Seasoning Cast Iron with Flax Seed Oil

Same experience. Flaxseed oil is a waste of time. I found plain 'ol lard works quite well and does not flake off, etc like flaxseed does. Yes, I followed the directions exactly when I tried the flaxseed method.

I would put them in a lye bath, to remove everything, then start over from scratch. My problem with vegetable oil, is it can leave a sticky residue, that you won't get with lard.

I found flaking to be an issue with flax seed oil and am back to crisco

Lard works for me. Canola oil (spray Pam) not so much.... sticky residue.

Thin coat of lard... put CI in oven as it heats up (500* for an hour or so)... let it cool in the oven. Takes 5 times (or more) to do. Win.

However, won't take full raging fire/heat over coals.

I agree that using lard and crisco were easier methods of seasoning.

I do have one lodge dutch oven that I seasoned with flaxseed oil that had held up until I used it to make chili.

Although I haven't seen the article you speak about in Cook's Illustrated, but I have friends who tried to season with flaxseed oil and I have had to help them redo the seasoning with lard.

Flaxseed oil has a low smoke point of 225°. When we season cast iron, we take the cast iron to the smoke point of the fat being used. This causes a molecular change in the fat and it actually becomes a polymer coating closing the porous surface of the cast iron. The polymer coating is like a plasticized coating that prevents food from sticking by keeping the surface sealed. Why the flaxseed seasoning doesn't last, I have no idea.

I re-seasoned my dutch oven using grape seed oil, has an extremely high smoke point, and I still have the seasoning intact years after it was seasoned. But again, grape seed oil isn't for everyone. In fact I had to use my grill to get the indirect temperature of the cast iron above 425° to exceed the smoke point of the grape seed oil.

If you have a seasoned pan, let it be, it probably has many years of love and care and the seasoning is probably the best you will ever have.

I never strip the seasoning unless I buy a used pan at a flea market / yard sale, only because I do not know what it has come in contact with.

Fried bacon five days in a row recently. Allowed skillet to cool without draining each time and placed in bottom of refrigerator. Each morning, heat, pour off excess-fry bacon sausage etc- repeat. Last day drained hot, wiped down and cooled a bit. Then added water and brought to a boil. Scraped with a spatula. Drained wiped down and applied a light coating of bacon grease. Beautiful and smooth.

I’ve used quite a few oils and quite a few methods.

Cook bacon, frequently


Back in the old days, that last day would’ve made great gravy- all those little crispy bits ;/))

I am in the lard camp as well. Tried flax...but seemed kinda tacky.

Call me lazy or whatever, I just season it with 1 layer of EVOO and call it good. After each use, I scrub it out with a brillo pad and salt then rinse with water water and dry. Next time I use it, I just pour a little EVOO and swirl it around.

I've had GREAT experience using flax seed oil on cast iron. The key though is to rub on a VERY LIGHT coat, then wipe it off so it appears there is nothing there.

If it flakes or anything like that, it typically means it may be an application issues. Also, if it is sticky, then you defiantly put on too much.

I used the flax seed method, but I went to a higher temp. Used the gasser on medium, was probably 450 or so.
On my griddle that I only use for sandwiches and pancakes, the coating is beautiful and is very slick. Nothing sticks to it.
But, last week, I put a pound of bacon in my 9", put it on the gasser, and let it cook while I was smo-grilling burgers. When I cleaned it, I noticed that the bottom was showing rust. Sure enough, ALL of the seasoning was gone. The pan did not get all that hot.
I hate to use something else, because the pans are absolutely gorgeous like the OP said.. You can almost see your reflection in them! But if the coating is not going to bond to the iron, its not really any good.
I guess I will try something else. I had always used shortening before.

I'm an animal fat guy. I think it seasons the best, and gives the most effective non-stick when cooking.

The common complaint I hear about flax seed oil is the flaking & chipping. I don't tend to see that on a traditionally seasoned iron pans. The flax just gives you a carbonized layer that sits on top. I want the whole pan seasoned...open up the pores and let it soak.

I'm also a oven stripper (sounds kinda kinky doesn't it?). I use the self-cleaning cycle to strip pans...this is something I do to every new (old) pan I bring home. I don't know what someone else has put in that pan over the years & I want it gone. The oven cleans everything off, and at about 1,500 degrees I would imagine it sanitizes fairly well too! They come out as if they had just been cast. I take advantage of the residual heat, and when the oven unlocks I immediately season with something like lard. Drop a spoonfull in the pan, let it melt, soak it up with a cloth, and wipe the rest of the pan inside & out...all while it is still screaming hot from the oven. I let it cool and then run a simple seasoning cycle on the stovetop (ie. screaming hot, throw in some lard, swirl it around, let it cool). And that's pretty much my entire seasoning process.

I prefer lard or Crisco in a pinch.

I'm glad I read this. I've been having an issue seasoning a flattop with flaxseed oil. Glad to know it could be an oil issue instead of operator malfunction. I've used crisco in the past and will return back to it, always had luck with it anyway, shoulda left well enough alone.

How do people feel about using safflower oil?

Bear lard is king.
So many oils out there, lol...the next newest and greatest is right around the corner

With all that said...who didn't covet grandma's cast iron??
No need ta re-invent the wheel.

By the way I haven't made any lard in a bit and Pam works fine...just in case anybody felt I was getting "snarky"

-D

Swine Spectator said:

I suspect that this really is why FSO is used.

Click to expand...

Based on my personal experience, and that of cooks illustrated testing FSO CAN have its advantages.

I have hand made cast iron skillets that mmimic the old Griswalds with how mirror smooth the face is. They perform noticeably better than my lodge. The manufacturer pre-seasons with FSO and when I spoke with him he recommended I continue to.

There are many different kinds and brands of FSO, and if you don't use the right kind, you may run into issues.

Having done extensive testing with regular oils and FSO, I will never go back to regular oils. That is not to say other oils won't work fine for other people. But, to dismiss FSO completely does not seem valid either.