That's bs. The lard is in the pores of the cast iron. I don't wipe my cast iron with anything once seasoned. You are over thinking this. Just season with lard and use it. Every time you use it you coat it with fat from the cooked meat. What do you think that resembles? Wipe it dry and put it back, ready for use. I grew up cleaning and seasoning mom's cast iron cookware. Since the second grade, actually, and I ain't Jethro Bodine.

I don't wanna argue. Just a lifetime user trying to pay something forward.

The lard, bacon, or other animal fat used to SEASON the cast iron "can't" go rancid because it has converted (due to the heat) to a polymer that binds to the surface of the iron. What could go rancid is excess cooking fat left in the pan for long periods. If you clean the pan, then wipe lightly with fat the pan will be good. The seasoning itself will be perfectly fine even if too much fat is left in the pan.

Another seasoning tip I learned after grinding and polishing the surface of some Lodge cast iron is that burning a good quantity of spicy/hot onion in the pan will darken the shiny iron. Seems that the sulfur in the burnt onions reacts with the iron to darken it. Just keep cooking and burning the onions in fat (or oil) until there is nothing left but cinders. Do that a time or two until the fresh shiny surface is dark, then season normally. Someday I may get some sulfur powder and cook that in shiny cast iron to see how it works directly.

Let me mention that Lodge is probably the worst cast iron out there, most of mine are older or as old as I am. The new ones look like they stopped about halfway through in the manufacturing process.

I ride with Cast. Grew up doing same with Granma's and Mom's skillets.We have a bunch of cast iron in this kitchen.

We started the switch to CI this year. Had some issues with food sticking even after many seasoning cycles in the oven. Then I tried sanding and polishing a small skillet and it made a huge difference. No more sticking even with small amount of fat to cook.

We cook on a glass top stove and never any issues with scratching the stove top.

For really stuck on food that won't come off with hot water and a stiff brush, I use a razor and lightly scrape the surface of the CI and takes it all off. Then heat on stove top and apply shortening and it's good for next meal.

Cast is dead right. That's the way my family has used cast iron for generations. All my skillets have been handed down from family except my Dutch Oven, I bought it several years ago. I think the key, is using it often. Rarely more than a day goes by that we don't use it.

If we can't wash it right away, we sprinkle a good amount of salt on it to make cleaning easier after supper.

I wouldn't give you 2 plug nickels for a piece of non stick cookware.

Regardless of what is "right", there are some cast iron skillets in our older firehouses that have been used weekly probably for as many years as I am old. One even has a wide bronze filled crack in it where one of the guys who did welding part time repaired it probably 30 years ago. Those pans are scrubbed clean with soap and water, dried on the burner, lightly sprayed with pam, canola, or vegetable oil and wiped down with a paper towl. Every few years we will get a new guy who insists we are doing it wrong, but they always lose the battle to change how we do it. From years of constant use/cleaning cycles, those pans have a mirror smooth finish in them. If something gets burned in one and it gets scrubbed down past the patina it don't matter because of how often those pans are used.

Some of you guys that cook daily or weekly with your cast are seeing it one sided. It will not matter what your using...if any at all if your cooking daily or weekly. Some folks don't use their cast all the time. Some may go month to month or longer. If that's the case then using animal fat to coat your cast after using it is stupid. I've smelt the rancid fat in my grandmothers skillet I have now from using lard to coat it (not season it)

You season cast and then you take care of it after each use ( unless your using it frequently) And I would never put anything in my cast unless I could or would want to eat it. No soap! Soap not gonna kill you and you probauly cannot taste it due to the flavors of your cooking but just know its getting in the pours of your cast if your cleaning with it.....then releasing when you heat it back up.

X2

Rinse and scrub with brush or pad of some kind but no soap or any other other cleaner

Heat on stove top until all water is gone

Wipe down with oil

An angle grinder with a wire wheel brush will fix a sticky cast iron skillet. You can get it like a mirror.

I have cleaned up old rusty ones with wire wheel, works great. Mine generally get scrubbed with whatever abrasive is handy, heated a minute to dry out water and rubbed down with whatever cooking oil or spray is handy. Zero issues whatsoever. If I'm at the house usually a scotch brite pad or kitchen scrubber. At the lease (no running water) salt, or even better in the winter a couple handfuls of dried mesquite grass or weeds. Dad used to say grandma scrubbed hers with sand. Guess living through the dust bowl she just didn't like wasting a whole lot of water.

I have some old hand me down skillets, I have new skillets. Honestly can't tell the difference in taste from one to the next. Use them, clean them, oil them, repeat.

Yep - water, let it get boiling and use wooden spoon or scraper. I then take some oil or crisco or the like, give it a wipe and store in a paper bag. Way my great grandma did the skillet and I got it from her, she from her ma. This skillet is about 130 years old now and I still use it for a lot of my cooking.

That's what I'm talking about!!!

If you go thu 6 skillets a year you have no idea what you are doing

Clean with soap and water. Light oil coat anp put it in the oven at about 400 to dry and prevent rust.

^^^ Worse cast iron advice ever!

this exactly, only difference, as soon as I take the food out while the skillet is still hot, run some water in to degaze, then I use newspaper to wipe excess, there is jus a enough oil left to leave it perfet for next time.

Alot of different perspectives on this one - I also never use soap, just a scrub pad to remove surface crust while still warm, wipe dry and put back on warm stove for a few minutes. Then spray just a little avacado oil on it and wipe again. Once a year I "re-season" in the oven with a bit of lard - overkill probably though. Now that I think of it, I have a dutch oven I need to tend to!

Family has successfully used Crisco shortening for generations. Lard before that.

Cast iron is one of the top five lies in the USA

Splain yourself woocie.

Let me first say that my remark was made partially in jest. I should have put emojis all around it. However...

I would get banned for quoting a couple of famous lies, but I'm 71. Half the posts are about "my grandparents" or "my cast iron is 100 yrs old". Reason grand parents got rid of cast is 1. when they got enough money to buy stainless they tossed the cast iron or 2. they got a dishwasher and tossed the cast. 3. How many restaurants promote "we cook only with cast iron"? 4. How many professional cooks do you see using cast iron? 5. If cast iron was so fantastic the demand would have someone producing a quality skillet and they would be back ordered. The list could go on.

Now that is just my thoughts on cast iron and having said that I will admit I probably have over 50 pieces of cast iron. But many young families don't have time to clean immediately after cooking and some older folk don't feel like standing and cleaning. If it can't go into the dishwasher they don't use it. Sorry to be late in responding but I went to an auction where there was some cast for sale!!!

If your Griswold price has 'Erie' in the logo on the bottom, it was made between 1865 & 1909.

All my cast iron with very few exceptions is over 100 years old.