My good and local friend Jami is guest posting today, sharing about the amazing new technique she found for seasoning cast iron. Her “new” cast iron pans are beautiful and boast a hard, non-stick surface! Thanks, Jami!
Edit: 2/29/2012 I use this method for all my cast iron now and it is fantastic! I demonstrate this seasoning method in the March 2012 thank you video and I share three cooking tips in this free YouTube video.
The following information is based on the article, The Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning, posted on Sheryl’s Blog. In her blog she writes:
“The seasoning on cast iron is formed by fat polymerization, fat polymerization is maximized with a drying oil, and flaxseed oil is the only drying oil that’s edible.”
She goes into all the science behind seasoning of cast iron, but the gist of this is – that the use of cold-pressed, unrefined, organic flaxseed oil, with its low smoke point, is the best for achieving a hard, slick, lasting finish on cast iron. So that’s what we are going to use…..
“It’s possible to use a suboptimal oil for seasoning, like Crisco or bacon drippings, and still end up with a usable pan. Many (most) people do this. But the seasoning will be relatively soft, not as nonstick, and will tend to wear off. If you want the hardest, slickest seasoning possible, use the right oil: flaxseed oil.”
I followed the seasoning recommendation for using flax seed oil with my always-sticking cast iron pans, and I’m thrilled with the results! Here is how I did it . . .
The Science
When cooking, we don’t want the oils we use to get to the point of smoking, because then they release free radicals which are carcinogenic. This is called the smoke point. I will add a chart of various oil’s smoke points at the end of this article.
With seasoning, hitting the smoke point and going beyond that is exactly what we want. We want the oil to become so heated that a chemical reaction occurs (polymerization), which changes the oil into a sealant of sorts. So the science of seasoning with oil is the opposite of the science of cooking with oil. We want our flax seed oil to be in the open pours of our cast iron pans when it changes into a sealant.
Supplies
- Steel kitchen pad, used for scrubbing pans
- Good, thick oven mitts
- Paper towels, or Cotton cloth
- High grade, organic flax seed oil* – should be refrigerated and fresh; check the expiration date.
PLEASE NOTE: You should never use the flax seed oil for your cooking when using heat because it smokes at very low temperatures, releasing free radicals which can get into your food. However, this oil is very good for you when consumed unheated like in salad dressings and such.
Cleaning Old Cast Iron
It was suggested that if your pan is very badly coated with stuck on gunk you can use oven cleaner to ‘strip it’ and start fresh from bare iron. This reminds me of the old advise of throwing a really bad pan into a very hot fire and burn the stuff off. Of course oven cleaner is composed of harsh chemicals so use this tip at your own discretion and with great caution. I went a different route that worked just as well for me.
What I Did: Cleaning Old Pans For Re-Seasoning
I set my “everything sticks” cast iron pan on a burner and heated it (FYI – I have a glass stove top). I heated the pan, old oil, bits of burnt food and all for a couple of minutes on a medium temperature . . . Then I took my steel kitchen pad and began to scrub all that old gunk off the inside of the pan with the heat still on. I scrubbed the inside walls also, but not as vigorous as they were not as bad. I watched as everything started loosening and coming off.
Next, I put my warm pan on it’s side, under hot water to rinse it all that stuff off. Using a stiff kitchen brush to scrub as the hot water ran over my pan. I put the pan back on the burner, turned off the heat and wiped it dry and clean with paper towels, leaving it there to completely dry and then cool. Success! I was left with a dry-grey looking pan with no seasoning on the inside. If you have food stuck on the handle, bottom or outside of your pan you’ll need to clean and re-season those areas as well.
If you have a pan you just purchased new – heat on your stove, add some oil and continue with my process outlined above for cleaning off that factory pre-seasoning. The factory seasoning is soft and will not last long. Also sometimes what the manufacture uses to finish the pans can be questionable. This is especially true if you buy foreign made, pre-seasoned cast iron pans – so it’s the a very good to just start fresh from the bare iron.
The Best Process For Re-Seasoning Cast Iron
Seems like everything having to do with cast iron starts with heating; this is no exception.
Step 1: Pre-heat your pan to 200°F in your oven to open its pores and remove all moisture for about 10 -15 minutes, or when the pan looks dry and your sure it’s warmed up.
Step 2: Get your flax seed oil from the fridge and shake it really well to mix the contents. Then remove the pan from the oven using a good oven mitt and sit it on your stove-top. Squirt about a quarter size drop of oil (for large skillet) in the pan and using your hand, or utensil rub this into the pan all over. Be sure to get every crack, and be generous. As you do this the pan will be cooling off so using your fingers lightly will become more doable. The pan will have a very shiny appearance at this point.
Step 3: Now wipe all that oil off with paper towels or a non-fuzzy cotton cloth. YES, all of it! It will look dull and no longer shiny, like all the flax oil is gone, but it isn’t. A very thin layer remains, and that’s exactly what you want. You are going to bake (polymerize) this oil into the pores of the pan, thereby sealing them.
Step 4: Now turn up your oven to its highest temp – mine went to 450°F (anywhere between 400 – 500 is good). Place your wiped-off pan upside down into the oven. You shouldn’t need any foil to catch drippings, because there had better not be enough oil left to drip! When your oven comes up to temp set a timer for one hour. At the end of an hour, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Let the pan cool inside the oven, about 1 hour, or until it’s cooled enough to handle. The pan will come out of the oven a little darker, but matte in appearance – not the semi-gloss you’re aiming for. It needs more coats. In fact, it needs at least six coats.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 1 through 4 five more times.
Note: During your first seasoning session, the pan will smoke a lot, so be ready to open windows or use fans as needed. Soon the smoking will be finished and the rest of the time the polymerizing will have no smell/smoke. The first smoking is not just the flax seed oil but also some of the old stuff on the bottom of the pan that didn’t get removed completely. Every session beyond the first will not smoke as bad.
Care And Cleaning Of Newly Seasoned Cast Iron
Most of the time I only have to wipe out my pans with paper towels. Other times I use either a wet-method or my dry-method for cleaning depending on how stuck-on the mess is.
NOTE: For best results with keeping your cast iron clear always clean your pans while they are warm, just after using!
When sticky sauces and such have been cooked I will run hot water over the pan and scrub it with a non-stick pad or brush at the same time. Then I place the pan back on the still warm burner and wipe dry with a paper towel. I look for a semi-shiny finish with no dull spots.
At times you may see some dull areas on the bottom of your pan. This is a very small amount of cooked on food/oil. You remove this by scrubbing your pan while it’s warm on the burner with a steal kitchen scrub pad and some oil – either the left over oil from whatever you were just cooking or a bit of new oil. Scrub until your steal pad slides smooth on the surface and you no longer see or feel any raised areas. Wipe out completely with paper towels and allow to cool. Now look at your pan – the finish should look semi-gloss again, no dull spots, and it should appear smooth. At least as smooth as cast iron can be.
You can see the nice semi-gloss finish this process puts on a pan from this picture above.
I have to add that the entire experience was very straight forward and easy.I’m no longer tense over re-seasoning cast iron. I hope you will give this a try and have the same great results I’ve had.
Blessings,
Jami
Are you willing to give this a try? Do you have cast iron pans that could use some TLC? –Wardee
Please consider guest posting at gnowfglins.com! See this post for more details and then contact me.
Smoke Points Of Various Oils
| Fat | Quality | Smoke Point | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond oil | 420°F | 216°C | |
| Avocado oil | 520°F | 271°C | |
| Butter | 350°F | 177°C | |
| Canola oil | Expeller Press | 464°F | 240°C |
| Canola oil | High Oleic | 475°F | 246°C |
| Canola oil | Refined | 470°F | 240°C |
| Coconut oil | Unrefined | 350°F | 177°C |
| Coconut oil | Refined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Corn oil | Unrefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Corn oil | Refined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Cottonseed oil | 420°F | 216°C | |
| Flax seed oil | Unrefined | 225°F | 107°C |
| Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter) | 485°F | 252°C | |
| Grapeseed oil | 420°F | 216°C | |
| Hazelnut oil | 430°F | 221°C | |
| Hemp oil | 330°F | 165°C | |
| Lard | 370°F | 182°C | |
| Macadamia oil | 413°F | 210°C | |
| Olive oil | Extra virgin | 375°F | 191°C |
| Olive oil | Virgin | 420°F | 216°C |
| Olive oil | Pomace | 460°F | 238°C |
| Olive oil | Extra light | 468°F | 242°C |
| Olive oil, high quality (low acidity) | Extra virgin | 405°F | 207°C |
| Palm oil | Difractionated | 455°F | 235°C |
| Peanut oil | Unrefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Peanut oil | Refined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Rice bran oil | 490°F | 254°C | |
| Safflower oil | Unrefined | 225°F | 107°C |
| Safflower oil | Semirefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Safflower oil | Refined | 510°F | 266°C |
| Sesame oil | Unrefined | 350°F | 177°C |
| Sesame oil | Semirefined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Soybean oil | Unrefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Soybean oil | Semirefined | 350°F | 177°C |
| Soybean oil | Refined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Sunflower oil | Unrefined | 225°F | 107°C |
| Sunflower oil | Semirefined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Sunflower oil, high oleic | Unrefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Sunflower oil | Refined | 450°F | 232°C |
| Tea seed oil | 485°F | 252°C | |
| Vegetable shortening | 360°F | 182°C | |
| Walnut oil | Unrefined | 320°F | 160°C |
| Walnut oil | Semirefined | 400°F | 204°C |
I’m sharing this post in Fight Back Friday! hosted by FoodRenegade.
About Jami
New: 
Two hard 'g's and stress the middle syllable. 
I’d say just heat on the stove top, add some animal fat – lard, butter, whatever and rub it in good with a paper towel.
Then see how it works . . . .
I would think the polymerized oil in the pores would still be good, but if not (Mom could have a mean scrubbing arm) one re-season should get it back.
Keep us updating on how it turns out.
All the best
Hi Jami – this is brilliant – thanks for posting!
Just a question – do you oil the pan again after washing in water? Normally this is the standard advice for maintenance of cast iron pans. Or is the seasoning so tough it doesn’t need oiling after washing?
I’m in Australia and cast iron isn’t big here – except for Le Creuset etc. I bought a few Lodge cast iron pans through ebay, and am just loving them. However I have found that the seasoning is quite soft, and I have redone it in the oven with coconut oil, and also with lard. So I’m very keen to strip them back and re-do with flax oil.
I’m also really jealous of all you in the US who can find antique cast iron in thrift shops. They are very rare here, and the shipping cost is a killer.
Thanks heaps
Jane
Hi Jane,
Yes that’s what I do – I place my CI pans back on the warm stove top after washing with water and then add a bit of fat and rub it all over. Remember a good seasoning is not like a coating substance (i.e. non stick ware) it’s a sealing, and so you will still need added oils/fats most of the time when cooking. This fat addition after washing is that sit on top fat that helps your foods turn out just right.
I’m sorry to hear about your lack of cast iron situation. Seems like a big company that ships goods in anyway needs to be convinced to carry cast iron down under. Maybe a little research, and organizing a group of people who want cast iron would open this market up.
I don’t suppose tourist and their carry on luggage is an option – lol
All the best!
Hi Jami,
Great information!
I have cleaned my pans in a lye bath, followed these instructions, using a micro fibre cloth to get the thinnest possible coat. I set my oven to 500 degrees (the highest it goes). What I am worried about it is – even though it does stink quite strongly – there is no visible smoke. I am assuming that raising the temperature past the smoke point means I’m fine regardless of seeing smoke, but I’m concerned that because I’m not seeing any smoke, the fininsh may not be polymerizing. Perhaps my pans are very clean and the very thin coating of oil prevent the smoke? I just want to make sure my pans are safe to cook in after. I have one pan that has been through the cycle 4 times – I have two more times to go to see if I achieve the proper results. Can you put my mind at ease? I am using organic unrefined flax oil.
Thanks, Jenna
Great question.
Like you say it could be that your pans are very clean and the oil is so thin that you not seeing smoke. If your concerned don’t use the micro fiber cloth on the last two coats
just to make sure the pores are completely covered.
Let us know how they turn out.
Thanks Jami, I will,
Thanks for your suggestion. I did actually leave a thicker coat on one pan with a paper towel that splotched up the finish – but alas, no smoke again! Its in the lye bath for a do-over. I think I will just follow your advice to ensure complete coverage but still thin enough, and I’m going to get an oven thermometer to ensure my oven is indeed at the temperatue the dial says. If the temperature is past the smoke point – I suppose it must be working. I have even tried two different brands of flax oil, on two different pans in one run through. As requested I will let you know how it all turns out. Did you see much smoke when you did your pans?
I wouldn’t lye bath it again, I don’t think there is anything you really need to strip.
Some people’s do blotch a bit, however with time and use the finish will smooth out.
A good high temp bake is the best thing. Why don’t you heat it on your stove top and scrub it with a metal scour pad (not SOS, just plain copper or steal pad) plus a bit of butter or other animal fat, just to smooth things out. Then wipe it down real good, and rub a drop of flax oil in and bake as usual.
Blotching isn’t a problem per say, it just looks strange for a while. I’m more concerned about the lye bath. Where your at right now is much better than where most people started from so just move forward from here – no worries!
Hi Jami,
I was wondering if you cook scrambled eggs in your cast iron? I tried them in my newly seasoned with flax oil pan. I put in about 1/4 c. of butter and 10 scrambled eggs. Unfortunately I think I need to cook other fattier foods in it first as they eggs stuck all over the skillet and when I cleaned it all out, it even removed in small, black flakes all of my seasoning. I re-seasoned and had the same result, a complete removal of the entire finish. Do I just need to be patient and cook other things in it first or is scrambled eggs just going to be difficult thing to cook. I thank you in advance for your time here on this post. Your information is valuable. Thanks for sharing.
Alicia Syme
Hum…. your flax-seed seasoning shouldn’t be sitting on your pan surface, so there should be no chunks to break off ever. I would consider what your seeing to be either ‘extra’ seasoning sitting on top, which you don’t need, or other baked on materials (fats, oils and/or foods). Don’t worry about it, let it flake. In fact scrub it off yourself.
I wish I would have known the trouble you were having, I would not have recommended re-seasoning. These flakes need to go.
I scrape my pan when turning over eggs, or removing eggs or when scrambling – so when I’m done I really only have a few bits of egg in the pan seem, more on the sides where I cannot scrape easily while cooking. I allow these bits of egg to cool and dry out. Then I take a metal pad and buff them all off, and wipe the pan out. I make sure every bit I can see and those I cannot are scraped off. Then sometimes I rub the pan with a bit of lard or butter to keep it ready for the next use, but not always.
It is important to use only good metal tools in your cast iron – no plastic or wood. Cast iron needs ‘polished’ by scrapping over time. This smooths out any surface imperfects and helps prevent sticking in its own way.
Constant greasing via cooking to fill in pores – Constant scrapping with utensils to smooth down imperfections = cast iron pan perfection.
Some people buy used pans or inherit them and they have a slight bumping surface, which happens over time and use when scrapping hasn’t been done. The best tool is a chefs spatula like those used in restaurants – long, flat with non-bunted edges – perfect for scrapping.
As for the seasoning – that is to fill the pores of the iron and polymerize forming a pore seal, and not to sit on top of the pan.
Some things to try:
Try using more fat during this break-in period. Experiment with the heating of the pan – let it get heat up first, then add your oil and eggs.
My pan has definitely gotten better with cooking eggs over time
so hang in there, your right about the new pan, new seasoning needing broke-in.
Blessings,
~Jami
Hi Jami,
Thanks so much for this great post! I reseasoned three brand new cast iron pans (after removing the factory finish) using your method. All three looked just like the photo with a slightly glossy look to them. We made fried eggs and it worked just fine with only a few little bits that I scraped out, then I wiped the pan with a paper towel.
I’m using several tablespoons of butter or lard for just 3 eggs and it’s like I’m putting the eggs in a dry pan. There’s a thick coating of egg no matter how hard I scrape. Once I dish up the cooked eggs, I spend so much time scraping, scrubbing, rinsing with hot water and starting over again that the eggs are cold by the time I’m done.
The problems started when I first tried to scramble eggs. I added plenty of bacon grease and let the pan and oil heat, then added the eggs. It was like baked-on glue. I’ve tried it several times since and it’s absolutely miserable.
I was under the impression that I had to clean the pan immediately, but I see in the comment above that you let stuck on scrambled eggs cool and dry out first… I’m afraid to try that, but I guess I will have to. I’m just not sure what else to do and I’m afraid to try to cook anything besides fried eggs. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!
Blessing,
Justyn
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Hi Jill
I’m wondering – are you adding water to your beaten egg mix? This may have nothing to do with your issues, but I always add water and whip the eggs together, because it makes lighter scrambled eggs. I’m curious how you make yours….
I’ve never made scrambled eggs without water added so I do not know if this makes a difference or not.
Wardeh and I may make an update to this lesson showing how different foods turn out and how to ‘clean’ the pans afterwards. So stay tuned….
One thing I will say is that foods with a lot of starch like potatoes will stick. Foods with sugar and some spices will stick too. However, even these sticky foods can be cleaned off and the pan ready to use again without re-seasoning. Pre-boiling the potatoes, draining and then frying helps a lot. I try and leave the sugar and spices (BBQ sauce) off until after cooking, however I just cook the potatoes, garlic and onions anyway. It’s a bit more work to clean, but less work than pre-boiling *grin*
With my scrambled eggs, the egg is not ‘stuck on’ like glue as in your case. This is why I wait and flake the cooled egg off. This may not help our situation. Give it a try and post back if it helps or not.
It’s been a while so maybe your black spots have stopped – let me know how your pans are working now.
All the Best ~
Sorry if this has already been discussed – I didn’t see it above. I have two pans with factory pre-seasoning which as noted haven’t held up well with use as the seasoning isn’t durable. I scrubbed them both well and am seasoning them with flax oil as I write this. My question is about the pre-seasoning I couldn’t get off the pans. I scrubbed well and the inside bottoms were partly grey and bare, but there was black pre-seasoning left on other parts of the pan that just wouldn’t come off. I’m now seasoning over the whole pan but am wondering if people think I really need to go fully bare on these pans or whether it’s ok to season with flax over what’s left of the original seasoning. Any experiences along these lines? Thanks.
Hi Jonathan,
Sounds like you’ve done your best to remove that factory seasoning, and that’s all anyone can do. Time and wear will slowly remove the rest.
Some (perfectionists:-) sand blast, use metal buffers and even chemicals, but I would just do as you have done. It is going to take time to ‘break in’ new pans regardless of where you start.
I would only flax the bare gray areas, as I don’t believe the flax will seal over the other seasoning. Let the other seasoning wear off with use and cleaning. Then when it looks like these areas need sealing because the old stuff has chipped or worn off you can clean and flax the whole pan.
Blessings,
One thing that surprised me when using faxseed oil is that the color of the pan turned a bit yellow. I have repeated the process several times and it looks like the pan is getting darker. I actually stripped my Lodge skillet using oven cleaner over night. It pretty much got it down to the bare metal. One tiny spot was left. Now I can see that little spot because the seasoning is a lighter color. I’m guessing that will disappear eventually as the pan darkens in color.
I re-seasoned my cast iron pan using your method above about 6 months ago and it has been great, but I recently noticed that the bottom of the pan is starting to look more gray than black. After the seasoning, it was a pretty consistent black all over, but now only the sides and non-cooking surfaces are black, but the bottom is mottled gray/silvery. If I scrub with a stainless steel scrubbie, the black comes off and I reveal more gray. Pretty much every time I wipe the pan with a paper towel, it is dirty black–but I thought that was the seasoning.
So my question is: do I scrub off all that black, or is it the seasoning I’m now rubbing off??
“So my question is: do I scrub off all that black, or is it the seasoning I’m now rubbing off??”
You can ‘scrub’ the seasoning+cast iron off – yes. These pans require minimal cleaning at all times.
I only suggests scrubbing to remove built up, baked on food, so if there is not material, do not scrub. And if your using lard, and watching your temps on a well seasoned pan the need to scrub should be few. I mostly have to scrub my pan after my daughter uses it. She doesn’t pay attention to the pan, the heat, the oil/lard and messes it up often.
A person can always over clean cast iron, it is a balance to keep them greased, free from burnt food/oils and seasoned. Yours sounds like you are scrubbing to much when it isn’t needed and/or when there isn’t enough lubricant to protect the iron, and maybe using to much pressure. Only scrub the stuck on material, not the metal/seasoning just below it. Think of it this way: picture that you can scratch the cast iron like wood, you can’t but picture this when you cleaning it anyway. This will help you to only clean off food particles, and not clean as deep as you have been.
I would suggested you use the season-on-the-stove method to re-season that grey bottom, and ease up on the scrubbing. Lean on the greasy/oiling side. No cast iron was ever harmed by leaving lard in it, but to much cleaning is harmful, and will work against your best efforts. The good news is you can reverse what you’ve done, so no worries.
Some error on the side of over cleaning others on being afraid to clean it, it’s a balance – I hope this makes sense. I know learning the finesse of cast iron can be a bit tricky at first, so if you have any more questions just ask
Hi, I have two cast iron pans that i have used for a couple years, I seasoned them with Flora Certified Organic Flax oil. I followed all of yours steps, since then, my pans seasonings have basically come off and i want to re-season them. My question is, Is is okay to use my flax oil that has been sitting in my fridge for over a year and a half? The expiry date says Sept 2011. Can i still use it? also your smoke chart says Unrefined flax seed oil 225F, so is that how high i have my oven on for? In step 4 you said between 400F-500F. so which is it and for how long?
thanks kristel
Hi Kristel,
Do not use the smoke chart for oven seasoning temp or time. It is to let you know at what point oils will start to smoke. Use the temps and times in the article above
for seasoning your pans.
Regarding your oil – If it smells rancid or ‘off’ toss it. However, we all know things can survive their expiration dates. Take a look and see if your oil has become cloudy, discolored or smells – if not then I would use it. Only you can tell if your oil is still okay, so go with your instinct after you examine it.
Update: I’ve been playing with stove-top pan seasoning. The main idea being the touch up of already seasoned pans. And I have to say I like my results so far. You may want to consider this instead of a full re-seasoning.
-Start with a clean (no stuck on food) but not stripped (grey in color) pan. This assumes the pan has already been seasoned by you, but you feel it could use a touch up. Before you ask – I would not recommend doing this to a store seasoned pan.
- Heat it on your stove top on med-high temp. Before it gets to warm, add a bit of fat/oil (rendered fat or flax seed oil) and wipe it all over the inside with a paper towel. Get a new paper towel and wipe as much off as you can. Then turn the heat up to high and allow the fat/oil left behind to smoke off. When the smoking stops turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the stove. After it is cooled a little wipe it off again and put it away.
Remember to add fat/oil the next time you use this pan as this type of non-stick requires fat/oil when cooking most things.
Let me know if you have any questions…
I just got out a really old cast iron waffle griddle I have. I thought I had gotten rid of it because I couldn’t find it. I was looking in the back of a lower cabinet and was pleasantly surprised to find it. It is sticky and gross on the outside and the inside is dirty. With all those little holes, do you have any idea on the best way to clean it and season it?
I would bake it in the hottest oven setting until it stops smoking, at least an hour. Leave it in the oven until it is no longer to hot to manage. Then using soap, hot water and a metal scrubber clean it all real good. Now your ready to re-season – just use the instructions in the article above.
Thanks, I will try that!!
I have three cast iron pans. Can i leave oil in my pan after cooking. What i do is if i fry anything i leave the oil in the pan untill i get ready to use it again. Then when im ready pour it out , wash it in soapy water and pour oil in the pan and take a paper towel and rub it down, but i have never rub the bottom of it. Should i have??
(I have three cast iron pans. Can i leave oil in my pan after cooking?)
I only do this when my left over oil is clean, no food or dark bits, as these will help the next thing you cook to stick. But yes, if it is clean leave it.
(What i do is if i fry anything i leave the oil in the pan untill i get ready to use it again. Then when im ready pour it out , wash it in soapy water and pour oil in the pan and take a paper towel and rub it down, but i have never rub the bottom of it. Should i have??)
If this is working in a non-stick way for you then great. However, it sounds to me like your building things up a bit and then employing soap to cut the gunk. For my pans to work their best I have to keep the build up from happening in the first place.
I use a few different methods of cleaning depending on what situation I have.
All of my ‘ways’ are typed out in posts above, but I’ve added one more…. when the food bits left over are not stuck or burnt on the pan I will just use cold water and rinse. Sometimes returning the pan to the stove to then use my scrubber and heat to see and get anything stuck on. This cold water leaves much of my fat coating behind, but moves out all that loose crumble. So I’d say not only do I not use soap, but now I don’t use hot water either. And I absolutely never leave old plant based oils behind or any food residue. Also, if you use a deep layer of fat many times this protects your pan and is clean enough to leave until the next time.
I may have miss understood your question so if I did just let me know
Hello – may I ask what kind of a steel kitchen pad are you using? Where did you find it?
Thank you,
Alyssa
I use the cheap copper or steal round scrub pads. I see them at all the general purpose stores in my area. With heat and a little oil they really remove the stuck on gunk.
Thank you SO MUCH for this post!!! I’ve been struggling with my cast iron pans for a while now. None of the directions I found in the past have been that great.
I’m re-seasoning my favorite pan now and I love the flax oil smell it’s giving off.
I’ll be doing all my other cast iron with this method tomorrow.
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I have had trouble with black specs on my skillets all of a sudden. I just finished re-seasoning 3 skillets yesterday. I read this post (and the links provided) very carefully, even involving my husband to make sure I was doing it all right. This is the second time I have done this from start to finish, 3rd time I have re-seasoned in attempts to get rid of the specs and I still have them! I am so frustrated:( My 3 year old was so excited for fried eggs this morning and I almost started crying when I saw the specs. Before I did it a second time I stripped those skillets so very very well. Over and over again. Thinking that maybe that is how I failed the first attempt.
I miss my skillets!! Please help!
Jill, I would use the pan a few times. Perhaps on foods you’re going to feed the chickens. The black specks shouldn’t last long.
Jill ~ Using the pans will make things get better.
It is true that today’s cast iron isn’t as smooth or well made as it used to be. This newer cast iron can have a bumpy surface, which can cause every aspect of using the pans to be more troublesome until the surface is worn down through time and use…. but I’m not sure if this is part of your problem. Can you provide some more details? How easy is it to remove the specks?
Black specs all over the eggs that get worse (more and more black specs) with each round. When I wipe it out with a paper towel it is just dirty looking with black specs.
Before I re-seasoned, I had the same issue and noticed that I didn’t have the black specs in scrambled eggs. At least not that I noticed with a pretty thorough check.
It is just weird because I used to make eggs in them daily without a problem and then once the problem started, it doesn’t seem like anything is fixing it! A friend suggested something similar to what Wardeh said. I will stay away from eggs for a bit and use the skillets for other things.
Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate this blog!
Hello Jamie, i noticed that the smoke point of flax seed oil is very low. My question is, if i heat up a pan that has been pre seasoned with flax seed oil past its smoke point, while im cooking, wouldn’t carcinogens mix into my food even though ill be using an oil with a higher smoke point. Thanks
Hello Ralph,
This is why we season at high temps for long enough to burn off all the un-bonded oil.
See Step 4 in the directions above and I think it you will understand the process better.
Blessings,
Hi Jami,
I just bought a very nice griswold skillet which was in great shape with a nice black color.
I decided to season it with the flaxseed oil method, but after the second pass the skillet came back with black dots all over. It doesn’t feel rough at the touch, the bottom of the pan feels the same but it has spots everywhere.
Did I do something wrong? Will it go away? And how can I fix it?
I’m so mad for messing up my nice griswold!
No worries I’m sure you didn’t mess up the Griswold, they are built to last.
Honestly I’m not sure what little thing causes the spots for some, but it is no big deal unless those spots are raised and catch a scrubber as it runs over the surface then it’s burnt on food or spices.
Some possibilities are to much oil left on pans when seasoning, oil uneven on the pan, or not enough temperature or time in the oven. However, it could also be something else so don’t worry about it. In time it should all even out with use.
It sounds like you only seasoned the pan twice, I’d keep using the pan and add a couple more seasonings and/or maybe stove top seasonings.
I know it looks strange and bothers you, I understand, but if you can ignore it for now and use your pan as much as you’d like the cure is in the using.
I am sorry you had this experience with your pan.
~Jami
Thank you very much for the reply.
I have a feeling I left a bit too much oil on that pass, but a least it’s still very smooth at the touch.
Thanks for your help and all your info