Finally stopped overseasoning my cast iron after 3 years

I kept putting way too much oil on my skillet after cleaning and it always came out sticky. Last week I used a paper towel with just a tiny smear of crisco and wiped it like I was trying to remove it. Anyone else deal with that sticky layer before figuring out less is more?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona5028d ago

Wait, dont you want that sticky layer to build up over time? Thats what makes a real seasoning, right? Seems like youre just wiping all the good stuff off before it can polymerize.

the_ryan7d agoMost Upvoted

yeah I used to think that too until I messed up a couple pans. what I found is that sticky layer isn't really seasoning, its just excess oil that never fully bonded to the metal. happens especially if you put too much oil on. I started wiping it down way more aggressively after each cook, like it looks almost dry, and my seasoning got way more even and hard. the stuff that actually polymerizes is thin and almost invisible at first. you dont want that gummy buildup, it just flakes off later and leaves bare spots.