Instructions: Kaylin is the owner of the site named (and linked) at the bottom of this message. A subscriber to her newsletter asked how to season cast iron pots. Her reply follows:
"Note from Kaylin: To season cast iron cookware, first remove the wax coating the manufacturer has placed on it to protect it, or for used cookware, remove the burned on grease and rust. Wax may be removed by scraping and then scrubbing with hot water & steel wool. To remove rust, use steel wool, or buff the pan with a fine wire wheel in an electric drill. Crusted rust can be dissolved by soaking the piece in a 50% solution of white vinegar and water for a few hours. Dont leave it more than overnight without checking it. This solution will eventually eat the iron!

Now you are ready to season the piece. Put the pan in the oven to warm it.

Remove it and apply shortening (such as Crisco brand). Some people prefer lard or bacon fat. Put it in the oven at 225 degrees for half an hour. Remove it and wipe it almost dry. You dont want any pooling of the shortening. Place it back in the oven for another half hour. The initial seasoning should be accomplished at this point. However, typical of cast iron cookware, the more you use it (and dont abuse), the better it will be. It is generally recommended that you cook fatty foods in the pan the first few times you use it, as this adds to the seasoning process. I have also seasoned my cookware using my outdoor barbecue grill on low heat for about an hour.

After cooking in the pan, DO NOT use a detergent to clean it - this will destroy
the seasoning and will soak into the porous metal, giving your food a nice soapy taste. Put hot water in the pan and bring it to a boil. CAUTION: Do not put cold water in a hot pan! Let the pan soak for several minutes, then wipe it out with a paper towel. If something sticks, scrape it with a spoon to dislodge it. Do not use a Brillo pad or steel wool to scour it! An abrasive pad cuts into the seasoned surface. Then, reheat the pan and apply a fine coating of shorting, oil, or non-stick cooking spray. Do not apply enough to run. Just enough to wet the surface with a fine layer.

[] Spike speaks: I have ruined three lovely Revere Ware non-stick fry pans and have not known how or why, since I have always been so careful with my non-stick pots and pans. The woman in the Revere Ware store told me that they are
guaranteed for five years and to bring them back if I have the receipts.

Well, of
course I dont. I did, this time, read every English word on the pan insert, and I
learned that even the plastic (orange and yellow) scouring pads damage the non-stick surface; dont put it into the dishwasher because the detergent is too
harsh for it; and do season it from time to time, with veggie oil. Just dont put it
into the oven. Get the pan warm under very hot water, apply about 1/2 tsp veggie oil, wipe with paper towel (not too seriously), and leave it. After using the pan, you can then probably (the insert says) get it clean enough by wiping
with a paper towel. If not, then use hot water and a cloth. Maybe my new fry pan will last longer than I will... []

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