Blackstone griddles are an incredibly versatile piece of cookware that can be used to make all kinds of delicious meals. An important step before cooking on your griddle is to season it, and one of the frequently asked questions asked is whether you can season a Blackstone griddle with Crisco.
The answer to this question is yes!
Crisco has a high smoke point and can be used to season a Blackstone griddle and provide it with the non-stick qualities you’re looking for.
Is it the best stuff to season your griddle with? Maybe not, but a lot of people swear by it and have had great success with it.
Let’s take a look at what Crisco has to offer and what makes it suitable for seasoning a griddle. We’ll also discuss some alternatives. So read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
- What Is Crisco and What Is It Made From?
- How To Season Your Blackstone Griddle with Crisco?
- Do You Have To Apply Crisco Every Time You Are Cooking?
- Crisco Alternatives for Griddle Seasoning
- Final Words
- FAQ
What Is Crisco and What Is It Made From?
Crisco is a vegetable shortening that has been around since 1911 when Proctor and Gamble created it. It was actually the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil. Although the ingredients have changed over the century of its existence, Crisco is still very popular in American households.
Oh, and it’s vegan.
It is made from a blend of hydrogenated vegetable oils and a couple of other ingredients. As of January 2023, the ingredients are listed as follows:
- Soybean oil
- Fully hydrogenated palm oil
- Palm oil
- Mono and diglycerides
- TBHQ and citric acid (antioxidants)
The oil contents are what make Crisco usable as a seasoning agent.
It is one of the most popular agents when it comes to seasoning cast iron pans.
One of the reasons Crisco is popular among some people is that it is affordable a widely available in pretty much any grocery store.
What is Crisco’s smoke point?
The smoke point is the temperature at which a cooking oil or fat starts to break down, creating smoke and producing a pretty bad smell.
The question of Crisco’s smoke point comes up very often. However, there appears to be no proven answer.
Crisco’s smoke point is quoted as being between 350 and 490 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s a huge range and unless someone does proper testing, we can’t know for sure.
That said, if you don’t heat it up to an extreme temperature, Crisco should still be a suitable choice for seasoning.
How To Season Your Blackstone Griddle with Crisco?
So how do you use Crisco to season your griddle? It is an easy process. I have a fairly detailed blog post on griddle seasoning you might want to check out.
Let’s have a look at the process:
- Clean the griddle. First, you need to be sure that the griddle is clean before you begin. If you are starting with a brand-new griddle, then it’s pretty easy. With an older griddle, you may need to strip the seasoning if it’s flaking or scratched heavily. Not a fun task to do but it’s worth it. Also if you need to remove rust from your griddle if it’s rusty.
- Turn the heat on. You don’t want o dial in high immediately as it would make it difficult to apply the Crisco shortening evenly. A medium setting should e fine.
- Apply Crisco to the griddle surface. You can use a paper towel or a lint-free cloth to do this. Make sure that you spread the shortening evenly across the entire cooking surface and also on the sides of the top. Thanks to the heat of the griddle, it’s fairly easy to do as the shortening will quickly melt. The layer should be very thin. Don’t dump half of the can onto your griddle. If you apply too much and the grease starts pooling, wipe it off with another paper towel.
- Turn the heat up. Once the Crisco shortening is applied, you need to turn up the heat so that it can polymerize and form a black non-stick coating.
- Wait for about 10 – 15 minutes. The shortening may start smoking and that’s fine. During this process, the shiny layer of fat will start turning brown or black and that’s exactly what we are looking for.
- Repeat. Turn the heat down and let the griddle cool down a bit. Now it’s time to repeat the steps 3 or 4 times. In the end, you should have a nice black finish on your griddle top.
Do You Have To Apply Crisco Every Time You Are Cooking?
No, you don’t have to re-apply Crisco every time you are cooking. You only need to season your griddle once and that should be enough for a long time as long as you take proper care of it.
Every time you cook with any oil, the seasoning layer will continue to build up and you will end up with a super non-stick surface. What you can and should do after you are done cooking is to apply a thin layer of oil onto the griddle before you store it away. This helps protect it from moisture that would cause rusting.
However, if you notice that the non-stick coating is starting to flake off, you may have to strip the seasoning and start over. If small scratches appear, you can try to remove or fill them with another seasoning layer.
Other than that, you don’t have to apply Crisco shortening every time you cook.
Of course, if you want to cook on Crisco, you can always do that.
Crisco Alternatives for Griddle Seasoning
As I’ve mentioned, Crisco is usually not the first choice of fat that comes to mind when it comes to seasoning a griddle.
There are some possibly better alternatives on the market. Here’s what you should consider:
Canola oil
It’s one of the most popular choices when it comes to griddle seasoning. It has a very high smoke point and is affordable.
Avocado oil
Another popular choice. Avocado oil has a super-high smoke point, however, it’s one of the more expensive options and as such, I prefer to use it for cooking only.
Sunflower oil
The smoke point of sunflower oil is slightly lower than that of the oils mentioned above but still very high. It’s also cheaper than avocado oil and can be used both for cooking and seasoning.
Final Words
No matter what your preference is, griddle seasoning with Crisco or any of the alternatives will help you cook food without sticking and the seasoning layer will protect your steel griddle top. Griddles are a great addition to any kitchen, whether for family dinners or large parties.
With proper care and maintenance, which includes seasoning, you can make sure that your griddle stays in top condition for years to come. The key is to find out which type of fat works best for you so take some time experimenting or researching and see how it goes!
FAQ
How can I maintain the seasoned surface of my griddle?
- Clean after each use with a scraper and cloth or paper towels, avoiding detergents.
- Re-season as needed.
- Store in a dry place to avoid rusting.
How often should I season my Blackstone griddle with Crisco?
It’s important to do the first seasoning and then add another seasoning layer when needed. Usually once should be enough, but you can do it a few more times until you achieve the desired non-stick surface. Cooking on the griddle should be enough though.
