Last Updated on June 29, 2022 by Ellen Christian
Seasoning cast iron Dutch oven pots and pans is important to keep them in good condition. Learn how to cure cast iron pots the correct way.
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Seasoning Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pots
I love cooking with cast iron but you cannot wash them the same way you would another pot or pan in your kitchen. You can purchase newer cast iron pans that have already been seasoned.
After using them over and over, you may notice that food is starting to stick to them. That’s the point that you need to season your pan again.
Or, if you are like me, you may find a really cool, old cast iron pan at a thrift store or tag sale. These older cast iron pots and pans are often rusted and not in great shape.
Before you can use them, you need to season them.
What is seasoning cast iron?
Technically, seasoning is the process that adheres the oil to the surface of your cast iron pot or pan to create a non-stick coating. Food will not stick to a properly seasoned cast iron pot or pan when you cook with it.
Following this process when seasoning cast iron pots will make them last for years.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Scrub the pan to remove any rust or cooked on food. If you have a badly soiled pan, you may need to use a stiff brush to remove the rust from the pan.
- Dry the pan completely.
- Apply a thin coat of vegetable oil all over the pan. Make sure you get the entire pan including the inside, outside, and handle.
- Place the pan on a cookie sheet upside down in the oven. It should be on the top rack of your oven. If you do not have a cookie sheet large enough, you can spread tin foil on the rack and place the pan on there.
- Leave the pan in a 350F oven for one hour.
- Turn off the oven and leave the pan inside until it is completely cool to the touch.
![Cooking the Dutch Oven Way [25 Recipes to Cook Today]](https://confessionsofanover-workedmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cooking-the-dutch-oven-way.jpg)
Dutch oven seasoning tips
Seasoning cast iron pots is the first step. To clean your pan in the future, just rinse it with hot water and use a brush to remove any food.
Do NOT use dish soap as that will remove the seasoning from it. After you have scrubbed it clean in hot water, just wipe it dry with a towel and reapply a very light coat of oil while the pan is still warm.
Cast iron pans are very versatile. I use ours on our gas stove and in our oven. I also use them on the wood stove in the winter and on our campfire in the summer. They are a great all-purpose pan to have on hand.
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
Received a cast iron skillet for Mother’s Day and hadn’t had a chance to season it yet. Glad I found your post on how to do it! I need to start putting it to use 🙂
Glad to help. I love my cast iron.
I just realized today I need o season mine!! Thank you!!!
I miss my cast iron pans! We have a glass top stove & the manufacturer does not recommend them. I had a skillet and a griddle pan – maybe this summer we’ll use them on the grill?!
We love our cast iron skillets! I have a griddle, too! We use it all the time. Thanks for the seasoning tips!
I have been wanting to get cast iron – thank you for all the information on how to season it!
I need to clean and season my cast iron. I haven’t touched it in a while and it’s been so neglected.
This is a really helpful post! I think this is one thing everyone should know, but a lot of people don’t know how to do it properly. I’ve heard that you can use soap if you have a lot of gunk in your pan, you just have to re-season it immediately afterwards.
I’ve added this to my StumbleUpon. 🙂
You definitely do need to re-season it if you use soap. Thankfully it doesn’t happen that often 🙂
I’ve only seasoned 1 cast iron pan and this is very similar to the method I used. I love cooking with them – they make everything awesome haha.
If you treat them right, you really don’t have to do it that often at all.
I love cast iron as well. With a little bit of work on the front end, they are easy (and painless) to clean, even more so than “non-stick.” Not to mention food just seems to taste better out of cast iron!
I agree! I love how my food comes out when I use cast iron.
I absolutely love cooking on cast iron! I use my cast iron wok everyday, and my dutch oven is also heavily used. I need a pan, so might get a cast iron one. Thanks for the seasoning tips!
Glad to share. I’d love to get a larger dutch oven. It’s on my list for this year.
Yup, never, ever, ever use soap! Just hot water and a stiff brush works fine! I love my cast iron!
It’s definitely my first choice for  most cooking!
This is so useful. Thanks Ellen !
Glad to share!