Food - Drink
Does The Seasoning On Cast Iron Affect The Flavor Of Your Food?
By STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
A cast iron skillet is a versatile tool that yields amazing results in the kitchen, and requires careful maintenance in return for its usefulness. You should frequently season your cast iron skillet to preserve its non-stick qualities and prevent it from rusting, but you may wonder if the seasoning will transfer any odd flavors to your food.
Seasoning cast iron creates a layer of protection over the skillet by coating it in fat, and does not affect the food’s flavor — in fact, no spices or flavorings at all are involved in the seasoning process, so long as you use a fat with a neutral flavor. To season a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil or shortening, follow these steps.
Cover your cast iron skillet in a thin layer of fat and bake it in the oven, placing aluminum foil on the lower rack of the oven to catch any drips. These steps shouldn't add any flavor to your pan, and will bind fat to the iron to create a layer of carbonized oil through a process called polymerization, making your pan flawlessly nonstick.