Like many things in your kitchen, the products you use require upkeep. The same goes for cast iron. The care needed to maintain your cast iron for cooking excellence is required for the end product you put together.
There's a lot of misinformation about how to properly maintain your cast iron. It's important to know the truths from the myths. One of the most common myths about cast iron is the need to season it after each and every use. That's simply not true. That will actually cause more harm than good because you're going to cause your pan to become sticky and splotchy.
After you've used your cast iron, make sure you give your cast iron a good scrub. A little soap and water. Soap will NOT cause your seasoning to come off. Lye is no longer in soap products. In the past soap contained lye, and that would destroy your seasoning on your cast iron. Today, soap no longer contains that ingredient.
Once you've dried off your cast iron, apply a little oil. Rub your skillet entirely with oil, and run the oil off with a separate paper towel. This process will help reinforce, and maintain the current seasoning that is already placed on your cast iron.
Your cast ironware only needs to be seasoned when the product you are using in your pan sticks to the surface. For each pan, I do three layers of seasoning. This helps your pan to have a nice thick layer of protection for each and every use. One is simply not enough for full coverage on your cast iron.
