Organic Seasoning Oils?

B

B.Collins

New member
I have zero experience of seasoning pans so looking for a few opinions to help me decide the best way to go... all sources at bottom of page.

Initially, I will be seasoning new pizza pans which will used in oven temps around 300C. Eventually, I will be replacing the rest of the pans in my kitchen with new/old iron/steel pans that will require seasoning.

I see from the seasoning guide and other threads that refined grapeseed oil is a good/popular option.

However, I can only find one source of organic refined grapeseed oil which comes in at an eye watering $40(incl delivery) for just 100ml(not a typo).

I can source nitrate-free Organic Pork Lard for around: $5/200g.

Or, there is a non-organic refined grapeseed Oil to be had for: $6.50/500m. The company describes this product thus:
"Meridian Grapeseed Oil is the only oil from our range that is refined. This is necessary because completely unrefined grapeseed oil is malodorous and unpalatable. All of the other oils in the MERIDIAN range are cold pressed, with no solvents used.

It is prepared from grape seeds and a solvent is used to extract the oil. The oil is then filtered before being steam de-odourised. The temperature and vacuum conditions in the de-odourisation process guarantees the total absence of solvent in the finished product."

They don't say which solvent they use but I'm guessing Butane, I know from experience that "....the total absence of solvent in the finished product" is nigh impossible as there will always be trace amounts even with the best kit, which is probably why they don't claim the product to be organic although it might be near as dammit organic. Or the grapeseed themselves might be non organic ...its a bit vague really.

So given the choice of the two which will be better? ...will the non organic grapeseed oil provide a better coating than the nitrate free organic lard or would you choose something different entirely?



Blue steel rectangular baking sheet
Vogue Carbon Steel Serving Platter

Cast Iron Seasoning Guide
Organic REFINED Grapeseed Oil
Nitrate free Organic Pork Lard
Refined Grapeseed Oil
 
Scott.L said:
B.Collins,
is there a driving factor behind using organic only oils?
Click to expand...

Yes, the food being cooked is organic so it makes sense that the seasoning should also be organic lest it transfer into the food.

KevinE said:
Just use canola oil and forget all the "organic" and "refined" grapeseed crap.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you have organic and refined in quotes or why you think grapeseed makes for a "crap" seasoning ...care to elaborate?

Organic rapeseed/canola oil goes for $9/1000ml here so the cost is not prohibitive.
 
I think the "crap" part refers to the perceived necessity (or lack thereof, rather) of using organic oils for an initial manual seasoning, and not the quality of the seasoning produced. That basic seasoning is meant to seal against rust returning and to provide a foundation for the subsequent layers built up through cooking. Being that the goal is to bake that initial layer to the point of polymerization, and that the additional layers over it will be made up of the (also polymerized) oil of your choice, it doesn't seem like spending extra money on it (or even insisting it be organic) makes much sense. In any event, I'd say just use whatever's cheapest that suits you, making sure it's baked on, in an extremely thin layer, hot enough and long enough to no longer feel tacky, and proceed from there.
 
There’s many ways to season cast iron.... I have found grape seed oil to be the best for me. Walmart carrys it and I found out early it’s well worth the money spent... but that’s just my opinion..
 
Doug D. said:
(or even insisting it be organic) makes much sense.
Click to expand...
If you don't see the benefit of chemical free organic food then it probably wont make much sense.

But, if the cost is the same then why insist on man made potentially carcinogenic additives( which are a bi-product of production ) in your seasoning oil ...what is the sense in that exactly?
 
I'm not insisting you do anything one way or the other. Just saying that the thin layer of oil you apply and polymerize, to create an initial seasoning layer, for the application specified (pizza pans/baking sheets), doesn't seem to require organic. There are those who might even suggest that the operating temperature specified (300C/572F), which exceeds the smoke point of any cooking oil (that I can think of), may potentially produce carcinogenic compounds in any oil used.

But we're not really here to debate the subject of organic vs. non-organic. I'll just repeat the previous advice to just use whatever's cheapest that suits you, making sure it's baked on, in an extremely thin layer, hot enough and long enough to no longer feel tacky, and proceed from there.
 
Doug D. said:
There are those who might even suggest that the operating temperature specified (300C/572F), which exceeds the smoke point of any cooking oil (that I can think of), may potentially produce carcinogenic compounds in any oil used.
Click to expand...

Yes, it has crossed my mind. I can only assume once an oil is properly baked on then its smoke point might be altered? ...as real pizza is baked on steel pans( the kind that require seasoning with oil ) at 300C with no burnt taste.

---------- Post added at 09:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 PM ----------

ps

Nearly every guide I've read on different pizza geek forums say the oil should be burnt off as part of the seasoning process. The temps vary depending on who you ask: 200-300C. Apparently, the process is complete when there is no more smoke.
 
Wow man, youre making seasoning WAY more complex than it should be. Read on here, or ask others, to do it means....JUST DO IT.
 
B.Collins said:
Nearly every guide I've read on different pizza geek forums say the oil should be burnt off as part of the seasoning process. The temps vary depending on who you ask: 200-300C. Apparently, the process is complete when there is no more smoke.
Click to expand...
This might be the point of confusion. What we are primarily concerned with here is the creation of a somewhat resilient matrix of polymerized oil and carbon in order to produce a relatively non-stick cooking surface. The interest is therefore not in incinerating (it sounds like) the applied oil/fat into pure carbon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top