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Question: How do I season a Dutch Oven?
Answer: Below is the procedure I use. You can also season one outdoors over charcoal. See Duane and Sandy's outdoor cooking booklet for instructions.
Seasoning a Dutch Oven
1. Wash with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. Rinse and dry completely. Dutch ovens are shipped with a coating of food grade wax.
2. Place in hot oven for a few minutes to completely dry and drive all water out of the pores of the iron.
3. Carefully remove pot from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Oil the cookware (inside and out) with MELTED solid vegetable shortening. I use a paper towel to spread Crisco all over the pot and the lid.
5. Turn upside down on the top rack of a 450°F pre-heated oven.
6. Put aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch any excess drippings.
7. Bake the pot and lid for one hour at 450°F.
8. Turn oven down to 200 degrees and bake for an additional hour.
9. Turn off oven and let the pot cool slowly in the oven.
10. Store, uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.
You probably want to do this on a nice day so you can open the windows as it will make a LOT of smoke as the oil bakes onto the surface. You can use oils other than Crisco as well. I have used Canola oil with good results. Do not use an animal fat such as bacon drippings or lard. It will go rancid in storage much quicker than vegetable shortening. I used to recommend seasoning the pot at 350 degrees but have decided that 450 degrees or so gives a blacker finish quicker. The 350 degree baked seasoning is perfectly good but takes several uses to achieve the blackened finish that denotes lots of good use.
Question: How do I clean my Dutch Oven?
Answer: After each use, you can clean the Dutch oven as follows:
Cleaning a Dutch Oven
1. If food is badly burned and crusted in the pot, fill with very hot water and let sit for a few minutes.
2. Scrape out burned stuff with a plastic scraper or plastic spatula.
3. When excess is removed, then use hot water and a plastic scrubby or natural fiber brush to scrub clean the pot. Natural fiber brushes can be found at Asian stores and other places as well.
4. Don't use soap to clean the pot as it will get into the seasoning and possibly be tasted in your next dish.
5. Place back on heat and let dry thoroughly. Store with lid open in a dry place when cooled. Many say lightly oil before storing but they will rapidly go rancid in warmer climates if stored with an oil coating. Just oil slightly before each use.
Tip: NEVER wash your cast iron cookware in a dishwasher. (Never wash your good kitchen knives in the dishwasher either)