Thread by @SchadenJake

About four or five years ago I traveled on assignment to the Azores, a volcanic archipelago off the coast of Portugal, and purchased a clay cooking pot in San Miguel. I finally decided it’s time to use it, so today I’ll be documenting the process for how to season it.

I’ve never actually seasoned an unglazed clay pot from scratch before and am figuring this out using advice from the internet and @davidleite. The first step is to immerse it in water for several hours. #claypot #cooking #cookware

A correction: this pot is actually from the Azorean island of Terceira. It was made by Olaria de S. Bento who I was told is one of very few people still producing pots like this by hand. #azores #claypot #terceira tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Rev…

It’s been soaking for around three hours which should be more than enough. I’ve dried it with some dish towels to prepare it for the next step. #claypot #cooking #seasoning #azores #cookware

According to @bramcookware the next step is to rub the pot with a cut garlic clove to help seal it, and then with olive oil. @davidleite recommended canola oil to me though, which has a higher smoke point. I’m gonna do that. #claypot #seasoning #azores #cookware

It’s nicely coated now, so the next step is for it to be filled about 3/4ths with water and then put into a low oven for a few hours. I remembered the Azorean pot maker also said to throw some onion and garlic into the water when I do this step. #azores #claypot #cookware

I’ll start the oven from cold, as the unheated ceramic going into a hot oven could make it split. We’ll see how this turns out! #azores #cookware #claypot #seasoning

Some additional photos for while we wait! (By the way, it smells amazing in here now). #azores #azorean #portugal #travel

One of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. This was on São Miguel. #azores #azorean #travel #travelphotography #travelwriter

This was shot from inside the cone of an inactive volcano on Terceira. This was a fun stop. #travel #travelphotography #travelwriter #azores #azorean

Ok, all done! I let it come down to room temperature, drained out the water, and patted it dry. It’s got some residue from the garlic and based on the appearance it definitely doesn’t have a defined patina, but it’s better for sure. #claypot #azores #azorean #cookware