For the Love of Cast Iron

I couldn’t tell you how many non-stick pans I’ve gone through in the last 10 years – at least 2 a year! They are so wonderful at first, working like a dream for over easy eggs and fluffy pancakes. Inevitably though, they lose their glide and non-stickiness. Eventually, they start to chip and flake, then bye-bye pan! And the cycle begins anew…

Growing up, I remember my grandfather using his prized Griswold collection. Cast iron was a mystery to me, it seemed clunky and cumbersome, more trouble than it was worth. I’d watch him cook up amazing meals and then scrub the pans out with salt instead of soap! It was mind-boggling and completely fascinating to me.

It wasn’t until I was gifted a Griswold of my own that I fell in love again. It was a slippery slope, scanning the antique stores for any treasures I could find! It was also a learning process of the dos and don’ts of cast iron.

DO

Lead test ALL pans that you’ve bought that weren’t in their original packaging. It’s a cheap swab that can save a lot of heartache down the road.Tests negative? Let’s get cookin’! Tests positive? You just found a great display piece!

Season, season, season! Your cast iron pan is porous and just like any pore, with heat, it will expand. The pan will then take in those oils. Over time, your pan will become more and more non-stick.

DON’T

Soak your pans in a sink of water. All that stuck on food? Just put a little water in the pan and gently simmer on the stove for 5-10 minutes. Hit it with a scrubber, my personal favorite being my chainmail scrubber. Then back on the stovetop for a reheat and wipe down! Everyone has their own personal favorite for oiling their pan. My mother uses suet, others use an oil with a high smoke point like grapeseed or safflower. Me? Remember this is homesteading on a budget…I use Crisco! The shortening works wonders and you can get a giant 6lb tub at WalMart for $10.

Myths of Cast Iron

“You can’t cook tomatoes or other acidic foods in cast iron!” FALSE!

Don’t be afraid of cooking sauces in your skillet! Yes, the acid will allow iron to leach out of the pans, but it’s in such trace amounts that you won’t taste it and it won’t hurt your food! Cooking with cast iron can actually be thought of as beneficial, as iron is an essential nutrient our bodies need. Using a cast iron pan is an easy way to improve iron intake.

“If my pan is rusted it’s totally ruined!” FALSE!

Not true! Most time’s all it needs is a gentle scrub and some oil! Here’s a great simple tutorial from Lodge. For more heavily rusted pans, they will need to be stripped and reseasoned, a post for another day. Remember, cast iron has survived decades of use! They are resilient, rust doesn’t mean much in terms of damage. A cracked pan? That’s a sad day.

“Only use non-stick utensils to cook your food in a cast iron pan” FALSE!

I use metal utensils all the time. It won’t hurt your seasoning, and anything chipped away will be quickly replenished with the fats and oils from whatever food you’re cooking.

“If you wash with soap your cast iron will be ruined!” FALSE!

A mild dish soap will not harm the pan, but the key is to IMMEDIATELY dry and oil your pan. I’ll be the first to admit that I have never and will never use soap on my cast iron, but that’s my personal choice. The soap will NOT strip your seasoning, as the term seasoning implies a thin almost plasticised layer of