|
axolotl farmer posted:The coating will be uneven for the first few layers, don't worry. That's what more layers are for! I'm doing this again this weekend. One of my friends just up and moved cross country, and gave me all his cast iron before he left.
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2013 16:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 21:28 |
|
|
Even when frying steaks slathered in oil I end up with a gummy layer on my pan afterwards. I'm tired of reseasoning the pan and just want to cook things in it, so these days I'm just scraping the stuff off with a spatula then re-oiling. Am I doing something wrong? I feel like I've never reached the point where my skillet is actually no-stick, and I've been using the thing for a year or so. I cook bacon in it when I can. I make poor man's lard from the bacon grease and use that to grease the pan till I run out. I don't do sauces or anything particularly wet in it, it's mainly just my meat browning pan. It does get corn, olive or vegetable oil because that's mostly what I cook with.
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2013 20:10
|
|
|
Slathering your steaks in oil is probably part of it. A large amount of fat, plus the fat from the meat, is going to get you a gummy layer no matter what, basically.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2013 06:16
|
|
|
If the pan is well seasoned, some things will still stick, but the gunk will come right off with hot water and a soft brush without detergent.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2013 09:41
|
|
|
Remy Marathe posted:Even when frying steaks slathered in oil I end up with a gummy layer on my pan afterwards. I'm tired of reseasoning the pan and just want to cook things in it, so these days I'm just scraping the stuff off with a spatula then re-oiling. I got gifted a new cast iron pan about a months ago. I've seasoned it several times, but tonight I cooked a steak on it. got some gummy burnt layer. as soon as I was done with my steak, I threw the blistering hot pan into the sink and rinsed it till water ran clear. then plopped it back on the stove on low heat while I ate. by the end of the meal, all the gummy spots were literally peeling up off the pan, and all I had to do was take a paper towel and kind of scrub them off. seasoned pan remained underneath, worked good mang.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 08:25
|
|
|
I soaked a rusty cast iron pan in Coca Cola all night. The rust is still there. Scraping doesn't seem to be helping. Is it safe to just rinse it off and re-season, or am I risking tetanus here?
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 21:01
|
|
|
Crackpipe posted:I soaked a rusty cast iron pan in Coca Cola all night. The rust is still there. Scraping doesn't seem to be helping. I wouldn't risk eating anything cooked on a rusty surface, even if it's been seasoned over. Use a dremel to scour it away, or rent some sort of sander to get rid of it all, THEN reseason.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 21:13
|
|
|
Crackpipe posted:
Tetanus is an obligate anaerobic soil bacterium. The reason you can get tetanus from stepping on rusty nails is that they are usually hidden in dirt. For serious grime and rust removal, I used spray oven cleaner and then steel wool.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 21:32
|
|
|
Thanks for the info, and that's what I figured. I've read a bunch of comments elsewhere like "there will always be some residual redness on the pan after you strip and de-rust it", but I'd rather not do something stupid. I'll give it another shot with a wire scrubber and see if anyone I know has a Dremel hanging around.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 22:27
|
|
|
A wire wheel on a drill makes quick work of removing rust and seasoning.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2013 22:41
|
|
|
I just finished seasoning a cast iron skillet with five layers of Crisco. At first, the end result seemed to be worth all the effort (and noxious fumes coming out of my oven)... but then, I started noticing a few small black flakes on the paper towel whenever I would wipe the pan out - no larger than a grain of salt. This started before I actually cooked anything in the pan, so it's definitely not food - anything else seen this?
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2013 04:40
|
|
|
deep13 posted:I just finished seasoning a cast iron skillet with five layers of Crisco. At first, the end result seemed to be worth all the effort (and noxious fumes coming out of my oven)... but then, I started noticing a few small black flakes on the paper towel whenever I would wipe the pan out - no larger than a grain of salt. This started before I actually cooked anything in the pan, so it's definitely not food - anything else seen this? That means you put it on too thick. Personally I don't do more than two layers when I reseason now. But if it's flaking off it's likely that you had a single layer that was thick. You seriously need to wipe it on then basically wipe all of it off so all thats left is a sheen. If you can see any depth to the fat you're using before you bake it, there's too much.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2013 15:27
|
|
|
Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:That means you put it on too thick. Personally I don't do more than two layers when I reseason now. But if it's flaking off it's likely that you had a single layer that was thick. You seriously need to wipe it on then basically wipe all of it off so all thats left is a sheen. If you can see any depth to the fat you're using before you bake it, there's too much. Yep, you're absolutely right. On one of the first layers, some of the Crisco pooled around the edge of the pan and I wound up with a "ring" of seasoning that was visibly thicker. I did 3-4 more layers thinking it would even everything out.. but you can still see the ring. At this point, I'm guessing my only real option is to strip it down and start over?
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2013 17:31
|
|
|
If it's just in areas, scrape that part off the best you can and do another layer. I wouldn't start from scratch unless you're ocd. I use a putty knife to scrape my cast iron when it needs it. edit: A good way to avoid pooling is to put your cast iron in the oven upside down. Put a cookie sheet with foil on it below to catch any drips.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2013 18:09
|
|
|
From our previous, archived thread, this procedure works great if you want to use Crisco. It's what I did and I have zero complaints.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2013 18:11
|
|
|
TychoCelchuuu posted:Slathering your steaks in oil is probably part of it. A large amount of fat, plus the fat from the meat, is going to get you a gummy layer no matter what, basically. Yeah, it's probably a combination of sugar and protein forming a big sticky blob. Same with the comment earlier about starch. This happens even with teflon pans that have a texture to them - sugar and protein are really sticky. Just scrape it off or turn it into a pan sauce. If it really bothers you, then sand the pan until it's smooth.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2013 16:07
|
|
|
To all you CocaCola using folks: This is the same stuff in coke (phosphoric acid) you're using to strip your pans but in a more useful concentrated form. You can find it in auto stores. Use gloves to apply it, plenty of water to rinse it away and make sure to start reseasoning the pan immediately before rust starts forming again.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2013 11:34
|
|
|
I have an old Lodge that I never worried about additional seasoning other than the preseasoning that it came with. After a few months of use, it performed wonderfully frying eggs and all that and it has only gotten better with use. I just tried this Flaxseed method on an old Griswold that I lye bathed and cleaned to the bare iron. I followed the instructions as written with super thin coats and did about 8 coatings. It looks beautiful but after trying to fry an egg (with oil of course), it stuck badly and a lot of seasoning came off after I boiled and scraped off the stuck food. It was probably my fault getting over ambitious trying to fry an egg right away, but the blog post talked up this method like I would instantly have a very nonstick and durable surface after 6+ layers. Nonstick, I was skeptical, but durable? I had hoped better. Anyway, I will just put on another layer over the areas where it came off and just start using it. I have another old Griswold fryer and Wagner skillet that I want to strip down but doubt I will do as many layers again. Maybe 2 coatings and then just use it and ease into things like eggs and braising until after it has had a few months of solid use.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2013 20:38
|
|
|
Is it possible to season a pan without an oven? I'm limited to toaster ovens here in Glorious Asia and I'm not going to be able to fit my larger one in. And it doesn't get up to 500 F anyway.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2013 04:09
|
|
|
Just cook in your pan like normal. Use it daily for about a week, and it will be properly seasoned. Alternatively, rub some oil in it, bring that oil up to its smokepoint, let it cool, wipe it out, and repeat.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2013 14:10
|
|
|
Grand Fromage posted:Is it possible to season a pan without an oven? I'm limited to toaster ovens here in Glorious Asia and I'm not going to be able to fit my larger one in. And it doesn't get up to 500 F anyway. Do you have access to a grill? If so, that might be worth a shot.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2013 23:03
|
|
|
deep13 posted:Do you have access to a grill? If so, that might be worth a shot. Not really. I could possibly shanghai someone else's oven but it'd be easier if I can do it on my stove at home. I'll give the rub and smoke method a try before I go oven hunting. I'm just glad that after two years of hunting I've found a hookup for a cast iron pan. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2013 15:45
|
|
|
Grand Fromage posted:Not really. I could possibly shanghai someone else's oven but it'd be easier if I can do it on my stove at home. I'll give the rub and smoke method a try before I go oven hunting. I think stovetop seasoning works really really well actually. You should have no problems cooking with it. The only issue is the sides and handles will never really get hot enough to get a good seasoning layer without overheating the cooking surface itself. So you may just have to keep it oiled after use until you can finally get a few sessions in the oven.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2013 17:45
|
|
|
TychoCelchuuu posted:From our previous, archived thread, this procedure works great if you want to use Crisco. It's what I did and I have zero complaints. I know GW  Black Iron Blog (make sure to read the follow up too).The blog also has a crapload of tasty cast iron recipes and care tips. Also, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has this to say about not using soap to clean cast iron: quote:That's a myth, probably a hangover from when soaps used to contain lye and powerful detergents that would pit the metal. Modern soaps are very gentle, and designed to attack only grease, not the polymer build-up on a good cast iron pan. That said, it's best to avoid it in the early stages of building up your seasoning, but even then, if you need a little, it's not the end of the world as long as you carefully dry, heat, and re-oil your pan with each use. deimos fucked around with this message at 23:34 on May 6, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2013 23:30
|
|
|
I used to use a paper towel with some kosher salt to scrub a cast iron pan when needed, now I just use a plastic spatula, everything comes off real easy. Rinse it off, and dry it off on the burner.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2013 14:53
|
|
|
The pros usually say that it's ok to use dish soap on cast iron once in a while, but not every time. I just use a soft brush and boiling water, but I wouldn't hesitate to clean the pan with soap if I had used it to cook fish.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2013 14:59
|
|
|
Yeah, I would use a little soap after cooking fish too. I sometimes use an abrasive sponge, but I use it very lightly. I have never had a problem with seasoning coming off, except for during the first month or so after an initial seasoning.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2013 18:55
|
|
|
after using my cast iron, I usually rinse it off while still hot, then lightly brush with soap to get anything stuck on. then I throw it back on high heat until all the water has evaporated, and wipe it down with an oil soaked paper towel until it's smoking for a few minutes. works for me!
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2013 10:09
|
|
|
I love my cast iron, I've owned mine for coming up on seven years. But the brilliant utility has always been with a tempered by a mediocre flakey seasoning. After reading this thread I decided to really strip it down - used oven cleaner and went to town with half an old box of steel wool. I have discovered that without a power tool or super high heat there was no way to remove the entirety the old seasoning. I needed my pan so I pressed it back into service before I had linseed oil on hand, initially just using canola to season it. Canola, olive oil and bacon fat are ok seasoning products, but the I'm really astounded with my cast iron's new best friend grape seed. I picked up a cheeky litre on sale and it has transformed my mediocre seasoning into something else. I just stovetop seasoned right over the top of the old stuff. I ran my pan pretty hot for forty minutes or so wiping it down the cooking surface with grape seed as it smoked off and dried out. The high temperature seemed to help bake off the low temperature seasoning that was already there. There seemed to be some interaction between the high heat grape seed oil and the existing oil-polymer seasoning, it became much harder and patches smoothed out. So if you're looking for an easy fix for a poor seasoning I really recommend grape seed. Great oil with a similar flavour profile to canola, about as expensive as better olive oil - I have a tiny kitchen, so every ingredient has to be justified in terms of space!
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2013 10:05
|
|
|
dusty posted:I needed my pan so I pressed it back into service before I had linseed oil on hand, initially just using canola to season it. Canola, olive oil and bacon fat are ok seasoning products, but the I'm really astounded with my cast iron's new best friend grape seed. Don't use olive oil it'll just smoke your house up. I have my grandma's cast iron pan, and 50 years ago she used to use lard. Can't really find that at Kroger so I use the internet's recommendation of linseed oil.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2013 14:21
|
|
|
dusty posted:I needed my pan so I pressed it back into service before I had linseed oil on hand, initially just using canola to season it. Canola, olive oil and bacon fat are ok seasoning products, but the I'm really astounded with my cast iron's new best friend grape seed. Grape seed has one of the highest smoke points so it's no surprise you had good luck with it. But Canola/rapeseed is just as good as linseed for seasoning IMHO.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2013 21:57
|
|
|
I make bacon on my pan sometimes and it's extremely hard to clean off the burnt food matter without scouring the pan with a metal thingy, which I obviously don't want to do. What's the deal here? Do I need to season it more? How does the grease help if I have to scratch off all the food matter? Do I save the grease and wipe some back on? The bacon always comes out good though. Bacon.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 01:06
|
|
|
gokuesque posted:I make bacon on my pan sometimes and it's extremely hard to clean off the burnt food matter without scouring the pan with a metal thingy, which I obviously don't want to do. What's the deal here? Do I need to season it more? How does the grease help if I have to scratch off all the food matter? Do I save the grease and wipe some back on? The bacon always comes out good though. Bacon. On a new cast-iron skillet, I tend not to do bacon right away, due to sticking. I will do much more roasting, cornbread, and sautéing for a couple of weeks before I do bacon. The sugar content is probably the culprit. All of my skillets do fine with bacon now though, after being pretty well seasoned. You probably just need to be patient.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 01:40
|
|
|
dusty posted:I'm really astounded with my cast iron's new best friend grape seed. I eliminated grape seed oil from my kitchen due to its gumminess. I grew to really hate it. I prefer animal fat for seasoning cast iron. I just cook meat in new cast iron until the pan develops a patina. I clean with cold water, no soap, and a plastic scrubber. I'm sure there are other ways, but my way is simple for me.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 01:59
|
|
|
If your bacon is sticking, put it in while the pan is still cold and cook slowly on med-low heat.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 02:21
|
|
|
Cast iron sperginess astounds me. It's a pan. Cook in it. It comes with time. Stop stripping down your pans, stop cleaning it with salt, stop stressing over soap. Rub it with canola, broil it a few times, and you're good to go.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 02:52
|
|
|
Bob Morales posted:Don't use olive oil it'll just smoke your house up. I have my grandma's cast iron pan, and 50 years ago she used to use lard. Can't really find that at Kroger so I use the internet's recommendation of linseed oil. What kind of place do you live that you can't find lard in the grocery store?
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 03:52
|
|
|
Re: bacon. If it sticks you are cooking it too hot. Contrary to popular belief, bacon cooks right below medium heat. If you are cooking bacon hot it is going to curl and cook unevenly. If you need to cook a lot of bacon and can't wait for multiple slow batches look up how to cook bacon in the oven.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 05:42
|
|
|
Chef De Cuisinart posted:Cast iron sperginess astounds me. It's a pan. Cook in it. It comes with time. Stop stripping down your pans, stop cleaning it with salt, stop stressing over soap. Rub it with canola, broil it a few times, and you're good to go. I agree. Here is all I ever do, nothing ever sticks. 1. cook in pan 2. throw pan into sink while still really hot under running water 3. use brush in sink to scrub bits off pan surface until water clear 4. heat pan on stove until all water evaporated and smoking hot 5. wipe down with a paper towel soaked with canola. throw in cabinet. cook, rinse/scrub, oil.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 09:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 21:28 |
|
|
Chef De Cuisinart posted:Cast iron sperginess astounds me. It's a pan. Cook in it. It comes with time. Stop stripping down your pans, stop cleaning it with salt, stop stressing over soap. Rub it with canola, broil it a few times, and you're good to go. I had a pan that was in terrible shape, uneven seasoning, everything would just stick. Did the whole strip down with oven cleaner and seven layers of linseed oil seasoning. It's been pretty great since. Stripping down is pretty great for fixing up old pans, but I wouldn't have done it if that pan had been functional. I also stripped down an old pancake pan that I found rusted and full of old moldy grease. It was really gross, but became a good pan after rehabilitation.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2013 09:26
|
|