How to Season a Stone Crock
- 1). Clean the crock by soaking it in hot water for several minutes. If deeper cleaning is needed, coat the crock with a paste made of baking soda and water. Allow the paste to sit for several minutes before scrubbing the crock with a nylon scrub pad. Rinse and dry the crock.
- 2). Coat the inside of the crock with a semi-generous coat of vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening smokes at low temperatures, eliminating the need for high temperatures for seasoning. Avoid coating the outside of the pot, as shortening will drip in the oven and cause smoke.
- 3). Place the coated crock in an oven heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the crock for 30 minutes. Remove and set on the stovetop to cool.
- 4). Wipe out the excess, liquefied shortening with a paper towel.
- 5). Coat the inside of the crock with another coat of shortening until the first or next use.
- 6). Continue to coat the crock with shortening after each use, until an obvious, semi-permanent, non-stick surface is achieved.
