so today, I sold a 1940’s Blankenship lid/skillet to a gentleman from Helena ... we discussed seasoning cast iron; like me, he likes/uses Crisco, and asked, “Is 350 degrees in the oven good enough?” Based on what I’ve read, Crisco will polymerize & form a layer of seasoning at 350, yes ... But really, I believe you want to exceed it to ensure the best result ...

whatever oil or natural product (like lard) you use on your cast iron, go on & exceed the heat required to make it polymerize & adhere to your iron ... 475 degrees for 1 hour w/Crisco i have found works perfect ...

the other thing about your oil is — THIN LAYERS ... dont overdo the oil; warm your iron up, apply your oil, and then wipe it off/down & exceed the polymerizing heat requirement ... it seems counter-intuitive at first, but most people who experience problems with sticky cast iron are using way too much oil ...

hope that helps,
BGD

What would you recommend for cleaning the drip points from under the lid of a dutch oven. Secondly, seems like the underside of mine gets build up cause I'm not that concerned with the non-cooking surface. What is the best way for touching it up without messing with the rest. (wire brush?)

if i understand what you’re saying, you’re talking about the underneath of the lid with what we call the “knuckle buster” knobs, yes? if the build-up is very severe, and rust is not an issue, your best bet is to use lye — either a lye bath or use a yellow can of Easy Off oven cleaner to remove the build-up ... lye breaks down the organic crud so that you can eventually just wash it off ...

do not wire brush it ... take caution with lye - but it works

watch this: https://youtu.be/JehIU-BgjjE

Yes, that is what I'm referring to. The knuckle buster, I can see why that is the slang.

👍🏻 yup - lye works best in heat/sunlight ... its neutralized by vinegar ... wear rubber gloves when handling it - but it will strip seasoning eventually

because i do this "for fun" - i went ahead & setup a 10 gallon lye bath to soak/strip multiple pieces at a time ... b/c it's cold now, it'll take a while longer, but eventually it will strip the pans of the old crud/seasoning ... when the summer rolls around, it'll strip them much faster; my electrolysis tank works a lot better in the summertime, as well

finally got around to shooting a video this past wkend (with the help of my daughter):

Appreciate the video BGD! Good stuff.

One thing on your oven, the reason it goes immediately from 16 to 15 is because even though it doesn't show it it's counting in seconds. So when you set it to 16 you're starting the time at 16:00 and it immediately goes to 15:59 (which is why the timer shows 15). My old one was the same way. If you use a stop watch you'll find setting it to 15 is sufficient. Just a heads up!

Again great video, I appreciate it!

👍🏻👊🏻 cool man

I always use grapeseed oil . Might give crisco a shot on the 2 new pans I have.

My OL uses grapeseed oil or flax oil and smokes it. Seems to work well.

i have several CI buds who also use grapeseed oil; flaxseed oil i’ve heard is a bit brittle ... Crisco is cheap, readily available, & let me tell you - its a stout/durable oil - it took me 4 days to strip my GF “cornbread pan” last year; she’d used Crisco smeared in it before pouring the batter in for over 30 years & her damn seasoning was incredible!! i begged her not to strip it, but she fell in love with my clean/stripped pans! 🙄🤣😂 but ya, after experiencing that, it solidified my belief in Crisco; i also like this Crisco “paste” ‘cause i just find it easier to work with vs an oil - its easier for me to control the amount i use ...

bottom line - a well-maintained pan, seasoned beyond the smoke point, can use any oil really ... Crisco i’ve also heard is far less likely to go rancid, too; olive oil is bad about that

BGD, I've got a big skillet that I thought I had seasoned up good (with veg oil in the oven) but I'm getting a hot spot in the middle of it that looks like the seasoning is thinning. In other words, the whole skillet is nice and black but I have a lighter grayish spot in the middle. Do I just need to strip the whole thing and start over from square one with a better oil?

Coosa just start using it. Fry some bacon in it. Just wipe it out when you get done. It will be fine.

^^^ what he said, Coosa - BAKE & DEEP FRY more in it ... let it cool after both & just wipe it down ... cooking is HARD on iron; baking & deep frying is like a “massage”

this is why most folks’ dedicated cornbread skillets look so good