Should i oil my cast iron pan before storage?
So, for our wedding someone gave my wife and a cast iron lodge pan. Its a very nice pan and cooks well, but it's started to develop a rust spot after only a few months use. This is gross. I scrub the spot off before use, which is a pain, but Better than eating rust flakes with our hamburger helper. My inner mechanic is screaming "if its rusting, oil it!". Obviously I'd prefer a veggy based oil to my traditional motor oil, but is oiling a cast iron pan before storage sop?
Best Answer
As rumtsho has said oiling will help, but I think you have a more fundamental problem with is learning the care for your cast iron.
There are lots of resources on the web to learn how to prepare, and maintain your cast iron. Some of it works even though it's wrong, some of it is very good and some of it is scientific in nature. However here are the basics.
You want to scrub your pan down once. Oil it all over...every nook and cranny even in the handles .... with a very thin layer of oil. Then wipe this off with a clean towel and bake the sucker at 385 for an hour or more until it looks bone dry.
I recommend you do some good reading however and learn all the different ways to keep it in shape along with all the different fat and oil choices.
I use peanut oil, it has a high smoke point, which means the polymer you create will burn at a higher temperature than those oils with a lower smoke point, and peanut oil makes a hard seasoning.
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Quick Answer about "Should i oil my cast iron pan before storage?"
Make sure your pan is seasoned. If you have not already seasoned your cast iron cookware, do so prior to using and storing. You can season your pan in the oven or on the stove top. The process usually involves coating the pan with some kind of oil, like vegetable or canola oil.How do you prepare cast iron for storage?
Store your cast-iron pans in a dry place. Store your cookware in a dry place with little chance of getting wet. Keep pans away from the sink or the stove, where they can get splashed or coated with steam. Ensure the storage cabinet or shelves have proper ventilation, making moisture less likely to build up.Do you have to oil cast iron after every use?
\u2014 To get the best out of your cast iron skillet, it's recommended that you oil it after each use. However, depending on how frequently you use it, 2-3 times a year is sufficient. How can I tell when my skillet is seasoned properly? \u2014 A well-seasoned skillet will be noticeably dark with a shiny, semi-gloss finish.Should I oil a cast iron skillet before storing it?
Nothing protects cast iron from developing rust better than a thin layer of oil. A totally unseasoned skillet will rust almost immediately when it comes in contact with a little moisture in the air, but not when it's rubbed in oil.How do you store cast iron after use?
Stash in a dry cabinet: A typical kitchen cabinet is the optimal storage space for cast iron. But make sure it's dry! Excess moisture turns to rust in a hurry on highly reactive cast iron. Make drying your skillets thoroughly after rinsing them part of your cast-iron cleaning routine.5 Best Oils for Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets | Advice From a 50+Year Cook
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Answer 2
You can oil it or not, it is up to you. Oiling it will protect it from rust if there are faults in the seasoning, and will make a nicer seasoning because the very thin oil layer will contribute to the seasoning at preheating better than the cooking oil does during cooking. On the down side, it will go rancid during storage (you may or may not notice it, depending on how long it goes between usage and how sensitive you are to the tiny amount of rancid oil) and it will fatten the other pans it touches.
To also address your body, when your pan has visible rusted spots, you should strip and reseason. The oiling is done on intact seasoning.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.