Can I season my cast iron with bacon grease?

Cast iron cookware retains heat well and cooks food evenly if cared for properly. 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.

Can you season cast iron with sausage grease?

Using Your Cast Iron Skillet

For the first couple of uses, cook something greasy like bacon or sausage. This will help heat cycle and re-coat the interior surface which will make the non-stick coating better.

How do you season a skillet with bacon?

Wash your cast iron cookware in hot water with soap and a stiff brush. Dry completely with paper towels then place in your oven for 20 minutes. Take out the cookware using heat-resistant gloves or a heating pad. Apply oil, bacon grease, or shortening with a paper towel to the cast iron to coat it entirely.

Can you season cast iron with pork fat?

That's all for “Can I season cast iron with lard?” The short answer is yes! Pay careful attention to the layer of seasoning as you cook with your cast iron pan. Lard has a low smoke point so the seasoning may burn off after just a few months.

Seasoning my cast iron Dutch Oven with Bacon Grease

Does bacon stick to cast iron?

The Secret to Crispy Bacon – Tips and Tricks

Start with cold skillet: No need to pre-heat the cast iron skillet. The skillet and bacon will heat up together. As the bacon slowly heats up, the fat begins to release, helping the bacon not stick to the skillet.

Can you season a pan with bacon fat?

Using a cloth or paper towel, coat the pan all over, including the bottom and handle, with about 1 Tbsp. fat. Vegetable shortening, lard, bacon grease, or neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point (such as canola, avocado, grapeseed, or safflower oil) all work, but note that some work better than others.

What is the best way to season a cast iron skillet?

Can I leave grease in a cast iron skillet?

It's not a good idea to leave cooking oil in your cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. The oil can go rancid if exposed to the elements for an extended period of time, and you will have to throw it away. When cooking oil becomes rancid, it reacts with the elements and bacteria in its environment.

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.

What can I do with bacon grease?

What temperature do I season my cast iron?

Put the oiled pan in a preheated 450°F oven, and leave it there for 30 minutes. It may get a little smoky, so keep your kitchen well ventilated. It's during this time that the oil will polymerize and form the first of several hard, plastic-like coatings you'll be laying down.

How many times should I 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.

Can you use Crisco to season 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.

Can you use peanut oil to season cast iron?

Peanut oil is excellent for seasoning cast iron; however, it comes with a warning. Anyone with nut allergies should not eat food prepared in a cast-iron skillet that has been seasoned with peanut oil. The smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit is not as healthy as others due to it being refined.

How can you tell if cast iron is seasoned?

A well-seasoned skillet will have a dark, semiglossy finish and won't be sticky or greasy to the touch. It won't have any rust or any dull or dry patches. An easy way to test a skillet's seasoning is to fry an egg (heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add egg).

Can I season 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.

Why does everything stick to my cast iron skillet?

Sticking. The Cause: Occasionally food may stick to your cast iron cookware. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as not using enough fat or oil when cooking, using cookware that isn't well seasoned, or when breaking in new cookware that hasn't built up additional layers of seasoning.

Can you ruin a cast iron pan?

Famously durable, these pans are often passed down through generations. With proper reseasoning care, years of frequent use can actually improve the pan's “seasoning”—its natural nonstick coating. But sadly, cast iron skillets can indeed break.

What do you do with the pan after cooking bacon?

Why did my cast iron skillet turn my food black?

First, the black specks you see coming off into your food are not harmful. They are most likely carbon deposits. This happens due to overheating of fats and oils. Using an oil with a low smoke point will carbonize at high temperatures and cause residue from the pores of your pan to rub off onto your food.

What is the difference between seasoned and unseasoned cast iron?

Seasoned cast iron is when your cast iron skillet has been layered with hardened oil to give it a protective layer that makes cooking and cleaning quite easy. Unseasoned cast iron, on the other hand, has a rough look and feel until it is seasoned properly.

Do you start bacon in a hot or cold pan?

Whenever you're cooking bacon you want to add the bacon to a cold pan and then turn the burner on to medium-low. This will allow the fat to slowly render — or melt out of the bacon — which will help the bacon to start to crisp up.