Before my ex-wife put me on a cast iron moratorium (a/k/a the dark days), my typical seasoning method was the Cheryl method, high heat with Spectrum Grapeseed Oil Spray. It worked, but I never really achieved the glossy black look I was aiming for. I couldn't use Crisco since I have a corn allergy and the customer service people could not affirm to me that Crisco is corn free.
A few years after the end of the moratorium (a/k/a the divorce), I pulled out some of my skillets, rejoined WAGS and started reading and watching videos on restoration and seasoning. I saw a few YouTube videos and was intrigued about bees wax seasoning. At first I was unsure about bees wax as a seasoning, but I thought it is similar to the spoon butter I use for my wood cutting boards. So it was worth a try.
The price seemed high, but since there was an organic apiary a few miles from my house I bought some bees wax and started experimenting with organic high smoke point oils. I came up with a product which I have used a few times with excellent results. It reached a glossy black color very quickly and is very easy to work with, so long as the pan is hot. Interestingly, when I am cooking with a seasoned skillet, the seasoning does not smoke or burn, even on the bottom, probably because the bees wax is heated with oils until it is completely melted and stirred until it is fully emulsified.
I'm going to try it to season an old Erie flat bottom kettle, which is pitted on the bottom and will be a user. This will be, in part, an experiment to see if it helps fill in the pitting more quickly. I'm curious to see how it works.
