Seasoning cast iron with flaxseed oil

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
21

Ideally, yes. Clean down to bare metal and re-season.

22

I’ve found that in in my pre- flax-seed seasoning days when I used the CI pan on the gas grill ( blackened catfish) it would shed some black flakes. I always attributed it to built up food on the pan (mostly on the sides) and to the very high heat I would use to blacken the fish. In prepping the pan for refinishing, I baked it for an hour or so on the gas grill at high heat and it removed most of the gunk from the pan. then a coat or two of Easy-Off and then sanding.

23

The old timer’s way to clean them was to build a big fire and throw the pans in the fire making sure to shovel some hot coals into the pans. Then give them a good scrubbing to remove the residue and re-season. My method is similar to above using the propane burner (crawfish cooker/turkey fryer). I clean my infrared grill grates the same way.

I haven’t done the flax seed yet, because all of mine are seasoned well and haven’t gotten screwed up. Although my FIL’s caregiver did grab one and put it in the dishwasher. I rescued it before it was turned on.

Big key is after use to throw them in the turned off hot oven. This makes sure that they are dried thoroughly without having to remember to turn off a burner.

24

Not that I have an interest (ceramic cooktop), but couldn’t you get a very good pre-clean by tossing the cast iron into your oven and then run the oven’s cleaning cycle?

25

Not something I’d thought of before reading the article linked above by Mitch, but the author (who seems to have done her homework & then some) suggests that the cleaning cycle is hot enough that there is perhaps some risk of warping cast iron. Interesting question.

As an aside, I read the entire article & all the questions/comments that followed & I’m wondering if my problem is that I layered too much oil on the pan, resulting in a coating that is too thick. I think I’m going to start over. There are enough positive comments about the flax seed approach that it must be something I did that made my results different…

26

i’m doing the flaxseed seasoning process now. My deBuyer iron fry pan is in the oven for the self cleaning cycle at the moment to get rid of the old saffola oil gunk.

27

Nothing like that smell. :slight_smile:

28

Baking on the flaxseed oil is no run thru the rose garden either…

29

Yeah… I didn’t run the fan while baking on the first coat. I was made aware of the error of my ways about 45 minutes in when I walked into the kitchen. [swoon.gif]

30

After 6 coats I gave my de buyer mineral pan a test run with scrambled eggs.
Perfectly non stick.
The outside of the pan is darker than the inside.

31

I just live with the soot.

32

Suzanne, is that a wok?

33

Mark - I think Suzanne’s pan is this one:

Williams-Sonoma sells it for $89, but I found it above for $40.

34

I believe the one Williams-Sonoma sells for $89 is actually this pan:
http://www.peachsuite.com/abp-5614-32/eurodib-usa-5614-32-de-buyer-mineral-round-country-pan-5614-32.html

35

Oops! You’re right. But when I went to search for it again… I came up with this one:
http://www.peachsuite.com/abp-5514-32/eurodib-usa-5514-32-de-buyer-mineral-round-country-pan-5514-32.html?gclid=CNCI0877-7wCFexcMgodK0kAjQ&kwid=productads-plaid^88090574939-sku^ABP@ADL45514.32-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^39976345739

It has the same model number as the one in your link, but is $82.04 vs. $109. [scratch.gif]

36

I’d guess they are in fact different sizes but their webpage sure doesn’t make anything clear!

37

amazon.com is also your friend for debuyer pans. prices change on there all the time though so shop accordingly.

38

And are they significantly better than the French steel pans I used to buy at Zabar’s?

I’ve seen that brand name thrown around as though it has some cache…(like Coach).

[wow.gif]

39

not really. just a thick mineral steel pan with riveted handle.

40

What is “mineral steel”?