I made the choice to buy Crisco for seasoning my cast-iron pans (vs.
olive oil, lard, etc), so I bought a large can of it at BJ's ($5+). I
will use it solely for seasoning and as I haven't used it in years,
and will probably keep the can of Crisco for years for this use, I'm
wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
(does Crisco turn rancid?) if it will make the cast-iron have a rancid
taste - Yuk!

Please don't tell me if I'm worried, to freeze it -- I won't do
it! :-))
Dee

Dee Dee said...

> I made the choice to buy Crisco for seasoning my cast-iron pans (vs.
> olive oil, lard, etc), so I bought a large can of it at BJ's ($5+). I
> will use it solely for seasoning and as I haven't used it in years,
> and will probably keep the can of Crisco for years for this use, I'm
> wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
> (does Crisco turn rancid?) if it will make the cast-iron have a rancid
> taste - Yuk!
>
> Please don't tell me if I'm worried, to freeze it -- I won't do
> it! :-))
> Dee


Dee,

http://www.crisco.com/about/faqs.asp#1

Andy

--
"Et tu, Crème Brûlée?"
--Orange Julius Caesar Salad Dressing

"Dee Dee" > wrote:
>I made the choice to buy Crisco for seasoning my cast-iron pans (vs.
> olive oil, lard, etc), so I bought a large can of it at BJ's ($5+). I
> will use it solely for seasoning and as I haven't used it in years,
> and will probably keep the can of Crisco for years for this use, I'm
> wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
> (does Crisco turn rancid?) if it will make the cast-iron have a rancid
> taste - Yuk!

Crisco does eventually go rancid, even if stored in the refrigerator. I
believe it will last longer though, the cooler it is stored. That's where I
keep mine. I primarily use it for pie crusts. One day I was making a pie
crust and something just didn't smell right. It didn't occur to me
immediately where the odor was coming from. Then I smelled inside the Crisco
can... rancid!

I don't think rancid Crisco would have any effect on seasoning cast iron,
but it might smell more while you are "curing" the pan in the oven. When
done, it should be fine, I would think.

You must have an awful lot of cast iron, or plan on reseasoning on a
frequent basis. I can't imagine using up a normal sized can of shortening (3
lb) in a lifetime on reseasoning alone. The standard can sizes I'm aware of
are 1 lb and 3 lb. What size can did you get?

Just as a side note... the trans fat free Crisco disappeared from my
supermarket a while back, and I thought it was poor inventory control by the
supermarket. Turns out the green label trans fat free product has been
discontinued, and now all Crisco shortening is trans fat free. I read that
in the food section of the paper (Washington Post) yesterday, and saw
there's a press release on the Crisco web site about it too.

--
( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )

On Feb 1, 1:08 pm, "wff_ng_7" > wrote:
> "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> >I made the choice to buy Crisco for seasoning my cast-iron pans (vs.
> > olive oil, lard, etc), so I bought a large can of it at BJ's ($5+). I
> > will use it solely for seasoning and as I haven't used it in years,
> > and will probably keep the can of Crisco for years for this use, I'm
> > wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
> > (does Crisco turn rancid?) if it will make the cast-iron have a rancid
> > taste - Yuk!
>
> Crisco does eventually go rancid, even if stored in the refrigerator. I
> believe it will last longer though, the cooler it is stored. That's where I
> keep mine. I primarily use it for pie crusts. One day I was making a pie
> crust and something just didn't smell right. It didn't occur to me
> immediately where the odor was coming from. Then I smelled inside the Crisco
> can... rancid!
>
> I don't think rancid Crisco would have any effect on seasoning cast iron,
> but it might smell more while you are "curing" the pan in the oven. When
> done, it should be fine, I would think.
>
> You must have an awful lot of cast iron, or plan on reseasoning on a
> frequent basis. I can't imagine using up a normal sized can of shortening (3
> lb) in a lifetime on reseasoning alone. The standard can sizes I'm aware of
> are 1 lb and 3 lb. What size can did you get?
>
> Just as a side note... the trans fat free Crisco disappeared from my
> supermarket a while back, and I thought it was poor inventory control by the
> supermarket. Turns out the green label trans fat free product has been
> discontinued, and now all Crisco shortening is trans fat free. I read that
> in the food section of the paper (Washington Post) yesterday, and saw
> there's a press release on the Crisco web site about it too.
>
> --
> ( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )

Thanks Andy, and thanks wff for your thoughtful answer.

Thanks for the WP newspaper article, which I just found and in part
says this:
"Trans fat-free Crisco shortening was introduced to consumers in 2004
but was discontinued because of production and performance
problems."

and I understand from your reference to
http://www.crisco.com/whatsnew/press_releases.asp
that it no longer will be shipped containing the transfat.

Very interesting: my 6# can which has an expiration date of Aug 24,
2008 and has a Total fat content for 1 Tablespoon serving of 12g, of
which1.5g is transfat. It says on the blue labeled can "Partially
Hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils, mono-and diglycerides."

I certainly would have preferred to waited. I may just try to return
this if they will take it back. It all depends who is working the
'return' section whether or not they will take something back without
a bunch of tailspinning.

6# -- well, I looked at it this way -- I was in BJ's killing some time
between a dental appointment and I picked up 10# of KA flour, saving
money of course, costing $.449 a lb. I knew that if I went to a
regular grocery store a 3# can (which is what I probably would have
bought) would have cost me almost as much. With BJ's and Costco, I
feel I can break even over buying a product in a regular grocery
store, even if I throw out a third. So, it was there. I definitely
would've preferred to buy the transfat as I would've tried a pie using
it, instead of lard, just to see how it turned out.

I don't have a lot of cast iron to be seasoned, but DH hasn't a knack
for seasoning and without my supervision (tee hee), I wonder how many
re-seasonings will have to be done before it comes out to MY
satisfaction. :-))

Thanks for the information. I'm a little ticked off for not waiting
for the honest-to-goodness NEW Crisco.
Dee

"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
> I don't have a lot of cast iron to be seasoned, but DH hasn't a knack
> for seasoning and without my supervision (tee hee), I wonder how many
> re-seasonings will have to be done before it comes out to MY
> satisfaction. :-))

Once seasoned, the cast iron is good for decades of use with no
re-seasoning. Find out what you are doing wrong and you never need Crisco
again. I just made pork chops in two pans tonight. They are at least 20
and 30 years old and have never been re-seasoned since new.

On Feb 2, 11:42 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
> "Dee Dee" > wrote in message
> > I don't have a lot of cast iron to be seasoned, but DH hasn't a knack
> > for seasoning and without my supervision (tee hee), I wonder how many
> > re-seasonings will have to be done before it comes out to MY
> > satisfaction. :-))
>
> Once seasoned, the cast iron is good for decades of use with no
> re-seasoning. Find out what you are doing wrong and you never need Crisco
> again. I just made pork chops in two pans tonight. They are at least 20
> and 30 years old and have never been re-seasoned since new.


Ed, referring to your making pork chops, what I am doing wrong is
this: I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
in the oven after washing them?).
Thanks.
Dee

On 2 Feb 2007 22:10:09 -0800, "Dee Dee" > wrote:

>On Feb 2, 11:42 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:

>> Once seasoned, the cast iron is good for decades of use with no
>> re-seasoning. Find out what you are doing wrong and you never need Crisco
>> again. I just made pork chops in two pans tonight. They are at least 20
>> and 30 years old and have never been re-seasoned since new.
>
>... I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
>that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
>I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
>enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
>in the oven after washing them?).

Guess I'm in between you two. For most use (like the Lobel's veal tenderloins
last night), my cast iron pans get swabbed clean with a tablespoon or two of
kosher salt and a paper towel, then a quick, very hot-water rinse. If they've
had something acidic in them, like a red wine sauce made after the meat is
seared, I add a quick, thin coat of Crisco (one finger, fifteen seconds). Then
they either go into a 325-350 F oven (if it's already hot) or onto a medium
burner for 15 minutes or so, then turn either off and let the pan cool in place.

I store my cast iron pans nested with a sheet of wax paper in between.

In ten years or so of using these Griswolds, I've never had to re-do the initial
seasoning on any of them.

-- Larry

"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
>
> Ed, referring to your making pork chops, what I am doing wrong is
> this: I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
> that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
> I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
> enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
> in the oven after washing them?).
> Thanks.
> Dee

If you are germaphobic, nothing I suggest will help much. The bacteria is
long gone during the cooking process. The pan is well over the temperatures
used in sterilization, pots are boiling.

I drain any leftover grease in the pan, then wash it under hot water using a
paper towel. If something is burnt onto the pan, I just leave it on the
stove to soak with some water in it and wash it later using the same method.
I'll sometimes use the sponge with the green scrubbie stuff on it.

Once washed, they are just left to dry. No added heat, no rust as they are
well seasoned. When you season a pan, the oil polymerizes and forms a
coating that protects the iron. You should have a nice smooth, black
coating both inside and outside of the cast iron. No one has ever gotten
sick from food poisoning in my house.

On Feb 4, 12:21 am, "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
> "Dee Dee" > wrote in message
>
> > Ed, referring to your making pork chops, what I am doing wrong is
> > this: I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
> > that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
> > I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
> > enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
> > in the oven after washing them?).
> > Thanks.
> > Dee
>
> If you are germaphobic, nothing I suggest will help much. The bacteria is
> long gone during the cooking process. The pan is well over the temperatures
> used in sterilization, pots are boiling.
>
> I drain any leftover grease in the pan, then wash it under hot water using a
> paper towel. If something is burnt onto the pan, I just leave it on the
> stove to soak with some water in it and wash it later using the same method.
> I'll sometimes use the sponge with the green scrubbie stuff on it.
>
> Once washed, they are just left to dry. No added heat, no rust as they are
> well seasoned. When you season a pan, the oil polymerizes and forms a
> coating that protects the iron. You should have a nice smooth, black
> coating both inside and outside of the cast iron. No one has ever gotten
> sick from food poisoning in my house.

Thank you. Good advice from both of you and Larry. I have tried more
on the order of Larry's way, seasoning off an on as he does, putting
it in the oven to dry, too, but as I've used soap many times, always
getting left behind. DH is a fan of salt with the egg skillet.

Thanks again,
Dee

On 2 Feb 2007 22:10:09 -0800, "Dee Dee" > wrote:

>On Feb 2, 11:42 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
>> "Dee Dee" > wrote in message
>> > I don't have a lot of cast iron to be seasoned, but DH hasn't a knack
>> > for seasoning and without my supervision (tee hee), I wonder how many
>> > re-seasonings will have to be done before it comes out to MY
>> > satisfaction. :-))
>>
>> Once seasoned, the cast iron is good for decades of use with no
>> re-seasoning. Find out what you are doing wrong and you never need Crisco
>> again. I just made pork chops in two pans tonight. They are at least 20
>> and 30 years old and have never been re-seasoned since new.
>
>
>Ed, referring to your making pork chops, what I am doing wrong is
>this: I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
>that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
>I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
>enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
>in the oven after washing them?).
>Thanks.
>Dee
>
>
>

If you're that afraid (or anal ), stop using cast iron and get
some good non-stick pans - or stainless if you like to have good fond
develop. If you have to wash with soap and scrub after each use, you
will never have seasoned cast iron. Seasoning develops over time as
fat and yes food particles work down into the pores in the cast iron
to form that smooth, shiny, black, non-stick surface. Since soap (I
assume you're actually using detergent) is designed to dissolve and
remove fat, that will never happen to your cast iron.

Enjoy cooking with whatever pots and pans make you happy!

- Mark

On Feb 4, 12:43 pm, wrote:
> On 2 Feb 2007 22:10:09 -0800, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >On Feb 2, 11:42 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
> >> "Dee Dee" > wrote in message
> >> > I don't have a lot of cast iron to be seasoned, but DH hasn't a knack
> >> > for seasoning and without my supervision (tee hee), I wonder how many
> >> > re-seasonings will have to be done before it comes out to MY
> >> > satisfaction. :-))
>
> >> Once seasoned, the cast iron is good for decades of use with no
> >> re-seasoning. Find out what you are doing wrong and you never need Crisco
> >> again. I just made pork chops in two pans tonight. They are at least 20
> >> and 30 years old and have never been re-seasoned since new.
>
> >Ed, referring to your making pork chops, what I am doing wrong is
> >this: I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
> >that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
> >I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
> >enough to destroy bacteria. (How high heat do you dry out your pots
> >in the oven after washing them?).
> >Thanks.
> >Dee
>
> If you're that afraid (or anal ), stop using cast iron and get
> some good non-stick pans - or stainless if you like to have good fond
> develop. If you have to wash with soap and scrub after each use, you
> will never have seasoned cast iron. Seasoning develops over time as
> fat and yes food particles work down into the pores in the cast iron
> to form that smooth, shiny, black, non-stick surface. Since soap (I
> assume you're actually using detergent) is designed to dissolve and
> remove fat, that will never happen to your cast iron.
>
> Enjoy cooking with whatever pots and pans make you happy!
>
> - Mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks for your advice.
Appreciated.
Dee

On Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:43:50 -0500, wrote:

>On 2 Feb 2007 22:10:09 -0800, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> I cannot rinse out with or without a brush and no soap any pot
>>that meat (and veggies) has cooked in. I would not put away other pot
>>I own without washing it with soap, and hoping that high heat would be
>>enough to destroy bacteria.

>If you're that afraid (or anal ), stop using cast iron

I vote for anal-obsessive. She must have had very strict toilet
training.
------------
There are no atheists in foxholes
or in Fenway Park in an extra inning
game.
____

Cape Cod Bob

Delete the two "spam"s for email

In article . com>,
"Dee Dee" > wrote:

> wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
> (does Crisco turn rancid?)
> Dee

It will become rancid. IMO it's a false economy to buy a bucketload
because it's cheap and then throw it out because it's gone bad. Buy
what you need for the job.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - Winter pic and a snow pic
http://jamlady.eboard.com
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

In article .com>,
"Dee Dee" > wrote:

> iit in the oven to dry, too, but as I've used soap many times, always
> getting left behind. DH is a fan of salt with the egg skillet.


I never use soap on my two pieces of cast iron -- a small skillet for
eggs and a griddle for bacon, pancakes, hash browns. My bacon has been
leaving a wretched mess behind (I suspect there is substantial sugar in
the cure) and I've had to scrape with a metal spatula before scouring
with some salt and a little oil. I use paper toweling for scouring.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - Winter pic and a snow pic
http://jamlady.eboard.com
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

On Feb 1, 12:06 pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> I made the choice to buy Crisco for seasoning my cast-iron pans (vs.
> olive oil, lard, etc), so I bought a large can of it at BJ's ($5+). I
> will use it solely for seasoning and as I haven't used it in years,
> and will probably keep the can of Crisco for years for this use, I'm
> wondering whether to refrigerate it. I don't know if it turns rancid
> (does Crisco turn rancid?) if it will make the cast-iron have a rancid
> taste - Yuk!
>
> Please don't tell me if I'm worried, to freeze it -- I won't do
> it! :-))
> Dee

the finest potracks in the world can be found at http://www.modernblacksmith.com