{"id":520,"date":"2015-02-17T17:08:06","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T23:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.polarisstarfarm.com\/adventures\/?p=520"},"modified":"2015-02-17T17:08:06","modified_gmt":"2015-02-17T23:08:06","slug":"cast-iron-always-in-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.polarisstarfarm.com\/adventures\/2015\/02\/17\/cast-iron-always-in-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Cast Iron – Always In Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Cast<\/a>

Cast iron skillet we found buried on our property. This is after being seasoned with flaxseed oil. Surface underneath seasoning\u00a0is not entirely smooth since we did not use an electrolysis bath,\u00a0but it is as nonstick as our new, flat surfaced skillets.<\/p><\/div>\n

Cast iron.\u00a0 Those words often evoke an image of a woman in a long dress and apron, standing\u00a0over a\u00a0wood burning\u00a0stove.\u00a0 Or of someone being hit over the head with an iron skillet in a slapstick comedy routine.\u00a0 No matter which image comes to mind, they both\u00a0demonstrate the versatility and durability of cast iron.\u00a0 Cast iron has been\u00a0around for literally\u00a0ages, and when\u00a0taken care of,\u00a0can have a long, productive\u00a0life.<\/p>\n

A couple of years ago I decided to get serious about getting rid of our non-stick skillets due to the dangers from the fumes given off by the pans<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Although I have some nice\u00a0stainless steel skillets, they are a pain to clean sometimes when things stick to them.\u00a0 While the idea of the mostly non-stick surface of cast iron was appealing, I wasn’t\u00a0completely sold on the thought of going to cast iron because of prior experiences with it.\u00a0 We had packed away our\u00a0few pieces of cast iron\u00a0years ago,\u00a0because we never could get a seasoning on it that we liked.\u00a0 The skillet always had a bit of stickiness to the touch, and it attracted every piece of dog and cat hair in the house.\u00a0 Cooking with a furry skillet – yuck.\u00a0 So many people have extolled the virtues of cast iron that I decided to try it again.\u00a0 But there was a difference this time around.\u00a0 This time the internet existed\u00a0and I could get online to\u00a0do a bit of research.\u00a0 Turns out that there is a much better way to get that nonstick feel to your cast iron without the stickiness that we had encountered when seasoning with vegetable shortening and vegetable oil.<\/p>\n

Enter flaxseed oil.\u00a0 I found a website explaining about the properties of flaxseed oil and the science behind seasoning cast iron.<\/a>\u00a0 After doing my own research on the properties of flaxseed oil, I discovered that linseed oil is the non-edible version of flaxseed oil and that it is a drying oil.\u00a0 Our ancestors used linseed oil to make waterproof coatings on cloth (think oil cloth and the\u00a0canvas of a prairie schooner wagon).\u00a0 <\/em>If our ancestors knew that they could make a waterproof coating on fabric hundreds of years ago using linseed oil,\u00a0then this idea of using edible\u00a0flaxseed oil to season cast iron sounded plausible.\u00a0 So I tried it.\u00a0 And it worked!\u00a0 Not only did it work, but my pan wasn’t sticky to the touch.\u00a0 No more\u00a0need to shave my cast iron skillet before I used it, since it was no longer attracting all the floating animal hair in the house.<\/p>\n

Seasoning Cast Iron<\/h4>\n

The seasoning process is a bit long, but it is well worth it.\u00a0 If you live where it is hot in summer like we do, it’s better\u00a0to season cast iron in winter to avoid heating up the house so much.\u00a0 Here’s\u00a0what it takes:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Heat your cast iron over a burner to get it warm so that the pores of the iron open up<\/p>\n

\"20<\/a>

20-year-old cast\u00a0iron pans with surface rust, before seasoning.<\/p><\/div>\n

and any moisture on the iron dries.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Wipe a thin coating of flaxseed oil onto the entire surface of the cast iron, inside and out, including the handle.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Wipe OFF the flaxseed oil.\u00a0 Even though you think the oil is not there, it is.\u00a0 You want very thin layers to build up, so it will look\u00a0dry, not\u00a0greasy, every time you wipe off the oil.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Put your cast iron in the oven and turn it on\u00a0to bake at 500 degrees (or as high as it will go).<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Bake for an hour.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 Turn off the oven.\u00a0 Do not open the oven door.\u00a0 Leave the cast iron to cool inside the<\/p>\n

\"Cast<\/a>

Cast iron cactus pan after flaxseed seasoning. Surface is dark black, shiny, and smooth.<\/p><\/div>\n

oven for at LEAST 2 hours.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 Repeat this process at least 6 times.\u00a0 More times\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0hurt.<\/p>\n

To get more information on this process, check out the site that gives more detail – the Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning<\/a><\/p>\n

Taking Care of Cast Iron<\/h4>\n

There’s a lot of websites out there that can give you different ways of taking care of cast iron.\u00a0 The one thing that is very important is<\/p>\n

\"Grill<\/a>

Grill side of reversible grill\/griddle pan after seasoning.<\/p><\/div>\n

not to shock your cast iron – like taking it from the stove and sticking it under a faucet running cold water.\u00a0 The temperature shock can crack it like glass.\u00a0 But otherwise, most ways to care for cast iron are a matter of preference.<\/p>\n

To avoid the temperature shock of pouring cold milk or water into a hot skillet when making gravy, I pour the liquid slowly onto a lump of\u00a0the flour and fat mixture instead of onto the skillet surface itself.\u00a0 Otherwise I try to warm the liquid up a little first at least to room temperature.<\/p>\n

As for cleaning cast iron, I don’t use soap.\u00a0 Soap is a degreaser.\u00a0 And even though the right process of adhering the oil to the cast iron should prevent the soap from removing the seasoning, I avoid washing cast iron with soap just in case.<\/p>\n

Before you get grossed out by the thought of not using soap – remember soap does not kill germs.\u00a0 Soap is a merely an aid that helps get between water and the food particles to get the food off the pan easier.<\/a>\u00a0 The heat of cooking helps kills any germs on the pan, so soap is not a necessity.\u00a0 And when the seasoning is done properly, the chances of needing the help of soap to get the food off the pan is greatly decreased.<\/p>\n

Some people say to never use any metal utensils or metal scrubbers on cast iron.\u00a0 Others say it makes it better to use metal on the iron.\u00a0 Personally, I use some metal utensils with my cast iron and I also use a non-soapy stainless steel scrubbing pad.\u00a0 So far, it’s worked just fine for me.<\/p>\n

It is much easier to clean any pan if you clean it soon after you use it.\u00a0 But even when I do let something sit and dry onto the surface of my cast iron,\u00a0it isn’t that difficult to get off.\u00a0 If it seems like it’s going to take a little bit of extra scrubbing to clean dried-on food, put some water in the pan, heat it up to boiling on the stove for a few minutes and then scrub.\u00a0 Depending on what you cooked in your pain, sometimes all you have to do is wipe out the pan with a towel.\u00a0 And just to make sure for any cast iron newbies –\u00a0DO NOT put cast iron in the dishwasher.<\/p>\n

After you wash your pan, throw it back on a burner to get it completely dried off.\u00a0 Then wipe it with a little bit of flaxseed oil and heat for a few minutes longer.\u00a0 This will help keep off rust and maintain that smooth coating of seasoning you put on it.<\/p>\n

Cast Iron Cooking<\/h4>\n

A great thing about cast iron is that it can be used on the stove top, in the oven, and even over an open fire.\u00a0 It takes a bit\u00a0to get\u00a0accustomed to how\u00a0the iron\u00a0heats and holds the heat, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze to use.<\/p>\n

Until you get the hang of using cast iron, if you’re going to use it on the stove top, set your heat on low to avoid burning things.\u00a0 Once you get accustomed to how the iron pots and pans cook, you can turn up the heat right off the bat.<\/p>\n

Heating up the pan a little before you put food in it will help it have a better nonstick\/low stick surface.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you still have to add in a little fat to cook with, just like with a steel or aluminum pan, depending on what you’re cooking.\u00a0 You can use your no-stick-spray, oil, butter, shortening, or animal fat just like you do in any other type of pan.<\/p>\n

You can use water and other liquids in your pans when cooking.\u00a0 Some people recommend avoiding putting tomato\/acidic foods in the pans to avoid the acid\u00a0eating away at\u00a0the seasoning, but I haven’t found this to be a problem for me when making soups, stews, and sauces that have tomatoes or lemon juice in it.\u00a0 But I wouldn’t leave acidic foods in cast iron for storing leftovers.<\/p>\n

Things you can cook in cast iron – pretty much anything.\u00a0 You don’t need a special cast iron recipe book.\u00a0 There are some cast iron cookbooks out there and they are great – especially the ones that give instructions on how to cook over an open fire or using coals.\u00a0 But you can use your cast iron just like you use your stainless steel or aluminum pots and pans.<\/p>\n

In my very large, and heavy, skillet, I can fry things or use it as a pizza pan.\u00a0 It works great to make pan-style pizza and goes right into the oven no problem.\u00a0 You can buy the nifty cornbread pans that come in triangle shapes or corn or cactus shapes, but you can also pour cornbread batter right into a skillet or dutch oven.\u00a0 A dutch oven can be used to make soups and stews or even bake bread.\u00a0 I use my dutch oven to render beef tallow.\u00a0 Cast iron is so versatile that you can do just about any type of cooking or baking in it.<\/p>\n

Buying Cast Iron<\/h4>\n

Cast iron is actually something that some people collect.\u00a0 Some of the oldest and well-known makers of cast iron from the 19th century were Griswold and Wagner.\u00a0 There are also a lot of other cast iron makers from those days whose cast iron implements are still in use.\u00a0 You can find antique cast iron implements in antique stores, flea markets, and estate sales, as well as online.\u00a0\u00a0Prices for some pieces\u00a0are a bit on the outrageous side, but for serious collectors,\u00a0paying out the nose for certain items is worth it.\u00a0 Another great thing about cast iron is that not only is it fun to collect, but you can still use it.\u00a0 So it isn’t just another collection that gathers dust.<\/p>\n

There are cast iron griddles and grills.\u00a0 There are pots of varying sizes.\u00a0 There are waffle irons, cake pans, biscuit pans and loaf pans.\u00a0 With just a few acquisitions of a large skillet, a smaller skillet, and a dutch oven, you can cook pretty much anything.\u00a0 Or you can spend the money and get all kinds of cast iron implements that are both neat looking and functional.<\/p>\n

Until recently, as far as I knew, Lodge\u00a0was the only American company\u00a0still making cast iron pots and pans\u00a0today.\u00a0 <\/a>They have been in business since the end of the 19th century.\u00a0 There is a lot of cast iron being made in China.\u00a0 I would beware of this stuff.\u00a0 I have a small Chinese made cast iron skillet that came in one of those holiday gift packages, but the quality of it does not compare to my Lodge cast iron.<\/p>\n

I’ve found a\u00a0new\u00a0company making cast iron called the American Skillet Company, here in the US.<\/a>\u00a0 They\u00a0are a niche company making cast iron pans in the shape of the different states.\u00a0 I don’t have\u00a0personal knowledge\u00a0of the quality, but if I were in the market for some novelty shaped skillets, I would be willing to try them for the mere fact that they are made in the USA.<\/p>\n

Restoring Cast Iron<\/h4>\n

There are a number of ways to restore cast iron depending on how much rust and\/or crud is on your cast iron piece and how much elbow grease you want to use.<\/p>\n

Vinegar is a low-tox way to get rust off but it can sometimes take more elbow grease depending on the level of rust.\u00a0 Some people use oven cleaner spray, lye, products sold to remove rust, and even electrolysis baths.\u00a0 Sometimes it takes a wire brush to scrub the rust off.\u00a0 There are a lot of choices that you will fit to whatever level of rust you have on your cast iron piece and what works for you.\u00a0 But don’t discount a piece of cast iron just because it looks gross.\u00a0 Ugly, bumpy, rusty cast iron can often be fully restored and used – like the skillet pictured above that was buried for an unknown length of time.<\/p>\n

The Joy of Cast Iron<\/h4>\n

I just cannot say enough about how great cast iron is to have.\u00a0 The larger pieces\u00a0can be\u00a0a bit heavy.\u00a0 Sometimes I have to use two hands to carry large pieces like my giant skillet\u00a0or pick them up and have someone else scrape all the food out of the pans.\u00a0 But it’s worth it.\u00a0 It isn’t cheap to buy,like an aluminum pan from the local mass-merchandise store, but if you take care of your cast iron, you can use 150 year old cast iron and still have it passed down to your descendants 150 years in the future.\u00a0 You’re not going to find that kind of durability with an aluminum pot or pan.\u00a0 You also can’t throw your aluminum pots into the oven, so you have to have stovetop pots and pans as well as oven safe cookware in your kitchen.\u00a0 And if you have a storm that knocks out your electricity…you can build a campfire in your back yard or fireplace\u00a0to cook, bake,\u00a0and heat water for washing and laundry\u00a0in your cast iron pots.\u00a0 It is darn near impossible to\u00a0do that with an\u00a0aluminum pot.\u00a0 And with cast iron,\u00a0you won’t be killing any pet birds or small pets\u00a0with toxic fumes like certain modern-day non-stick pans can give off.<\/p>\n

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