[TheForge] Pineapple twist

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> Phlip,
>
> Replying to the second question:  Yes, normal "cast iron" seasoning will
do fine for any black iron.  If you polish the metal, though, it will give
you a shiny dark brown color that some people think looks "dirty".
>
> I recommend the following procedure.  Using a cloth, apply the thinnest
possible layer of polyunsaturated vegetable oil to the black iron.  Heat in
an 400F oven for 1 hour.  Repeat if necessary.  Then wash in warm water with
soap or detergent to eliminate the traces of oil that may remain.
>
> If you use too thick a layer of oil, you'll get sticky, greasy spots.
Therefore it can be helpful to warm the iron before applying the (viscous)
oil so that the oil runs freely.
>
> What's going on here is that the oil, under the influence of oxygen and
heat, cross-links at the double bonds (which is what "unsaturated" - with
respect to hydrogenation - refers to), and turns into a "plastic".
>
> Bruce
> NJ

Bruce, while your method is more or less what I'd intended to do, I'd like
to add that if you applied soap to anything that I seasoned for cooking
purposes, I'd have to consider murdering you ;-) Soap, particularly in cast
iron, gets into the pores and the coating and to sensitive people, the item
and foods cooked in it will forever after taste soapy- nothing you can do
about it except keep soap strictly away from seasoned iron/steel.

My method of seasoning, btw, is to heat the piece, wipe as you said, with an
oiled cloth (oil in this case going to be olive oil, to avoid the allergens
in peanut oil, my other favorite) and toss in the oven. Wiping it down with
vinegar while it's hot will also remove the excess oil, and won't leave you
with a soapy taste- the vinegar eventually evaporates or can be rinsed off.

Only things you use to clean iron/steel for eating purposes are vinegar, or
if you need to scrub with abrasive, baking soda- anything else will flavor
the metal and its coating, but vinegar and baking soda will rinse off.

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....