# Seasoning cast iron, sans pig products... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902 "2005-07-30T17:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/1 "2005-07-30T17:08:03Z")
Fo my birthday, Mrs. Maidenname-455 got me the two burner cast iron grill pan I’ve been dropping hints about for awhile. Yay! So, to preseason it, I coated it in canola oil and stuck it in the oven, per the instructions on the box. Unfortunately, the vegetable oil turned in to a sticky coating that burned off (setting off the smoke alarms, natch) the first time I used it. A little online research reveals that most people seem to caution against using vegetable oil for the aforementioned reasons, and recommend using lard and/or bacon grease. Problem is, we (meaning my wife) have forsworn eating cow or pig parts whenever possible. As in, this past 4th of July, my wife made my brother in law wrap our veggie burgers in foil because he was cooking beef burgers on the same grill. So, does anybody have a recommedations on what kind of lipid I should be using to season my precious grill pan, other than something that comes from a cow or a pig? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/2 "2005-07-30T17:16:20Z")
I’m a vegetarian, and I use olive oil on my cast iron cookware. It will smoke, but it also seasons the pans just fine. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/3 "2005-07-30T17:18:56Z")
I should probably add that by no pig and cow products, I mean no _dead_ pig and cow products. Dairy fats or whatever should be okay. Also, I probably should have searched before posting this. To wit: > **[Cooking with a new Cast Iron Grill....help](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=116102)** > > OK, all you amateur chefs (or professional ones) out there, I need a little advice. I recently bought a new cast iron reversible grill pan. If you haven’t seen one, its rectangular and it’s big enough to sit over two burners of the stove. One side... If the mods wanna close this, be my guest. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/4 "2005-07-30T19:09:29Z")
Perhaps an oil with a higher smoke point? [Cooking oil Smoke Points](http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedInfo/OilSmokePoints.htm) 225 F: Canola Oil, Unrefined 400 F: " " " Refined 495 F: Soy Bean Oil† 510 F: Safflower Oil† 520 F: Avocado Oil, Refined † [http://www.christianchefs.org/charts/oils.html](http://www.christianchefs.org/charts/oils.html) ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/5 "2005-07-30T19:10:57Z")
Oh yeah 361-401 F: Lard ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/6 "2005-07-31T05:23:18Z")
Have seasoned many cast iron and carbon steel pans. I use peanut oil and have never had any problems. What I would suggest is that, if you have (or have access to) a self-cleaning oven, run the griddle through a cycle. This will completely burn off the canola oil. Otherwise, just scrub it as clean as you can. Then, start over with peanut oil. Incidentally, it’s important (bordering on essential) that you build up several small layers, rather than one thick one. Kinda like painting. Also, as you use the pan, be sure to maintain the seasoning on the bottom as well as the top. And I’m sure you know never to use soap. ---
**Author:** ![BlackNGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BlackNGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackNGold)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/7 "2005-07-31T11:09:35Z")
> [@black455](#): > > So, does anybody have a recommedations on what kind of lipid I should be using to season my precious grill pan, other than something that comes from a cow or a pig? The instructions that came with my Lodge skillet suggested Crisco. Coat and bake for 1 hr at 350deg. I just realized I have no idea what’s _in_ Crisco, so I looked at the can. “All-vegetable Shortening”. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/8 "2005-07-31T12:33:58Z")
Rather than try to create a long-lasting seal on my cast iron, I generally just put a light seasoning on it after each use. After cleaning it, I put it on a burner and heat it up, then wipe a layer of canola oil into it after it’s hot. Then I turn off the burner, and let it sit there to cool. The next morning, I wipe out whatever oil wasn’t absorbed by the iron, and put the pan away. About once a year, I do the “in the oven” seasoning, too. I use canola oil, but I’ve never had the problem you describe with smoking. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/9 "2005-07-31T12:56:14Z")
> [@Kiminy](#): > > About once a year, I do the “in the oven” seasoning, too. I use canola oil, but I’ve never had the problem you describe with smoking. perhaps it’s related to different ypes of canola oil, refined vs unrefined Canola Oil, Unrefined smoke point 225F Canola Oil, Refined smoke point 400F ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/10 "2005-07-31T15:20:51Z")
I use canola oil on my cast iron and it seasons just fine. You may be using too much oil and when you say burned off you may be mistaking that for how it is supposed to look It takes an awful lot of heat to truly burn off the oil ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/11 "2005-07-31T16:15:09Z")
Can you fix an old cast iron pan. I just pulled one out of our camping supplies and it is a little worse for wear. No rust, but it’s sort of brownish looking in spots. It’s probably never be properly seasoned. I’m thinking about hitting it with some steel wool, and then re-seasoning it. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/12 "2005-07-31T16:28:14Z")
I have heard that you can run it through the self clean cycle in your oven will remove any and all seasoning and allow you to start over (after a good scrubbing of course) I don’t have a cite for this, just something I recall reading on some message board somewhere. Take it for what it is worth ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/13 "2005-07-31T20:55:01Z")
Thanks for the tips, everybody. I’ve done a bit more googling, and I’m getting some sites that say the reason for the season, so to speak, is to get a layer of carbon on the iron. That’s where I’m getting confused; I’d think that I’d want an oil with a _lower_ smoke point, since it’d presumably burn off easier. FWIW, I tried using some store brand Pam “for grilling” on it last night, and the kitchen is now infused with a burnt-oil reek that I suspect is going to hang around for awhile. Maybe it’ll get better after the sucker gets well and truly nuked. Unfortunately, our crappy-ass landlord hasn’t bothered to fix the oven in the 6+ months we’ve been complaining about it, and I’m too chicken to attempt to fire the sucker up with a match. I’ve been attempting to season the pan on the stovetop only. Maybe I should ask my wife it would be allright if I used goat fat, as it appears I’m going to need to sacrifice one to get this thing working properly. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/14 "2005-07-31T22:51:02Z")
In the old days, when cast iron was pretty much the only kind of pot there was, the pot/pan was seasoned simply through use. Fats used in cooking were absorbed into the metal, and soap was never used to clean them. At most, the old food would be scraped out, the pan might be sanded clean (with a handful of sand, not sandpaper), left to dry, and stored for the next day, often within the heat range of the fireplace where most of the cooking was done in the first place. In really bad cases, the pot might be left in the fire for the food to burn out completely. Over time, a well-used pot would build up several layers of cooked fat deposits to create a very well-seasoned pot. The goal of seasoning, regardless of how it is phrased, is two-fold. First, it helps keep food from sticking to the pan. Second, it helps keep the pan from rusting. If all you needed for these goals was a layer of carbon, you could do that by cooking a mess of sugar in the pan and be done with it. However, fats are typically used because they provide a waterproof barrier between the atmosphere and the iron, and because they are generally slippery enough to help prevent sticking. Modern cooking, though, uses a lot less fat, which is why we have to add the fat directly to the pan. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/15 "2005-07-31T23:14:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe I should ask my wife it would be allright if I used goat fat I was going to suggest lamb fat, but assumed that wouldn’t work for you. I was wondering about duck or even chicken, but I’m not sure it would be good for seasoning. Peanut oil might be OK, but it’s a compromise at best. Perhaps you might have luck with coconut oil, which is hard to find, and fairly expensive, but does have some properties of animal fat. I must say that I am disappointed with you, seemingly environmentally friendly people waisting a limited resource (aluminum) so you can make a statement that you don’t want your veggie burgers grilled on the same grill that burgers were made on. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/16 "2005-07-31T23:41:25Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I must say that I am disappointed with you, seemingly environmentally friendly people waisting a limited resource (aluminum) so you can make a statement that you don’t want your veggie burgers grilled on the same grill that burgers were made on. 😕😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/17 "2005-08-01T03:44:06Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I must say that I am disappointed with you, seemingly environmentally friendly people waisting a limited resource (aluminum) so you can make a statement that you don’t want your veggie burgers grilled on the same grill that burgers were made on. That sounds like a boatload of assumptions for one post. “Vegetarian” is not synonymous with “environmentally friendly”, and someone who doesn’t want to eat remnants of beef on his veggie burger is not necessarily “making a statement”. ---
**Author:** ![tygerbryght](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@tygerbryght](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygerbryght)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/18 "2005-08-01T07:17:18Z")
> [@Kiminy](#): > > In the old days, when cast iron was pretty much the only kind of pot there was, the pot/pan was seasoned simply through use. Fats used in cooking were absorbed into the metal, and soap was never used to clean them. > > \ Emphasis added (obviously). I learned some years ago (can’t recall from whom) to use table salt to clean my iron cookware. How to do it? Sprinkle a modest amount (probably less than a teaspoon; sometimes much less, if there’s not much to get out) of table salt into the pot/pan/whatever. Using a dry cloth or a paper towel, scour the stuck-in stuff. When it’s all loose, you can dump it, and use a **slightly** dampened paper towel or cloth to get any remaining salt and other stuff out. It works really well. And it doesn’t even add detectable amounts of salt to whatever is cooked next. As for seasoning, I have used vegetable oil, but I do my seasoning at around 250-300 degrees F. It takes a lot longer, but the risks of smoke are much smaller. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/19 "2005-08-01T08:10:01Z")
Two further comments: 1. Don’t use Pam or other nonstick spray on cast iron. It contains lecithin (to aid in atomizing the oil), which plays heck with the seasoning process. 2. Don’t use steel wool on cast iron. Filaments can get caught in pores of the metal, creating little rust “seeds.” Doesn’t always happen, but can. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902/20 "2005-08-01T16:30:05Z")
Nobody has mentioned it, but…[Lodge, the leading US maker of cast iron](http://www.lodgemfg.com/usecare1.asp) has a great care page. They recommend either solid shortening (no animal products, just refined vegetable oil) or spray on oil (so I’m not sure I buy _ **Pbear42** _’s answer. I routinely coat my pans post-use with a cooking spray, just to maintain the seasoning. I love my cast iron… 😃 -Butler [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasoning-cast-iron-sans-pig-products/314902.md?page=2)