IRONSPOON Seasoning Method

M

Mike Kuran

Member
I've read a bunch on all the different ways to season a skillet. I've bought a few pans from a guy that goes by the handle Ironspoon on eBay. He says he has an 8 step method etc.

Does anyone know how he gets this black even look to his pans?

He won't share his method but has told me he uses flax seed oil and seasons them 4 times. Cooks them at 400 degrees.

I just like the look of these pans and I have some that have been passed down to me from my grand mother and have cleaned them in lye and re-seasoned them with flax seed oil but they just don't look the same. Any ideas would be great thanks,

I just was wondering if he adds black food coloring to his flax seed oil? Has anyone ever done that? As that I guess I would give it a black coverage.

Does anyone or has anyone ever used black food coloring to there seasoning method?
 
There are several discussions here on the pros and cons of flax seed oil. Many encounter it via an old blog post touting it as "scientifically" (quotes mine) superior to other oils as a manual seasoning. Few collectors appear to embrace it, however. Doubtful on the food coloring. The seasoning article on the main website contains other thoughts on flax oil, and on seasoning practices in general.

http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php
 
Ok I understand that! But I gave a user that does cast iron restoration but I like what he does! But have been wanting to duplicate it. Thats why I posted a question. I have 4 pans sitting in a lye solution and I will try adding black food coloring dye to the mix tomorrow but was just throwing it out there and wanting some feedback from he pro's! As I'm very new to this!

Mike
 
The probability is that the iron is being preheated past 500F before applying the oil (which has a darkening effect), and that the flax oil being unrefined and low smoke point is creating a relatively higher carbon residue that, after several applications, results in a blacker appearance.

Having said that, the question remains do you want pans that look cosmetically black, or do you want to build an initial seasoning that won't likely flake off upon actual use, as many who have used flax oil have experienced?
 
Thanks Doug! No first and for most I want a seasoning that will last a very very long time. Both my grand mothers had and used crisco in there kitchens..... So maybe if it isn't broke don't fix it....
 
Mike, I'm also doubtful that only four rounds of seasoning with flax oil at 400F is going to give such a dark patina. Something else is surely occurring like the skillets being preheated to 500F or above before applying the oil as Doug suggested. I sometimes do that with my carbon steel before beginning the seasoning process, and may even go up to 500F for the last thirty minutes for the first round of seasoning. After that, I don't like to do it, because then you're burning off part of your seasoning in my experience. Haven't felt the need to "blacken" my CI, however.

I've never used flax oil on any of my pans, but have had to strip and reseason a couple of my aunt's pieces after she read Ms. Cantor's blog. They looked great for a while until she got back into frequently cooking with them, then the flaking and mess started after several months.

Hard to go wrong with Crisco for long-term durability. I also like grapeseed oil or a mix of grapeseed and canola a whole lot.

---------- Post added at 04:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:33 PM ----------

Some additional thoughts:

Mike, you can certainly give your CI a couple hours at 500F or so in the oven prior to seasoning to perhaps get a little darkening going in the beginning. I don't want to imply just because I choose to only do this with carbon steel, you can't do so with your CI.

Also, I'd like to add that I personally feel uncomfortable going much above 500F with either my vintage CI or my CS, because these are thinner pans and I'm not willing to chance warping them. When I go to 500F, maybe up to 525F max, this is done gradually. I don't throw cold, empty pans into an oven that is already preheated to those temps. Instead, I'll start them out at 200F or so, then gradually ramp up the temperature.

My grandmother liked to occasionally use "dirty" bacon grease or a pinch of flour in Crisco to help speed up carbonization on newer pans or after she stripped one down to bare metal, and this seemed to work quite well for her.
 
Susan_A said:
My grandmother liked to occasionally use "dirty" bacon grease or a pinch of flour in Crisco to help speed up carbonization on newer pans or after she stripped one down to bare metal, and this seemed to work quite well for her.
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Thanks Susan,

Ever heard of seasoning with grease and salt? Instead of Crisco and flour?
 
While there are several ways (or variations mostly of one way) to initially season a pan, there are also several ways professed on the internet as being "the" way that are basically a bunch of hooey. There would be no good reason to mix salt and grease to season a pan, although a slurry of both makes a fine concoction to clean a seasoned pan.

It is true, however, that used cooking oil is a good manual seasoning oil choice, as it has extra carbon from the food cooked in it and a lower smoke point than it's fresh counterpart. I don't typically save used cooking oil, but the idea to mix in a little flour with fresh oil seems not without merit, and I will have to give it a go on a Wagner I was just gifted.
 
Well I've never read anything about oil and salt its just something my uncle told me that his mom did. Maybe she was cleaning the pan and he got that mixed up lol. When he gave me all of grandma's pans it was something he was telling me. So I figured I would ask hahaha. He's 72 today and that was probably over 60 years ago.
 
Mike,

No, I have not heard of adding salt as part of the seasoning process for cast iron, but I've of course heard of people sometimes using it to scrub out their pans as Doug indicated.

If memory serves, DeBuyer or another carbon steel manufacturer does (or did) recommend the use of salt along with some potato peels and some cooking oil for a new pan, but I figure that is probably primarily for the purposes of removing the factory wax coating they put on. Not my personal approach in any case, I just use 00 to 0000 steel wool and dish detergent to get new CS clean before seasoning.

As far as using "dirty" bacon grease goes to season, depending upon whether your bacon is cured or uncured, there may be some trace remnants of salt in the grease. I believe the bacon my grandmother cooked back in the day was not salt-cured (they made their own from hogs butchered on the farm), but could be mistaken. In any case, I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to add salt to a seasoning oil as sodium chloride is somewhat corrosive to metals and hygroscopic (attracts moisture).

Edit/add - like Doug, I think adding a little flour to your seasoning oil may have some merit and could be a worthy experiment, but have yet to try it for myself. I've got a new carbon steel pan on the way that I plan to test this out on.
 
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Susan_A said:
Mike,

No, I have not heard of adding salt as part of the seasoning process for cast iron, but I've of course heard of people sometimes using it to scrub out their pans as Doug indicated.

If memory serves, DeBuyer or another carbon steel manufacturer does (or did) recommend the use of salt along with some potato peels and some cooking oil for a new pan, but I figure that is probably primarily for the purposes of removing the factory wax coating they put on. Not my personal approach in any case, I just use 00 to 0000 steel wool and dish detergent to get new CS clean before seasoning.

As far as using "dirty" bacon grease goes to season, depending upon whether your bacon is cured or uncured, there may be some trace remnants of salt in the grease. I believe the bacon my grandmother cooked back in the day was not salt-cured (they made their own from hogs butchered on the farm), but could be mistaken. In any case, I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to add salt to a seasoning oil as sodium chloride is somewhat corrosive to metals and hygroscopic (attracts moisture).

Edit/add - like Doug, I think adding a little flour to your seasoning oil may have some merit and could be a worthy experiment, but have yet to try it for myself. I've got a new carbon steel pan on the way that I plan to test this out on.
Click to expand...


Nothing beats lard. Fancy oils, synthetic compounds, compared to good ole animal fat.
 
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