They say to season with vegetable oil but animal fats tent to polymerize better.

.

I am with KJL on what type of oil to use to season or cook with using cast iron; I use ghee (clarified butter) or lard. Both of which I can get from organic sources at much more reasonable prices than organic vegetable oils and both of which (stored in the refrigerator or freezer) stay fresh far longer. Oxidization happens rapidly in most vegetable oils, especially at room temperature.

I also found that baking soda and salt together can get my pans cleaner than just salt. (Not sure exactly why. Anyone remember chemistry class?) Especially if I've cooked something with strong smells or flavors in it recently. I love garlic but not in my pancakes! Baking soda is also my go-to cleanser in the sink. Remember Brillo pads? I don't have one but I'm quite sure that a brass scrubber of that type would be useful for getting off the stuck on bits without damaging the surface.

After a while (generally years) my cast iron skillets get really crusty and I've discovered that I can burn that all off by waiting until the woodstove is really rocking a HOT fire and putting the pan right in the middle of the fire and just letting it all burn off. After the fire goes out I have to start over with seasoning again of course, but the pan is like new.

I wonder if I could lay the pan upside down on the fire in my fireplace? How long would it have to stay? Is there any chance of getting it too hot?

I inherited some cast iron that has thick chips of old seasoning that I cannot scrub off even with a copper scrubber, I’m trying to avoid the oven cleaner in a bag technique that I keep reading on the internet.