Cooking with cast iron is a major learning curve….one that nearly scared me away from the process altogether. Thankfully, I stuck it out, continued to practice, and learned from my mistakes. The main reason I almost gave up cooking in cast iron was because I couldn’t overcome the stickiness. Boy, am I glad I just stuck with it. Throughout my struggles, I learned 3 Reasons Food Sticks to Cast Iron. Let me share them with you!
Looking for more information on cast iron? Check these out: Dos and Don’t of Cleaning Cast Iron, Cast Iron Mistakes to Avoid, Seasoning Cast Iron, Tips for Baking in Cast Iron, and much more!
3 Reasons Food Sticks to Cast Iron
1. Adding Too Much Oil
Believe it or not, too much oil can be a bad thing when it comes to cast iron! Too much oil will build up and cause an oil slick on your pan, thus causing food to stick. Try to avoid adding more than a quarter size amount of oil.
2. Starting Off Cold
Unlike most other types of pans, cast iron should not be used cold. Placing food on a cold cast iron skillet allows zero time for the seasoning to activate. This will cause food to stick every time! Instead, heat the skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes before placing any food on it.
3. Never Re-seasoning
Problems will arise if you never replenish the original seasoning on cast iron. You may have seasoned it really well when you first got it, but that layer must be added to after every few uses.
So, once you’re done cooking your favorite meal, clean out your skillet well, using hot water. Next, make sure it’s dried off very well, with no water residue left behind. At this point, many folks think their skillet is ready to be seasoned. Not quite…It’s time to get it hot! Turn up the heat to about medium. Once the sides of your skillet are hot to the touch, you know the bottom of your skillet is hot enough to start the seasoning process. Place a quarter size amount of oil to the pan (I recommend coconut oil for seasoning) and spread around with an damp cloth until the pan is evenly coated.
Repeating this process after every few uses and I guarantee that you’ll notice a significant difference in your cooking!
More on Cast Iron
- Tips for Baking in Cast Iron
- Cast Iron Sourdough Brownie Recipe
- Properly Storing Cast Iron
- The Health Benefits of Cooking with Cast Iron
- Maintaining Cast Iron Seasoning
- How to Season Cast Iron
- The Dos & Don’ts of Cleaning Cast Iron
This is super helpful! Just recently I’ve been having trouble with my eggs sticking, and I think I just need to season my pan more often.