The smoke point of Crisco shortening and oil is at 440 degrees fahrenheit or 227 degrees celsius. For frying, we recommend setting your oil to 365 degrees fahrenheit or 185 degrees celsius.
Crisco shortening has a smoke point of 490 degrees. The higher the smoke point, the better the oil is for seasoning.
Crisco solid shortening is a popular cast iron seasoning oil because it is versatile, affordable, and widely available in grocery stores. The solid Crisco shortening (the kind that comes in a metal tub) also has a high smoke point of 490 degrees.
Put skillet in oven upside down and allow it to heat to 200 degrees. Approximately 20 minutes should be fine. Remove skillet from oven. Apply a liberal amount of Crisco shortening with a lint-free cotton rag.
Crisco works fine for mid-temperature cooking, but I would recommend grapeseed oil in general, for its smoke point and relative flavor neutrality, if you're looking to have a smokeless experience with high-temperature cooking.
Crisco Shortening
A: Great question, we appreciate you asking! The smoke point of Crisco shortening and oil is at 440 degrees fahrenheit or 227 degrees celsius. For frying, we recommend setting your oil to 365 degrees fahrenheit or 185 degrees celsius.
A: Yes you can use Crisco for frying chicken and French fries in it and it cooks perfect.
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.
The high melting point (115°F compared to butter's 98.6°F) means that icing won't wilt and drip down the sides of the cake that you bring to a picnic, and cookies won't spread in the oven.
Learn the step-by-step process of seasoning your new Blackstone griddle with Crisco to ensure flawless cooking every time. Watch as Jason Hardy from Elite BBQ Smokers demonstrates the correct technique for a perfectly seasoned flat top grill.
When you season your cast iron, the oil on the skillet undergoes a process called polymerization. Applying too much oil prevents proper polymerization, leaving your cast iron streaky, sticky, bubbly, and tacky.
Follow these steps if your grill isn't brand new:
Using a silicone basting brush and high temperature oil, like melted Crisco, vegetable, or canola oil, carefully brush your grids.
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. A quick rub can do the trick, if your pan looks a bit dry. I have one pan that is about 100 years old!
Solid Crisco that comes in the metal tube/tub has a smoke point of 490F. The liquid Crisco has a smoke point of a little less than 400F.
Put the oiled pan in a preheated 450°F (230°C) oven, and leave it there for 30 minutes. It may get a little smoky, so keep your kitchen well ventilated. It's during this time that the oil will polymerize and form the first of several hard, plastic-like coatings you'll be laying down.
The product was first created as an alternative to lard, which had a bad reputation in the early 20th century, but Crisco eventually developed a bad reputation of its own, due in part to the large amount of trans fats.
The Golden is just Crisco with artificial flavor and color added. I imagine they'd perform equally well for seasoning. (But if I was going for butter flavor in my cooking, I'd just use real butter.)
The shelf life of a shortening or oil product depends a great deal on how it has been stored and handled. For the best results, Crisco products should be stored in a cool, dry place away from strong odors, direct sunlight, and sources of heat (stoves, dishwashers, and refrigerators).
Jeff uses Crisco vegetable shortening to season cast iron, which produces a durable finish. He recommends heating the cast iron to no more than 400° (40° to 50° higher than the smoke point for Crisco). If you use a different fat, with a higher smoke point, you should adjust the oven temperature accordingly.
Oils with a higher unsaturated fat content break down and polymerize more readily. This means grapeseed oil should create superior cast iron seasoning than the oils in Crisco and Crisbee. Also, grapeseed oil should leave behind a higher carbon residue, which would increase the darker coloring of the cast iron.
A cast-iron skillet can withstand heats of up to 1500°F, which is much hotter than your oven could ever be. The seasoning will only burn off at about 800°F, so don't worry that you will damage your pan by cooking with high heat.
My personal preference and recommendation is cast-iron, but perfectly delicious fried chicken can be turned out of a heavy stainless steel skillet. Melted shortening (i.e., Crisco) really is better than cooking oil. It is extremely important that the melted shortening is the right temperature before adding the chicken.
Soybean Oil, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Palm Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, TBHQ And Citric Acid (Antioxidants).