Posted by Alice McCall on 14th Sep 2022
How to Season Cast Iron
If you read our previous blog post, you will have read about the benefits of seasoning your cast iron. While this is a process that particularly benefits cast iron cookware, seasoning your cast iron PickandFixKitchens products also comes with some pros.
For example, if you intend to use your cast iron shelving brackets outside, they will rust overtime. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the rust can make the bracket appear unqiuely aged and authentic. Others may prefer to keep their cast iron pieces looking brand new, however. This is where seasoning the cast iron can be really beneficial. Go to our previous blog post, which is titled 'Is Walnut Oil Good for Cast Iron Knobs?' to find out which oils would be best for seasoning. Then, read on, as I will be discussing the process of seasoning.
As mentioned in our last blog post, cast iron seasoning is the process of baking oil onto cast iron through a process called polymerisation, which gives the cast iron a beautiful black finish. An example of this can be seen in the picture above.
Cast iron seasoning might sound like an intimidating process, but it is actually surprisingly easy, as you will see if you read on.
1. The first thing you need to do is give your cast iron pieces a wash in some warm, soapy water. It is essential that after this, you dry the pieces thoroughly.
2. Once the cast iron is clean and dry, you need to rub it all over with your chosen oil - don't forget to check out our previous blog post for a list of recommended oils.
3. Once the cast iron piece is completely covered in oil, you will need to buff it until it no longer looks greasy. This will ensure that the cast iron will not turn sticky after a couple of days, and also that no drops of oil will harden into lumps in the oven.
4. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees celcius, and then leave your cast iron selving bracket, knob or coat hook in there for thirty minutes. Keep your kitchen well-ventilated, as this process can get a bit smoky.
5. Repeat this process three to four times, to get a beautiful, glossy black coating.
And there we have it! The process of seasoning your cast iron knobs, handles, shelving brackets and coat hooks is incredibly simple. It might take a bit of time, but here at PickandFixKitchens, we believe that the extra time is worth it for stunningly glossy ironmongery.
Have you ever seasoned cast iron before? Let us know in the comments over at our Instagram or FacebookFacebook pages, and thank you for reading this blog post!