Help-seasoning evaporation

[Alesia Nunes]

Help!!! Why did my seasoning in my DO evaporate? I made a tri tip roast in my DO and let it sit in the pot for 2 hours after cooking to keep warm and when I cleaned my pot most of my beautiful seasoning is GONE! I used nothing acidic, no tomato ect.  Should I have taken the food out as soon as it was done or maybe I suck at seasoning. I love collecting CI but I don't know how to use it very well.  It was seasoned 3x with crisco and 1x with Crisbee puck.  This is the second time this happened with my CI.  The first time was a well seasoned skillet. I made a stir fry and maybe the water in the veggies removed my seasoning?

[Cheryl Watson]

I have found it to be a learning curve too, since all of my users are newly seasoned.

What I have learned, is that I don't allow liquids to sit in a pan very long.  Any liquid.   I am being careful as I go, until the seasoning builds.

Oh, and I really pulled a dumb move over the holidays last fall... cooked a Cranberry Bread in my Cornbread skillet, and left it in the skillet until it was gone... about 2 days.

Oh boy... talk about a mess.  Guess those cranberries were kinda acidic too.... bye-bye seasoning.

So, lesson learned.  I won't make that mistake again.  ::) ::)

You are not alone... Mastering 'seasoning' has been the toughest part of it for me, and learning how to cook with it, the second . ;D  But I will prevail!!! 8-)

And I've also relaxed a bit because, after all , with multiple lye baths, and multiple electros, I am more than equipped to re-do.

[Cheryl Watson]

And I am liking Crisco more each day... along with the Grapeseed and PAM...

I am a bit wary of the Crispee thing... so I will wait for others to be the Guinea Pigs over time...  not sure how it will hold up in the long term.

(Just like the Flaxseed Oil craze... which turned out to be an epic fail 6 to 9 months into it. ::) )

[Duke Gilleland]

Solid Crisco on HOT iron [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Keith Rumgay]

Just Crisco 2x then Original Pam 1x on HOT CI for 45 - 60 min. each coat. this is what works for Me  :)

[Alesia Nunes]

Thank you, I'll re season and hope it stays on.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Solid Crisco on HOT iron [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

You said it Duke. I am well pleased with the results that I get from Crisco. Also, another important point is this, when you are cooking with your cast iron, and you are finished cooking, get it out of the cast iron. While cast iron is excellent to cook in it is NOT GOOD to store cooked food in it. When I say store I simply mean when its done cooking get it out and don't leave it in there. All kinds of things can happen and none of them good. Your food can even take on the taste of cast iron. I say all of this not because I have read it somewhere, rather I say this because I have 'been there and done that'.  :)

[Claudia Killebrew]

I say all of this not because I have read it somewhere, rather I say this because I have 'been there and done that'.


I think we all have Perry, at some point or other. I have been known to get lazy at times and not clean a skillet until the next day if I cooked something greasy in it. Shake and Bake chicken thighs are one example. Well, one day I used dry ranch dressing as a coating instead and the next day some of the seasoning was stripped. Seems the ranch mix has a fair amount of acidity in it.

Alesia, try wiping some Crisco on the inside before you cook, include the lid. It seems to help repel the moisture.

[Mark R. Smith]

And I am liking Crisco more each day... along with the Grapeseed and PAM...

I am a bit wary of the Crispee thing... so I will wait for others to be the Guinea Pigs over time...  not sure how it will hold up in the long term.

(Just like the Flaxseed Oil craze... which turned out to be an epic fail 6 to 9 months into it. ::) )

I agree it's your feeling toward the Crispee. If I was just storing I might consider it. But cooking I don't know about the beeswax. I have used Crisco but have had the better luck with Grapeseed and PAM.

One thing I did in my DO and Chicken Fryer to get a good seasoning. I pop popcorn in them.

Use 1/3 cup of popcorn 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or any fairly high heat oil. Heat oil till hot then add 3-4 kernels of pop corn cover and wait till they pop. Remove from heat  Remove popped  popcorn. Then add the other corn shake and wait 30 seconds  Return to heat and occasionally shake when popping slows to 3-4 seconds between pops remove and pour in bowel. Salt and butter to taste. Look at the DO or fryer and see dark or even black coating. Seasoned well.

[Lea Hamilton]

Newbie on the seasoning side.  When I've used Crisco, I get spots or wavy spots (when pan is in the oven upside down).  I've done two pans with PAM at 500 and they were truly non-stick - but brown(?).  The second one had that leopard look that somebody else mentioned in a post.

Am I not wiping them off enough before putting them back in the oven?  Any help is appreciated.

[Cheryl Watson]

Most likely too much oil...

Wiping the pan down to achieve super thin oil coating... well, it was the hardest thing for me to master... took much longer than I expected! 

Sometimes, depending on the piece, it can take a bit of use to darken. 

Patience is the key to seasoning :) :)

And lots of Bounty paper towels...!

[Mark Zizzi]

Alesia, I will serve a pot roast or whatever I've made in a DO right from the DO on the table with no ill affects that I can see to my seasoning, and I always have some acidic red wine in the gravy. That doesn't take 2 hours though..more like 30-40 mins. Mine have seen a lot of use and have built up more seasoning than the original 3 coats of crisco too I should add.

Welcome to WAGS Lea..I noticed that was your 1st post. I agree with Cheryl, you literally try to wipe it all off after putting it on. You won't be wiping it all off, but you try to. Lots of paper towels needed. If I miss a nook or cranny, like on a waffle iron or around a DO handle, it will definitely show up.
Speaking of Crisco, has anyone noticed a change in the oils listed on the label? I could have sworn the can I started with a couple years ago listed canola oil as the main ingredient, along with some soy and palm oils. The can I have now lists soy oil first, palm oil, but no mention of canola oil. Pam is a blend of canola, palm and coconut oils, which I use as a maintenance oil after each use on my cleaned and reheated iron.
So am I losing my mind or did it used to say canola oil on the crisco label?  :-/

[Cheryl Watson]

I don't think Crisco has changed... I always thought the Soy was first, but I do know that PAM formulation changed in the past year, to add the Palm Oil.

[Mark Zizzi]

Well I wish I still had that empty can dang it, but you're probably right Cheryl. I can't find anything on it that mentions canola oil. Just that it originally was cottonseed oil then went to soy. Just wondering if anyone else remembers. There is Crisco canola oil in the stores...maybe that's what I'm thinking of. Sux to get old... ;) 

[Mark R. Smith]

I have switch from Pam to Wally World GV vegetable non stick spray. It is Soy based. I Prefer not to use palm oil as the plantations are expanding and destroying much of the Borneo Jungle and wildlife.

The soy based may be GMO but I'm not eating it just using it for seasoning cast iron. Has worked well so far. Heat oven to 475 spray on oil wipe off and bake for 1 hour repeat then cool.

[Lea Hamilton]

Thanks for the advice Cheryl and Mark.  I've got a roasting pan coming out of the cleaner today, so I'll put those lessons to use. 

Any thoughts on using a LP grill for the heat source?  I'm wondering if the heat would be even enough, if that matters.  Also, do you put the pans in upside down or right side up?  I'm wondering if one method works better.  Apologies if this is posted elsewhere.

[Mark R. Smith]

Watch the temp as it maybe hard to control. I tried on mine one time and the thermometer said it was close to 600 degrees but I used my laser thermometer and at the grates was 785 degrees. Might as well have been in a self clean cycle in an oven. Also you don't have the insulation found in a regular oven.

[Cheryl Watson]

I have a smaller Weber Grill which I use for seasoning pieces.  I keep an oven thermometer inside, and I get a nice steady 450° on a warm summer day... Winter temps, it is a bit lower... :)

My Weber holds the heat well with lid closed, of course. :)

[Mark Zizzi]

I've never tried using a gas grill. It would probably drive me crazy wondering if it was getting too hot or not hot enough in there with the lid closed. I prefer to smoke up the kitchen with a thermostatically regulated oven, much to my wifes chagrin, ha.  That said, hot iron is hot iron, so it could certainly be done as long as you know whats going on under the hood. As noted, I wouldn't rely on a factory mounted thermometer unless you've already verified it's accuracy. And yes, as a general rule you would place any "bowl-like" piece like that upside down. Let us know how you make out, Lea. We love pics around here ;)

[Cheryl Watson]

I use one of my oven thermometers that has already been verified as accurate inside my real oven. :)

I sit it next to the piece...

It has worked out just great.. and this from me the nit picky one.. LOL