FIRST BATCH OF EGGS:

Eggs are a great example of what can happen if you remove or flip your food too early before it has had a chance to form a "crust", and if you set your heat too high they will burn super fast. So, you definitely want to follow the above tips during the maturing process when cooking eggs. Otherwise, you'll end up with a mess. So again, I highly suggest cooking at a very low temperature for eggs, as they will burn or dry out very quickly in iron pans regardless of maturation.

CLEANING AND COOKING UTENSILS:

Wait for several batches of food before you use a metal spatula. If you notice small scratches in your layer of seasoning after cooking from your cooking utensils...don't worry. It will darken over rather quickly and should not cause any issues. Flax oil seasoning isn't real soft, but it isn't indestructible either. So, just be graceful initially.

If stubborn food is stuck to your pan after cooking; add HOT water, bring to a boil for no more than a minute, scrub with a wooden utensil, dispose of the liquid, rinse and then towel dry. Afterwards you'll need to place a light layer of oil in your pan and heat the pan just before it smokes. OR, you should be able to use a non-abrasive sponge under hot running water to clean up any stubborn messes without any worries. However, it's not a good idea to boil water often as it will slow the maturing process.

Additionally, one tip suggests to place course salt in the pan to sanitize it. However, this can scratch your surface rather quickly if it's the beginning stages of your seasoning, so use that tip cautiously.

BTW: You'll know when your pan has matured when hardly anything sticks to the pan, and you don't have to clean it with anything other than a paper towel after cooking.

***Always remember to oil your pan after each use, regardless***

You can repeat one layer of seasoning after each batch of food in the first month or so, or intermittently. This will ensure a nonstick surface that is sure to last through just about anything. The more you use your pan, the more the non-stick surface becomes. Your pan should be broke in within a three months, depending on use.

~ If you noticed that there is a large area of what looks like a "smudge" after seasoning, then you added too much oil OR allowed it to get too hot. That's okay..if your first attempt failed, you can start the process over by scrubbing with a scouring pad and removing the layers of seasoning. Then proceeding to repeat the step using much less oil.

~ If your pan is really sticky after seasoning, you have added too much oil, the pan didn't get hot enough, or you need to repeat the process. You may have a slight stickiness after seasoning is finished, but that's fine. It's the thick residue you don't want.

***Do not bake your pan using this oil during the initial seasoning process, unless you know exactly how to do it. It can be used in the oven for cooking once you have finished your seasoning however.

Using any other oil or lard to season your pan will/can cause a thick residue because the burning point is lower for one, which is why I strongly suggest not using any other oil. The seasoning will be much "softer" with other oils, and does not work for me in the least bit, nor will it for you I don't believe. The surface becomes much less even and there are simply too many issues with other oils that I don't want to get into here.

And lastly, do not switch out oils during your seasoning process as some tips may suggest, it's not necessary when you use flax-seed oil especially. You have to take into consideration that each oil will have a different burning point, or smoking point, therefore mixing the oils is not a good idea...period.

So, bottom line is that I do not find seasoning by baking is a good idea unless you are experienced in doing it. For most that aren't, it ends up leaving residue because too much oil was added, which is awful to have on your pan. It will scrape off too easily causing a mess! This can cause a lot of frustration and wasted time. I really want people to have the easiest experience and not be discouraged, thereby switching to non-stick inferior pans for sake of ease ;0)

I really hope this helps you. Good luck, and happy cooking!