Sticky skillet

[VanReed]

Eggs were starting to stick a little to my old cast skillet. I re-seasoned it with Crisco shortening, put it in the oven, 400 degrees for one hour. Now eggs get welded to it. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?
Thanks
Van

 

[Doug D.]

Not sure what caused your pan to go from non-stick to sticking, prompting you to apply a manual coat of seasoning. When pans are stripped to bare iron, and a coat of seasoning applied, they're still a good ways away from the non-stick of a well-used piece. When using a pan with just a base coat of seasoning, you have to use a little more butter or oil to keep things from sticking. Cooking bacon, sausage, and the like are good things which accelerate the build-up of a good slick layer of polymerized fat.

When you applied the Crisco, did you wipe it down really well before baking it? Putting on too thick a layer at once can leave the pan spotty and sticky. If trying to build a good seasoning layer manually, it needs to be multiple extremely thin coats individually baked.

 

[VanReed]

Thanks Doug, the Crisco may have been to thick. There were little brown spots all around the pan. I have washed that off and am trying again with vegetable oil. It is in the oven now and I have wiped the excess oil off once. Maybe this time?
Thanks

 

[Doug D.]

Crisco is actually the preferred product. Grapeseed oil, canola oil, and Original PAM (contains canola) are also widely used. The trick in all cases, however, is extremely thin coats.

http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php