Flash Rust Under Wok Seasoning

Flash Rust Under Wok Seasoning - Powerful thunder and lightning flashing in dark purple night sky over city on rainy day

This was my first attempt seasoning a piece of cookware. I used the following approach:

  • I scrubbed the wok down on both sides with a scouring pad and dish soap.

  • I then heated the wok up and moved the wok around the flame until it was blue all over.

  • I then took the wok off the heat, cooled it down with a bit of water, and gave it another scrubbing with the scouring pad and dish soap.

  • I then wiped the wok off with a kitchen towel. I left it for maybe a couple of minutes, and when I came back I noticed rust already
    developing on the wok. I believe this was flash rust.

  • I then heated the wok up on the flame to dry it. I took the wok off
    the flame and let it cool.

  • I then put some oil in the wok and heated it on the flame until it
    was smoking to season it.

After all that, I think I have some flash rust under the seasoning. Please see the red circle in the picture. Is this rust, and does this mean I need to strip it and re-season it? If so, how could I avoid the having this happen again?

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seasoningpotcarbon-steel


Best Answer

It's hard to tell with those lighting conditions, but no it does not look like rust. It looks like either another layer of (partial) seasoning or the bare steel that has been partially heat tempered: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Tempering_standards_used_in_blacksmithing.JPG

Rust is a dark burgundy color and red rust in particular will wipe off with a paper towel. If this happens to be red rust, you can just clean it off with soap and a sponge and season over it.



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Can you season over flash rust?

However, if you ignore it, rust will spread across the metal surface. It can completely damage the wok and make it unfit for use. So, you should promptly get rid of any rust as soon as it forms to save your wok.

Can I cook with rust on wok?

If your wok ends up with rust or burned-on food, soak it in warm water for about 5 minutes to loosen up the particles. Then clean it as you usually would (read: with a gentle sponge or cleaning pad). You can also use steel wool for particularly difficult-to-remove rust or food, if necessary.

How do you remove rust from a seasoned wok?

Coat the wok in unsalted fat and melt on a low heat Now that you have removed the rust, the next step is to re-season the wok. Put your wok on the hob on low heat, and add some unsalted fat to melt. Swirl the oil around to coat as much of the inside of the wok as possible.


Flash Rust on Cast Iron Pans



Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Andrea Aliverti, Keith Lobo, Erik Mclean, Kelly L

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