How Do You Care For Cast Iron Cookware?
It has been said, over and over in fact, that there is nothing better than food prepared in a cast iron pan. Several dishes, including Mexican fajitas, Cajun seafood, sausage & eggs, and of course, cornbread, are hailed as delicious when prepared in these pans. Cast iron is also the cookware of choice amongst serious campers and hikers, but be sure to bring the pack mule, this stuff is heavy! Why Cast Iron? There are several reasons that people rave about this type of cookware, many won’t use anything else. Besides being an ideal heat conductor, cast iron heats evenly and consistently, is inexpensive, and will last a lifetime with the proper care. When seasoned, a cast iron pan will be stick resistent and provide delectable meals every time. Seasoning When you season cast iron, you are embedding grease in to the pores of the cookware. Without proper seasoning, cast iron will rust after coming in contact with water. To season your cookware, first warm your pot or skillet, then rub a thi
Perhaps you’ve heard about the potential toxic hazards of Teflon or other non-stick coatings that’s been cropping up in the news now and then for the past few years. They’ve found links between the chemicals released and low birth weights, and increased allergens in mice–not so pretty a picture. Now though, you may be thinking “Well great, now what do I cook my eggs in?” The answer is an old fashioned one–cast iron cookware. With the right treatment, this wonder-metal can cook with temperature precision, food slides off as easily as if it was Teflon, plus you get the added benefit of iron in your food. So you’ve bought this incredibly heavy thing that has a sticker advertising “Pre-seasoned” on it and you take it home and try to make an omelet and make an awful, smelly, scorched mess of things. What went wrong? Well, the trick with cast iron is it needs to be cared for properly. My mom uses my great-grandma’s cast iron skillet and everything it turns out is magnificent…and trust me
