Cooking with Cast Iron

“What a man needs in gardening is a cast iron back, with a hinge in it” -Charles Dudley Warner (American Editor and Author, 1829-1900)

I love my cast iron pots and skillets. We bought an expensive set of copper bottom, non-stick pans but they do stick and just don't give me the same satisfaction as cast iron. Also as noted yesterday, cast iron cookware can be used in Open Hearth fireplace cooking and in outdoor fire pits.

It is difficult to ruin a cast iron pan. You could crack it (maybe) by dropping it. But more likely your worst enemy will be rust. To avoid rust you want to keep your pans dry and well seasoned. See "CAST IRON JACK McGREW'S ULTIMATE METHOD FOR SEASONING CAST IRON COOKWARE"

Cooking Advice

• Cast Iron pots get hot, always have oven mitts handy when using your cast iron cookware.
• Remove food from cast iron as soon as it is cooked. Never store food in the cast iron pan or let it sit on the stove to keep warm. The acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic flavor.
• To avoid fire soot from coating your pan, rub the bottom and sides with soap before cooking. DO NOT apply soap to the cooking surface of the pan.

Cleaning & Storing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron_cookware

• Scouring or washing cast iron in a dishwasher will remove or damage the seasoning.
• Some people advocate never cleaning cast iron pans with soap. Instead scrape/wipe them out after use, or wash them with hot water and a stiff brush. Pans are easier to clean when still warm.
• Others note that grease left on a pan will eventually become rancid. When (if) this happens, wash with mild soap and water and then re-season the pan.

Bottom Line

If you do wash a pan, dry it over a fire or stove. The pan is most susceptible to rust when damp. Even if you towel dry the pan, there is water in the microscopic cracks and dimples of the metal. Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Should rust appear, scrub out the rust with steel wool and re-season the pan.