Can I use olive oil to season my cast iron pan? The answer is a resounding YES. If you're thinking of using something else, like vegetable oil, make sure you do your research. Olive oil has a high smoke point and when done properly you can keep your pan in good shape for years and years.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil to season cast iron? Olive oil has a lower smoke point and isn't recommended for seasoning cast iron. If you are trying to avoid using vegetable oil, then avocado, coconut, or flaxseed would work.
What oils can I use to season cast iron? All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.
Oil, especially canola oil (bad, unhealthy oil), should not be used. If a quick oiling (not seasoning) in between is desired, it's best to use a high temperature oil like avocado.
Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy pan. Add olive oil, and when hot, place steak in the pan. Sear for a few minutes on each side and edges until browned. Add garlic, herbs and 2 tablespoons of butter.
When cooking steak in cast iron skillets, you want to use oils with a high smoke point like peanut, canola, grapeseed, and avocado oil.
Olive oil's smoke point can actually vary greatly depending on how the oil itself is harvested, processed and refined. Extra virgin olive oil — which has not been processed or refined in any way — generally has the highest smoke point of all olive oil varieties, over 400 degrees Fahrenheit, when freshly bottled.
Its chemical structure and its healthful antioxidants protect the oil from heat during cooking. According to experts, a high-quality EVOO has a smoke point of around 410 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes extra virgin olive oil fine for sautéing, roasting, frying and even deep frying.
Once your pan is pre-heated, add a little oil or fat. Then simply add your food! (Note: if you want to use butter, start with oil, and then add butter right before you add your food.)
You should only need to fully re-season your cast-iron cookware one to two times a year, but you may also want to give it some extra seasoning love anytime you cook something that requires a heavy-duty cleaning.
I have a cast wok that I've been seasoning quarterly for 3 years now, and a skillet that's been seasoned at least a dozen times over the last few years. But really, try to shoot for at least 3–4 layers if you want to have a nice even layer of polymerized oil.
If you use fresh cooking oil containing unsaturated fats (like olive or canola oil) to season your pan, it will thermally polymerize to form a stable layer that gives the cooking surface its nonstick properties.
Bake your cookware upside down at 450 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven for one hour. Allow the pan to cool down completely, and repeat three more times.
Since olive oil is such a pantry staple, many people naturally wonder if they can use olive oil to season cast iron. You can use olive oil to season cast iron, but you need to choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil, which should have a smoke point close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
At what temperature does olive oil become carcinogenic? Olive oil does not become carcinogenic at any temperature. Research published in 2018 by Acta Scientific Nutritional Health concluded that extra virgin olive oil was the most chemically stable cooking oil after exposure to high temperatures of heat.
Unrefined Olive Smoke Point of 320°F (160°C), a Melt Point of 32°F (0°C), a Flash Point of 600°F (315°C) and a Fire Point of 700°F (371°C). Virgin Olive Smoke Point of 419°F (215°C), a Melt Point of 32°F (0°C), a Flash Point of 600°F (315°C) and a Fire Point of 700°F (371°C).
Eggs fall into the category of sticky foods that are not ideal for cast iron skillets that haven't built up their seasoning yet. While cast iron can become non-stick with sufficient use over time, a newer skillet will almost certainly cause your eggs to stick to its porous surface.
If cast iron is left in the sink to soak, put in the dishwasher, or allowed to air dry, it will rust. It can also happen when you store your cookware in moisture-prone environments, such as a cabinet near a dishwasher, an open cabinet in a humid location, or stored outside.
All cast iron, whether natural or coated, has a much higher carbon concentration than other popular food-safe metals like stainless steel and aluminum. This means that natural cast iron is more susceptible to corrosion because when carbon combines with oxygen and water, rust forms.
Olive oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils. The smoke point is the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke. Olive oil's smoke point is between 365° and 420°F. When you heat olive oil to its smoke point, the beneficial compounds in oil start to degrade, and potentially form health-harming compounds.
Expired olive oil should not be consumed, but it can still be recycled or repurposed in various ways. Instead of throwing it away, consider reusing it for non-food purposes such as making soup, candles, or furniture polish.