But can you use coconut oil to season cast iron? Yes! It's important to warm your pan before adding the coconut oil; 350 F ideally. If you're careful to make sure that your pan is seasoned well, this oil is also perfect for daily cast iron cooking.
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.
Unsaturated fats have a chemical makeup that is more optimal for polymerization, the process that needs to occur to develop the perfect cast iron seasoning. So steer clear of oils with a higher concentration of saturated fats, like coconut oil and palm oil.
The second widely-used wok seasoning oil is coconut oil. The smoke point of 449 ºF makes it a good option.
Give it a light oiling.
Rub the dry skillet all over, including the bottom and the handle, with a very thin layer of neutral cooking oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, the same way you would after seasoning.
Scrub gently in hot water with a Cast Iron Brush*. Dry the pan. Place the dry, empty pan over high heat for 3-5 minutes to further dry it out – this will help make it “thirsty” so it absorbs a fresh layer of oil. Add 1-2 teaspoons of canola oil or coconut oil to the pan.
Coconut oil can also be used to grease baking pans.
Because coconut oil has a relatively high smoke point, it can also be used to grease cake pans, muffin tins, and baking dishes. Use a pastry brush or paper towel to spread a thin coating over the surface of bakeware.
The cooking oils with the highest smoke points are Cultured Oil (485°F) and avocado oil (up to 482°F), while olive oil (up to 406°F) is considered moderate. Other vegetable oils have moderate smoke points around 400 ºF or higher.
What can be used to grease a baking pan? There's a multitude of choices when it comes to greasing a baking pan. You can use anything from a canola oil or olive oil spray to coconut oil or butter.
Although it seems odd, it is technically possible to over-season a skillet. Too much oil baked into the cast iron will cause it to polymerize unevenly and eventually will cause the surface of the skillet to flake. Adding too much oil when seasoning will also cause your pan to become sticky, notes Lodge.
Having a small amount of oil after cleaning is not a problem. In fact, keeping a pan from drying out is an important part of long term maintenance. Over-cleaning your cast iron pan is unnecessary and will only stand to damage your seasoning.
Using too much oil, anything more than about the size of a quarter will just build up and cause an oil slick on your pan. When it's time to season your cast iron skillet, you simply can't do this with a cold skillet. This will cause build up of that oil residue, and cause stickiness.
With this in mind, if you do choose to cook with coconut oil, know that it has a smoke point of 350°F and a slight coconut flavor, making it the oil of choice for some to use in stir fries and pan frying.
Preheat your skillet before adding any oil, fat, or food.
You always want to preheat your skillet before cooking with it on the stovetop. Putting cold food in a cold cast-iron pan will make your food stick.
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.
Because of its high fat concentration, coconut oil stands up to high heat fairly well, which means it's a good choice for sautéing and stir-frying, but for the best results, we recommend keeping your burners at a medium heat cooking with coconut oil. (It's also not the best option for deep-frying.)
Coconut oil's high smoke point makes it a great option for searing, sautéing, deep-frying, or stir-frying, as they require high-temperature cooking oils.
Coconut Oil In Cooking
Since refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point, it's the better choice for high-heat cooking applications such as searing, sautéing, roasting, stir-frying or frying.
The problem with coconut oil is that up to 90% of its fat content is saturated fat. That's the type of fat that raises LDL or “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol collects in your blood vessels and raises your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Using just a bit of coconut oil and salt, you can actually season stainless steel pans to prevent food from sticking and make them even more versatile. And since the “nonstick” surface you're creating is all-natural, it won't have any of the drawbacks of traditional nonstick finishes.
A. In terms of health impacts, it is better to cook with olive oil. Compared to a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of coconut oil contains about six times the amount of saturated fat, nearly meeting the daily limit of about 13 grams that the American Heart Association recommends.
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The vinegar solution will dissolve the rust, but once that's gone, it can penetrate further and start eating away at the original cast surface of the pan, the ultimate death sentence for your skillet. If that happens, retire it to a piece of farmhouse-chic kitchen decor.
Gently scrub the pan using mild dish soap, hot water, and a non-abrasive sponge (such as a Dobie sponge or the soft side of a Scotch-Brite sponge) or a scrub brush. Rinse it clean and then dry it completely with a dish towel.