Help with "seasoning" a LARGE cast iron kettle

[RB in NM]

I tend to go against the grain to most common thought processes, and seasoning my pots being one method people tend to disagree with, but it has worked for me, many, many years.

I'll take mine or someones rusted out ,ready to be tossed out, cast iron pot and clean it up. Hate to use sandblast cuz it'll remove years of 'smoothing', that continuous cooking provides a finish to the interior of the pot. But what the hell, the rust needs to come off. So be it. Once cleaned, I'll fire up the large fish fryer I have made with a huge hot water heater burner, w/ many gas ports that provides a more uniform heating area. I'll heat the pot or top of the pot seperately. I heat the piece on a medium flame, turning it up slowly over a period of time. Cast Iron can do nasty things when heated too hot too fast. I get it red friggin hot, slowly. Red hot. This does two things, it cooks out all of the previous seasoning, and it opens the cast iorn pores where they ain't been for a while. Once red hot, I take it off the burner and let it cool down slowly till I can wipe a rag soaked with veggie oil, it'll smoke like crazy. Let it cool off.Then, I do the same process 2 more times. IMO this process gets the pores cleaner, get oil deeper in the pores, and provides a better saturated seasoning that will last forever. Doing my seasoning this way, I have taken both brand new and rusted out POS pots and made them look like they have been in use for 30 years.

Once seasoned,,, NEVER use any abrasive cleaning media like steel wool or metal scouring pads to the pot. Steel wool adds steel, to the pores which will rust as soon as the pot dries. Rough pads will remove the seasoning it took so many beers getting that pot just rite ! !!

[j_martin]

I tried to tell them!

I've been cooking in cast iron for 40 years. My Teenage son decided to cook omelets. First try was scrambled eggs and debris. I taught him how to cook a well turned, nicely browned omelet in a cast iron pan.

When it's done, you wipe out the pan with a paper towel and hang it back up over the wood stove.

[RB in NM]

First try was scrambled eggs and debris.

Debris,,, Iz that sorta like them ugly azzed mushroom you boys eat up yonder ? ? ?

[j_martin]

You mean these........ambrosia

[RB in NM]

YEP,,, dat's them.

RB

[roadkill636]

Update.... still using this pot.
Used it several times to make my gallons of chili at big group parties. Cooking it over hickory wood. . This past weekend I butchered a cow and cooked down all the trimmings for the critters around the house. And now re seasoning it with the fat from the cow

[boostalmighty]

all very good recomendations here, I would just change the oil you use. flaxseed oil has a very high smoke point and very durable after you do the seasoning.

[mr fun]

I recently inherited a few new additions to the cast iron army, on youtube I saw something on this subject , might have been " cowboy Kent Raulings " sp may be off , but this dudecooks everything in cast iron. to start from scratch with a corroded item , cleaning vinegar and steel wool or brass and some elbow grease, scrub that puppy down clean and oil it up good and stick in a 500 degree oven for a spell to season it, then never use soap to clean , just wipe everything out , maby another spritz of some spray oil and plan your next meal

[Li'l Toy]

Did not realize I had walked into a 10 year old thread--roadkill must have done something right. I use my cast iron pan to cook my blackened dolphin. I have tried to behave and just wipe it out, but that Prudhome seasoning is stuck so well I end up cleaning it with water and SS wool, then heating it to dry and adding a new coat of oil. What am I dong wrong?

[CDave]

all very good recomendations here, I would just change the oil you use. flaxseed oil has a very high smoke point and very durable after you do the seasoning.

But what brand of flaxseed oil is the best.

[roadkill636]

The wife is bored from being stuck inside working from home with all this covid stuff going on and wants to make a bunch of homemade suit cakes for the birds and give to people. Im thinking this kettle is getting another warm up here soon.