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What oil do you cook with on your cast iron?

 
Joy Hancock
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Hello! I know this is kind of debatable, but I just started using cast iron and I'm curious what oils you all use to cook in it? Coconut, avocado, olive, butter, or others?

"Despise not the day of small things."

 
Matt McSpadden
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Hi Joy,
I don't know if any of these are "correct" but its what I do. For seasoning or rubbing down after washing, I use grapeseed oil because it had a high temp rating and was available. To actually cook, I use bacon grease, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, occasionally vegetable oil, and hopefully soon goose fat.

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I am a fan of butter and tallow as my go to fats in cast iron for searing. I'll utilize veg/corn oil for the rare occasions that I break out the chicken frying pot.

I do utilize olive oil but the smoke point is something I keep in mind as I'm cooking. If I am seasoning a pan I have a small bottle of grapeseed oil that has give me great results. Thin THIN coats.

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At low heat, we use olive and butter. At high(er) heat, peanut.
 
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I keep a small jar of coconut oil on top the hood vent of our stove (it’s flat on the top of one portion). The jar has just a little oil and a small rag in it. Every time I cook the coconut oil melts into the rag a bit more. Every time I clean my cast iron pans I just grab that rag out and give them a good wipe down with a very thin coat of coconut oil. I like this method because it allows me to use a saturated fat (my preference) that is usually solid at room temp for seasoning. It also has a smoke point that accommodates most of the cooking I do.

For actually cooking it depends what kind of food. Lard and butter are most common. Coconut oil is sometimes used and occasionally olive oil tho it’s becoming more infrequent.
 
Abraham Palma
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Hello.

For seasoning you need an oil that stands high temperatures before burning. That's olive oil in our case.
For frying I use canola oil, since it is cheaper.
For cooking and stir-fry I use olive oil, since it gives good taste to the meals, and it's our national pride.
Extra virgin olive oil is only to be consumed raw, in salads or in toasts.
I've sometimes used butter in french recipes, but it is quite expensive.

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butter for eggs and onions everything else including seasoning, peanut oil.
 
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Abraham Palma wrote:For seasoning you need an oil that stands high temperatures before burning. That's olive oil in our case.



I had to take a double take, because I have always had olive oil that has had a low smoke point. I did some online searching and realized that there are indeed better quality olive oils that can withstand high temperatures. I'm embarrassed to say that I assumed that all olive oil is the same. I now have to try and figure out the proper olive oil to cook with and give it another go!

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I stick with olive oil as much as possible for the health benefits.
 
Charlotte Montgomery
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I tend to cook with olive oil or butter but if I am just greasing the pan after washing I will use bacon fat. I pour off the grease after cooking bacon and save it in a container by the stove.
 
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Charlotte, welcome to permies.

Great first post!

https://permies.com/t/175744/permaculture-sites/permaculture-projects/Project-Gardens-Orchard-Dignity

 
William Bronson
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Coconut oil, butter,lard or tallow.
We tend to pour off fats left over from cooking into jars and use it as we go, so bacon grease cookes burgers and that grease is used to cook eggs,etc.

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William Bronson wrote:Coconut oil, butter,lard or tallow.


Yes!
 
Michael Cox
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I've recently discovered the joy of cooking with clarified butter in my cast iron pans. Previously I tended to just use a dab of butter to fry my eggs, but the milk solids tend to burn. Clarifying removed those solids, and you end up with a very high smoke point and shelf stable cooking oil.

Highly recommended.

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Joy Hancock
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions and sharing what you use!

"Despise not the day of small things."

 
Joy Hancock
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I had never considered clarified butter. I might have to try that!

Michael Cox wrote:I've recently discovered the joy of cooking with clarified butter in my cast iron pans. Previously I tended to just use a dab of butter to fry my eggs, but the milk solids tend to burn. Clarifying removed those solids, and you end up with a very high smoke point and shelf stable cooking oil.

Highly recommended.

"Despise not the day of small things."

 
Jim Fry
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Almost entirely homemade butter from our own cows. Occasionally olive oil.

Creating sustainable life, beauty & food (with lots of kids and fun)

 
Joy Hancock
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I found this article with a chart on the smoke point of different oils. I decided to season with sunflower oil and then use tallow to cook in it.

https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/how-to-choose-the-best-culinary-oil-with-oil-smoke-point-chart

"Despise not the day of small things."

 
Jared Hardman
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Lard or bacon grease if I have it. rendered chicken or beef fat. I have a preference for animal fats if it makes sense in the dish. Butter if it makes sense, if not then olive or coconut.
 
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