Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am curious, does anybody know if a bees wax seasoning would help out protecting dutch ovens for over winter storage? I am wondering if perhaps it wouldn't help out with protecting the DO's from rust and perhaps also keeping the oil seasoning that I normally use from turning rancid. Does anybody have any experience in long term storage with bees wax seasoning and do you use it on both outside and inside of the pot? Obviously I have more questions than answers.

Art

Thanks to George H. from Tennessee sharing this method of seasoning with us several years ago, many of us teardroppers use beeswax as the seasoning on our cast iron instead of oil. It works beautifully, both inside and out, requires very little maintenance and does not get sticky during storage.

Here is George's explanation on how to season cast iron with beeswax:

"In short, prepare your CI as you would for shortening type seasoning. Get it warm enough to melt the bee wax, getting a puddle. Soak this puddle up in a lint free cloth. Spread a coating of the wax all over the CI piece. Take a second lint free cloth and wipe the surfaces of the CI that you had coated.

"In the mean time, preheat your oven to 475minimum, 500 max.**

"When oven is up to temp, put piece on oven rack set at middle of oven. Bake CI for 1 hour plus. Then shut oven off and let it cool till you can handle it. Repeat the coating and wiping process, return to oven reheated to same temps. Again let it bake for an hour. Now you can repeat as many times as you like obviously the more times you do it the better the 'season coating.' When you finally let the CI get to room temp, note how black it is, and how hard and slick the surface feels.

"Now for fun and giggles give your piece a lite spray of non stick, heat it up, and fry an egg. When you go to pick it up and flip I'll bet you have a lot of trouble getting the egg on your spatula. You will chase it all around the pan.

"When you clean this piece now, use boiling water to cut residual oil, or grease. Wipe dry, heat it up to dry, and then you are ready to store unit. Bee wax will not turn rancid, it your pot does stink, it is because there is residual cooking grease in pot, or on lid.

"Note:
--Bee wax will be in a solid chunk, possibly even molded. Make sure you get 100% pure beeswax (food grade) and not the kind you buy in craft stores for candlemaking.

**Warning: if you get too much hotter than 500 deg. you will burn your seasoning off."

Betsey

Hey Thanks! That was the kind of information I was looking for.

Art

George's method rocks. It's what we use all the time....on all of our cast iron....home and camping. Nothing sticks....and we use less oil. Awesome post.

Like, Like, Like.
Sanded mine last night 150 then 220, then put on a coat of beeswax and let cool (potbelly was warm). Going in oven tonight.

Just bee warned...you'll have to chose your eggs then

Where do you buy food-grade bees wax?

Just make sure it's 100% beeswax. You'll not see food safe anywhere...it is though if it's 100%. You can find it online as well as from your local apiary

The best off season storage is use at home....just season with beeswax for incredible nonstick.

You might be able to dip into molten wax, the problem with that is it's very hard to melt safely since beeswax is highly flammable....they make candles out of it....I wouldn't recommend that.

Kharn wrote:Where do you buy food-grade bees wax?

The best, and probably least expensive source, is from a local apiary. I have a friend who keeps bees and sells the wax in 1/2 lb and 1 lb blocks. The 1/2 lb blocks are $3.50 and the 1 lb blocks are $6.00. The wax is pure and very clean, I know where it came from, the price is good and I'm supporting a local business...A winning situation all around!

Betsey

That's a lot cheaper than online....we typically pay $5 a pound locally. Online will be double that. That pound lasts is a year or so doing all kinds of cast iron and household duties. Zipper lube, cutting board conditioner, loosening nuts....good overall stuff!

Of course the best way is to install your own hive...local honey doesn't get much more local than your backyard, wax, and the joy of knowing you're helping the bees.

I have 1 hive and the work is minimum.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/

Before you think it, after the first year, I haven't gotten stung except while doing something unrelated to beekeeping. . Oops! I knew better than that.

Can the beeswax go on over an already existing oil based coating?

rebapuck wrote:Can the beeswax go on over an already existing oil based coating?

I will answer that with a definitive yes. I did nothing special to many of my pieces just warmed and coated them.

I am sure other will have other opinions but it worked just fine for me.