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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

This article has a good explanation of why flax oil might be one of the
better oils to use to season cast iron:

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/

I tried it for the first time today, and I'm getting a "mottling" effect on
the bottom of the pan. There are some spotty sections where it looks like
the oil is glossy instead of matte. Maybe the oil did not burn off
entirely, but the pan did stop smoking. How do I get a nice even matte
finish?

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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

On Fri, 10 Jan 2014 23:23:17 -0800, "W" >
wrote:

> This article has a good explanation of why flax oil might be one of the
> better oils to use to season cast iron:
>
> http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/
>
> I tried it for the first time today, and I'm getting a "mottling" effect on
> the bottom of the pan. There are some spotty sections where it looks like
> the oil is glossy instead of matte. Maybe the oil did not burn off
> entirely, but the pan did stop smoking. How do I get a nice even matte
> finish?


Use your pan and add a new coat with every use. The outside of your
pan does not need as much attention as the inside surface that you
cook on and subsequently clean does.

If you think people 150+ years ago gave a second thought to which
fat/oil to use when seasoning their cast iron pans, I'd like a hit of
whatever it is you're smoking.

--
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 10 Jan 2014 23:23:17 -0800, "W" >
> wrote:
> > This article has a good explanation of why flax oil might be one of the
> > better oils to use to season cast iron:
> >
> >

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/
> >
> > I tried it for the first time today, and I'm getting a "mottling" effect

on
> > the bottom of the pan. There are some spotty sections where it looks

like
> > the oil is glossy instead of matte. Maybe the oil did not burn off
> > entirely, but the pan did stop smoking. How do I get a nice even

matte
> > finish?

>
> Use your pan and add a new coat with every use. The outside of your
> pan does not need as much attention as the inside surface that you
> cook on and subsequently clean does.


I sand down the existing seasoning with salt, and then I water-wipe (no
soap) that and heat the cast iron pan to about 150F to get all water out.

I applied the flax to the heated pan, and the trick there is to wipe off all
of the excess oil. You want an oil layer to be barely present.

Then set oven to 500F and bake one hour, turn oven off, and let settle in
oven one more hour.

That formula seems to do it for seasoning. Some people might want to
repeat above cycle up to five more times.

Between uses, I'm finding that a initial scrub in water (no soap) using
chain mail scrubbers gets off any big pieces. Wipe clean, and then apply
avocado oil with salt mixed in. The salt completely wears off any
remaining residue, and the oil acts as additional seasoning and protects the
pan until next use. I use avocado for this instead of flax because the oil
is not burning off and I might eat some of it in next meal with that pan.
Avocado has a super high smoke point and is a decent, healthy
monounsaturated fat. That is in contrast to flax, which has a low smoke
point and is very very unstable polyunsaturated fat.


> If you think people 150+ years ago gave a second thought to which
> fat/oil to use when seasoning their cast iron pans, I'd like a hit of
> whatever it is you're smoking.


Those same people probably had a smoke before and after the wood burning
fire on which they deposited nice carcinogens on their cast iron pots.
Just because they had less information doesn't mean they make better
decisions.

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W


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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

On Sat, 11 Jan 2014 18:04:36 -0800, "W" >
wrote:

> Those same people probably had a smoke before and after the wood burning
> fire on which they deposited nice carcinogens on their cast iron pots.
> Just because they had less information doesn't mean they make better
> decisions.


And in spite of all that their pans developed a nice nonstick surface.

--
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

In article >,
> wrote:

> Between uses, I'm finding that a initial scrub in water (no soap) using
> chain mail scrubbers gets off any big pieces.


I've used and abused black iron pans nearly all my life. I find that
cleaning them is easiest with a non soapy rag, hot running water and
the pan fresh off the fire or hot out of the oven. Don't dilly dally.
Use a oven mitt and clean it right after food removal before doing
anything else at all. Seasoning stays put unless you use it for acidic
foods like tomatoes.

leo


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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

On Sun, 12 Jan 2014 19:58:43 -0800, Leonard Blaisdell
> wrote:

> In article >,
> > wrote:
>
> > Between uses, I'm finding that a initial scrub in water (no soap) using
> > chain mail scrubbers gets off any big pieces.

>
> I've used and abused black iron pans nearly all my life. I find that
> cleaning them is easiest with a non soapy rag, hot running water and
> the pan fresh off the fire or hot out of the oven. Don't dilly dally.
> Use a oven mitt and clean it right after food removal before doing
> anything else at all. Seasoning stays put unless you use it for acidic
> foods like tomatoes.
>

Oh, come on Leonard! If you clean a hot cast iron pan while it's
still hot, you're going to remove a certain amount of seasoning. Not
saying you have to wait until it's cold, but it's not very smart to
pull it off the stove and pour water on it (hot or not).


--
"Corporations aren't people, they're Republicans"
(Rev Al Sharpton 10/7/2011)
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

In article >, sf
> wrote:

> Oh, come on Leonard! If you clean a hot cast iron pan while it's
> still hot, you're going to remove a certain amount of seasoning. Not
> saying you have to wait until it's cold, but it's not very smart to
> pull it off the stove and pour water on it (hot or not).


It will remove some seasoning, but the pan will come clean
slick-as-a-whistle. Fry a steak in it, and you won't notice a
difference. Fry an egg and you probably will. I use a nonstick for
eggs. Good cast iron pans (I inherited my ancient ones) don't crack
with the shock.
You made me google this self-serving website. I agree with the cast
iron part. I have no opinion on the rest.
<http://cooking.stackexchange.com/que...thermal-shock-
affect-pans-made-of-different-materials>
Checking more...
<http://theinductionsite.com/inductio...e-seasoning.sh
tml> is iffy to my claim.
I was not precise. I didn't mean ceramic cast iron. I meant for one to
do the cleanup with hot running water and not immersion. I've cleaned
precisely as stated a thousand times at minimum.
IMO, good cast iron pans are bulletproof for cooking. They don't even
warp with the ravages that I put them through. They're black as coal on
the outside and various shades of black on the inside. All experience
hot water rinse with a un-soaped cloth as a cleanup and nothing else
while still hot. The hottest I cook is high on the hob and 450 degrees
on a electric stove. They probably hit the stream of hot water at
around 250-300 degrees.
I'm unlikely to change the procedure. Pray for me.

leo
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

On Sun, 12 Jan 2014 22:58:45 -0800, Leonard Blaisdell
> wrote:

> I'm unlikely to change the procedure. Pray for me.


<G> I'll try to remember.

--
"Corporations aren't people, they're Republicans"
(Rev Al Sharpton 10/7/2011)
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil


On Fri, 10 Jan 2014 23:23:17 -0800, "W" >
wrote:

>This article has a good explanation of why flax oil might be one of the
>better oils to use to season cast iron:
>
>http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/
>
>I tried it for the first time today, and I'm getting a "mottling" effect on
>the bottom of the pan. There are some spotty sections where it looks like
>the oil is glossy instead of matte. Maybe the oil did not burn off
>entirely, but the pan did stop smoking. How do I get a nice even matte
>finish?



I have purchased several pieces of very nasty looking cast iron over
the years. The first thing I do is run them through the self-cleaning
cycle of my oven. Then I put a thin coat of shortening such as Crisco
on it and heat it up, but not as hot. They are not exactly non-stick
but a small amount of grease when cooking keeps them clean.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)
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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> I clean my cast iron (only two pieces, a
> small skillet and an 11" griddle) with vegetable oil and salt, scrubbed
> with a paper towel. I almost never use water in them.


Thanks for that bit of advice, Barb. I'll try that. Plain salt,
right?

G.


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Default Cleaning Cast Iron with Flax Oil

On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 15:22:46 -0500, Gary > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >
> > I clean my cast iron (only two pieces, a
> > small skillet and an 11" griddle) with vegetable oil and salt, scrubbed
> > with a paper towel. I almost never use water in them.

>
> Thanks for that bit of advice, Barb. I'll try that. Plain salt,
> right?
>

Use regular table salt, or whatever you've got on hand.



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