I Seasoned My Cast Iron Pan with Flaxseed Oil. A few years ago I heard that flaxseed oil not vegetable oil or shortening was the best oil for seasoning cast iron. Id always wanted to put that theory to the test, but decided to wait until Id sufficiently neglected my own cast iron skillets to warrant a full re seasoning. It was bound to happen at some point. That day came eventually Thanks to my lazy maintenance, the seasoning on my 1. Lodge skillet had become patchy, rough, and sticky. But this time around, instead of coating it in vegetable oil and heating the pan in the oven for an hour, as is the norm, I decided to spend 1. This is what happened. Castiron cookware is valued for its heat retention properties, and can be produced and formed with a relatively low level of technology. Seasoning is used to protect. Lodge PreSeasoned CastIron Skillet Preseasoned skillet is readytouse right out of the box The black patina given to the cookware by the factory seasoning. The trick to a great crust on this flat iron steak is to use a very hot skillet a large castiron or heavy stainless steel skillet works best. Have. As I confessed in this little bio, I used to think cast iron fanatics were half crazy, drunk on the nostalgia of antique skillets passed down through generations or. The 12Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet offers both elegance and versatility to your kitchen. Whether youre learning to cook, or a seasoned expert, this pan is. Cooking with cast iron can be intimidating, but as long as you learn the truth behind these common myths, youll quickly see why its our favorite kitchen tool. Specializing in cast iron cooking utensils and cookware. With a little TLC, this versatile pan should last a lifetime. XL_10692634_14180624.jpg' alt='Iron Panther Trailers Fresno' title='Iron Panther Trailers Fresno' />Years ago, web developer and blogger Sheryl Canter wrote a post claiming flaxseed oil was the best oil for seasoning cast iron. You can read her post for the specific points on the science behind fat polymerization, but the gist is this Vegetable oils and shortening leave cast iron soft and prone to scratching and wear and tear, but flaxseed oil which is essentially the food grade equivalent of linseed oil, the drying oil that painters and woodworkers use to create a tough, protective layer on their work makes cast iron surfaces smooth, hard, and even. Read the article Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning A Science Based How To by Sheryl Canter Cooks Illustratedgave Canters method a try, and the results amazed them The flaxseed oil so effectively bonded to the skillets, forming a sheer, stick resistant veneer, that even a run through our commercial dishwasher with a squirt of degreaser left them totally unscathed, they wrote. Iron PanelImpressive Read more The Ultimate Way to Season Cast Ironat Cooks Illustrated. With such a stellar recommendation in mind, I was ready to give this flaxseed re seasoning a try. But first I had to strip the skillet. My BEFORE pan Sticky, rough, uneven, with a few rust spots. Image credit Cambria BoldWhy I Stripped My Skillet Before I Started. As I mentioned earlier, my 1. Grilled Tofu. Lodge cast iron skillet had seen better days. The surface had become rough and uneven, with sticky spots and a little rust. The usual scrub and oil wasnt making things better, so I decided if I was going to re season, I was going to do it right and start with the raw iron. That meant I needed to strip my pan of all the remaining seasoning. According to Cooks Illustrated, the easiest way to strip a cast iron pan of its seasoning is to run it through your ovens self cleaning cycle. There are other methods you can use scrubbing with oven cleaner, a lye bath, electrolysis but those all seemed too scary and involved for me. I was nervous about using my ovens self cleaning cycle, too that can also be a bad idea, but figured it was my best option. To strip the pan, I put my skillet upside down on the bottom oven rack, and set my oven to a three hour cleaning cycle. When the hot and very smoky cycle finished, my pan was gray and splotchy. I then scrubbed it vigorously with soap and hot water, and set it on a low flame to dry out. Okay Im ready to start the flaxseed re seasoning process. Barleans Organic Flax Oil. Image credit AmazonThe Right Kind of Flaxseed Oil for Re Seasoning Cast Iron. If you read Sheryl Canters post, youll see her requirements for flaxseed oil are very specific, and for good reason Use the wrong kind of flax oil which is usually flax mixed with something else and the re seasoning wont work. It may flake off the first time you wash it, for example because, not being pure flax oil, it didnt bond to the pan in the first place. So, it pays to pay attention here The flaxseed oil must. Be made of 1. 00 flaxseed There should be no other flavors, additives, and especially no oils to prevent oxidation among the listed ingredients. You want the oxidation in this case The only exception here is if the label includes the words flaxseed particulate or lignans. Those are still part of the flaxseed, so theyre fine and still count as pure flax oil. Require refrigeration, because its an omega 3 supplement and goes rancid quickly. If you buy a bottle of flax oil that doesnt need to be refrigerated, you bought the wrong thing. Be organic,because you dont want to burn toxic chemicals into your cookware to leach out forever more, Canter writes. Be unfiltered, although filtered is also probably fine Canter doesnt specify if the oil should be filtered or unfiltered. Ive heard of people using both, and it worked fine. The bottle she links to in her post is unfiltered, so thats what I went with as well. Be expensive Well, it doesnt have to be expensive, per se, but if youre buying the right thing, it probably will be. Think around 1. 7 for a 1. Canter specifically links to this 3. Barleans Organic Flax Oil, which is way, way more than you will ever need. You can buy a 1. 6 ounce bottle for about 1. I ended up buying a 1. Whole Foods 3. 65 Unfiltered Organic Flax Oil, which met all the requirements and set me back 1. Buy it Barleans Organic Oils High Lignan Flax Oil, 1. My cast iron pan BEFORE stripping and re seasoning. Image credit Cambria BoldThe Re Seasoning Process. Total project time Three days, including a day for stripping the cast iron pan. Total oven time 1. Number of flaxseed oil coats Six. The first thing you should know about this particular re seasoning process is that it takes approximately 1. Most of that is hands off oven time, but its still an investment. You can read the full instructions on Sheryl Canters website, but heres the overview. Pour flaxseed oilinto the pan A little goes a long way, so you can start with a teaspoon. Add more as needed. Rub the oil into the pan This is best done with your hands. Make sure to cover every part of the pan, including the inside, sides, bottom, and handle. Wipe off the oil Wipe off the oil with a paper towel. You want a very, very thin layer of oil, which basically means removing as much of the oil as you can with a paper towel until it looks like there is nothing left on the pan. There is still oil there, but only a very thin layer just what you want Place the skillet in a cold oven Place the skillet upside down on a middle oven rack in a cold oven. Turn on the oven Set the oven for its highest temperature I did 5. F, and let the pan preheat with the oven. When the oven is hot, set a timer When the oven is preheated, set a timer for one hour. Make sure the area is well ventilated Open all the windows, turn on the fans, and exit the kitchen, since hot flax oil will smoke a bit and smell like fish while its burning off. After an hour, turn off the oven, and let cool After an hour, turn off the oven, but dont open the door Leave the pan to cool inside the oven, untouched, for an additional two hours. Remove and repeat After two hours three since you started, remove the pan from the oven. It should be cool enough to touch. If its still too warm, allow it to cool a little more on the countertop. Once you can handle the pan with your bare hands, repeat the whole process steps one through nine. Repeat Do this whole process for a total of six times. Like I said, a bit labor intensive. Was it worth it Lets find out. My pan AFTER seasoning with six coats of flaxseed oil. Image credit Cambria BoldThe Results. After the first seasoning, my pan had definitely developed a matte black finish. It was looking better, but nothing special. With each successive seasoning, though, the pans finish got sleeker. By the sixth and final seasoning, the finish was the smoothest Id seen since I bought the pan years ago. It was like it was brand new There were no bumps or sticky spots, just an even surface that looked and felt like it a had a tough, sheer coating on it. I was really impressedOne caveat As you can see in the photos above, there is what looks like a little dent or ridge in the bottom of the pan. Im not sure how that got there did my pan always have that ridge Was that the result of a little pool of oilGourmet Cookware Indoor Outdoor Cooking Supplies. Iron Cooker is your total resource for cookware and other metal products. We specialize in cast iron pots and pans,dutch ovens and kettles for your cooking and camping enjoyment. We also feature stainless steel cookware, aluminum pans, and our flatware is top quality. While you are here, take a moment to check out our barn signs and other novelty metal items.