Preseasoned Dutch Ovens

[Eagle92]

Since I've never dealt with this before, I decided to come to the experts.

 

I should be getting my dutch oven in this week. It's a preseasoned Lodge 6 qt. Question is this: do I need to strip off the factory seasoning and reseason it myself, or is it good to go. I've looked around and hear both sides, but again comign to the experts.

[Basementdweller]

I respect lodge and their reputation. I would be good with their factory seasoning practices......with that said, I would cook a dump cake or something simple to break it in, just in cast there was a funky taste in their coating.

 

 

Then something a tad more extravagant.

[drmbear]

For things like dump cakes that go in wet, I now really prefer to go with these Dutch oven liners that are readily available nowadays. What I would have given to have these years ago. I use a lot of cast iron at home, and I swear by the lecithin that is in most pan sprays as helping to keep my cast iron seasoned. Prior to use, just wash it gently with soap and water to clean any loose residue, coat the thing in pan spray, and it is ready to go. As that lecithin bakes on my cookware has gotten incredibly well seasoned. I've had people marvel at using some of my skillets while using them.

[rdclements]

I got a preseasoned Lodge Dutch Oven about five years ago. The factory finish has held up very well. Just follow the included recommendations and it will serve you well. Any hot and greasy recipe - like oil frying - is a great way to break in a new oven. My personal recommendation is scratch-made doughnuts :-).

[CalicoPenn]

I'm not even sure you could strip off the pre-seasoning. I visited a Lodge factory outlet store a couple of months ago (I bought an enameled cast iron dutch oven for home use and a pre-seasoned corn bread pan) and talked to one of the staff there about the pre-seasoning and was told that Lodge pre-seasons as an integral part of the manufacturing process, that it wasn't taking unseasoned cast iron and seasoning it as a final process, but that it was done during the actual casting process.

 

That being said, she suggested that, although it is pre-seasoned and ready to go, it wouldn't hurt it to do my own seasoning session at home since one essentially seasons the cookware everytime it's used. She suggested a quick wash with mild, soapy water and sponge and dry it quickly and well with a paper towel, then spray it quick with cooking spray (not to cover every inch), pop it in a 350 degree oven upside down (I suggest you put it upside down on a top rack with a sheet pan on a rack underneath) for about 15 to 20 minutes - no more, pull it out of the oven and after it's cooled for about 5 minutes, take a wad of paper towels and wipe it down inside - that will spread the oil into places it did get to wile taking out excess oil.

[Stosh]

Cast iron rusts so it is treated in one of two ways to keep it looking good on the shelves to sell.

 

1) Use an petroleum based oil to keep it from rusting. This oil must be removed with soap and water before seasoning. Heating these treated pans for a while does nothing to change the composition of the oil.

 

2) Use a food based oil to keep it from rusting. This is also known as pre-seasoned. Heating with food based oils will turn the oil into a varnish and will actually feel more dry to the touch while retaining it's waterproofing properties.

 

Both oils can be removed and are added as the last step before putting on the shelves. Is pre-seasoned cast iron good enough? Sure, it doesn't rust, that's the only thing seasoning does. No one wants a rusty dutch oven in when it comes time to cook. Soap and water will remove petroleum oils, but baked on food based oils will need to be burned off. This can be easily done in any self-cleaning oven.

 

Too many people over-think cast iron. It is not that difficult. You do not need to do a batch of deep-fries or donuts to season a dutch oven. You do not need to bake it for two days at X-degrees to get it seasoned. All you need do is put on some oil/grease and heat it up so it turns into a varnish layer and won't come off on your clothes as easily.

 

I use cast iron every day and it's the best stuff out there for cooking. Weight is the only drawback.

 

I never use soap and if there is food residue stuck to the pan after cooking, it's because you used too hot of a heat. My pans are like Teflon! Nothing sticks and no burner gets turned higher than medium.

 

If one is going to store their cast iron for an extended period of time, the food based oils will go rancid! Some quicker than others. Instead of using oil on these pieces use bees wax. It does the job and never goes rancid. A pan sealed in wax will withstand any and all moisture and never rusts.

 

Stosh

[Bronco]

I just rehabbed a rusted dutch oven that was left in our scout shed.

 

I did a little research and found this site:

 

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

 

The one thing I picked up from her that I hadn't done in the past was wiping off all excess oil before baking. I did that this time two times over a 6 hour period and I was amazed at how nice the cooking surface turned out.

 

Now we keep all of our cast iron owned by the unit inside our CO - not outside in a shed where the elements can get at them.

[moosetracker]

That is interesting.. Few sites do agree on the oil to be used.. While she raises some good points about not using some.. I am not all convienced Flaxseed is the best choice either.. I am still unsure what is, and pull out anything I have between olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil..

 

Anyone have any opinion on using oven remover to unseason the pots.. If dishsoap is not to be used for fear of it seeping into the pot and flavoring, what is the thought on oven remover?? After seasoning this chemical will not seep out?

 

I've used a equal mix of salt & water, of course you may add salt to the pot, but I would rather a little salt flavor the foods, then oven remover.. But my method uses elbow grease, and isn't 100%..(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[Bronco]

I would not use oven cleaner or any other chemical on my cast iron. I used straight steel wool (with no additives) and elbow grease to get the rust and gunk off the oven I cleaned this weekend.

 

I've always been taught that the cast iron will grab whatever you are cleaning with and you will eat it when cooking in it going forward. I don't know if that is true or not but I'd rather not find out the hard way.

[Stosh]

I have all my home and camp cookware as cast iron.

 

When I pick up an older piece, I have no idea what's on the surface so I take it back to square one.

 

I have heard of people using wire brushes, steel wool and tons of elbow grease.

 

However, I have never done that. I have a self-cleaning oven. If you don't have one, you must know someone who does. Put the piece in the oven (upside down) when the cleaning cycle is running. Wait for the oven to completely cool down afterwards. When you take the piece out it will look bad, really, really bad. You will assume you have ruined the piece. You haven't. Take a wire brush and get as much of the rust off that you can get. That rust was there under the oil all along, don't worry about it. Now that it is as clean as you can get it with a minimal amount of elbow grease, re-season it and you're good to go.

 

All seasoning is is a thin layer of oil on the piece to keep it from rusting. By heating it for a while, the oil soaks into the pores of the metal and seals off moisture. There's no magic in this process. Low even heat for a period of time should do the trick.

 

If you use the piece regularly, any oil will do. If it is only occasionally used, use bees wax, it doesn't go rancid like oil does. Seasoning with oil and wax is the same process except you have to get the piece hot enough to apply/melt the wax first.

 

If one is spending too much time cleaning dutch ovens it's because the food was cooked at too high of a temperature. Cast iron cooking is not synonymous with microwave cooking!!! I NEVER use heat higher that medium on the stove or 350-degrees in the oven. Nothing ever sticks and it is usually just a quick wipe and a bit of water, reapply some oil and you're done. The trick at camp is getting the fire cool enough to cook! 9 briquettes under a dutch oven is ideal, that's a really small amount of heat. Tossing your dump cake dutch oven in a pile of charcoal will guarantee and huge clean up problem along with burnt cake.

 

Dutch oven cooking is an art-form.

 

Stosh

[Federalist]

I just cook a little bacon on low to season my iron. That way I get something good eat and also season the iron with something tasty later.

[Scoutfish]

My first DO was a lodge and I pre seasoned it before I found out on this site that I didn't need to.

 

It was my first DO. Still, it didn't hurt to add another layer of protection.

 

I then inherited another DO that was not a lodge that had been outside in somebody's yard for a couple years. The lid rusted to the pot.

 

I cleaned it up , seasoned it and posted pictures on facebbok. Within a few weeks, I had a friend call me to clean up and re-season her DO.

 

Go to scouter.com facebook page to see the pics..after I post them in a few minutes.

 

[Scouter.]

...and I will admit in quiet anonymity (sp?)...

 

I was once helping clean up a really "dirty" dutch oven, took some steel wool, almost got lt back to shiny new, and wouldn't you know that everyone was really upset that it was so clean.

 

Seasoning? I thought it was just plain baked in food and grime.

 

True story...and it got me out of dish-washing duty ...like...forever :-)

 

Peace...S.

[Bronco]

I've been debating joining this group:

 

http://www.idos.org/

 

From their website:

 

The International Dutch Oven Society (IDOS) is a non-profit organization with the goals to preserve and promote the skills and art of Dutch Oven cooking. From it's humble beginnings in the Rocky Mountains, IDOS has grown to its current status as the largest and most productive group of black pot enthusiasts in the world.

 

Our motto is Good Food, Good Friends, and Good Fun

 

There is a chapter in my neck of the woods that is trying to get off the ground...I may look into joining it for more recipes and info.

[Engineer61]

I made the mistake of seasoning my cast iron skillet with Canola Oil. Looked good to start...then the seasoning went rancid...stunk up the cabinet till I figured out what was causing it. (I don't use it often.)

 

I had to cook off that seasoning (Dawn dish liquid, water, boil) and then used Corn Oil....much better.