How to Fix Sticky Cast-Iron

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I just reseasoned my skillet, and the finish is sticky. How can I fix it?

—Janet M., Arkansas

THE SOLUTION:

It sounds like you used too much fat or oil when seasoning your skillet. Once you apply the oil, you want to wipe all of it off so that only the thinnest layer remains. (Note that Jeff Rogers’ technique for seasoning cast iron recommends you wipe the excess oil off twice.) The solution, Jeff says, is simple. Put the skillet in your oven and crank it up to 500°. When it reaches 500°, let it bake for one hour. The sticky residue should polymerize and become part of the finish. If it’s still sticky, stripping the skillet and starting from scratch may be the best option.

 

9 COMMENTS

  1. For a rusty or Gunky cast iron skillet I have put it in my self cleaning over. As long as it does not have a wooden handle all the rust and gunk will fall off like magic. I put them in upside down but I don’t think it matters. Let them cool of course and then season as usual.

  2. Before you start over spray the item with a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and wipe it out. It helps to refresh cast iron that has been stored too long as well

  3. My mother was born in 1915 and used her mother’s and her own skillets through the Depression, WW2, and well into the 1990s! She said to put it into a fire every few years. This more difficult these days, but the self cleaning oven is very similar.

  4. i have bought 3 cast iron skillets,and they all stick to food, i have seasoned them and seasoned them, but found a site that told me to add crisco fat to iron while it is getting hot at least 6 times , they are shiny and glossy and will use butter to fry food in now,, so hopefully this will work.. i do have a sticky huge cast iron skillet and it in the oven now at 500, sure hope this works, as i do love to cook with cast iron,, food tastes better,

  5. I used a baking soda and water paste and a scratchy pad to remove the rust and gunk from my cast iron skillet, but before you rinse off the baking soda paste, pour some white vinegar on the skillet and it will foam up as it reacts with the baking soda, this really removed the yuck on my skillet. I rinsed well and then seasoned.

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