First Time Seasoning A Cast Iron Pan

So after some reading, and hunting at a few grocery stores I decided to go with Flaxseed oil. I washed the pan, towel dried it, and put some heat to the pan to ensure it was fully dry, as well as ready to grab the oil. Added an amount that was accidentally to much but i grabbed some paper towel and soaked it up. Coated the pan in a very thin layer and into the oven at 350 it went. So thats where we are now... im thinking for a new lodge thats pre seasoned 2 or 3 times should be okay, I hope this goes my way

 

Sounds right to me. To be honest...I don't even know what kind of oil I have. Probably vegetable oil. But that's how the cast iron get's seasoned here. A drizzle of oil and then in to the oven for an hour or so.

 

I recall that the oil does it physics thing, polysomthing, (bonding with the pan) just below the smoke point. Would bump oven to 500F

Vollrath has a good Youtube that I use for carbon, cast iron, paella pans.

 

Interesting. That probably explains why with vegetable oil or lard they say to heat to 350-370

 

Read somewhere in cutting board literature that veg oil, lard, etc does not make a "food safe" bond but that flaxseed does. Hence flaxseed is used to hold together composite cutting boards. So sayeth the composite cutting board guy anyway.

 

I believe most veg oils and lard doesn't polymerize at room temperature, but linseed/flaxseed oil does, so it's less likely that your cutting board will stink after using it for a long time. Walnut oil is another food safe finish that polymerize over time I believe. Not sure if that matters for carbon iron seasoning though, oils polymerize when heated. At the temp that you heat cast iron to, those polymers all turn to carbon anyways. But I'm no scientist, do we have a chemist around to explain things?

 

I haven't researched it at all but was a good read. http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

 

You're just ahead of me, Stumblin'. That's a very good article.

 

I have to confess though, my pan I clean with metal scrubby and soap. I just can't fathom leaving any bits in there. Then I spray with canola and call it a day. The bottom is nice an shiney like I want but the sides aren't. I kinda go at it like the 3K oil change but ahh 1K more won't hurt it LOL

 

There's no need really to season a Lodge pre-seasoned pan. I don't put that much thought into seasoning as the rest of you. I just cook bacon and everything works out.

When I do need to season a pan, I rub it down with Crisco, fire up the gas grill to about 600, then put the pan on the grates face down. Turn the grill off and retrieve the pan next day. Then cook bacon. Has always worked well for me. <shrug>

 

Bacon as a tool - you may be on to something there

 

I've read that Sheryl Canter article, read like she just googled stuff and make a lot of assumptions though. Since heat is applied for polymerization, whether the oil is a drying oil shouldn't matter much. And the hardness of the polymer is not what's left on the pan, cause you are heating the pan to carbonization for seasoning. The question is really, whether the carbonized polymer is really more durable with flaxseed oil vs other oils. Also, like in knives, hard doesn't necessarily mean durable. I think someone needs to do a PHD thesis on this.

 

Flaxseed is the food grade equivalent of linseed oil which i know the wood working guys out there is all they use... it has something to do with it being the only oil that properly does its poly thing.... Ill have to dig up the articles I found on that again so i can make some sense here

 

following the flaxseed/volrath approach, I put a great deal of effort into creating a 12 layer seasoning on my debuyer....twice...b/c it flaked off pretty easily....now I'm just letting it build up naturally through cooking.

 

I was going to follow DeBuyers guide on their pans when mine comes in, which is mostly just letting it build up naturally anyway

 

If I were to do it again...I'd follow volrath for 2-3 coats, then let nature take it's course through normal use. I will say, that the parts that endured are amazingly slick and a deep, shiny black that is just beautiful...makes me happy every time I look at it.

 

I watched a video a cooking school made with a xarbon steel pan and man his pan by the end looks like liquid black and perfect... But i see so many people failing at trying to replicate. While his video instruction looks simple enough he left out a lot of details with regards to time.

 

Yeah, that's Volrath

 

For my carbon steel pan, I sprayed it with grape seed oil the first time.....then I cooked some bacon. And then I cooked more bacon without the oil. and I just keep using that pan anytime I want bacon. So far it has worked fine. 'Cause that's what they did 100, 150 years ago. I also don't season the outside of the pan, cast iron or carbon steel. I don't cook on that side.

 

If you want to accelerate a bit that natural process, deep frying in the pan is a great way to do so. Good excuse to make schnitzel if you like that