Seasoning Cast Iron with an Onion for Outdoor Ovens and Camping

Need advice on seasoning cast iron pots effectively? Use an onion and see how to season cast iron pots with our simple instructions.

Weather you cook on an outdoor oven in the summer as I do sometimes or you love to camp, now is a good time to pull out all that cast iron and get it ready for the new year.

Many people season their cast iron pans with oil in the oven. I don't. When I was first married, years ago, my ex mother-in-law told me one and only one thing I could ever take with me in life - season my cast iron with an onion.

Yes... an older watery onion. Not rotten one, but one with a lot of juice. The kind of onions you have about December in winter storage.

Instructions for Seasoning Cast Iron

You may think this will make your pans taste like onion, surprisingly it doesn't. The first time you use it, it may a bit, however after that the pan is normal and if you like onion, its no big deal. Cut a juicy onion in half and rub it into dry cast iron. It's ok if it's even a bit rusty. The onion will take care of a limited amount of rust as well. Use elbow grease ( that means really push hard and rub the onion into the pan.)

When the onion dries, slice a thin layer off and keep going. It's time consuming and may take a few onions depending on how dry your cast iron is.

This method of seasoning cast iron will allow you to wash the cast iron in water and will keep it oiled for about a year with normal use. The more often you do it, the better your cast iron will stay.

I also wear what I call "Onion Goggles" as onions really affect me. The rest of the world calls these special full eye covering plastic things, safety glasses. Like I said it's time consuming, however in the long run lasts longer than oil and it allows you to wash the pan normally.


By Gypsy, our resident homestead blogger from One Sky Ranch Gypsy's Wanderings Homestead Blog

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