At least once a year it's a good idea to "season" your steel Fowlers Pot.
Just like they tell you to do with woks when you first buy them; the steel ones that is.
It isn't really anything to do with adding flavour, it's about putting a filmy seal on the metal.
In a way I guess that is anti-seasoning in that it is preventing the metal reacting to food acids and alkalines.
So with an ample supply of mutton fat, now is a good time to season the pot.
Heat the pot a little and place some rendered washed fat in. I use a pastry brush to really get into the seams and crannies. Allow it to heat some more and "bake" on a little and then turn off the heat.
Allow to cool and then wipe out the excess with some paper towel.
Good to go for another year. Looking pretty good for an old girl.
This treatment helps prevent rust forming and deteriorating the inside.
After using your pot, always dry thoroughly and on lovely hot sunny days (which they usually are in the preserving season) pop it in the sun.
You could use a vegetable oil or peanut oil as an alternative but certainly not olive oil which is slightly acidic and would react with the metal. So many of my customers would bring their carbon steel woks back saying they were rusty even after faithfully oiling them after use. Olive oil was the source every time.
I had one of those!!! It was handed down to me. I never knew about the sealing. Managed to use it for two years and on the third year when heating up one day it leaked and suddenly whoosh from the base... BOught a new one and they were never the same. EVERY batch since then FAILED - three years in a row. Was heart wrenching... Could not face it ever after. Gave it away. Freeze fruits now (pout).
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