Clarified Butter for seasoning CI

[Jennifer_A_Temple]

I was just wondering if clarified butter could be used instead of Crisco. I think the clarified butter has the highest smoke point of all the oils. I have not tried it but fail to see why it would not be a good product for seasoning. Any thoughts about this?

 

[Doug D.]

Crisco shortening is actually slightly higher than ghee, and refined avocado and safflower oils even higher than either of those. Many seem believe that the kind of oil you use is more important than it actually is. With a manual seasoning, you're putting on a basic starter seasoning; the fats you actually cook with will comprise the majority of the seasoning in the long term. If you already have some ghee, try it, but I wouldn't go out and buy (or make) some just for this purpose if I didn't have another use for it.

 

[Jennifer_A_Temple]

I was not going to buy any ghee. I make and keep lots of clarified butter for general cooking and frying. Given, I find it hard to get Crisco around here the butter seems like the best alternative. It is clarified butters high smoke point that makes it my preferred cooking fat. Also, butter is not hydrogenated. In any case, butter would be an acceptable seasoning a new pan, correct?

P.S. Clarified butter smokes at 485 & Crisco at 490 so the difference seems negligible, to me and I can also use it for eating! I would never eat hydrogenated fats & for that reason, I also produce my own lard. Until now, I have used canola oil for seasoning.

 

[Doug D.]

In any case, (clarified) butter would be an acceptable seasoning a new pan, correct?

On the face of it, I don't know why not. But there isn't any discussion I've seen either for or against it. You'll need to try it and let us know.