▁ ▁To ▁season ▁a ▁pan ▁( e . g ., ▁to ▁season ▁a ▁new ▁pan , ▁or ▁to ▁replace ▁dam aged ▁season ing ▁on ▁an ▁old ▁pan ), ▁the ▁following ▁is ▁a ▁typical ▁process : ▁▁ ▁clean ing ▁the ▁cook ware ▁to ▁remove ▁resid ues ▁from ▁manufact uring ▁or ▁manufact urer - app lied ▁anti ▁cor ros ion ▁co ating ▁and ▁expose ▁the ▁bare ▁metal , ▁▁ ▁applying ▁a ▁thin ▁layer ▁of ▁animal ▁fat ▁or ▁cook ing ▁oil ▁( r anging ▁from ▁veget able ▁oil ▁to ▁l ard , ▁including ▁many ▁common ▁food - grade ▁o ils ), ▁and ▁▁ ▁he ating ▁the ▁cook ware ▁to ▁generate ▁the ▁season ed ▁co ating . ▁▁ ▁If ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁pre - season ed , ▁a ▁new ▁cast ▁iron ▁sk illet ▁or ▁dut ch ▁o ven ▁typically ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁manufact urer ▁with ▁a ▁protect ive ▁co ating ▁of ▁w ax ▁or ▁sh ella c , ▁otherwise ▁it ▁would ▁rust . ▁This ▁needs ▁to ▁be ▁removed ▁before ▁the ▁item ▁is ▁used . ▁An ▁initial ▁sc our ing ▁with ▁hot ▁so apy ▁water ▁will ▁usually ▁remove ▁the ▁protect ive ▁co ating . ▁Alternatively , ▁for ▁w oks , ▁it ▁is ▁common ▁to ▁burn ▁off ▁the ▁co ating ▁over ▁high ▁heat ▁( out side ▁or ▁under ▁a ▁vent ▁h ood ) ▁to ▁expose ▁the ▁bare ▁metal ▁surface . ▁For ▁already - used ▁p ans ▁that ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁re - season ed , ▁the ▁clean ing ▁process ▁can ▁be ▁more ▁complex , ▁involving ▁rust ▁removal ▁and ▁deep