cast iron is healthier

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by beast, Oct 7, 2011.


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  1. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    That is pretty true.

    I have to add that the almost universally hated idea of using soap and water on cast iron is not inviolable. There are times when the cooking surface gets so cruddy that some sort of scouring is needed. (Not to mention the exterior bottoms getting to the point where putting them down is hazardous to what you put them on.) When things get that bad, I put them in the sink and take a putty knife to them on the inside and scour the outside with whatever is handy up to and including steel wool, all with bit of dish soap. NOTE: I did NOT say scour the inside after scraping (that would be a no-no unless you want to start from scratch) the idea is to take off any "loose" crud. Uv cuss, rinse thoroughly in the hottest water you can muster. let it dry, then smear the inside with your fave seasoning oil. (I don't recommend 10W30. :lol:) Next cooking should be bacon.
     
  2. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    just throw it in the fire ghrit
    all that crud just disapears
    and the pan comes out perfect
    once ya do it a few times you can regulate the burn so you dont haver to totally reseason
     
  3. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Doesn't work well on electric stoves ---
    (y)
     
  4. Epa

    Epa Monkey+

    i always like draging along a cast iron dutch oven when camping
     
  5. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    they make electric stoves now? :p
     
  6. Epa

    Epa Monkey+

    helps if ya had one when SHTF
     
  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Have a wood stove for that situation ---. ;)
     
  8. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    i love my woodstoves
    wont part with them until im deaD
     
  9. sasquatch91

    sasquatch91 Monkey+++

    only thing i could see is they are kinda heavy and if you gotta bail out you dont wanna have to carry extra weight, but they do cook potatoes real good!!
     
  10. munchy

    munchy Monkey+++

    I've got a hard time cooking in anything else, I swipe them down with vegetable shortening and set them on the woodstove for a while after cooking tomatoe stuff like spaghetti sauce. But the best is still bacon or sausage to get a good seasoning.
     
  11. Redneck Rebel

    Redneck Rebel Monkey++

    Made the switch to cast iron around a year ago and I couldn't be happier. Low cost compared to other cookware, durability to outlast non-cast iron cookware that costs 4 times as much, versatile for use on the stove, in the oven, over a fire, etc.

    I'm a poor man so cast iron just makes sense.

    Oh and as long as you stay away from their enameled line, Lodge cast iron is made in the USA.
     
  12. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Wagner is also a USA product, or at least was when I got mine 15 years ago. I use at least one of the four pieces nearly every day.
     
  13. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    It does if you have a self cleaning oven. Just put in and run the self clean cycle. I do this once a month to keep the oven clean and the cast iron nice and seasoned. Just be sure your vent fan is on HIGH - there will be some smoke, this is OK. Allow the pans to cool completely in the oven then re-season normally. The high temperatures the oven gets to during the self cleaning cycle burns the crud off and any organic matter is turned to a light gray ash. which wipes off with a damp sponge. Sometimes the crud flakes off when you move the pan. If the outside crud layers are exceptionally thick and baked on (like one of the pans I bought from an antique show), chip off the crud as best you can with a paint scraper, and then clean with steel wool and a bit of soap. Toss in the oven, hit self clean, turn on the vent and TA DA! Just re-season as normal.

    Caveat: the interior of m pans, griddle, or dutch oven have NEVER lost their seasoning using the self cleaning oven method. If anything, it burns off the crud and actually seals the interior even smoother than before. Carbon (the black coating on the interior that makes them "non-stick") does not burn at the temps my Oven reaches during self cleaning.

    I also am to understand that the high heat in the self cleaning oven removes or relieves any stress built up in the iron from uneven heating and years of use.

    Additionally, if you have a BBQ grill and some time you can do it on the grill. My grill has cast iron grates and the cleaning and seasoning process is to light a HOT fire, scrub the grates, oil them, set them over the fire and close the lid, with all vents wide open. The interior temp of my grill (according to the thermometer on the lid) gets upwards of 400 degrees. Once the fire burns out and cools, open the grill and lightly oil the grates top and bottom.

    My grandmother also showed me a baking soda "trick" and a salt and oil "trick" to clean the interior of the pan.

    1/4 cup of baking soda and a half inch of water in the pan, set on high heat till the water boils, take the pan off the heat and allow to soak overnight. Gently scrub the interior surface the next day and rinse. Heat pan until the water completely evaporates and wipe down with grease/oil. Allow to cool completely and stash. This also removes strong odors from the iron, like fish, garlic, onions etc.

    Salt and oil is similar - 2 tbsp of salt and just enough oil to make the salt pasty. heat the pan until the oil just begins to shimmer a little, then using tongs and a paper towel, scrub the hot pan with the salt crystals. The heating loosens the cooked on stuff and the salt is a great abrasive. The oil lubricates and makes the scrubbing easier. Let the pan cool, rinse with warm water and a stiff brush, heat the pan till it dries, and wipe in a tsp of grease or oil to coat. Allow to cool and stash for next time. This is especially good for griddles. You can sub baking soda in this method (1/4 cup) if you want to "sweeten" the cast iron (remove any off odors that you may get, like after cooking fish).

    As with anything, YMMV.
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Yep, everyone's gramma had a different way to go. One of the beauties of cast iron is that almost anything works.
     
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  15. Redneck Rebel

    Redneck Rebel Monkey++

    I wouldn't count on it. The foundry that made them was about 40 minutes from me, but it's been closed for 10 or so years now.
     
  16. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    From the Griswold and Wagner Web site:
    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=+1]Randall Corp. bought Wagner in Nov. 1952. McGraw Edison Inc. bought Griswold on March 29, 1957 and then sold it in December 1957 to Randall who already owned Wagner. Griswold production in Erie, Pa. ceased in Dec. 1957 and all subsequent "Griswold" pieces were made in the Wagner foundry in Sidney, Ohio. Randall then sold both Griswold and Wagner in 1959 to Textron which sold both companies to General Housewares in 1969 who continued production at the Wagner foundry until it closed in 1999.[/SIZE][/FONT]

    The explanation is much more involved and does warn folks about fakes! There are apparently many copies and fake Griswold and Wagner items out there. The site tells you how to spot the difference. Caveat Emptor.

    Edit: Lodge cast iron has a "pebbled" inner surface. This makes seasoning difficult. Several folks on different cast iron boards have mentioned that, yes Lodge is 100% Made in the USA, but they took their pans to a metal shop and had them wire wheeled smooth on the inside (or did it themselves) prior to seasoning them. Apparently Lodge uses a blasting process to clean the newly cast pieces creating the rough, pebbled surface, and Griswold and Wagner used a tumbling method. The tumbled iron was smoother and cleaner - easier to season.
     
  17. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Hm. Mine are marked as the original 1891 edition and marked also as "Made in USA." Since I bought them in 97, and the foundry was operating thru 99, it seems likely I'm on good ground.

    Yes, Wagner also has that pebbled finish as sold, and yes it make seasoning more than a little of a PIA. I got tired of scraping off stuff that got caught in the pores and pits, and sat for a few hours with a stone rubbing the bottoms in the frying pans down to pretty smooth enough. That as cast finish is normal with sand cast CI stuff. Sand blasting will not normally remove the pits, but might reduce them somewhat. (Remember, sand blasting is not a point application, but hits everything more or less equally.) Sand blasting would be normal in any casting shop to remove surface blemishes and mold sand left after shake out. ("Green" sand used in the molding process is pretty toxic stuff.) Likely you can find grinder marks also where the sprues and mold flashings were ground off.
     
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  18. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    I have two Griswolds and a Wagner that see regular use. I have no idea of the age but I bet each one is over 100 years old.

    We began to use cast iron exclusively about 10 years ago. I never re season but I only clean with a plastic brush. Good cast iron are practically non stick.


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  19. Avarice

    Avarice California Health Junkie

    Ooo pretty!

    You guys have been inspiring me to get more cast iron. Turning out to be my favorite pots and pans.
     
  20. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    Cast iron is the BEST. Not only is it non-stick, it retains heat better, cooks more evenly, adds iron to your food, has no chemicals on or in it, and in a pinch can stop an intruder (thanks Chell!). With proper care it can last 100 or more years. I inherited a cast iron skillet from my grandmother who got it from her grandmother, who got it from her grandmother. The skillet is over 200 years old.

    I have my eye on 2 cast iron pans - yes pans - at the local antique store. A 2 quart sauce pan and a 3.5 quart sauce pan...I think I'll pick them up tomorrow ;) A steal at $35.00
     
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