Seasoning a DO

[Scoutfish]

Ever since I came back from vacationa few eeks ago, I have been really, really busy at work.

 

I have also cooked inmy DO a few times.

 

WEll, I gueuss I put off that cleaning just a tad too long.

 

OH MAN! It was sour!

 

So I cleaned it out and allthough it might not necessarily need it, I decided to re-season it.

 

We happen to use Canola oil for cooking instead of veggie oil, so that's what I season my DO with.

 

AND IT STINKS during the process.

 

So here's my question: Does it matter if I use vegtabl4e oil over Canola or Corn Oil or animal fat oil?

 

Would any of them stink "not as bad" as canola?

 

No, not any emergency, but ya know, my house does stink a bit for at least a day or two afterward.

[EagleBeaver]

maybe it's not the oil - maybe it's the crud that didn't get cleaned out all the way.

I've used canola and it works just fine for me, but I do all my DO work outside, usually on scout outings. I try to show a few scouts what I'm up to, too.

 

Burning everything out of your DO and starting over should get rid of any weird smells.

Then, first thing to cook in it is a batch of doughnuts. :-) Nothing but hot oil soaking into the pores.

 

Scout On

[moosetracker]

The canola is fine, the veggie is fine.. The animal fat doesn't has a low burn point if you season in a high temp oven, you could have alot of smoke.. It also will break down faster, so if you store your DO over the winter, you may find a rancid DO in the spring.

[UCEagle72]

If you plan on storing your DO for any long-period, then consider "sealing" the DO with beeswax before storage.

 

This has always worked for me, and I have a 50+ year old DO that is frequently in storage for 6 months at a time.

 

[moosetracker]

UCEagle72 - That's something new.. Do you just seal inside, or inside & outside? How much do you use in beeswax? How do you remove the beeswax?

[eagle90]

Just a suggestion, but whenever I have to burn/re-season a DO, I do it on my outdoor gas grille. Sure saves the house from that odor problem.

 

Dale

[packsaddle]

Someone just yesterday left me a gift at a local dumpster: a nice cast iron DO and a really nice two-sided cast iron griddle. Both have a coat of very light rust but the iron underneath is still smooth and un-pitted. So I'll cut the rust, clean them up, and season them. But some oils are less susceptible to turning rancid. In general, the heavily saturated ones such as palm oil are less of a problem and they can even be stored safely on the shelf. I initially season my cast iron with bacon grease because I like the smell, followed with a finish of palm oil seasoning. My most recent acquisitions will probably need two or three re-seasonings before I'm satisfied. It's nice to know the dumpsters are still productive. growing list: gas lanterns, coleman stoves, folding camp stools, pack frames, assorted animal skulls...nice.

[UCEagle72]

Moose --

 

I use block beeswax - and the DO needs to be warm enough to melt the wax (so really, a thin coat). Then I wipe down with a towel. Always leave the DO upside down on a rack to cool and collect any "droppings" on paper towel. (Same method as discussed in a previous thread ... can't remember when.)

 

I just warm the DO back up, and thoroughly wipe out the DO when I am ready to use it. As previously mentioned - best way to "start" a DO after storage is to make donuts! And I have never met a Scout who won't eat a fresh, hot donut.

 

(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

[Stosh]

My long-term stored cast iron items, or at least items that I plan on storing long-term, are seasoned originally with bees wax and I just cook normally with it. Sure I add oil to cook, but once it's seasoned with bees wax, I stick with it. I clean it out the same as with oil, but then heat it up to remove moisture and melt the wax. Sealing in rancid oil is not a good idea to me so I wouldn't season with oil and then wax over it for long term storage. It might work, but I've never tried it. If seasoned with oil, I stay with oil, if seasoned with wax, I stay with wax.

 

I have both oil based and wax based items and it's easy to tell them apart. If the finish on them is shiny, it's oil, opaque it's wax. Another way to tell: if you gag when you open up a stored DO it's oil, if you open it and it smells like honey, it's wax.

 

For short-term items, I prefer the oil, but not because it is better in anyway, it's just more convenient. I've used all kinds of oil but prefer Olive Oil over the rest. Being a fruit based oil and not a vegetable based oil, it has a higher smoking point and will eventually go rancid, but nowhere near as fast as vegetable oils. I have stored olive oil items for over a year and haven't noticed the rancid as I used to with vegetable oils.

 

Also when storing DO's that have been stored for moderate periods of time, be sure to stick a wadded up paper towel under the cover to keep it from sealing off the inside. A properly seasoned DO won't mind having damp air circulating inside of it. I have stored my DO's in a damp basement for years and have never had any problems with rust.

 

And, by the way, if you use wax, be sure to let the DO completely cool off before putting the cover on it or it will seal itself shut. Not to worry, just heat it up again and the cover will come off with no problem. Don't try and remove a sealed cover without heating it, it's almost impossible to do so without damaging the DO.

 

The layer of wax is the same as one would have as oil, but be careful when applying the wax because being hot enough to melt in order to apply also means it's hot enough to burn fingers and hands.

 

This is the rule of thumb I've always used with all my cast iron.

 

1) Daily use: any oil that is handy.

2) Moderate storage: Olive Oil - (6-12 mo's)

3) Long-term storage: Bees Wax - (1 yr. +)

 

I've never done the donut treatment on my DO. I usually apply a very thin layer of oil/wax, bake at 350 for a hour, then do a second very thin layer of oil/wax. Depending on where the item is stored, i.e. basement/garage, I'll do an extra layer of oil/wax to retard the rust.

 

Stosh

 

 

[UCEagle72]

Stosh --

 

You did a much better job explaining this than I did - that's for sure. I guess I have done it so many times, it sometimes is second nature.

 

And, yes, more than once I stuck the lid on too soon ... I think that seal is better than the super glue on the hard hat stuck to the steel beam ;-)

 

[Stosh]

And to think after the initial panic/terror that the lid is forever welded on, all you have to do is heat it up!

 

The first time I did it, I figured my $60 DO is headed for the garbage.

 

Stosh

[Scoutfish]

Had I know the impression I was going to give when I said "SOUR", I would have explained further.

 

It was sour because of the fine crust of the food that was left in it. Been sitting on my counter for about 2 weeks. I kept telling myself : "Tommorrow, I am going to get the rest of that out of my DO."

 

But well, tommorow is always a day away!

 

The last thing I cooked was a peach dump cake, so I had the fruit as well as the cake mix turning various furry colors!

 

It cleaned out just fine, but I desided to clean it again and reseason it even thought it wasn't necessary.

 

 

The stink is just the stink of oil covered metal heating for an hour.

 

I also use a paper towl to let the DO ventilate.

 

And it's a deep dark bronze/brown color.

 

Right now, it doesn't smell at all, just the oil as I was seasoning it.