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How to season cast iron

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Firemanyz
Firemanyz Posts: 907
edited October 2014 in EggHead Forum
I found these three gems and was trying to get opinions on how to best bring them back to life. imageimageimage
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  • fljoemon
    fljoemon Posts: 757
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    www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/how-to-buy-season-clean-maintain-cast-iron-pans.html
    LBGE & Mini
    Orlando, FL
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  • dayzed&confused
    dayzed&confused Posts: 178
    edited October 2014
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    What I do is rub my cast iron with canola oil. As light a coating as I can. Then bake them at 450 degrees for an hour. It may take more than one bake to bring them back. Also, rup off any rust with scotch brite or steel wool before seasoning. Also, this creates a lot of smoke so do it outside on the egg or a gas grill.
    San Angelo, texas
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,341
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    They dont look bad at all now.

    Little Rock, AR

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    Way back in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Cook's Illustrated they did a report of a method attributed to a blogger named Sheryl Canter. Instead of using vegetable oil until your pan turns dark and shiny to use flaxseed oil. It is a tedious process of multiple coats of flaxseed oil between hour long stints in the oven. The payoff for your effort reportedly is a very "slick surface so indestructible that touch ups are almost never necessary"! After CI tried the method they highly recommended it and suggested a total of 6 coats meaning a two day effort since you coat it, heat it for an hour, let cool for 2 hours and repeat again and again. That is on my list of to-dos with my Lodge Dutch ovens, but I haven't yet.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • odie91
    odie91 Posts: 541
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    Do it Ron. I've seen a big difference with flax, or any other oil that oxidizes easily (IOW, needs to be refrigerated , such as Hemp oil as well).
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  • dfrelich
    dfrelich Posts: 104
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    Here's serious link -- http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
    X-Large & Large
    Frederick County, MD
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    Thanks all I think I might look into the flaxseed oil route. I can do them one at a time over the next few weeks while at work. Then if it smokes I won't have to listen to complaints. Thanks for the link and ideas. I'll keep everyone up on the progress.
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  • mcmac
    mcmac Posts: 496
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    I have a few pieces of the Griswold CI... absolutely love them. Get em' seasoned up and then enjoy!

    Nothing like some CI with many years of experience.
    XL BGE -  Med BGE - Mini BGE - Traeger Pellet Grills

     Hillsboro OR
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I buy antiques that have decades of seasoning already there. Failing that, try the panman.com method. Thirdeye's look good too. I've heard that flax seed chips easily, but don't know from personal experience. I would bet that my grandmother never even heard of flax seed oil.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Carolina Q

    Your grandmother probably heard about linseed oil, which is the same thing as flax seed oil. It has been used as a paint base for hundreds of years.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,729
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    I've used flaxseed oil on all mine. Doesn't chip and is much more durable
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    i use lard in the oven, pan upsidedown. i dont think the seasoning matters as much as the upkeep. the pan should never get near the sink, mines full of bacon grease on the stove top right now
    :D when i use it i scrape out the cold white grease, light the burner, wipe out the grease with a paper towell, when the pan gets hot, in goes more bacon. NEVER put meat in a cold pan, cant believe how many times i see that at camp
    :))
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    @Firemanyz - I seasoned all of my CI pans using the Canter method, maybe 2 years ago. They have held up well, but I don't cook in CI everyday. The method *will* smoke up your kitchen and SWMBO *will* get mad at you. And I'm a heretic - I wash my CI pans with a light scrubbing using  soap and water. It grosses me out to cook in pans without washing them, and I'm not easily grossed out in my line of work.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    edited October 2014
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    Firemanyz said:

    Thanks all I think I might look into the flaxseed oil route. I can do them one at a time over the next few weeks while at work. Then if it smokes I won't have to listen to complaints. Thanks for the link and ideas. I'll keep everyone up on the progress.

    I HIGHLY recommend that you season in the egg to avoid the smells and fumes. My wife doesn't let me season indoors anymore! Whatever method you choose, I highly encourage you to setup the egg indirect and season (and strip if you decide that route) in the egg. No smells to deal with and I've found that I achieve a darker (more black less brown) patina quicker when I use the egg. Probably from the smoke, but I do all my seasoning in the egg and it works perfectly. Nice find by the way :-)
    Dunedin, FL
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    caliking said:
    @Firemanyz - I seasoned all of my CI pans using the Canter method, maybe 2 years ago. They have held up well, but I don't cook in CI everyday. The method *will* smoke up your kitchen and SWMBO *will* get mad at you. And I'm a heretic - I wash my CI pans with a light scrubbing using  soap and water. It grosses me out to cook in pans without washing them, and I'm not easily grossed out in my line of work.
    you could always pour the grease into a grease container that stays on the counter top at room temp, wash the pan and pour some of that grease back in and wipe it around
    :D
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    Here they are cleaned up. I have them in the oven right now warming up then I'm going to coat them with a coat of flax seed oil. I used oven cleaner to get almost every thing old off. But I could not get everything. imageimageimage
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    If you go back and read the thread then just 1 coat of flax seed oil will not be enough. Six coats are recommended.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    Yes that is where I am headed. Very thin coat number one just put on. I plan to take pictures each time it comes out before the next coat. I'll post them as the day goes on.
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    Here they are after the first coat and cooled offimage
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    fishlessman said:
    caliking said:
    @Firemanyz - I seasoned all of my CI pans using the Canter method, maybe 2 years ago. They have held up well, but I don't cook in CI everyday. The method *will* smoke up your kitchen and SWMBO *will* get mad at you. And I'm a heretic - I wash my CI pans with a light scrubbing using  soap and water. It grosses me out to cook in pans without washing them, and I'm not easily grossed out in my line of work.
    you could always pour the grease into a grease container that stays on the counter top at room temp, wash the pan and pour some of that grease back in and wipe it around
    :D

    I usually don't cook very  greasy things. Rarely ever deep fry anything. Last time I made fried chicken was ~18years ago. Bacon is made in the big kitchen clock.

    But if making and eating more bacon is what you're suggesting, maybe I can look into that!


    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    edited October 2014
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    I've been fortunate to not have to do an initial seasoning.  but my maintenance is, if some food has stuck on it, then I wash it with hot water only to remove the stuck food.  Dry it, then give it a fresh wipe of oil or bacon fat being generous but not drippingly so.  On to the back big burner, high heat for 2 minutes 22 seconds.  fan on high over the stove.  When the timer goes off, I turn off the heat, wipe off excess oil with a paper towel, and then allow to cool before putting the pan away.  it took a little convincing, but I eventually got the wife to understand that the high heat required to make the oil smoke was far more effective at killing any bacteria than the best anti-bacterial soap on the market.

    I do the same thing to my Wok, while it isn't CI, it isn't stainless either.  I believe it is a high carbon steel.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    Here they are after second coat.

    They are in the oven for their third coating right now. The last three coats will have to wait till I come back to work on Friday.

    image
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    One thing to avoid with seasoned iron or steel - if you heat too hot, say under a banjo or large burner, and get the temp over 750F, you'll burn off the seasoning.  It's an organic coating - it is called "ashing".  Then you have to start all over again.  
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    It's been a few weeks but got back on the horse today to try and finish these. Here they are after the fifth coat on flax oil. They are in the oven right now for their sixth coat baking. They are very smooth I plan to test them out tomorrow.
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  • XC242
    XC242 Posts: 1,208
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    They look great. Now go use them to cook lots of tasty food!!!
    LBGE (still waitin' for my free T-Shirt), DIgiQ DX2 (In Blue, cause it's the fastest), Heavy Duty Kick Ash Basket, Mc Farland, WI. :glasses:  B)
    If it wasn't for my BGE I'd have no use for my backyard...
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  • Big_Green_Craig
    Big_Green_Craig Posts: 1,578
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    Look up TheCulinaryFanatic on YouTube. He is a cast iron master. He will walk you through his process. The proof is in his videos.
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  • Big_Green_Craig
    Big_Green_Craig Posts: 1,578
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    Those look great by the way...
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  • XC242
    XC242 Posts: 1,208
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    Where can you find flaxseed oil? I've been looking but so far no luck.
    LBGE (still waitin' for my free T-Shirt), DIgiQ DX2 (In Blue, cause it's the fastest), Heavy Duty Kick Ash Basket, Mc Farland, WI. :glasses:  B)
    If it wasn't for my BGE I'd have no use for my backyard...
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  • Firemanyz
    Firemanyz Posts: 907
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    @Xc242 I bought it on amazon. You may also be able to find it at a local "healthy" store like trader joes or whole foods. If I can give you one recommendation buy the smallest bottle you can. Unless you plan to use it for cooking. Following the directions above a little goes a looooong way.
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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
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    I just seasoned mine last night by cooking bacon in it.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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