One of the things that I actually do like about moving is being able to take an inventory of things that you have, things that you need, and things that you just plain want. For me, being the ever-exciting person that I am, that means getting new cookware. While packing and unpacking, I noticed that my kitchen was missing a very important staple for any meat-loving carnivore - the cast iron skillet. Since I was a child up in Wisconsin, the cast iron skillet meant fresh venison, steak, or pork. It mean good food with unique flavors. It mean generations of my family sharing, as my mother's cast iron skillet was passed from my grandmother, who purchased it when she first arrived in the United States and fed my father's family with it.
Did you know, though, that when you buy a new cast iron skillet or dutch oven, you should season it? Why? Seasoning prevents the iron from interacting with food, prevents rusting, and creates a natural non-stick surface to cook on. Cast iron pots and pans will last a lifetime if properly taken care of and seasoning the skillet or dutch oven is just one way to make sure you get all the use out of it that you can.
To season cast iron, first wash and try the pan well. Place the pan over low heat to insure that all of the moisture has been released from the porous surface. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. After the dutch over or pan is completely dry, coat the pan with vegetable oil.
DO NOT use butter or shortening as they are saturated fats and can create a nasty stench during storage. After the whole skillet or dutch oven - inside and out - is coated in vegetable oil, place upside down on the cookie sheet and in the oven for 1 hour. After that hour, turn off the heat and let it sit in the oven with the door closed until the oven and the skillet or dutch oven completely cool. This can take a few hours. After all is completely cooled, remove and wipe with a paper towel and your iron skillet has been seasoned!
If you begin to notice a metallic taste when cooking, it is possible that your cast iron is rusting. This happens when pans are not properly seasoned, dried, or are allowed to sit in water and soak. If you find this happening, a good washing and seasoning should clear the problem up.
Comments (4)
we cook almost everything in my house in my mom's cast-iron skillet set. I don't know how people eat scrambled eggs cooked in anything else. Unacceptable, I say. :)
we have five differnt skillits but no dutch ovin ive nevr cookd with enythang else
My husband loves his cast iron skillets. I found them at a garage sale. I got 5 of varying sizes for $14. We use them almost exclusively.
Dear Amy,
I still have my set of cast iron skillets. Hopefully I'll be cooking something in them soon! While I read this, I tried to remember if I "seasoned' the skillets, which are probably about 30 years old.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool