The Proper Care of Cast Iron Cookware
Thursday, April 30th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Terrific New eBook On How To Broil Delicious Foods There’s no doubt cast iron makes excellent cookware. There are all different sizes of pots and pans and skillets and dutch ovens. Cast iron is practically indestructible with just a little care, it radiates heat evenly, and it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other cookware. Once cast iron cookware is well seasoned, it has a good non-stick surface. The Basics Of Caring For Cast Iron Cookware Caring for your cast iron pots and pans doesn’t have to be difficult. Just keep a couple of simple rules in mind. Preparing New Cast Iron Cookware For Use A new piece of cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned before use. In case you’re not familiar with the term, seasoning is the process that protects the surfaces of cast iron and makes it non-stick. Before seasoning brand new cast iron cookware, the protective substance coating most new pans needs to be removed. The coating will be easier to remove it the pan is warmed up a little first. To wash the new pan, use some warm soapy water, then rinse it thoroughly. Once the protective coating is removed, dry the cookware by putting int in a 400° oven for at least half an hour. (If you can be patient, an hour works even better.) Time For The Seasoning The pan will be quite hot once it is completely dry, so carefully take it out of the oven and sit it on the stove top. Pour a couple of teaspoons of canola oil into the pan and very carefully spread the oil all over the surface of the pan with a clean dishcloth or thick wad of paper towels. Make sure to spread the oil on the top edge, and at least this first time, also on the outside of the pan. Even though the outside of the pan isn’t a cooking surface, the oil is important to provide a protective coating to keep the cast iron from rusting. Once the pan is completely coated with oil, return the pan to the oven, turning it upside down. o catch any oil that might drip off, put a cookie sheet on a rack underneath the pan. Do It Again Take the pan out of the 400° oven after it’s been there for about an hour, then repeat the process. The important thing is to get the inside well coated to build up a non-stick surface. The process is to allow the oil to soak into the metal. Take care to wipe off any excess oil, as a build up of grease can turn rancid. Good To Go The non-stick surface won’t be perfect at first, but the more you use cast iron cookware, the better it becomes. A piece of cast iron that has been well-seasoned is a great addition to any kitchen!
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