Favorite Oils for Seasoning Cast Iron
Howdy y’all, and thanks for stopping by the website. I’m going to disappoint the Beag a little today because instead of cooking, I’m going to share with you my favorite oils for seasoning your cast iron.
Before we get started, I’m going to refer you to my YouTube playlist with all the tips and tricks you can use in the care and feeding of your cast iron. Whether you are a beginner or have been cooking with cast iron since Bob Hope was a teenager, there is something there for you.
Seasoning Tips
Before we get into the best oils for seasoning cast iron, here are a few tips to make sure that the seasoning will take:
- Start by heating your cast iron. The cast iron isn’t going to accept the oil cold.
- Don’t use too much oil. If you use more than the cast iron will accept, you’re going to end up with sticky cast iron.
- Use a lint-free rag to rub the oil into the heated cast iron and again when you are done seasoning to remove any extra oil.
What Not to Use
This next tip is the one I get pushback the most on. I know that your mama always seasoned her cast iron with lard. I’m going to tell you not to do it anyway.
When the family had just one cast iron skillet to use, seasoning with lard was just fine because it was used so frequently the lard didn’t have time to go sour. However, if the cast iron was put up with a lid on it for any length of time, the lard will go rancid. The same goes with bacon grease and vegetable oil.
- Do not season with lard, vegetable oil, or bacon grease.
- While cooking with aerosol spray oils is just fine for your cast iron, do not season with them. There are extra ingredients added to those oils so they spray nice and even and I don’t want those fooling with my seasoning.
- I was using flaxseed oil for a time, but after a while I noticed it starting to crack a little bit here and there, so I don’t use it anymore. You shouldn’t either.
My Favorite Seasoning Oils
The contest for first place has come to a tie, folks.
The oils that will give you the best seasoning are grapeseed oil & avocado oil. Both have high smoking points and will take to the cast iron beautifully.
For newer cast iron, use grapeseed oil. Once you have a shiny, slick surface established, avocado oil is the way to go.
Olive Oil?
Yes – olive oil is safe to use on well-established seasoning. By well-established, I’m talking about a decade or two of good seasoning in that skillet.
When you’re cooking with cast iron that’s been around so long you’ve named it and written it in the family Bible, that cast iron is going to accept olive oil just fine.
Olive oil has a low smoking point, but when you’ve cleaned out the cast iron and got it a little hot, just rub a little olive oil in there. Rub it in and remove excess with a lint-free rag and the seasoning will remain excellent.
As always, I thank you for watching my videos and reading my blog. I am grateful for each and every one of you. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and look for a new video every Wednesday and every Sunday. You’ll never know what I might come up with next.
