Wok maintenance/seasoning

[DarrenM343]

Has anyone maintained a good seasoned wok? Here are the problems I tend to face.
When I bought my current wok one I initially wiped it only but this soon resulted in a build up of blackened patina that started coming off into the food I was cooking. So, I then moved to using hot water only and a sponge or the scouring side of the sponge to remove stuck food. THis method worked fine but again, eventually the black patina layer started breaking down and appearing in food. I think overheated the wok once which might not have helped.

So recently instead of picking up a new wok I took my current one back to metal apart from some really hardened oil. To do this I used harsh chemicals and also baked it in the oven to get as much of it off as possible. It did the trick. Afterwards I tried a different approach to the initial seasoning. I coated the inside of the wok with oil and then baked it in the oven for about 15 mins. This worked really well. I tried cooking some spring onion and garlic (not to eat) to continue the seasoning and this initial baked on layer of seasoning was great - no sticking at all.

Question is, where to go from here to maintain a layer of seasoning without building up a load of black crud that eventually starts breaking down when cooking in the wok. I normally apply a layer of oil after cleaning and then heat it on the hob until just about smoking before turning off but I don't think it works well across the entire wok. Removing the handle, applying a layer of oil and baking in the oven after every use would probably be better but would be such a faff and I'm sure the Chinese cooks don't do this.

Any thoughts on maintaininmg a seasoned wok for a long time, without having to take it back to bare metal or buy a new one periodically?

 

[the-evaluator]

I normally apply a layer of oil after cleaning and then heat it on the hob until just about smoking before turning off

That's what I do too, I usually put a few tablespoons of oil in then heat the wok up and tilt it so that the oil coats as much of the inside as I can. I then get some kitchen rool, hold it with some tongs and use that to oil the rest of the wok. Then it's left to cool, the oil is tipped out and then I wipe the wok again with kitchen roll to remove the excess oil.

The wok we have is about 4.5 years old and it's standing up well. I haven't noticed any of the seasoning layer coming off into the food.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Say what you like, but I basically don't clean my wok after using it, I'll scrape out any obvious food particles with a spatula, but that's it, and it's how it gets stored until I use it again.

When I come to use it, I'll put a bit of fresh oil on the heat, give it a wipe out with some kitchen roll, then it's good to go.

Seems to work for me.

 

[DarrenM343]

I think I'll just try the same method again as I've used previously but add the scrubbing with salt if any food becomes stuck, rather that using water and see how that goes.
It's about 4.5 years old. It's certainly got very non-stick since baking it in the oven with a thin layer of oil on it, after taking it back to metal. Only used it once so far mind.

 

[jpaul]

Have had the same cast iron wok for 20 years, w/o crud problem .. are you cooking sugary/acidic stuff or using some low temp oils ?
I use rapeseed mostly, but I've found rice bran oil leaves an undesirable wok residue.
Always add boiling water whilst its hot and then use a nylon pot scourer, no soap, to rub surface, and final swill out with boiling/kettle water;
keep meaning to buy a bamboo 'brush' which I think would be easier to clean wok with, as a nylon ones have the risk of melting and have to be cleaned themselves regularly.