Steak Turners and ............

[MRobb]

Ok, first, this may seem like a non question but it was asked of me and I don't have an answer.
I have recently started making different steak turners and forks. They are turning out pretty nice
and I've made a few for some family members. I have a large galvanized tub full of peanut oil that
I have been using as a quench. The question is: is using peanut oil as a quench a problem for those
people who are allurgic to peanuts? Or is there not enough left on/in the metal to worry about?
So, those of you that are allurgic to peanuts, would this be a problem? Should I use something else?

Thanks for any and all comments and insights.

Mitch

[clinton]

I do not quench the ones that I make but simply rub down with vegetable oil at a black heat, I just take a jar of whatever is in the kitchen and use a rag to apply

[Marksnagel]

Thats a good thought about the peanut oil. I use bee's wax and have used wiped on vegtable oil and then put in the oven to season and have used cooking spray and seasoned in the oven just like seasoning cast iron cookware. The mrs has pretty much put the nix on using her oven due to smoking up the house and setting off the smoke alarms. No sense of humor that one.

Good question though, thanks for asking it. I was thinking about using peanut oil but now I'll have to wait and see what replies you get.

Mark<><

[Thomas Dean]

I NEVER use peanut oil and will NEVER use it for that simple reason. Too many people are DEATHLY alergic to anything peanuty. And yes there is enough left on the metal to cause a severe reaction. With anything I make that will be in food service I mostly use olive oil but also use bees wax or PAM spray--when doing a number of turners or whatever I get them all hot and spry them down with PAM, much faster that way, and then wipe down. Not worth the risk for me to use peanut oil...

[ThomasPowers]

Yes there could be a problem.

Why are you quenching them? Are you using a high carbon steel for them? Don't think A36 will get much out of an oil quench but being greasy.

As mentioned most folks are coating with oil as a rust preventive finish and it's not done as a quench but as "seasoning" like for a cast iron skillet.

[MRobb]

Thank you all for the quick responses.

I started using peanut oil when making the occasional knife. Peanut oil is just what I happened to be able to get at the time.
I am using RR spikes for the most part, and A36, no high carbon steel. I was quenching, as Thomas Powers mentioned, for rust
prevention and to season them.

So, I guess the answer is I need some olive oil for these(?). Although I like Thomas Dean's solution, using Pam.

Thanks again to all who responded! I knew I could get my answers here.



Mitch

[Marksnagel]

Thanks Thomas and Thomas. I knew there would be a good answer to go by. Sticking with bee's wax and pam then.

Mark<><

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

It isn't just peanuts that cause problems, a lot of folks have allergies to several types of nuts. Do a search for food allergies, and see what comes up.

When I worked at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. we ran the peanut flavored items on the last scheduled production day of the week, and it was the last item done. We used real peanut butter for flavoring, so EVERYTHING that those beans touched got sanitized at the end of the run; conveyors, bucket elevators, printers, drop tubes, packaging equipment, EVERYTHING. Some folks can get deathly ill from something that has traces of nut oils on it.

[thingmaker3]

The purpose of quenching is to make the material either stronger or harder. Stronger means the item can flex a bit furhter before being permanantly deformed. Harder means better resistance to wear.

I really don't think I want to be eating those steaks if the turners & forlks have to be hardened.

(Try killing the bovines prior to eating them. Life is simpler that way. )

[Frank Turley]

If you're an Indian, they're fry bread turners.

[thingmaker3]

I like indian bread! And you've given me an idea, Mr. Turley. I'm going to try out a steak turner with a spatula on the opposite side. Might be a clumsy thing...