Coconut Oil and Cast Iron

Foxfire · 03-18-2013, 01:43 PM

My fiancee went paleo a couple months ago to help nail down a food allergy and liked it so much she's not only sticking with it but I jumped on board as well. (Want to drop about 30 more lbs to look good on all those wedding album photos!) ;)

I have cast iron on two of my grills and use a lot of CI cookware, too. I've usually used peanut oil for seasoning but peanuts are a paleo no-no. Coconut oil is heavily pushed by paleo practitioners as a very healthy oil that has a lot of benefits, which got me wondering if anyone had tried it for cast iron seasoning and to what degree of success?

fantomlord · 03-18-2013, 02:19 PM

Is flaxseed oil allowed for paleo? If so, check out this link (was posted on this board previously):
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/

I haven't used it for seasoning, but I do cook with coconut oil in my cast iron all the time--works great.

JazzyBadger · 03-18-2013, 02:23 PM

I've never had a problem with it. If I remember right coconut oil has a smoke point of 350º and I typically season my cast iron at about 250º or thereabouts.

ubp_sanity · 03-18-2013, 02:25 PM

I would say that flaxseed, being a grain would be a no as well, but I would have thought peanut would be ok. Peanuts are beans though..

Smoothsmoke · 03-18-2013, 02:30 PM

How much harm can it do to your diet if you're only seasoning it with peanut oil?

Offthehook · 03-18-2013, 02:32 PM

I use coconut oil in my cast iron and it seems fine

superlazy · 03-18-2013, 02:37 PM

I would think it would be fine. like jazzybadger said high smoke point

Foxfire · 03-18-2013, 03:11 PM

I'll give it a whirl. Been cooking with coconut oil a lot just not in CI. Looking for more ways of getting in in the diet.

Yeah, I'm not so strict that I'd worry about using peanut oil for seasoning grates or a pan or whatever, but trying to help the better half in eliminating food allergies so avoiding it, at least for the time being. Haven't read about flax either way, but I'm just a newbie. I'm practicing more of what you'd call "practical paleo". I stick by the rules as much as possible but when I'm out at a restaurant or etc. I tend to just stick with lean meats and veggies instead of quiz the server about how much X or Y there is in stuff. I think the benefits I've seen mostly come from far fewer carbs and increased veggies, plus avoiding processed stuff. Working well so far and feel great!

Next weekend I plan to do racks of beef ribs with paleo-friendly rub and sauce. I can post pron and recipe if any are interested.

jamus34 · 03-18-2013, 03:17 PM

Yeah, there's a HUGE difference between seasoning with an oil and cooking with it.

Long story short from what I've read when you season you WANT to go past the smoke point. When you are cooking you never want the oil to smoke.

Allergies are one thing and I wouldn't mess with it in that case however I would not be overly concerned if you are using an oil to season but do not want to cook with it. The seasoning process itself changes the chemical properties of the oil.

fantomlord · 03-18-2013, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamus34

Yeah, there's a HUGE difference between seasoning with an oil and cooking with it.

Long story short from what I've read when you season you WANT to go past the smoke point. When you are cooking you never want the oil to smoke.

Allergies are one thing and I wouldn't mess with it in that case however I would not be overly concerned if you are using an oil to season but do not want to cook with it. The seasoning process itself changes the chemical properties of the oil.

that's actually what the page in the link I posted talks about--basically you heat the oil to the point where it polymerizes, which leaves the seasoning. at that point, it there really isn't anything left that's the original flaxseed oil, so it should be fine, even if it's not strictly paleo

landarc · 03-18-2013, 05:29 PM

Coconut oil for cast iron is fine, I use it all the time. So is lard.

popeye · 03-18-2013, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamus34

Yeah, there's a HUGE difference between seasoning with an oil and cooking with it.

Long story short from what I've read when you season you WANT to go past the smoke point. When you are cooking you never want the oil to smoke.

Allergies are one thing and I wouldn't mess with it in that case however I would not be overly concerned if you are using an oil to season but do not want to cook with it. The seasoning process itself changes the chemical properties of the oil.

very well put . cast iron can be your friend if you use it right . If you don't you can use it for a paper weight .

RL Reeves Jr · 03-19-2013, 10:43 AM

lots of smoke point info here http://www.drgourmet.com/ingredients/smokepoints.shtml

bigabyte · 03-19-2013, 11:29 AM

As long as it's a saturated fat (which coconut oil is), then it is good for seasoning cast iron. Just avoid unsaturated fats.

yelonutz · 03-19-2013, 11:47 AM

Use lard, it makes everything better.

03-18-2013, 01:43 PM	#1
Foxfire Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-28-12 Location: San Jose, CA	Coconut Oil and Cast Iron My fiancee went paleo a couple months ago to help nail down a food allergy and liked it so much she's not only sticking with it but I jumped on board as well. (Want to drop about 30 more lbs to look good on all those wedding album photos!) ;) I have cast iron on two of my grills and use a lot of CI cookware, too. I've usually used peanut oil for seasoning but peanuts are a paleo no-no. Coconut oil is heavily pushed by paleo practitioners as a very healthy oil that has a lot of benefits, which got me wondering if anyone had tried it for cast iron seasoning and to what degree of success? __________________ ~ [I]Scott[/I] ~ [COLOR="Blue"]Blue [/COLOR]Weber Performer + Craycort CI • [COLOR="red"]Brick Red[/COLOR] Weber One-Touch Platinum • Weber 26.75 Kettle • Akorn Kamado • ET 732 • Record-crushing [COLOR="Orange"][B]ORANGE[/B][/COLOR] Thermapen • UDS In Progress

03-18-2013, 02:19 PM	#2
fantomlord is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-24-12 Location: Sauk City, WI	Is flaxseed oil allowed for paleo? If so, check out this link (was posted on this board previously): http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/ I haven't used it for seasoning, but I do cook with coconut oil in my cast iron all the time--works great. __________________ Matt...Sauk City, WI

03-18-2013, 02:23 PM	#3
JazzyBadger Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-12-10 Location: Jazzy Gerbil Land.	I've never had a problem with it. If I remember right coconut oil has a smoke point of 350º and I typically season my cast iron at about 250º or thereabouts. __________________ The Life of the Knife is Ended By! The Wife. Geld responsibly.

03-18-2013, 02:30 PM	#5
Smoothsmoke Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-20-10 Location: Monterey, CA	How much harm can it do to your diet if you're only seasoning it with peanut oil? __________________ Kamado Big Joe [COLOR=Red]Kamado Classic Joe Kamado Joe Jr. [/COLOR] A bunch of Webers

03-18-2013, 02:32 PM	#6
Offthehook is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-04-12 Location: Los Angeles, CA	I use coconut oil in my cast iron and it seems fine __________________ Taylor-WSM 18.5 with Wifi Stoker, Kamado Smoker BBQ, and lots of charcoal. 180 club-Chicken

03-18-2013, 02:25 PM	#4
ubp_sanity Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 07-30-12 Location: Kitchener, Ont	I would say that flaxseed, being a grain would be a no as well, but I would have thought peanut would be ok. Peanuts are beans though..

03-18-2013, 02:37 PM	#7
superlazy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-16-12 Location: Trevor,wi	I would think it would be fine. like jazzybadger said high smoke point __________________ 18.5 WSM, Weber genesis,little pig grill,Pit Boss Memphis Ultimate,Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050
	1 members found this post helpful.

03-18-2013, 03:11 PM	#8
Foxfire Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-28-12 Location: San Jose, CA	I'll give it a whirl. Been cooking with coconut oil a lot just not in CI. Looking for more ways of getting in in the diet. Yeah, I'm not so strict that I'd worry about using peanut oil for seasoning grates or a pan or whatever, but trying to help the better half in eliminating food allergies so avoiding it, at least for the time being. Haven't read about flax either way, but I'm just a newbie. I'm practicing more of what you'd call "practical paleo". I stick by the rules as much as possible but when I'm out at a restaurant or etc. I tend to just stick with lean meats and veggies instead of quiz the server about how much X or Y there is in stuff. I think the benefits I've seen mostly come from far fewer carbs and increased veggies, plus avoiding processed stuff. Working well so far and feel great! Next weekend I plan to do racks of beef ribs with paleo-friendly rub and sauce. I can post pron and recipe if any are interested. __________________ ~ [I]Scott[/I] ~ [COLOR="Blue"]Blue [/COLOR]Weber Performer + Craycort CI • [COLOR="red"]Brick Red[/COLOR] Weber One-Touch Platinum • Weber 26.75 Kettle • Akorn Kamado • ET 732 • Record-crushing [COLOR="Orange"][B]ORANGE[/B][/COLOR] Thermapen • UDS In Progress

03-18-2013, 03:17 PM	#9
jamus34 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-09-12 Location: Milford, NJ	Yeah, there's a HUGE difference between seasoning with an oil and cooking with it. Long story short from what I've read when you season you WANT to go past the smoke point. When you are cooking you never want the oil to smoke. Allergies are one thing and I wouldn't mess with it in that case however I would not be overly concerned if you are using an oil to season but do not want to cook with it. The seasoning process itself changes the chemical properties of the oil. __________________ Proud owner of: 22.5 OTS, 22.5 WSM, SJG (and soon to have the tamale pot mini-WSM conversion built) Stealth gray Thermopen

03-18-2013, 05:29 PM	#11
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	Coconut oil for cast iron is fine, I use it all the time. So is lard. __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

03-19-2013, 10:43 AM	#13
RL Reeves Jr On the road to being a farker Join Date: 09-27-12 Location: austin,texas	lots of smoke point info here http://www.drgourmet.com/ingredients/smokepoints.shtml

03-19-2013, 11:29 AM	#14
bigabyte somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-10-06 Location: Overland Fark, KS	As long as it's a saturated fat (which coconut oil is), then it is good for seasoning cast iron. Just avoid unsaturated fats. __________________ Asshattatron Farkanaut, CGCFO Chief Galactic Crockpot Foil Officer *Certified MOINK Baller & IMBAS Certified MOINK Ball Judge #0003 - Are you MOINK Certified?* *Sole recipient of the Silverfinger and fingerlickin Awards!* Don't forget about the Throwdown Thingies! The Secret Squirrel Society doesn't exist - Zero Club Duh.

03-19-2013, 11:47 AM	#15
yelonutz is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-02-07 Location: Chico, Ca	Use lard, it makes everything better. __________________ Weber Smokey Mountain 18 & 22.5 in Gator Pit Trailer mount MAK 2 Star General Pellet Pooper Medium Green Egg Mini Green Egg New Black stoker with built in wi-fi KCBS CBJ #20258 Drunk Uncles BBQ Team, Ruining Family Gatherings for Over 20 Years. DAMN IT ANDY!!