For Those Who Use Cast Iron Cookware

[seraphim]

I have never had a cast iron pan myself. I think my grandparents did through out my growing up but i know nothing myself of seasoning it and taking care of it. I'd really like to start using it as I'm quite sure I don't get enough iron in my diet. I have been looking at some pans...many are pre-seasoned. One uses a soy based vegetable oil and it got me thinking....do we have to worry about pre-seasoned cookware like that? I have other intolerances right now so I was wondering if I can find one that isn't pre-seasoned can I use any oil I wish? Rice bran oil? Sunflower oil? How does this stuff not go rancid? And how do you clean it? I'm so confused haha

[Adalaide]

This is how I do my cast iron. If I get a pre-seasoned one I simply strip it and start over. I don't want it how they do it, I want it how I do it. As long as you strip the pan in the self-cleaning cycle of the oven you can also purchase heirloom cast iron which is far superior to the new stuff. All pans you find will be coated with something, because if they aren't they'll start to rust. When you strip one it'll start to rust almost immediately before you can even start to oil it which is why all the new ones are sold seasoned. This technique will hold up like a non-stick skillet. I still only wash with water and a non-abrasive cloth. Never with soap and never with a scrubbie.

 

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[cyclinglady]

Addy said it all!  I love my cast iron pans.  I even have one of my Grandfathers!

[seraphim]

I've been a little confused about how to wash it and make sure there is no bacteria etc. The oil being left on it to season it etc...no idea about the science behind it as I've always used everyday cookware that you just scrub clean.

[Adalaide]

I wash with hot water and if necessary a healthy dose of elbow grease. Since it'll immediately be dried, rewarmed and reoiled there is no need to worry about bacteria as long as you got all the food off of it.

[seraphim]

So do you use steel wool on it to make sure everything is off? And when you re-season with oil the oil doesn't go bad? Also can I use whatever oil i'd like? like rice bran or sunflower?

[w8in4dave]

I have a whole set of cast iron skillets! I love them and wouldn't give them up for anything!! We season our own. I like to do it the old fashioned way!! I use lard. You can use any oil really but to keep them from going rancid you have to use them! JUst do NOT use the sprays!! They will go rancid !! I use mine, I rinse it out dry it and rub lard right back on it and heat it up a lil so it gets right in to the pan .... Now my Sister in law (Bless he soul) Her cast iron skillets never seen water!! She would simply scrape off any thing that was in the pan and use it again! It only goes rancid if you don't use it!! The oil can be up in the cupboard or on a pan. look how long oil last in a cupboard ... if you never used it , it would go rancid, it last for a very long time. 

[Herreralovv]

I love mine as well. I love to make chicken with thigh and drumstick, i first fry it on both sides till skin is crispy, then bake it for like 2 hours on low temp. Tastes good, crispy skin and moist inside.

[Herreralovv]

And to clean it becuase some food sometimes gets stuck. I just wash with soap and water and dry the pan right away with a napkin. Then recoat it with oil again

[cyclinglady]

Just scrap or use a paper towel to wipe out most of it (and save your drains from clogging).  Use hot water and wipe with a cloth.  Be sure it's dry.  If the pan looks dry, then re-oil it.  Even if there are little particles left over, they are cooked away (like your BBQ grille).  Just heat the pan up first for five minutes or so.  That's what the cowboys and pioneers did!

 

I love starting a recipe on the stove and then being able to pop it in the oven.  Yum, pan seared chicken then popped into the oven.  Pull the chicken out and make gravy from the crusty drippings!  Yumm!

[Adalaide]

So do you use steel wool on it to make sure everything is off? And when you re-season with oil the oil doesn't go bad? Also can I use whatever oil i'd like? like rice bran or sunflower?

 

If you use steel wool, or any other abrasive on your cast iron, you will basically scrape off all of the old seasoning and such making it pointless to even be using cast iron. Abrasives should NEVER be used on cast iron under any circumstances unless you intend to strip and reseason the pan.

 

Also, some oils will just leave a pan sticky no matter what. I know corn oil will leave a pan sticky and gross no matter what you do. I'd use lard if I could for my pans but I can't find a good source of unprocessed lard locally. We have a lot of local farms that do organic grass fed meat but none do pigs. Oh well, I love my flax seed oiled pans. They come out just like a shiny new non-stick from the store when they're done but without all the weird chemicals. After that I simply use olive oil after I wash and to cook with.

[luvs2eat]

We have two sets of cast-iron skillets... a large and a small one. Mine are strictly gluten free. Hubs are not. I never use soap... just hot water.  I use one of those plastic scrape-y things that they give you with Pampered Chef stuff but you can buy them for cheap almost anywhere. Mine is yellow. Hub's is pink.

[w8in4dave]

Using your cast iron pan is the best way to keep it seasoned!! If you let it set for weeks on end then yes the iol may go rancid ... keep using it!! If it is just laying around and you don't want it to go rancid then just throw some oil in it heat it up, wipe with a paper towel and let it go again ...

[tarnalberry]

Definitely NO SOAP on the pan.  My MIL pretty much removed all the seasoning on my cast iron pan one year by helpfully washing it after dinner.  It took a while to reseason it (per the same website that was linked a few posts above, though without flax oil, as I hadn't found any at the time).

[DougE]

If you use steel wool, or any other abrasive on your cast iron, you will basically scrape off all of the old seasoning and such making it pointless to even be using cast iron. Abrasives should NEVER be used on cast iron under any circumstances unless you intend to strip and reseason the pan.

 

 

I read somewhere that steel wool can scratch the surface of cast iron.  If you really must scrape something off it, use a metal spatula.

 

I love my cast iron pan.  Couldn't even part with it when I was diagnosed, though I probably should have replaced it.  If figure after five years of gluten-free only use, it should be OK now.   I wipe with a paper towel or  wash with hot water only, and scrape with the metal spatula only when necessary.  No worries about bacteria, the iron gets hot enough to kill everything.   And especially no soap, and no steel wool. 

[seraphim]

Thanks everyone. I ordered a cast iron pan. If I have any questions I'll refer back to this thread or ask any new questions I have when I get it

[w8in4dave]

Yay!! I hope you use the heck out of them and LOVE them!! congrats!! 

[seraphim]

I hope I do too! I was wanting to bring up my iron levels a bit more without having to jump into supplements hopefully and wanted to see if cast iron may help me out a bit

[w8in4dave]

Yes , I understand absolutely  

[seraphim]

Amazon told me it's been shipped. I wonder what I should try making first? lol

[w8in4dave]

Congrats!! Hmmm I think I'd be making some sausage I don't have any idea why I say that! But it smells good! 

[seraphim]

Hehe well we have pork chops here..maybe we'll try that haha

[Adalaide]

I made this tonight in mine. I sprinkle cornmeal in the pan before I pour in the batter. I only make half because that is what fits in one pan. I've thought about getting a large cast iron griddle and using this recipe to make burger bun rounds. I found this recipe floating somewhere around the internet but I have no idea now where. I'm just gonna copy/paste from my recipe document.

 

Flatbread

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice

1 cup whole uncooked millet

1 ¾ cup water

2 teaspoons honey, agave or maple syrup

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup ground golden flaxseed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

1. Cover rice and millet with plenty of water. Soak for 6 or more hours. Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar can be added to soak.

 

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Place 2 10 inch cast iron skillets in oven to preheat. Rinse and drain the soaked grains in a fine mesh strainer, then place in a high-powered blender with the remaining ingredients, except the baking powder. Once blended, add baking powder and blend again.

 

1. Remove skillet from oven and oil lightly. Slowly pour batter into a thin layer using a back-and-forth motion. It will begin to cook immediately. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares.

[w8in4dave]

Ohhh yes you can make corn bread in the oven with that cast iron skillet!! It is fantastic!!! That flat bread looks wonderful!!