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If you don't heat the oil above its smoke point then nothing will happen to the oil, chemically. This is not what you want when seasoning cookware. The purpose

If you don't heat the oil above its smoke point then nothing will happen to the oil, chemically. This is not what you want when seasoning cookware. The purpose of heating the oil and cookware is to induce polymerization so that the oil becomes bonded to the surface. As far as I know, this blog post [1] is the originator for the recommendation to use flaxseed oil specifically for seasoning cast iron. I am not a chemist, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information. [1] http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/ http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-te...

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
> If you don't heat the oil above its smoke point then nothing will happen to the oil, chemically. This doesn’t sound right. Have a read of the Oxidative Stability section of this Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point The oxidative stability does not directly correspond to the smoke point and thus the latter cannot be used as a reference for safe and healthy cooking.
AdmiralAsshat 7y ago
I've seen a number of other cooks disavow flaxseed oil after that blog post's rise in popularity. They say, anecdotally, that flaxseed oil flakes off more easily than regular vegetable oil seasoning.
- chongli 7y ago
  That may be due to using a flaxseed oil with impurities or not using high enough temperature during the seasoning process. Cook's Illustrated [1] put the flaxseed method to the test and found it superior to vegetable oil. [1] https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-w...
  - KozmoNau7 7y ago
    I've tried the flaxseed method, and while the seasoning looked good, it was very fragile. The best method I've found over more than a decade of cooking on cast iron and carbon steel is this one, recommended by Matfer-Bourgeat (who make the best pans IMO) and America's Test Kitchen (at 2:00): https://youtu.be/-suTmUX4Vbk https://youtu.be/-suTmUX4Vbk
  - pfranz 7y ago
    I wish they tested different oils. I didn't see flax on the wikipedia page, but another page says 225° F [1]. This page [2] mentions flax seed oil flaking off and recommends refined grapeseed oil (which looks to have a smoke point of 400° F). Usually, I see flaxseed oil in the refrigerated section. I don't have any experience with it, but perhaps the fickleness of storing it causes flaking in practice? Either way, it sounds like there are better alternatives to those two. [1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/smoke-point-matters-in-cooking-with-oil/article26569060/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/heal... [2] https://fieldcompany.com/pages/how-to-season-cast-iron-pan-skillet-instructions https://fieldcompany.com/pages/how-to-season-cast-iron-pan-s...
- peteradio 7y ago
  Beef tallow works well IME.
- ComputerGuru 7y ago
  I’ve done it and that was my experience as well.

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago

> If you don't heat the oil above its smoke point then nothing will happen to the oil, chemically. This doesn’t sound right. Have a read of the Oxidative Stability section of this Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point The oxidative stability does not directly correspond to the smoke point and thus the latter cannot be used as a reference for safe and healthy cooking.

AdmiralAsshat 7y ago

I've seen a number of other cooks disavow flaxseed oil after that blog post's rise in popularity. They say, anecdotally, that flaxseed oil flakes off more easily than regular vegetable oil seasoning.

chongli 7y ago
That may be due to using a flaxseed oil with impurities or not using high enough temperature during the seasoning process. Cook's Illustrated [1] put the flaxseed method to the test and found it superior to vegetable oil. [1] https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-w...
- KozmoNau7 7y ago
  I've tried the flaxseed method, and while the seasoning looked good, it was very fragile. The best method I've found over more than a decade of cooking on cast iron and carbon steel is this one, recommended by Matfer-Bourgeat (who make the best pans IMO) and America's Test Kitchen (at 2:00): https://youtu.be/-suTmUX4Vbk https://youtu.be/-suTmUX4Vbk
- pfranz 7y ago
  I wish they tested different oils. I didn't see flax on the wikipedia page, but another page says 225° F [1]. This page [2] mentions flax seed oil flaking off and recommends refined grapeseed oil (which looks to have a smoke point of 400° F). Usually, I see flaxseed oil in the refrigerated section. I don't have any experience with it, but perhaps the fickleness of storing it causes flaking in practice? Either way, it sounds like there are better alternatives to those two. [1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/smoke-point-matters-in-cooking-with-oil/article26569060/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/heal... [2] https://fieldcompany.com/pages/how-to-season-cast-iron-pan-skillet-instructions https://fieldcompany.com/pages/how-to-season-cast-iron-pan-s...
peteradio 7y ago
Beef tallow works well IME.
ComputerGuru 7y ago
I’ve done it and that was my experience as well.