Cooking with Cast Iron

I used to be intimidated by cooking in cast iron.  The first thing I tried cooking in it was pancakes - not a pro at pan cakes at that point (and still not!) I ended up burning every pancake and smoking us out of the house.  I decided cast iron wasn't for me and put them under the stove.  Then when we discovered the dangers of Teflon (what I had always cooked on), I decided I might as well try cooking in cast iron again and asked my husband to teach me about using it. 

Interestingly enough, food picks up different tastes depending on what it's cooked in. Cooking in cast iron can liven up many meals!  Once you get the hang of it, cooking in cast iron becomes very successful and easy - they are excellent as a heat conductor and the heavier the pan the more evenly heat is distributed.  On a health-related note, you can also add iron to your diet by cooking in cast iron, because as you cook the iron molecules are absorbed into the food.

Care of and seasoning your cast iron:

First things first.  Taking care of your cast iron is not like other pots and pans.  You don't want to soak your cast iron or scrub it to clean.  You'll encourage rust and remove the natural non-stick surface of your well seasoned cookware. Because of the heat you'll be using to cook it is not absolutely essential to remove every bit of food from the cast iron - any bacteria will die off the next time you cook. The best way I have found to season cast iron well is to cook bacon in it a few times!  That's it!  Warm your cookware up a little bit before seasoning to open up the pores.  The idea behind seasoning your cookware is to fill the pores so your cast iron doesn't rust.  This also provides a wonderful, safe, nonstick surface. If I notice my cast iron is looking like it needs a 'pick me up' (acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can deteriorate your seasoning after some time) I always cook up some bacon in it.  Also - don't let your cast iron sit out to dry.  If you've been cooking and the oven is still warm (or stovetop), pop your cast iron in the oven or on the stove to dry.

Other ways to season your cookware include coating it with a thin layer of oil (vegetable oil, olive oil, corn oil) or shortening over every surface of your cookware. Stick it upside down in a 350 degree oven for 1-2 hrs. Either way, the finished result will be a dark, nonstick, hard coating.  Some cast iron cookware comes preseasoned.  Personally, I like to do it myself (and love to hunt out the neglected cast iron nearly given away at garage sales!)

When properly taken care of, cast iron can list a lifetime!  You can also easily bring neglected cookware back to life.

When cooking, let your pan warm up before you cook your food.  Check the temperature by dropping a few drops of water in the pan.  If the sizzle and dance around, you're ready to start cooking.  If they immediately disappear, your pan is too hot.  If they just bubble, it's not warm enough.  Also, if your pan starts smoking that's a really good indicator that your pan is too hot. Remove from the heat to cool.

To store, you can lightly grease the pan with oil and stick a piece of paper towel between the stacked cookware to absorb moisture. I store mine in the drawer under the stove.  Because cast iron is so heavy, I'm nervous about hanging them on a wall however if I can find a free stud in the kitchen area I will see about hanging them because I use them so often!