That friend who insisted you season cast iron with flaxseed oil

My buddy Mark swore flaxseed oil was the only way to get a perfect non-stick layer. I tried it on my old 12 inch Lodge pan. After 6 months of careful seasoning, the coating started flaking off into my eggs. Turns out flax makes a hard but brittle layer. I went back to plain old Crisco and it's been solid for 2 years now. Anyone else have a seasoning method that just didn't hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey161mo ago

Ditch the flax and grab the Crisco man. That brittle layer always flakes off on me too, cheap vegetable shortening works way better long term.

drewsullivan1mo ago

And does the Crisco hold up just as good if you're using the pan for eggs the next morning? I've been hesitant to switch because I don't want a weird greasy residue on everything after. But if it really bonds better over time maybe it's worth giving it a shot with a dedicated pan.

jesse_fisher26d ago

Crisco is the way to go. I had the same flaking problem with flax after a few months, switched to Crisco and never looked back. @casey16 nailed it, that vegetable shortening bonds way better over time. For eggs the next morning, just wipe out the excess after cooking and you won't get any greasy residue.