HELP! Seaoning cast iron pans

[Displaced California Foodie]

I am following the directions included with my cast iron pans for seasoning: Should my kitchen be full of smoke during the process?

[S. Britchky]

I smear the pan inside and out with a light coat of lard, turn it upside-down on the upper oven rack (with tinfoil on the lower rack to catch drippings), and heat it for an hour at 350-degrees -- not that hot. Afterwards, let the oven cool completely and then repeat twice more. This simple process puts a very hard coat on the pan that I replenish after each use and cleaning (stiff brush and hot water only) with a small amount of oil on the cooking surfaces, followed by heating just to the smoke point on top of the stove. Both the oven and the stovetop heating throw a little bit of smoke, but neither should give you a "kitchen full of smoke."

[HolidayBaker]

The best way to season a cast iron skillet is to bake cornbread in it the Southern Way. That's what my husband has always said, and he is in charge of seasoning all of our cast iron. Everytime I make cornbread he comments on what it did for our skillets.

[Aromatherapy]

Totally agree, any time a skillet is looking unhappy it's cornbread time.

[lintygmom]

I never heat the grease in the pans. I always heat a cleaned pan on the stovetop until it glows, let it cool a little to be safe and pour in a little oil and wipe it out with a paper towel.

[traceybell]

This happened to me too. I think maybe because my oven wasn't clean and it's fairly high heat with grease involved.