How to Season a Carbon Steel Fry Pan
Mar 9th 2012
All carbon steel cookware must be seasoned in order for it to cook food correctly. Unseasoned or poorly seasoned carbon steel cookware can rust and cause food to discolor. If you follow the instructions below, your carbon steel cookware should give you great results for years!
1. Wash the fry pan in hot water with a small amount of liquid detergent and a scrubber (such as a stainless steel sponge or pad). The exterior of the cookware can be scrubbed with the scrubber and an abrasive cleanser. Do not use the abrasive cleanser on the inside of the cookware.
2. Rinse and dry the cookware thoroughly.
3. Place the cookware on a high heat.
4. Move the cookware, turning it and tilting it up to the rim and back, until the metal turns a bluish-yellow color.
5. Remove the fry pan from the stove element. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
6. Add a thin film of oil (about 1½ teaspoons) over the entire inside surface. There are several ways to do this. One is to use a paper towel to rub the oil over the surface. You may want to use tongs to hold the paper towels. Another way is to use a basting brush for barbecues or any other heat-proof brush to brush on the oil.
7. Heat the fry pan on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
8. Wipe off the oil with another paper towel. There will be black residue on the towel.
9. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until no black residue comes up on the paper (about 3 times). The fry pan is now ready to use