A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet requires little oil for cooking. That means it is up to the task of preparing light and healthy meals. The more you use a cast-iron skillet, the more non-stick the surface becomes. The reason is, cast-iron is porous and when it's heated, it absorbs some of the oil, protecting it against future moisture. When a cast-iron skillet is bought new, it must be seasoned before you can use it. That means, it must be cleaned, dried, oiled and heated. Follow the simple directions below for a well-seasoned skillet:

• Rinse under warm soapy water.
• Dry skillet well.
• Rub the skillet with a generous amount of oil.
• Leave skillet on a burner turned to low heat for no less than an hour OR you can also bake it in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours.
• Let skillet cool, then pour out any leftover oil.
• Repeat this procedure several times before using the skillet.

Cast-iron will rust if not maintained properly. By following a few rules, your skillet should remain rust-free and ready for use for a very long time. Here's a few things you can do to keep your cast-iron skillet in tip-top shape:

• Cast-iron should never be wet when not in use. NEVER put your cast-iron skillet in the dish washer.
• Foods cooked in a cast-iron skillet could contain twice as much iron than they would cooked by other, non-stick skillets.
• Rusted cast-iron CAN be saved!!! Scour the pan with steel wool and then scrub the pan with hot, soapy water then scour with steel wool again before drying. Don't forget to reseason as described above!
• When finished cooking with pan, scrub the pan under hot water. Place on a warm burner for a few minutes to dry. When drying is done, drizzle some vegetable oil in it. Rub the oil over the inside ok skillet with a paper towel - make that skillet shine! Let skillet cool.
• Cast-iron corrodes when acidic foods are added. If the skillet is well-seasoned, corrosion is not likely. Be sure to remove acidic foods from the skillet immediately when cooking is finished.