Cast iron Dutch ovens, if properly cared for, will last for manygenerations. Constant and proper Dutch oven care beginning from the daythe oven is purchased will keep it in service for many years. Allquality ovens are shipped with a protective coating that must beremoved prior to seasoning. Removing the protective coating requires agood scrubbing with a little soap, some hot water, steel wool, and alittle elbow grease. This is the only time you will ever use soap on your Dutch oven. Once the oven has been cleaned, it should be rinsed well, then towel dried and allowed to air dry.

You can use your kitchen oven to season a Dutch oven but just a word of warning, You will smoke up your house if you season your Dutch ovens indoors.I recommend using an outdoor gas barbecue in a well ventilated area.Preheat your barbecue or kitchen oven to 375°. After your Dutch oven isdry, place it on the center rack with the lid ajar. Allow it to warmslowly so it is just barely too hot to handle with bare hands. Thispreheating does two things, it drives any remaining moisture out of themetal and opens the pores of the metal.

Now, using a paper towelor a clean 100% cotton rag, apply a thin layer of cooking oil. I preferusing vegetable oil over peanut and olive oils because the burningpoint of vegetable oil is lower so it will set up and harden at lowertemperatures. Tallow or lard can also be used but they tend to breakdown over time so are not recommended on ovens that will be stored forlong periods of time. Make sure the oil covers every inch of the oven,inside and out and replace it on the center rack, this time upside downwith the lid resting on top of the legs. This will keep oil frompooling in the bottom of the oven. Bake the oven for about an hour orso at 375°. This baking hardens the oil into a protective coating overthe metal.

Afterbaking, allow the Dutch oven to cool slowly. When it is cool enough tohandle, apply another thin coating of oil. Repeat the baking andcooling process. When the oven can be handled again apply another thincoating of oil. Do not leave any standing oil in the oven! Standing oilcan turn rancid ruining the protective coating you just applied. Allowthe oven to cool completely. Now it should have three layers of oil,two baked on and one applied when it was warm. The oven is now readyfor use.

Thisseasoning procedure only needs to be done once, unless rust forms orthe coating is damaged in storage or use. This baked on coating willdarken and eventually turn black with age. This darkening is a sign ofa well kept oven and of it's use. The seasonin's purpose is two fold,first and most important, it forms a barrier between moisture in theair and the surface of the metal. This effectively prevents the metalfrom rusting. The second purpose is to provide a nonstick coating onthe inside of the oven. When properly maintained, this coating is asnonstick as most of the commercially applied coatings.

Note: Avoid cookinganything with a high acid content such as tomatoes, or a lot of sugarsuch as cobblers for the first 2 or 3 times after seasoning your oven.The acid and sugars can break down the protective covering before ithas a chance to harden properly.