Cast Iron Skillet and Bacon

[TheWorstChef]

So I purchased a Farberware Cast Iron Skillet and attempted to make bacon today. The skillet said it was preseasoned so I did not bother seasoning it. I simply placed a couple slice of bacon into the cold pan, put it on the gas stove on about medium heat, and tried to fry it. Unfortunately after a few minutes, the bacon started to stick to the surface so in an unexperienced panic I started using my flipper to try and scrape it loose and flip it over. Needless to say, the bacon didnt come out looking very nice but it was edible.

A few parts of the bacon stuck to the skillet so I washed it with warm water and a little soap and probably applied more pressure than I was supposed to so now my skillet is slightly discolored (certain parts of the pan surface are a little lighter than others). My question is this...

Can I just continue to cook bacon in it over the next few days hoping this will help season it further and provide more of a seasoned/nonstick surface? Or have I already done enough damage and need to season it before I try cooking in it again? Some parts of the skillet are just slightly discolored and I can't tell if I scrubbed away all the seasoning or not. Or perhaps nothing is wrong and I just didn't cook it correctly. Was I supposed to preheat the pan first before putting the bacon in to help prevent it from sticking? Your help will be highly appreciated because I am...



THE WORST CHEF.

Thanks.

[TheWorstChef]

So I purchased a Farberware Cast Iron Skillet and attempted to make bacon today. The skillet said it was preseasoned so I did not bother seasoning it. I simply placed a couple slice of bacon into the cold pan, put it on the gas stove on about medium heat, and tried to fry it. Unfortunately after a few minutes, the bacon started to stick to the surface so in an unexperienced panic I started using my flipper to try and scrape it loose and flip it over. Needless to say, the bacon didnt come out looking very nice but it was edible.

A few parts of the bacon stuck to the skillet so I washed it with warm water and a little soap and probably applied more pressure than I was supposed to so now my skillet is slightly discolored (certain parts of the pan surface are a little lighter than others). My question is this...

Can I just continue to cook bacon in it over the next few days hoping this will help season it further and provide more of a seasoned/nonstick surface? Or have I already done enough damage and need to season it before I try cooking in it again? Some parts of the skillet are just slightly discolored and I can't tell if I scrubbed away all the seasoning or not. Or perhaps nothing is wrong and I just didn't cook it correctly. Was I supposed to preheat the pan first before putting the bacon in to help prevent it from sticking? Your help will be highly appreciated because I am...



THE WORST CHEF.

Thanks.

[Ishbel]

Using a cold pan? That's probably half the problem... And I'd still use a little oil to fry things for the first few times of use.

[phatch]

You probably scrubbed off a bit of the seasoning. Most cast iron afficianados would have given the pan another round of seasoning even with a preseasoned pan.

Whether you should reseason it is up to you. If it's small, spots, fingernail sized or so, I'd leave it be, or maybe run a cycle or two of high heat seasoning described below. If it's bigger, i'd reseason it completely. By completely, I mean strip off the seasoning and start over.

Bacon will stick now and then because of the sugar in it, especially early on. The best cleaning method for those sticky bits is some water in the pan and bring it to a boil. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and it will clean up easily.

If you want to strip the pan and start over, put the pan through a self cleaning cycle of your oven. Or in a hot fire or outdoors grill. You can burn the seasoning off.It will turn gray instead of black. As soon as you take it off the heat, apply oil as it will rust quickly.

To season cast iron, I'm a fan of high heat methods. Coat the pan in oil or fat of your choice. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Put in the pan upside down. This keeps the fat from pooling in the pan and making a sticky plasticized mess. Heat it for one hour and turn off the oven. Let it cool. Repeat at least once more and preferably 2 or 3 times to get a good thick & hard patina of carbon.

Phil

[KYHeirloomer]

There were two problems, both of which are easily solved.

1. Cast iron should be preheated, just like stainless, for best results overall. With things like bacon it is critical.

2. Preseasoned cast iron arrives at the stage it would be after one attempt at seasoning following the manufacturer's instructions. It is nowhere near cured properly. The first few times you should only fry in it, to help build the cure.

Those spots are not a real problem. Follow Phil's advice to really get a cure going. Even better: Do it over an open fire, so the grease and soot work together to quickly fill the poors and create that black finish you want.

Either way, once properly cured, soap should never again touch that piece.

Remember, the seasoning is made of grease. And soap's job is to dissolve grease. So if you wash it with soap (or, God forbid, put it in the dishwasher) all you'll be doing is stripping away the cure you worked so hard to obtain.

[Joyfull]

I always preheat my skillet.. Much better results that way..
If your food is sticking, it may be because of the cold pan, but I suspect your new skillet needs more seasoning even though it says it comes preseasoned.

Also, your skillet may have had a protective coating on it.. If so, that needed to be removed before using.. That could be why you are having discoloration..

Check out this cast iron care link.. Its got some good info..

Learn about Cast-Iron Pans, Cast Iron Skillets, Cast Iron Griddles and Cookware

[castironchef]

Yeah. What they said.

Pre-seasoning is ONLY a head start. True seasoning takes time and care. But it's SO worth it.

[shel]

Originally Posted by castironchef

Pre-seasoning is ONLY a head start. True seasoning takes time and care. But it's SO worth it.

Years ago I bought a couple of cast iron skillets, and, being young and foolish, almost ruined them because i didn't know how to properly care for them. I was able to rescue one, and now that I know better, can honestly say that for some cooking tasks there's nothing better.

Has anyone used the new pro-logic skillets from Lodge? Comments?

TWC, is there any particular reason you chose to get a farberware skillet? Do you know if a lid is available for them? Couldn't find anything about them at the Farberware site.

Shel

[phatch]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Remember, the seasoning is made of grease. And soap's job is to dissolve grease. So if you wash it with soap (or, God forbid, put it in the dishwasher) all you'll be doing is stripping away the cure you worked so hard to obtain.

I've wondered about that. I don't think the patina is grease anymore.

I emailed Camp Chef once about it and their response was that the patina was carbon. I can see that. Grease, oil and fat are hydrocarbons. C(arbon) H(ydrogen) and O(xygen). You're breaking the bonds and rearranging them when you season a cast iron pan. That's why you can get the brown stickies with a poor seasoning job as you only partially converted the grease and it more resembles a phase of plastic than the carbon patina you're working for.

I've used soaps/detergents in my cast iron on occasion without detriment. The Cast Iron crowd is firmly divided about this. What I've read most often about soap is to avoid the use of scented soaps. Cast iron is porous and those darn scents can linger in a pan for a few cookings if you use a scented detergent.

The patina is certainly soluble though and that's something soap speeds up. Leaving water in cast iron overnight for something very sticky (a burned cobbler while camping in my case) can take the seasoning off.

Phil

[Kelleybean]

I prefer cast iron pans over anything else. True, it does take some getting used to but it provides a more even cooking surface and it makes everything just taste better. One thing that I find to be necessary is to spray your pan with cooking spay after it has been heated. To clean the pan I always put warm water in the pan and boil it for a few minutes. After empting the water out I scrub the pan with a mild scrubbing pad and then put it back over low hear to dry for about 10 minutes. It’s probably a little more labor then some people are willing to put forth but I think it is well worth it. NEVER use soap!

[Mannlicher]

first lesson: there is no such thing as a 'pre seasoned cast iron skillet'

second lesson: Farberware makes cheap, poor quality cookware.

[shroomgirl]

One of the best things about my catering kitchen (100 year old building, kitchen was renivated in 1949) is the 10 cast iron pans that came with it.

I talked my way into a tour of an old blacksmith in rural Illinois and he had a 20" cast iron Wagner that is daughters don't want anything to do with......they like non-stick pans. He was 90 years old......need to stop back by and see if he's willing to sell yet.

[Jock]

Originally Posted by Mannlicher

first lesson: there is no such thing as a 'pre seasoned cast iron skillet'

second lesson: Farberware makes cheap, poor quality cookware.

I would tend to agree with that. Especially the bit about a preseasoned pan. The preseasoning is just to get you started; you need to treat your pan well to maintain and improve the seasoning process.

Third lesson: Do not use soap to clean the pan. You are washing off the seasoning. That's not a disaster, it just means you have to start again.

Do a search on this site for seasoning/cleaning cast iron. There has been a lot written about it. I would also recommend looking at a Lodge cast iron skillet (preseasoned or otherwise) for a superior product and good care instructions. I haven't priced them recently but I'm sure you can still get a 10" pan for under $20.

Jock

[Jock]

This is another of those annoying situations where there is a duplicate post. I responded to the other one and basically repeating what everyone is saying here.

Jock

[TheWorstChef]

Thanks for the advice guys..one question: How can you tell if you've lost some of the seasoning? The surface of the skillet has some swirls in it but it's generally still the same dark color throughout. Also, say I want to season it...can I just take the fat I get from cooking bacon in the skillet, and just rub it all over the pan, put it in the oven, etc.?