Can You OVER Season New Cast Iron?

[Callisto in NC]

Okay so I have my new CI double sided grill and today I tried to cook pancakes on the flat side. They were BLACK. I had to toss them and pull out the flat round CI I bought and cook the pancakes. Is it possible to overseason? Is Canola that different from Vegetable oil because I just grab a bottle and often it's canola. I've always seasoned with shortening until this week and now I just have junk on my pans and black pancakes. Should I try to remove the oil and start again?

 

[ribs and steak]

I dont think its possible to overseason any CI but i could be wrong, how long have you had the double sided grill? I've always used some crisco shortening to make my cakes. and never had any trouble.

Another thought is the heat from the burner maybe?

 

[sherifffruitfly]

Okay so I have my new CI double sided grill and today I tried to cook pancakes on the flat side. They were BLACK. I had to toss them and pull out the flat round CI I bought and cook the pancakes. Is it possible to overseason? Is Canola that different from Vegetable oil because I just grab a bottle and often it's canola. I've always seasoned with shortening until this week and now I just have junk on my pans and black pancakes. Should I try to remove the oil and start again?

I believe that black stuff = carbon = burnt crud = item wasn't properly cleaned before seasoning.

Or maybe you just burnt the pancakes?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Miss Calli...Are you cooking on a gas stove?? If so...when you turned the griddle over maybe it was soot from having cooked the last few times with the grill side up---flat side down....

 

[Callisto in NC]

Miss Calli...Are you cooking on a gas stove?? If so...when you turned the griddle over maybe it was soot from having cooked the last few times with the grill side up---flat side down....

Okay, that makes total sense. I'll clean it more carefully on both sides when I use it next time. I have definitely used the grill side far more since I got it.

At least I was only cooking for my daughter and not a group of people who had never seen me cook. Black pancakes would have been embarrassing.

 

[GB]

The first few times I used my new CI there was always some black in the pan after I used it and even cleaned it. This went away after the seasoning built up.