TXNewbie
Full Fledged Farker
Here is the link to the CI article:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron
Here is the link to the CI article:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron
Here is the link to the CI article:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron
First learned of flax seed oil about 20 years ago. Cold-pressed was considered a nutritional supplement, high in omega-3 fatty acids. Health food stores sold it out of refrigerated cases. Was actually very good mixed in with cottage cheese.
No idea where someone came up with the idea to use it to season cast iron. Completely wrong, just like ever other vegetable oil (including Crisco) suggested for that purpose. All vegetable oils go rancid over time just sitting in a bottle. To think any of them would be good to season cast iron would be foolish.
Lard, tallow, duck fat. Stick with any of those to season cast iron and your cookware will be fine.
I would guess that at least 8 out of 10 regular cast iron users, would agree that this method, is not as good as traditional seasoning, and is much more of a pain in the a$$. Just do a google search for using flax oil for seasoning.
That is the article I followed to the letter. The only difference was that I did 10 coats instead of 5. Total fail.
I have been a CI subscriber since the late 90's. They have lots of credibility with me, but this time they failed.
If you use a skillet often lard is fine but if its months between cooks or longer animal fats will turn rancid where as vegetable oil wont,I have a lot and some don't get used for years some times due to various reasons,I have 1 cornbread skillet that stays in great shape and never had to redo the finish,cooking with water will remover any finish if it takes very long to cook. Making gravy will strip the finish off if not for a certain amount of fat in the mix,I use soap and water to wash but its a quick bath and no soaking because dawn will strip all the hard carbon off.no method is forever or foolproof you just have to pick 1 that works the best for you.also I hit the range after a wash and get temp up then reoil lightly
Vegetable oil was not meant for cast iron. None of them do well with high heat.If you use a skillet often lard is fine but if its months between cooks or longer animal fats will turn rancid where as vegetable oil wont,I have a lot and some don't get used for years some times due to various reasons,I have 1 cornbread skillet that stays in great shape and never had to redo the finish,cooking with water will remover any finish if it takes very long to cook. Making gravy will strip the finish off if not for a certain amount of fat in the mix,I use soap and water to wash but its a quick bath and no soaking because dawn will strip all the hard carbon off.no method is forever or foolproof you just have to pick 1 that works the best for you.also I hit the range after a wash and get temp up then reoil lightly
Luck...?Maybe the issues was either using 10 coats - twice the recommended amount (so not quite following the article to the letter), or they were still too thick.
I understand it didn't work for you and respect that. Out of my group of cooking guy friends (11 of us), only 1 had issues with the FSO method. The rest of us love/have had great luck with it.
Luck...?
Do you sell flaxseed oil for a living?