Griswold Seasoning Method Good?

[Taylor Brogan]

I read that when someone purchased a Griswold skillet it would have instructions on how to season on the label. That would be to boil a good quantity of fresh fat for several hours. Is this any good? I am stripping seasoning off a ERIE skillet and was curious about this method of seasoning.

[Cheryl Watson]

Don't know where you read it....
But I would see no reason to try it.......
How does one BOIL fat?  Hmmmm....

[Taylor Brogan]

I got a little red Griswold book at the book store for a bargain and while reading it, gave instructions on how to season your new Griswold skillet. I will type it word by word: " How to prepare the ware for use. For cookware prior to 1942. When preparing iron cookware for use the first time it is important to remove the anti-rust lacquer. scrub the inside with cleaning powder and hot water and rinse and dry well. then wash in hot suds, and rinse in clean hot water. dry well and place on burner to dry completely. Then cut into bits a liberal amount of fat (fresh lard is best), make sure the fat is unsalted. simmer this for several hours and every 15 minutes and grease inside surface above the grease line. after thorough seasoning pour off excess grease and wipe out and the ware is ready for use."

[Charles Bowman]

I gave this method a try on one of my old ERIE pans this this morning. It seemed to work quite well. Though I didn't do it for several hours. I cooked the fat for about 40 minutes and then let it cool briefly. I cooked my lunched in the pan and worked very well.

[Taylor Brogan]

I'm also going to be doing a ERIE skillets, I may just try this method and see how it goes. I may do several hours.

[Taylor Brogan]

Im sure the skillet doesn't get that black patina at first, but after time with lots of use it will turn black with a very non-stick surface, just a theory

[Jerry Cermack]

I believe there has been many examples of original Griswold label instructions posted in the past.  Here is the instructions on an Iron Mountain skillet label.

[Taylor Brogan]

I checked the butcher shop today and they are sold out of pork fat. I'm on the waiting list to to get some fresh Leaf Fat and some regular fatback. I plan to use the fatback to season my skillet. We'll see how it goes!

[Cheryl Watson]

The instructions for seasoning Cast Iron pans, evolved throughout the years.  I find the progression interesting.  Even the manufacturers modernized their methods, with advances in their own products/ technology.  The old original product labels illustrate that.  Even better, are the advertisements from each time period. Old Catalogs give information also.

We have many of the above archived throughout our members only sections, so if this is your area of interest, certainly you should consider joining WAGS, which will certainly provide you with access to some of the above.  :) :)

Myself... well I think that modern methods of seasoning are superior, so I'll stick with those! :) :)  The advent and advances in vegetable oils, etc., not to mention the joy of newfangled stoves which give us options and choices that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers never could have dreamed of! (nor the Manufacturers for that matter!)

[Taylor Brogan]

How do you join WAGS? I agree i do love modern advances with a few exceptions. I am just interested in all seasoning methods, I NEED to know which is best lol. Although old wood stoves do turn out some pretty darn good tasting food. But modern stoves are so easy to maintain cooking temp. In the winter I DO use the wood stove we have to cook on sometimes, especially when the power goes out we can still cook food. I spent some time this year in Nicaragua and they cook outside on the ground over a fire. Of course i was in charge of the cooking. For every meal we had to set up bricks and in the middle build a fire. the combination of humidity and  100 degree temps and a open fire will make one very nauscious! I'm so glad we don't have to cook like that here in the states WHEW!

[Cheryl Watson]

The ICON (link) to join WAGS is in Header Above (see picture)

http://www.wag-society.org/membership.php

[Jerry Cermack]

I am just interested in all seasoning methods, I NEED to know which is best lol. 

As the old saying goes....Any system that works is a good system, and that applies to seasoning cast iron too.

[Taylor Brogan]

tried this method and worked out good for me! excellent method! this will be my future method until i find better. I simmered fatback for about 2 hours on low heat and towards the end i raised the temp until the cracklins were frying heavily. NO WATER! just fat. Im sure you could simmer the fat longer, but 2 hours worked for me. the one drawback is you do not get that black patina at first, but after one cooking I can tell the skillet is starting to turn black. Works good! I highly recommend it.

[Claudia Killebrew]

Here's another Griswold label with seasoning instructions.

[Taylor Brogan]

claudia, this is the same method that is in the little red book I have. This is how I seasoned mine, worked great!