Camp Dutch oven exterior seasoning

C

CharlieK

Member
I've been using peanut oil to season my CI, inside and out, and have had great results. Now I've been gathering up some camp type DO's, most with legs but one flat bottom. Since one or more of these is apt to get buried in a bean pit and others will have hot coals on the lid and below, is there any better oil or method to season the exterior of the camp type DO?
Actually, the same though crosses my mind for any iron, since we don't eat food from the outside of them. Food grade mineral oil, perhaps?
TIA for any input
 
Probably not. Charcoal will burn at 500 to 700°, way above any smoking points of oils and destructive to seasoning. Seasoning will stay good at 500° and below.

A gas range will put out close to 2,000°, but only under the pan. That is why there is no seasoning on the bottom if used on a gas range. The seasoning on the sides and the inside will stay under 500° so they are OK.

If you only put coals on the bottom and the top of a DO the seasoning on the sides should be fine, but the outside top and bottom will turn to carbon and ash.

Hilditch
 
After I use my DO in the coals, I clean all of the ash off of it, dry it completely,
then heat it up a bit and give it a coat of oil (what ever is available up at camp).

It doesn't look perfect, like a brand new seasoning, but its a user, not a display piece. My wife loves what ever I make in it so much that we use it a lot. The outside looks a little blotchy, but not too bad.
 
CJMunnich said:
After I use my DO in the coals, I clean all of the ash off of it, dry it completely,
then heat it up a bit and give it a coat of oil (what ever is available up at camp).

It doesn't look perfect, like a brand new seasoning, but its a user, not a display piece. My wife loves what ever I make in it so much that we use it a lot. The outside looks a little blotchy, but not too bad.
Click to expand...

So when you say a coat of oil, you're talking about edible oils? I just want to have some kind of preservative on the non-cooking surfaces of my CI between uses.
It sounds like maybe I shouldn't be seasoning the outside bottom of the CI I use on my gas stove top, although I haven't seen any ill effects.
 
Any edible oil will do. I've used vegetable, olive, even cooking spray oil. It was what was available at camp.

You should season the outside for its protection. Coals and gas/electric stoves will damage the exterior, but that is the nature of the beast. Use and enjoy.
 
CJMunnich said:
Any edible oil will do. I've used vegetable, olive, even cooking spray oil. It was what was available at camp.

You should season the outside for its protection. Coals and gas/electric stoves will damage the exterior, but that is the nature of the beast. Use and enjoy.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that high temperature spray for gas grilles might be worth a try for exterior protection. Humidity could be a problem for the CI I keep at my lakeside camp & I have to protect it somehow.
Thanks for weighing in :wine:
 
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