Posted in In My Kitchen
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I love cast iron pans! I got my first one when I was a bout 15 and loved it. Now I pick them up when ever I see them cheep at yard sales or in surplus stores. This past weekend I got two lucky finds at .50 a piece! Can't beet that price.
I like cast iron for many reasons. First they are durable it would take a lot of effort to break one! Second they can be used on any electric or gas stove and also wood or open fire. You can't do that with glass or Teflon pans or even steel as many have plastic handles now. They also put a little iron into your diet.
Many people think that they are hard to clean but that's not so! A properly seasoned pan is as slick as a non stick pan, more so in my opinion. They also heat much more efficiently and because they keep there heat they use less energy.
When you first get your pan give it a good cleaning. Soap and water is all that needed if it's in good shape. If it's very very rusty then give it a sanding. You can use sand paper or my dh often will use his grinder with a sanding pad and give it a light buffing. Then wash it well. Dry it well I like to do this on the burner on medium heat or in the oven. Then put on a thin coating for oil. Lard is the best and traditional but veggie oil will also work. Don't use butter especially salted butter it'll make the pan rust lol.
After coating you need to heat it. You can place in in the oven at 350F for an hour. Put it on the top rack upside down and a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch the drippings.
You can also do it on the stove top and that's what I most often do. Place a little lard in the pan and warm it up on the burner. About medium heat. Use a few thick layers of paper towel to coat the pan with the melted fat. Let it sit on the heat for a few minutes then wipe out with another thick pad of paper towels. Turn off the heat and let it cool, then wipe out again. This has always worked for me and it's the way my dh showed me how to season a pan.
If you ever get food stuck on your pan you can either scrap it with a metal spatula under hot running water. Or put some water in it and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for a bit and then it should easily scrap off. Many people say to never use soap on cast iron. This is because soap will remove your layer of seasoning. But I have never had any problems using a little dish soap on my pans. I just reseason as needed.
If you ever see any sings of rust or have problems with sticking food just reseason your pan. After many using's you'll get that nice deep black pan you might remember your Grandmother using. |
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