How to Take Care of Your Wok

Good kitchen experiences start with making the correct choice of utensils followed by taking good care of them.

When looking for a proper wok for your stir-frying experiences; there are many options in the market but experts will tell you that a carbon steel or cast steel wok is the best in terms of maintenance and convenience. But these utensils need to be taken proper care of to function well, last longer and most importantly; produce good results when preparing your meals. Everyone wants a dazzlingly delectable meal, so, here are some few tips on how to take care of your wok.

Wash Before Use

Getting a new kitchen utensil that you value feels awesome, especially when you love cooking. When you get a new wok, do not use it before properly cleaning it. Proper cleaning here means removing the coating that comes with it from the factory; which usually functions to prevent it from rusting. To effectively get rid of this coating, get some hot water, dish soap, and a stainless steel scrubber and gently wash it, rinsing and drying over low heat afterwards.

Caution: If not removed, this coating may lead to formation of residual substance in your food, and your food may be tainted with a metallic taste.

Season Your Wok

Now that you have gotten rid of some coating material, it’s time to protect your wok from the effects of metallic oxide, or rust. You do this by creating a patina. Start by heating the wok, using maximum heat, adding vegetable oil when it is hot enough, a significant amount of sliced ginger along with some pieces of onion. Stir-fry this mixture using your metal spatula and ensure that it touches every part of the wok. Do this for at least 25 minutes, to create a good coat of patina on your new fryer. Once done, wash using a soft cloth or sponge using hot water, followed by heat drying. Make the heat lower this time round and avoid using soap after seasoning to avoid interfering with the patina you just gave it. Depending on the particular type of work, the color of the inner surface may vary after seasoning. It may range from blue, yellow, black, brown; either way you have given it a protective coat to prevent it from rusting. Store your utensil appropriately to dry off.
Tip: Due to repeated use, and inadequate maintenance may damage the patina.. Always follow the same steps to re-season your wok in case this happens. The outer surface should always be washed using a scrubber sponge in hot water.

Soak Stuck Food

Sometimes food particles may get stuck on your wok after making your favorite meal. Most people will however go for the wrong methods of washing the wok. To avoid damaging your patina, avoid aggressive scrubbing to remove stuck food. Instead, cool the wok and soak the interior surface with water so that the stuck food loosens. After 5 -10 minutes, scrub the surface gently using a sponge scrubber or a sponge and heat it gently to dry. If it is used infrequently, smear some vegetable oil coating to the inner surface before storing it appropriately.

A good wok is a handy dandy kitchen must-have that can perfect any recipe you have in mind. These simple ways on how to take care of your wok can prevent rust ,food build up and discoloration.  Eventually taking care of your wok can be your daily obsession alongside with your cooking passion.

What are other ways you know in caring for a wok?