and to give it a non-stick sheen. Although you can use oil or shortening to season your cast iron skillet, bacon grease works just as well.

What is the best grease to season cast iron?

The best oil for seasoning cast iron is grapeseed oil because of its high smoke point and versatility. Similar options include peanut oil and vegetable oil. The oil you choose also depends on the heat you intend on using as well as which flavors you prefer.

What oil can I season my cast iron with?

All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.

Can you season a Dutch oven with bacon grease?

It sure adds good flavor but if you're using lard or bacon grease make sure you clean your cast well after every use and you're using your cast at least once a day, otherwise that lard can become rancid quickly. I don't recommend seasoning Dutch ovens with lard or bacon grease.

Can you season cast iron with animal fat?

Yes, you can season your cast iron with lard. Lard has a smoke point of approximately 375º which is low compared to most cooking oils. When cooking with high heat, the seasoning may wear down after a few months.

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

Can you use PAM to season cast iron?

Do not try to use nonstick sprays like Pam to season your cast iron skillet, as they contain other ingredients that aren't good for your pan.

Is Crisco good for seasoning cast iron?

Any cooking fat will work, but some make more sense than others. For example, there's absolutely no reason to waste extra-virgin olive oil or other expensive oils for your cast-iron seasoning. We use Crisco shortening because it's inexpensive and easy to apply.

What can I do with bacon grease?

How many times do you season a cast iron skillet?

Remember there's no need to use your best premium brand for seasoning! How often should I season my skillet? — To get the best out of your cast iron skillet, it's recommended that you oil it after each use. However, depending on how frequently you use it, 2-3 times a year is sufficient.

What temperature do I season my cast iron?

Place the cookware in the oven upside down. Place a large baking sheet or aluminum foil on the bottom rack. Bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour.

Can I season my cast iron with olive oil?

Do not use olive oil or butter to season your cast-iron pan — they're great to cook with, just not for initial seasoning. Place the pan upside down on the top rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leaving the pan in the oven to cool completely as the oven cools down.

What is the best way to season cast iron?

Why are you not supposed to wash a cast iron skillet?

"You can't clean cast-iron the same way you clean stainless steel," kitchen expert and author of "Kitchen Matters," Pamela Salzman says. "It's very porous," Rach adds. "That flavor will stay in there and literally bake into the pan."

Can you season cast iron with butter?

That collective wisdom says that it's quite alright to cook with butter after a pan is well-seasoned, but one should not season a pan with butter. Yet a maker of cast iron pans provides a recipe (for cornbread) that does exactly that: they say that this is a good way to season a cast iron pan.

Is it OK to reuse bacon grease?

Last but not least, once you've used the stored bacon grease for cooking, don't try to save it and reuse it. It will take some of the flavors of what you are cooking and lose some of its own. Plus there will be some microbes that might cause the fat to go rancid. Just discard it after use.

Is bacon grease worse than butter?

Nutritionally speaking, bacon fat is actually lower in saturated fat and higher in the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than butter. According to the USDA, a tablespoon of unsalted butter has 102 calories, 12 grams of fat and 2 miligrams of sodium; salted butter has 90 miligrams of sodium.

What was bacon grease used for in ww2?

It helped make explosives during WWII.

During WWII, the U.S. government urged citizens to donate their excess bacon fat to the army. A whole committee was even created for it: The American Fat Salvage Committee. The fat was used to make glycerin which in turn was used to make bombs.

What is the smoke point for bacon grease?

Smoke point: About 325°F. Bacon fat. Bacon fat is the fat rendered when cooking bacon.

Do you have to season cast iron after every use?

Every time you use your cast-iron skillet, you're wearing some of the seasoning down, and eventually it won't function as well. So season it again whenever you see dull spots. Or do what I do: season it whenever it's out and your oven is on.

Why do you season cast iron upside down?

Place the cookware upside down in the oven. You place the pan upside down so that any excess shortening drips off instead of pooling inside the pan. Bake for one hour. While the cast iron cooks, you may notice a slight smell and perhaps some smoke.

Why is my cast iron sticky after seasoning?

If the seasoning in your pan is sticky, this is a sign of excess oil built up on the cookware. The Fix: To remedy stickiness, place the cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven and bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour. Allow to cool and repeat if necessary.

Can I use coconut oil to season my cast iron?

But can you use coconut oil to season cast iron? Yes! It's important to warm your pan before adding the coconut oil; 350 F ideally. If you're careful to make sure that your pan is seasoned well, this oil is also perfect for daily cast iron cooking.

How do you Reseason a cast iron skillet?