Re-doing seasoning

M

MGriffin

New member
I recently restored a cast iron skillet, and seasoned it using flaxseed oil (prior to reading deeper on this forum). I'm not particularly impressed with the flaxseed, and am going to re-season with Crisco. Do I need to strip the flaxseed back off, essentially starting from scratch with the Crisco, or am I fine to just season on top of the flaxseed. Having just stripped, cleaned, and seasoned the pan, it's obviously not in poor shape, but will the Crisco bond sufficiently to the existing flaxseed seasoning, or do I need to get it back down to bare metal?
 
You can season over old seasoning, but if you are not happy with the flaxseed, it would only take a few minutes in a lye bath to strip off the one layer and start over. If it was me, I would start over.
 
I'm not sure what you mean when you say you're not happy with it. Not dark enough? Food sticks? Splotchy? Any number of reasons to be not happy with it. As the others have said, it's easy enough to strip it off and start over, but if it were me, I'd just season over it and start using it. If still not happy, then strip and start over. A well seasoned skillet that has been used repeatedly has many different layers of seasoning with all kinds of fats and oils.
 
KevinE said:
...A well seasoned skillet that has been used repeatedly has many different layers of seasoning with all kinds of fats and oils.
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This is one reason I usually use different things on different layers. Right or wrong, I'm not sure, but if I am going to put more than one layer of seasoning, I have been doing the first layer in Crisco ... second layer with lard ... etc.
 
The recurring complaint about flaxseed oil is that it flakes off. I would think that, if it's going to do that, it will still do it with a layer of something else over the top of it. Something to consider.
 
KevinE said:
I'm not sure what you mean when you say you're not happy with it. Not dark enough? Food sticks? Splotchy? Any number of reasons to be not happy with it. As the others have said, it's easy enough to strip it off and start over, but if it were me, I'd just season over it and start using it. If still not happy, then strip and start over. A well seasoned skillet that has been used repeatedly has many different layers of seasoning with all kinds of fats and oils.
Click to expand...

Food sticks pretty badly (eggs mainly), which I know that will improve over time with use, but it's all but ruining eggs at the moment. It does seem to be flaking off a bit too, though, as best I can tell, not down to the grey metal.
 
Why not start over now? Better than doing a few more rounds of seasoning, having it flake off, and THEN having to start over. :headpop:
 
An old painter once told me that your last coat of paint is no better than the first one. Most likely applies to seasoning CI as well.
 
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