The process of seasoning cast iron cookware consists of coating it with oil, heating it in the oven, letting it cool, and repeating. … Seasoning a pan with too much oil will cause it to be sticky, and then you'll just have to start over.Feb 7, 2014
In my experience, it's reasonable to reseason a cast iron skillet once to 2-3 times per year. If you cook fattier foods in your skillet and avoid cleaning it with soapy water, the seasoning could last for years.
All in all, you'll want to do this oiling-and-heating process three to four times, to set down a good initial layer of your own seasoning. Once you're done, just let the pan cool down.
Using too much oil, anything more than about the size of a quarter will just build up and cause an oil slick on your pan. When it's time to season your cast iron skillet, you simply can't do this with a cold skillet. This will cause build up of that oil residue, and cause stickiness.
Place the cookware in the oven upside down. Place a large baking sheet or aluminum foil on the bottom rack. Bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour. Allow to cool.
To maintain a smooth non-stick surface on your skillet, routinely re-season it two to three times a year. Using your cast-iron skillet often and correctly avoids the need to season it often. A cast-iron skillet may need re-seasoning more frequently if damaged by chemicals or abrasion.
All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.
You may have asked yourself the question, why is my cast iron sticky after seasoning? If you're regularly seasoning cast iron, then it should not be sticky when you're cooking. Cast iron seasoning will produce a durable coating that stops food from burning into a sticky residue when you're cooking.
The black residue on a cast iron skillet isn't harmful; it's just a part of cooking with a cast iron pan. A black seasoned coating shouldn't rub off easily or affect the food, as it should form a useful non-stick surface for cooking.