On Jan. 22, Reddit user u/fatmummy222 who asked to be referred to as “Dewey,” posted a set of images on the r/castiron subreddit that quickly went viral. In the post, which has been upvoted more than 52,000 times, the user shares the latest chapter in his months-long cast-iron story: an astonishing 80 coats of seasoning. Yes, eighty.
For those unfamiliar, seasoning cast-iron cookware is necessary to prepare its rough surface for cooking.
By applying a neutral oil all over its surface and placing it in the oven, a coating is baked onto the surface of the cast-iron item, sealing it and making the cast iron’s surface nonstick.
Although it’s recommended that you only need one coat of seasoning to start searing those steaks and baking those Dutch baby pancakes, many folks apply multiple coats of seasoning onto their cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens. But, like, four or five.
Applying 80 coats of seasoning is something else altogether, and from the more than 4,000 comments on Dewey’s latest post, reactions to his now-mirror-like skillet range from awe to confusion and much more. (...)
Dewey says he recently found the r/castiron subreddit, joining and sharing his experiences with the age-old kitchen item. “People will share seasoning ideas and recipes, and I got more into it.”
He says he just enjoys the seasoning process, usually seasoning this particular skillet once every day or so. “I just like how the pan looks after. It’s satisfying. It’s like when you polish your shoes and make it all nice and shiny,” he says.
Commenters on the thread had many, many questions for Dewey, but the most prevalent one was: Why?
by Joseph Lamour, Yahoo News | Read more:
Image:Courtesy u/fatmummy222 via Reddit[ed. I checked the Reddit forum and there's almost an ASMR quality to it. Kind of pleasant, actually. What a world.]
