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? –Wardeh
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
Take the guesswork out of what to fix, what to buy and what to prepare. This week:
Class materials compiled into easy downloads: 
Thank you, Jami and Wardeh for some much-needed instructions. I think I’d better wait until it’s a little bit warmer out and I can open the windows. Then, I’ll take on our cast iron pan that just started sticking. Great to know that flax seed oil is the one to use.
.-= Ellen´s last blog post… Cooking with Sprouted Wheat: Pumpkin Raisin Muffins =-.
Thank you! I had been wondering why my cast iron wasn’t maintaining its good seasoning. I was using butter, bacon grease, olive oil, and seemed to have to reseason every couple of weeks, and still had times that cooking anything liquidy (even just adding water to reheat something) would totally go through the seasoning. I’ll be buying some flax seed oil!
Thanks for posting this! I have a cast iron pan I bought a few years ago that I finally gave up on (I think I even ran it thru the oven’s self-clean cycle), but I haven’t seemed to master the art of properly caring for my pans, so it’s been kind of waiting around, staring at me…:0)
I’m excited to try the flax seed oil-it would be awesome to be able to use my pan again!
I do have a cast iron grill grate that I love (and actually bought pretty recently), but it ALREADY sticks quite a bit, especially the grill side, so I’m a little frustrated about the fact that it hasn’t seemed to “last” so long, so probably I’ll be trying this method with that one as well. Thanks!!
Great info! Thanks Jami, can’t wait to try it
I’ve had a pan that needs re-seasoning for a while and I’ve totally been avoiding it! This info is just what I needed–I actually feel inspired to do it now : ) I’ll even post some pics of the process so everyone can see the “during” part. Thank you!
Great tutorial, thanks! I have a few pans I’d like to re-season; including a flat grill. Since it takes 6(!) cycles, could these pans be done at the same time, or would it be too hard to adjust the temperature/timing to accommodate this?
Thanks!
Thank you so much Jami for sharing this! While it does sound labor-intensive and time consuming, if the end result is a truely non-stick pan, it will be worth it. I can’t imagine not putting a layer of oil in it every time I use my pan to try and re-season it.
I can’t seem to make scrambled eggs without them sticking. Does this work for even scrambled eggs? Also, how do you know when flax oil has gone bad? I have some in my fridge, and I didn’t know you were supposed to shake it, and it looks a little brown and I don’t know if that is normal or if I should throw it away. It was pale yellow when I first started to use it.
I’ll let you know when I try this how it goes, I will be so happy if it works!
Per the chart on smoke points, I’m wondering if you think the safflower or sunflower oils would work as well. Their smoke points are the same. Has anyone tried either of these oils?
By the way… this is an outstanding article! Like others, I have been frustrated that despite my best efforts, the seasoning on my pans does not ‘stick’. I can’t wait to try this method!!
Christina – If you click over to Sheryl’s blog you’ll see an additional discussion of why flax seed oil is better than the others with similar smoke points. Here are two key sentences.
Ironically, it’s for exactly these reasons that the best oil for seasoning cast iron is an oil high in omega-3 fatty acids – in particular, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Free radicals are actually what enable the polymerization. Drying oils, which produce the hardest polymers, are characterized by high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acid ALA.
What great information!!! I have 3 cast iron pieces that I use often, but would use a great deal more if they were coated as yours is. I am inspired. I’m going to start with my 2 burner skillet tomorrow. Thank you for a GREAT and very practical post!!!!
Connie
theprairiemom.com
Thanks to both of you! I really needed this post. I have some flax seed oil in the frig right now and my cast iron pan is dying for a good seasoning. I think I’ve been doing it wrong all this time. No wonder… !!
.-= Melissa @Cellulite Investigation´s last blog post… Cellulite Secrets, Declassified (Codename: StrideRight) =-.
Thanks for really great instructions. I have a couple of skillets I need to do. I’ve been putting coconut oil on them, but I guess that’s not right. I have a really dumb question though. I know we’re not supposed to cook with flax oil, so why is it OK to put it on these pans and then cook with them? Sorry if it’s really obvious. Thanks.
I really needed this post. I quit using my cast iron because I couldn’t get it seasoned right. Thanks
Thanks for the information. My husband is always telling me to season my pans. I have quite of few cast iron pans from my grandmother, well, I will be pulling those out real soon.
I almost missed this post. Caught in on the Week In Review. What great information. Thanks Jami and Wardeh. I have 6 cast iron pieces I am going to treat with this process. (Including an aebleskiver pan I bought at Goodwill a few months ago! Wardeh – we are definitely kindred second-hand shoppers!) I also bought an American Harvest 8 tray dehydrator for $5 yesterday at a yard sale!!!!! (I have a dehydrator an Aunt gave me that’s shaped like a microwave and the size of Rhode Island – it’s going to a new home).
A naturopath of mine strictly warned me to NEVER heat flax seed oil because it could be harmful to consume. Here is some information that might be helpful.
Found from http://www.Vegetarianorganiclife.com
Spectrum Naturals also produces cold pressed organic flax oil, the most potent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids of all oils. Flax oil is best suited for salads, dressings, dips, spreads or already cooked meals. Heating flax oil with temperatures above 210ºF will cause molecular changes in the oil making it harmful for the body. Flax oil is very unstable and should be kept refrigerated.
Typically, unrefined oils may be used for low to medium heat cooking as they can only withstand temperatures of 250 to 350ºF, depending on the specific type of oil and manufacturer.
Rapuzel makes organic oils using true cold pressed methods. Here are the smoke points and suggested uses for some of their oils as suggested on their web site.
Rapunzel Organic Cold Pressed Oils (Unrefined) Smoke Points Pressing Temperature Suggested Cooking Methods & Temperatures
°F (°C) °F (°C)
Olive Oil 280 -138 95 -35 Cold salads, dressings, garnishes & light sauté
Sunflower Oil 450 -232 95 -35 Cold, sauté, low-medium heat
Canola Oil 440 -227 95 -35 Cold, ideal for sauté, low-medium heat
Sesame Oil 350 -176 95 -35 Cold, sauté, low-medium heat
Soy Oil 443 -228 104 -40 Low, medium and light frying
Safflower Oil 318 -159 104 -40 Best cold, or light sauté
Just thought I would give a second view. I am not sure if the flax seed oil that has been cured onto the pan would be harmful or not.
Thanks for this info. I have not tried flax seed oil on my cast iron, but will do it this way now. When I have a piece of cast iron that is really gunky, I put it in my oven when I turn on the self cleaning. Really cleans the pans nicely.
O.k. I’ve been meaning to buy a cast-iron pan, but haven’t thought I would be able to make it non-stick w/the seasoning. I am ready to give it a try. What should I buy for a basic (large) skillet? Are all created equal? Any good sources? I need this later in your e-course so I need to get it ordered…
Christie – I like my 8″ skillets. They fit perfectly on the large burner of my electric stove. Sometimes they are a bit small though – a 10″ would be really nice, but overly large on my stove. When buying, look for unseasoned, if there is such a thing. You what, I’m going to ask Dani her opinion – she’s been commenting here lately. She is setting up a cast iron online shop and she also knows a ton about this, so I’d like to get her opinion on brands and such.
Lanise – I had the same question. And I’m not totally settled, but I think it is because no matter what fat you use, it needs to get beyond the smoke point and chemically change into a seasoning. So it is not “smoked.” The same thing that makes flax seed oil so good (high amounts of ALA) is what used to be so good in lard 100 years ago when pigs were raised better. See Cheryl’s article for more details on this.
Laura – I know this is hard to believe. I’m not sure I 100% believe it myself. But I’m coming around because this technique doesn’t ask us to “smoke” an oil – it asks for such high heat that it changes into a polymer – and this would happen with whatever oil we use. The flax seed oil makes it not gummy, though.
Wardeh,
I spoke with my IT guru (yes, that is Dear Hubby) regarding our website, and he is still adding items and prettying up the site, but it is working. Regarding the best “brand” for cast iron, in our research, we have found that many times, you will get what you pay for–we had some really cheap, made-in-China fajita pans that we ended up never using because, brand new, the surface was so pitted that no amoung of seasoning would have helped. So, whether you buy from us, or from anywhere else, we do suggest buying a name-brand as opposed to some special in a catalog.
On that note, hubby has made an effort to list as many brands as possible on our site, since he wants to be the one place that people can go for whatever brand they’re searching. You’ll see all different brands on the site, including some enameled cast iron, which is considerably more expensive, and a moot subject for this blog post! However, none of what we have listed is the poor-quality stuff that you get at the Dollar Store.
Without further ado, the website is simply http://www.castironcollection.com and we welcome any feedback, as the site is still under construction. Our recommendation based on what we have listed on the site (again, whether you buy from us or from somewhere else): buy what you like and can afford. I have one piece of enamel (a stockpot), and everything else I cook with is strictly cast-iron. One thing to keep in mind if you haven’t cooked much with cast iron is that the skillets will likely be much heavier than the pans you cook with now; my wrists are in an intensive training regimen to be able to hold the pan while I scrape sauces onto entrees!
Thanks goes out to Jami and Wardeh for this great post on seasoning cast iron!
I recently bought a pre-seasoned 14″ cast iron Skillet by Paula Dean from Ross for 29$ and I LOVE the size. I use it on the grill also at 5-600 degrees and it cooks meats beautifully rare and warm. It was pretty well pre-seasoned;
I must remember to wipe them out instead of washing them or rinsing them and they will keep on doing thier thing!
Thanks Jami and Wardeh for these great tips on seasoning/re-seasoning cast iron skillets. I bought quite a few a number of years ago, and due to their stick-ablilty, I don’t use them much. When the weather warms up (snow on the ground today!!!!) I will be re-seasoning them! I have heard that Spring is, in fact , coming, and after last week (60 degrees and sunny), I thought that rumor might be true, but we’re back to making snowmen today! Oh well…….
I want to update everyone on my pans.
I completely re-seasoned two so far. It is a long process because I don’t have that much time. I would love to have a self-clean cycle on the oven, but I don’t. So between elbow grease and oven cleaner, my pans are mostly still in process.
But, I have finished an 8″ skillet and an ableskiver pan.
I have been using the skillet almost exclusively for everything the last two weeks – frying eggs, warming up rice, hash browns, pan fried salmon, and more… The seasoning is amazing! So amazing. Nothing sticks like it used to. Foods get crispy and come right up with a spatula. It cleans easily and the finish is smooth, not gummy or cruddy. I scrape, rinse, and dry. Hardly any care at all.
I applied the seasoning to the 8″ skillet about 9 times. I could tell after 6 that it needed more because there were two parts that were slower to be seasoned. So I kept applying coats until those were seasoned well.
I have not hardly had a smoking problem at all, either. The kitchen smells, but nothing smokes.
Still to go: 2 waffle irons, another 8″ skillet (really a toughy!), and a cornbread pan.
Thank you SO MUCH, Jami! What you shared is revolutionary.
Lot’s of great questions here – now I think I should add some Q & A to the article
Ellen – Don’t wait! All this heating is more welcomed at this time of the year. I opened up my small kitchen window just for the first session and didn’t change the house temp at all. Winter, Fall and Spring = best times to re-season.
———————————-
Amy – “Since it takes 6(!) cycles, could these pans be done at the same time?”
Not a problem, just heat, oil and bake ‘em all at the same time.
YES
———————————-
Kelli – “While it does sound labor-intensive and time consuming, if the end result is a truely non-stick pan, it will be worth it.”
You know it really isn’t, because you don’t have to be fussy about the time, bake it over an hour if you can’t get to it. Taking it out and applying the oil, then wiping off takes well under a minute. I ran 3 sessions the first day, and 3 the next when I got around to it – no big deal at all. Did my 3 pans at the same time – done!
“I can’t imagine not putting a layer of oil in it every time I use my pan to try and re-season it.”
This brings up another point I wish I had covered in the article. The difference between oils, in this case vegetable and animal oils.
Seems vegetable oils (especially coconut) can gunk up over time and re-heatings. And this tacky residue (old oil) can actually help to remove a soft-seasoning (this is what I did wrong that broke down the seasoning in my cast iron I believe).
This doesn’t seem to be the same issue when leaving animal lard in a cast iron, but I haven’t yet run a side by side test. I have left a very light coat of peanut oil in my pan and didn’t noticed the tacky when using it later as I did with the coconut oil, but I am very careful now. I lean hard towards leaving a ‘dry’ sealed pan when I’m done using it now days.
Since the pan is hard-seasoned we don’t have to grease-it-up all the time like before when it was prone to sticking.
“I can’t seem to make scrambled eggs without them sticking. Does this work for even scrambled eggs? ”
Yes, I have made egg foo young 3 times in my pan since seasoning it. And while the egg may attach in a few places on the sides and seam it comes off easily with a pass of the spatula.
I would not try using old flax-seed oil – just get a fresh bottle.
———————————-
If you have a pan with a good seasoning – flax oil or some other, that is becoming tacky, try just running it through the burning cycle (1 hour at high temp). This will burn off old oil film and get you back to your seasoned pan.
If you feel your seasoning has been compromised and/or removed – then start from the cleaning step. Follow this advise even after you re-season your pan with FSO, to keep from building up a tacky later.
Laura – The high heat, for at least an hour+, chemically changes the make up of the oil completely. It is now chemically a new substance, a hard ‘thin’ sealant, that will no longer off-gas, or break off easily.
As for me – I would worry more about (1) other seasonings that are ‘soft’, which can come off into food more easily, and/or (2) cooking with other added oils at their smoking point or (3) even not wiping out the pan(s) after their use leaving oils to go rancid, tacky or attract dust contaminants.
I really feel this seasoning, when done correctly, is very safe and forms a better bond with the cast iron.
—————————
“I am ready to give it a try. What should I buy for a basic (large) skillet? Are all created equal?”
Wardeh & Dani – gave good advice on sizes, unseasoned pans and brands.
I would add that cast iron made in china, Twain, etc. come with a very bad chemical seasoning on them. Strip these pans and start fresh!
American made – pre-seasoned cast iron has a safer seasoning, but it is soft, and can disappear quickly depending on how well you care for your pans.
If you are worried about chemicals then always strip and start over
This way you know what’s on your pans.
————————————–
My cast iron skillet is 12″, it fits my large burner nicely, and is a nice size for large and small needs.
————————————-
Wardeh, maybe you allow me to edit the article and add this additional information one day
You also reminded me I have to dig out my cast iron waffle iron and season that sticky bugar too!
~Jami
Jami – Feel free! Send me whatever edits you’d like and we’ll update the article. Thanks for your kind attention to all these questions. You’re a wonderful resource! And I’m so enjoying my pans!
So, when you cook eggs what kind of oil do you use? I used to make omelets but I have not been able to make one in the cast iron pan because of the sticking issue.
Have you tried to re-seasoned your pan? How about a good cleaning in the oven?
Fixing your sticky issue would be the best way to go, but if you can’t just now then maybe you can find an organic peanut oil – this oil is very slippery. It might help your sticking food.
No need for oven cleaner – throw the iron in the oven next time you run the self-cleaning cycle, if you have one.
I’d want the opinion of someone who was both a chemist & naturally-minded (understands the issues with overheated polyunsaturated fats) before doing this.
Our pans are beautifully nonstick, including the pan we use daily for eggs – they literally slide around the pan! We season it the traditional way with lard from pastured pigs (glad to see in the comments section that that is what this flaxseed oil method is trying to replicate!) – about an hour in the oven, just once. Then the first month we use it, we heat it for just 10 seconds after cooking, put a bit of lard or unrefined coconut oil in it, turn heat off and wipe oil in with a paper towel. After that, we just cook with normal amounts of fats and of course, never use soap, steel wool, etc., and it rarely takes more than 10 seconds to clean it after cooking.
Hey Jami…..great info. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this explained better in the 30 years I’ve been cooking in cast iron. Thank you. I was wondering where you got all of your data on smoke points? Not that I doubt anything, but when I pass info along, I like to be able to verify the reference. I’m teaching a class at Lehmans Hardware on dutch oven cooking over Memorial Day weekend and would love to share this at the class. Thanks again !!
Hi Brent,
There were several charts of the smoking points on the Internet,
I assumed it came from a
however I didn’t want to take anyone’s so I used the one off of
wikipedia (which is public domain
science book somewhere, but I’m sure they quoted their source.
I’m glad you found the article informative. I’m going to be updating
it to add details on cleaning the pans after use, because it works out
a bit different for these pan than what I think cast iron users are used
to…… I should have my update done by this weekend.
Blessings,
Jami
I must have done something wrong. I followed the directions exactly and did it 6 times. I cooked an egg in the pan this morning and it stuck just like it always did. What did I do wrong? The pan is definitely shiny but not non-stick. Also, I had a problem with rubbing the oil into the pan with my fingers as the pan was very hot after just coming out of the 200 degree oven. I used a paper towel to help rub it in because the pan was just too hot for my fingertips. Maybe that’s what I did wrong?
Melinda – Did you use any oil/fat when you cooked the egg? These pans have a non-stick like finish in terms of coming clean, but I’ve found that I still need to cook with fat and also keep the heat low. They work beautifully. I hope that will help you. I’m sure Jami will have more to add, too.
Another question for Melinda, if she did all the seasoning right (and it was enough!): Did you heat up the pan before you added the eggs? I never have problems with eggs sticking in my pan (and I haven’t done the FSO method yet, but I have everything stacked up, ready to scrub) as long as I heat it up first. It took me a while to learn that trick, though! Try it.
Hey Melinda,
The pans are hot, sometimes waiting just a minute will make the difference. I’m not sure if using a paper towel would do anything, but it may not lay down enough oil in the beginning, so this next time only use them to remove the oil.
Here’s what I suggest – put your pan in the hot oven at high temp for 30 min. just to take off anything not sealed as of yet. Then let it cool down in the oven as I direct, but take it out while it is still real hot (200F) and use a wooden spoon or anything non-absorbent to help spread the oil this time. Don’t worry about the time it takes you as the oil needs to sit on the pan just a bit before you wipe it off with your PT. Then continue with the directions, wiping off the oil and heating your pan at high temp for one hour and cooling in the oven for one hour more.
For cooking eggs use oil, but just before you put in your eggs lay down some course salt and put the eggs on it. This too helps the eggs once cooked to slide on the pan. And consider using a nice organic peanut oil just for frying your eggs – this oil is very slick and can help when cooking certain foods.
Eggs can be hard, especially scrambled eggs – however try my suggestions, I’m sure you will see better results. Don’t give up . . . .
Please let me know how it turns out.
You can email me at jami dot cw at gmail.com
Thank you Wardeh and Jami. I do cook my eggs in coconut oil and sometimes a small mixture of butter and coconut oil. I learned from the Food Network channel a long time ago that eggs are best cooked “low and slow” and that is how I always cook my eggs.
I will try Jami’s suggestions and let you know how it comes out. You don’t have to worry about me ever giving up! I am determined to eat and cook healthier and it is always a trial and error for me
so I am used to that now. I will let you know when I get it right 
I was so excited to try the seasoning of the cast iron and I just tried it yesterday and followed the instructions exactly. Today, I made a skillet meal in my cast iron skillet and after washing the skillet, the pan looks on the bottom like all of the seasoning came off. I don’t know why it did that. I followed the instructions completely. I baked the pans at 450 degrees and I got brand new organic refrigerated flax seed oil and it still did this. Does anyone know why it did that?
I thought it would be good to tell you what kind of flax seed oil I used. I used Barlean’s highest lignan content 100 % organic, pure & filtered, and cold pressed fresh daily(America’s best selling omega-3). I also did the process 6 times, just like it said a minimum of 6 times. I am very disappointed. It took a lot of time. Please help me figure out what went wrong. Thank you….
Claudine, I think that high-lignan flax seed oil contains more fiber particles than regular flax seed oil — did you notice that the oil was quite cloudy? If that’s the case, they may have interfered with your seasoning! I would try it again, straining out as many of the particles as you can so they don’t stick to the pan when you’re rubbing in the oil.
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Claudine – I’m so sorry to hear your having a hard time with your pan.
When I read your experience I wonder about a few of the following things -
First, how your pan looked before you started, was all old seasoning really gone?
After each session how did your pan look? Did you see the finish changing?
And was it really really warm when you applied the oil before wiping? (open pores)
How did it do as far as the smoking during each session?
And did you let your cooking oil cool down before you started cleaning your pan after your first use? Cooled cooking oil can be gunky and be bad for a slick finish.
Jami,
It appeared to me that all the old seasoning was gone. I used a wire brush to clean it and there wasn’t any caked on things. It actually looked very good before I started. I did see the finish changing after each session, especially after the 2nd session. It started to get darker. The pan was really, really warm when I applied the oil before wiping. I even used a wooden spatula to move the oil around and up the sides of the skillet, since it was too hot to use my hands (just like I read in an earlier post). I really didn’t have any smoking during each session. I was surprised because I didn’t notice any. I used olive oil for cooking in my pan for the 1st use and made a GNOWFGLINS skillet dish and it didn’t still have oil in it when I went to clean it. Did I do anything wrong? Thank you for your help.
No, Claudine you didn’t do anything wrong.
Try something for me and report your results – warm your pan on the stove, add a drop of oil and use a non-melting scrubber to oil-scrub the inside of the pan real good. Now when you are sure the surface is clean and smooth wipe it out with PT until the now dirty oil is gone.
If your finish is still there, and I think it is, you will see it again now
Sometimes things we cook will leave a residue, this dulls the finish and looks like you’ve lost it altogether, but it’s just the residue covering your finish. Cleaning with the warm oil takes it off leaving your seasoned pan ready for it’s next job.
One other thing I’ve learned as I use my pans is that animal fat (lard) is much better at not getting tacky or leaving a sticky film than the veggie/seed oils. So when cooking eggs now I use butter/beef lard or butter/coconut oil and not straight coconut oil. This seems to help with the ‘sticky’ a lot.
Let me know how your pan turns out Claudine.
Jami
I know it’s been a while since this posted, but I just wanted to let you know how fabulously it worked on my cast iron pan! I think it only took maybe 4 coats before the pan wouldn’t even take more. I am just now adding another couple coats months later and attempting to salvage a cornstick pan with the same method. I think the multiple fine layers make such a difference; my pan is so shiny it looks like you could skate on it! Beautiful color.
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Great to hear about your experience
thanks for posting.
I am finding better and better results myself when using animal fat (rendered beef lard, or real butter) in my pans that have the new hard seasoning on them. If I do use a vegetable oil I cut it with the animal lard half and half – this is really helping with the gunk heated vegetable oil can cause in some instances.
Even after my daughter has not followed procedure and really stuck things to the pan, I can warm it, use oil and scrub it clean. Then the next time I use it I only use animal fat and everything comes right great.
If anyone is still having sticky problems after re-seasoning with the flax-seed oil I recommend experimenting with the oils you use when cooking. This can make a big difference in your pan performance.
All the best HB with your newly seasoned pan!
~Jami
I just watched the sourdough e-course where Erin made sourdough crepes. I was amazed that her crepes didn’t stick at all to her cast iron skillet!! Just wondering if we could find out how she seasons her pans? I would love to make crepes in my skillet!
Christa — I use the seasoning in this post, and my crepes don’t stick at all. Just like Erin’s. I’m not sure what she uses — but I’ll ask her to let you know!
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How shiny do these pans get? I want to do it right and not quit too soon but I have done 7 layers of flax at this point. My pans seem evenly semi-shiny. They look like they looked when I bought them (well the preseasoned ones.) I’m esp concerned about my muffin pans. They look shinier in the crease than the flat of the bottom but that also doesn’t appear to change from one layer to the next. I made muffins with the factory finish on them and they stuck horribly so I don’t want to do that again.
Anyone know what the black flakes are after seasoning? Should I clean it off? Is it safe to consume?
Sonia – I would dust them off and not consume. Sounds like something wasn’t complete burned off in the seasoning.
Jamie,
thank you so much for you expertise on this subject. I have a question. I need to go gluten free and need to get rid of anything that has remnants of gluten on it. I don’t want to part with my iron skillet if I don’t have to. Celiac posts claim that the skillet has “pores” that hold the gluten particles, thus making the pan almost impossible to de-gluten – although one method is a self clean oven cycle which supposedly might be able to burn out the gluten particles and allow for a re-season. My husband was going to use his electric drill with a steel head attachment and just try to remove everything to it’s bare state but I am not sure if that is enough. After studying these skillets as you have, do you think this would take care of my concerns? Of course, then re-seasoning it?
Thank you!
Maureen
Nice to hear from you Maureen,
I think either the (1) oven cleaning cycle, or (2) oven temp of 500F for 1 hour, or (3) your husbands sand it off plan will work just fine. I bet a few hours soak in ACV apple cider vinegar would do the trick too.
Of course in each case you’ll have to re-season, in options #3 & #4 you’ll want to clean off sanding bits or rust before re-seasoning.
There may be microscopic bits of gluten in the pans pours, but they cannot reproduce – so use over time will also eliminate them as a factor. The other methods listed above are just faster options.
Also as Wardeh and I have found – once we started soaking and fermenting, our gluten intolerant family members can now tolerate occasional gluten exposure. For my very reactive son I give him a big glass of kefir to drink when having things like birthday cake at friends parties – works like a charm now that we soak/ferment regularly his body can better regulate its self.
I hope this helps answer your question.
All the best,
Jami
Thank you Jami,
I appreciate your reply. Sounds like good advice and I’m excited to keep my skillets!
My doctor is watching my antibodies against the gluten so that will be a good marker once I go gluten free as to how I am doing with gluten in the future. For now, I will avoid it and then once I get a test result without antibodies, I will be able to try some traditionally prepared wheat/grain and see if there is an antibody response. It should be a very good test IF I can see the day I have no antibodies in my tests!
Loved the post and thanks again!
Maureen
I used this technique on a wok that I used. I’m on the 3rd coat right now and so far it looks very good. A nice even black coating is covering everything. I burned off the old coating using my ovens low setting cleaning cycle.
Re: cooking eggs
I find that “low and slow” does not work at all for cooking eggs in cast iron and butter is the BEST fat, then lard/bacon drippings. When I cook eggs (in my one good pan, the others have yet to be re-seasoned : / ) I heat the pan until it is hot enough that when I apply some butter it sizzles (NOT smokes) initially, then settles. When I drop my eggs into the pan they also make a sizzling/frying sound. If you add enough butter the eggs seem to float around and you have to be careful that they do not fly off your flipper, they are so slippery!!
Re: smoking point
I read Sheryl’s blog on the subject and doesn’t she say NOT to smoke the oil?? She says that there should be no need to open the windows and that by first heating the (bacon fat) below smoking point she is then able to heat it above that temp without causing smoking as it has apparently been changed by the initial heating. She also started with avocado oil (6 times), so I am a bit confused now.
My eggs can slip off my spatula too
one does have to be careful – lol
Regarding Sheryl’s blog: I believe you are confusing her initial tests/experiments, cooking verses seasoning, her smoke point remarks and my experiences detailed here. It probably would be best to post specific questions about things shes says, on her blog.
I mentioned opening windows (when first seasoning an old pan) because there will be ‘other stuff’ that will burn off at that high temp. This is my experience. I haven’t had to re-season any of my flaxseed-seasoned pans, but I imagine the smoking will be very minor the second time around.
I hope this helps clear things up a bit. Let me know if you have any other questions about my method posted here….