Do you season your cast iron skillet with bacon grease?

[cliffordu]

If not, what's the matter with you?

[Duer 157099]

1. No

Flaxseed oil is the BEST oil for this purpose. Trust me. I've done the bacon grease, and plenty of others, but flaxseed hands down wins

[cliffordu]

3. Excellent choice!

But, really. What's the matter with you????

[Duer 157099]

5. Something to do with

"perfectionism" or some such bullshit

[fizzgig]

2. it's because i've saved it to use later

i love using it to cook potatoes.

[cliffordu]

4. Yep, I smear it all over my bakers for that extra punch.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I thought I was the only one who did that

I should have known you'd have the good taste to do it, too.

[cliffordu]

7. Thats right, bruddah, And you, too.

[In_The_Wind]

11. It makes the best tasting baked taters.

[cliffordu]

13. Gramma did it that way and most of what she said is still right.

She said "warsh" instead of wash, and I'll catch myself saying it that way to this day.

[In_The_Wind]

14. Sounds sorta southern.

[cliffordu]

19. She and Pappy were from coal country, West Va.

Married at 13 and he retired from the mines at 65. Then moved west to a little town on the Olympic Peninsula so he could work full time in a paper mill. Pappy was five feet of complete badass. Did the trenches in WWI.

My earliest memory of him was he and my stepfather killing and butchering a hog on the farm they owned. I was about three.

[In_The_Wind]

21. You & me, we be east coasters.

Georgia and Tennessee is where I grew up.

I'm glad he made it outta the mines.

Pappy was five feet of complete badass.
Did the trenches in WWI.

... and you survived to tell the stories.

[politicat]

40. It's a linguistic left-over from Northern England/Southern Scotland/Scots-Irish migration.

It's still in use (Sean Connery when not in character uses that /r/ a lot), but you can use it to determine regional establishing culture. Where the intrusive /r/ is, the early settlers were likely displaced Northern English or Scots. It's an amazingly resilient and persistent linguistic tick. (Which in turn is incredibly useful for knowing a likely regional voting and economic pattern.)

Brought to you by your daily linguistics geek.

[cliffordu]

42. Outstanding. Thank you!!!!!

[In_The_Wind]

43. Thanks ...

a whole bunch

[cliffordu]

16. I knew I loved you for a reason...

[In_The_Wind]

17. Aww

shucks

[Major Nikon]

8. I use lard, which is bacon grease by another name

[HarveyDarkey]

9. No, I use lard

The salt in bacon can be corrosive. I do pop my popcorn, in my cast iron pot, with bacon grease.

[cliffordu]

10. Hmmm.......YUMMY!!!!!

[lastlib]

26. I've found that lard seems to sour.....

...gives food a bit of a rancid flavor. Vegetable oils seem to work better, IMO.

[Kali]

71. ...

[Bertha Venation]

12. this reminded me of how my mother made eggs

I don't know if she used cast iron -- in fact now that I'm writing this down I know she didn't. She had copper-bottom cookware that she was very proud of.

Anyway, she'd fry up bacon, and then fry up the eggs in the bacon fat. I remember them being delicious. Now being an educated adult, I could slap her.

[cliffordu]

20. Revere ware. I still have some.

[UncleYoder]

67. Same as my grandma

She would ask if you wanted "lace curtains" on your eggs. That meant she would flick the bacon fat over the top of the eggs and the edges would cook up crisp and look kinda like lace. Gave a nice crunch to your breakfast.

[winter is coming]

80. My mom would drain off the excess bacon fat into the drippings can, and then fry eggs

in the remnant left in the iron skillet. Good stuff.

[jasond54231]

15. Uh, no way

Bacon grease is extremely bad for your health, although it makes food taste better. I always try to use olive oil when cooking in a pan.

[cliffordu]

18. I know it's bad for me,

but ya gotta have SOMETHING that makes life worth living......

[HarveyDarkey]

23. This is seasoning cast iron, not cooking

Two entirely different things.

[Chan790]

38. Ya cain't season a skillet with olive oil.

I know because I tried; that dog won't hunt.

[cliffordu]

46. Yeppers.

[lastlib]

63. hey, I LIKE cholesterol--especially when it comes in bacon grease!

.

(and when "the guvmint" tells me it's bad for me, I automatically suspect that it's really GOOD for me! Kinda like how, when they tell me that reading my e-mails and tracking my phone calls is good for me, well, I know better...!)

[dr.strangelove]

22. I use a combination

of flaxseed oil and either peanut oil or bacon grease. I usually do about 5 reps with flaxseed oil, then one or two with peanut or bacon grease, depending on how good the skillet is. I've seasoned a dozen or so in my life and now am the "go to" seasoner among my friends. I let them make the final call on the peanut or bacon finale. Cheaper skillets do not hold up as well, so spend the extra money on a great product. Good luck and enjoy.

[HarveyDarkey]

24. I only use Lodge cast iron

http://www.lodgemfg.com

[cliffordu]

25. I get mine at second hand stores.

I have one that MUST be 60 or 70 years old due to the thinning of the iron from the tops of burners.

I can flip over easy eggs in it. I am not kidding. Mebbe I should do a video.

My girlfriend started to wash it with soap last year and I screamed like I was on fire.

New rule: I cook all the meals, she touches neither my knives or my skillets.

She is very young, and knows everything except what a good knife, and skillet require.

[pinboy3niner]

28. I once had a cheap iron skillet split in two over high heat

Fortunately, I was able to save the blackened redfish.

[cliffordu]

32. Great save!!!

[sammytko]

29. where did this no soap and water on cast iron come from?

My mother cooked in cast iron in various sizes for 60 some years and always washed them in hot soapy water.

Then they were dried over the flame on the gas stove.

I could never get it right - her pans were always seasoned. I gave up - too heavy so its Calphalon for me.

[JCMach1]

35. That's why I love the old National pans... they are about 1/2 the weight of an equivalent old

Wagner, Lodge, or Griswold...

You are right ... SOAP DOES NO HARM!!! Just oil it up again before you store it away.

[auntAgonist]

44. Years ago soaps were lye. Lye is extremely harsh and we use it nowadays to strip the CI in

preparation for seasoning.

A quick wash with hot soapy water isn't going to hurt CI but it's really not necessary at all.

A well seasoned pan will wipe clean easily.

aA

[JCMach1]

50. For me it's think of the bacteria...

I have to keep my inner cleaner happy....

[Chan790]

52. Thermal sterilization achieves the same thing better

Wipe it out, run it under hot soapless water and scrub if it needs it, dry it, throw it on the stove top and let it get hot to dry out any remaining water (this kills the bacteria too, better than any soap-cleaning regimen. You can do it even if you have not washed the pan in water), let it cool to room temperature, rub a coating of oil on it and store it for next time. If you're concerned about bacteria when you go to use it, preheat it before using it.

And yes, never use soap. Even if you can't see it...it adheres itself to the seasoning as a surfactant and becomes part of the pan...and everything else subsequently cooked in the pan. A cast-iron pan that has been washed in soapy water should be stripped and reseasoned.

[sammytko]

54. My mother must have been wrong all those years

Hot soapy water every night.

[JCMach1]

57. Your mom was right... clean that thing...

just remember to keep it oiled thoroughly whichever oil you use.

[winter is coming]

87. We always washed them, too, then dried them in a slow oven, then put a very thin layer

of bacon grease or Crisco on top.

[JCMach1]

55. Never had any issue with soap... just use Ivory

(be sure to remove all soap, i.e. water thoroughly) then spray a nice coat of canola and store...

before using, rinse excess oil with warm water...

Then before cooking, just add the oil for whatever you are cooking (bacon, of course, doesn't really need extra)... If the recipe doesn't call for oil, then go ahead and add a thin coat of canola to keep the non-stick going.

I have never had any issues with either the oil, or the soap doing this.

I cook eggs and everything else with absolutely no stick and glass-like surfaces. I also bake muffins and cornbread with the same process.

[DebJ]

58. That's what I do... except one more step:

after adding the coating of oil on it, I heat it briefly to hep itseason on the pan.

I use Canola Oil.

[RavensChick]

30. I like the website.

The prices are pretty decent, too! I haven't used a cast iron skillet in years and I've been meaning to get another one. Thanks!

[oneshooter]

81. You might want to look at this place.

Bought a 16" Lodge camp oven from them. $116 and 2 day delivery.

http://www.ironpotsdepot.com/

[RavensChick]

89. Cool!

I'll check it out. Thanks!

[DebJ]

59. My favorite kitchen equipment are my two small Lodge pans.

They make my life so much easier!

[JCMach1]

60. I have a set of antique National I have collected

I like Lodge and Wagner as well, but the National pans are about 1/3-1/3 the weight...

[Avalux]

27. I don't cook bacon. Flaxseed oil works best to season (as others have mentioned).

I have a lot of cast iron; my most prized piece is a 14 inch pizza pan. I make pizza with it but mostly use it to roast veggies in the oven.

I also have some ramekins that are great for personal casseroles.

[RavensChick]

31. No,

and I agree with the others who recommend flaxseed oil. Bacon grease gets rancid too quickly so it's better to be safe than sorry.

[cliffordu]

33. You are correct, bacon grease does go rancid after a while.

So I make it a point use my cast iron almost every day.

I also heat them and scrub them with JUST WATER every time I use them, but that's just to keep them sterile.

Mebbe I'll try what you whippersnappers suggest and go with the flaxseed oil.

Damn, I hate progress.

But I loves me some bacon.

[RavensChick]

75. I love bacon too,

I just don't save the grease anymore like I used to back in the day.

[JCMach1]

34. Canola oil is the best...

Don't believe anyone about soap... absolutely wash your cast iron if it is dirty. If it is seasoned properly, it will make little difference. I just spray it down with canola again and store after washing.

It has never failed me. I clean and re-season cast iron for my antique business.

Bacon grease is close second for seasoning. However, pardon the pun, it tends to be a bit streaky.

My cast iron of choice are old National pieces with the heat rings... National cast iron gets slick like glass with age.

[BainsBane]

36. No, I don't want everything tasting like bacon grease

I use canola oil since that's the oil with the highest smoke point I have on hand. Really though I don't have to season it very often.

Plus my dog would be upset. The bacon grease gets saved to flavor up her kibble.

[oneshooter]

82. The grease is also good for her coat.

Makes it smoother.

[BainsBane]

83. the guy is the pet store the other day told me I'm not supposed to feed her any table scraps

I said what about meat? He said red meat isn't good for humans either. I said, well this food is made of chicken, surely I can give her chicken. He said well soon you'll be giving her bread and even bacon. I walked away feeling like I was engaging in animal cruelty. Poor Lola hasn't gotten any leftovers since.

[rug]

37. I would but my wife insists on doing all the cooking.

[love_katz]

39. I have tried a number of fats/oils for seasoning cast iron.

Vegetable oils, bacon grease, coconut oil.

They all seem to work about the same.

On some web site about cast iron for cooking, I found the advice to always heat the empty pan over medium (not high) heat before adding the oil/shortening/fat-whatever.

The reason given for doing this is that warming the pan first opens up the pores (molecules?) in the metal, which helps the oil/fat/shortening to penetrate the surface better.

I have been doing this for some months now, and the results are wonderful.

If something does stick to the pan, I have no qualms about washing with hot water and dish soap, although I do prefer using a hard-edged plastic scraper instead of scratchier stuff (like steel wool) which can mess up the seasoned surface. I make sure to dry the pan thoroughly, or else put it briefly on a burner or back in the oven to finish drying.

A great way to restore the seasoning, if you should need to do that, is to simply make a batch of either home-made french fries, or some fried chicken. Does the trick for my pans, every time.

I love cast iron. Only other type of cookware I will cook in is Revere ware (copper bottom with stainless steel).

Oh, and the Lodge company sells hard-edged plastic scrapers on their web site.

My pans are Lodge brand. Even though some folks don't like them, they are all I've ever had. They even survived living for 5 years on the coast of S.W. Washington, where the salt air raised ned with anything metal.

Just keep working with your pans, and don't be afraid to re-season, if necessary.

[politicat]

41. Had to give up the cast iron.

The other person in the house has hemochromatosis. Cast iron made controlling his iron levels about 9000% harder, so it had to go.

But didn't use bacon grease, even then. Grandmother told me to use lard, Mom used lard... So I kept a small brick of the stuff in the back of my freezer for the cast iron.

[olddots]

45. I'm Jewish

we use chicken fat .......actually I'm an atheist and don't believe in bacon .

[cliffordu]

47. Rofl. Perfect.

[pinboy3niner]

48. Oh...a bacon denier, huh?

Heresy!

[Chan790]

49. No.

I'm a vegetarian and sometimes-vegan. My CI (skillet, griddle, dutch oven) has never seen bacon or any other meat.

The iron is good for vegetarians, preventing the anemia that some vegetarians are susceptible to (including me, but usually women and especially pregnant women.) from not eating enough sources of dietary iron. For most Americans, the sole source of dietary iron is red meat. Globally, the primary sources are bacterial and result from lower standards of food purity. Vitamin B¹² as well. Certain vegetables are naturally high in iron: dried fruits (tomatoes, apricots, raisins, etc.), greens (rabe, parsley, spinach, collard, mustard, etc.), palm hearts, lentil sprouts, coconut.

I buy Lodge pre-seasoned, strip the factory seasoning, re-mill the insides (the pre-seasoned Lodge is bumpy, not smooth; it helps hold the factory seasoning on. I hate that surface.) smooth and season them with vegetable shortening (e.g. Crisco) and cook a few rounds of high-fat vegetable dishes. (Avocados, fried eggplant, french-fried root-vegetables, fried green tomatoes.)

[cliffordu]

64. Cool. Never thought about vegetarians frying stuff in cast iron....

[Trailrider1951]

51. What's the matter with me?

I'm a vegetarian, so I use veggie oil. The thought of using hog fat makes me want to

[DebJ]

61. I'm not a vegetarian, but the thought of it makes me want to puke too.

And just thinking about the cholesterol being cooked into everything makes my BP go up.

[pipi_k]

53. Used

to season my pans with olive oil, but had a problem with drippage when I hung them on the overhead rack, so now I use Crisco shortening, which at least solidifies at room temperature.

[DebJ]

62. Olive oil smokes too easily at high temps. Canola oil works well.

[pipi_k]

66. Yeah...

I found that out too.

Plus it didn't always make the pan non-stick

I've found if I cook something using butter, I could probably get away with not seasoning after rinsing, but I do anyway.

[Neoma]

56. Husband is vegetarian.

[GoCubsGo]

65. Yes.

I rarely eat bacon, but when I do, I save the grease just for that purpose. I have a small tub of it in the freezer.

[kentauros]

68. Used motor oil.

Helps the environment and all that.

And when I'm done, I clean it with 40-grit sandpaper. But don't wash. You want all those minerals (and metal shavings) in your food.

[cliffordu]

69. You kidder, you.

Your sig line is a dead giveaway.




(I have a flag)

[kentauros]

70. "Thank you for flying Church of England Airlines."

"Cake or Death?"



We need one of those "How (not) to Clean Cast Iron Pans" threads again

[madinmaryland]

92. Heh! I figured a BP apologist would chime in!!

[kentauros]

93. BP drives vehicles on the bottom of the Gulf?

Who knew?

[Kali]

72. nah, I season food with that

lard for the cast iron

[NYC_SKP]

73. Are you cooking tonight?

I cooked last night!

[cliffordu]

74. Keeerist. I'll cook if I HAVE to

Deadbeat.

PS. Check your PM, numbnuts.

[NightWatcher]

76. I fried half a pound of bacon in the cast iron, then fried eggs in the fat

It was so yummy today.

Had enough bacon grease to season two pans.

[cliffordu]

77. Now you're just talking dirty.

[NightWatcher]

78. the house smelled like a country morning in the mountains all day long

That's the flavor of incense or scented candle that I want to buy. Bacon Breakfast

[winter is coming]

79. No, I coat it with cornflakes. n/t

[cliffordu]

84. Que??

[winter is coming]

85. I've lurked in C&B for a long, long time.

Seems to me that how to season cast iron and the best way to fry chicken have come up a time or two.

[cliffordu]

86. Ah!....

[HipChick]

88. I throw them in the dishwasher..

[hibbing]

90. I was wondering why this thread was so long..

Hey,
Now I know, interesting topic and a lot fun replies to read through.

Peace

[panader0]

91. Momma cookin' chicken fried in bacon grease, come on along boys it's just down the road a piece

A great old tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uY25DapNjKc