cast iron skillet

[matt]

This weekend i decided to invest in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Is there any great suggestions to make sure it does last a long long time. The more the info the better thnx matt

[kwormann]

Im sure you know this, but just in case.....wash it and dry it (dry it well), coat in shortening (inside all the way up to the rim), preheat oven to HOT (400-500 degrees)...bake 45 min to an hour. Let cool.

Every time it is used, wash and dry and wipe a bit of oil inside with a paper towel. Every so often (when it seems like it needs it), follow the first seasoning steps.

Enjoy it....we LOVE our cast iron skillet....it is sooooo fun to use it outside on the grill, and for cornbread, and for quesidillas...the list goes on!

kim

[SandyM]

I'm so bummed......my mother had a cast iron skillet that was over 30 years old. It was charcoal black and had an coating of "seasoning" on the outside. It was beautiful.

I asked, out of curiosity, if she still had it. (If it wasn't being used - heck, I'd take it off her hands gladly!!!) - she said she threw it away because it got rusty.

I wonder how long it would take to properly season a cast iron skillet. The ones I see are so grey and pristine........

[HARRYET]

Matt,

Whenever I use my cast iron pan, after rinsing it out, and drying it, I then place it in a hot oven to make sure it is completely dry, so there is never any rusting going on there.

good luck with your new skillet, I think you'll come to love it.

Ann

[ama47369]

This is probably a dumb question....But, if it does get rusty-is there a way to clean it?

[Mamasue]

matt,

Follow Kim's instructions and you will have no problem. The more you use it the better it gets! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif.

I have been thinking about ordering the dutch oven (cast iron) and wondering if anyone has one to convince me that I need one. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 03-26-2001).]

[donleyk]

Mamasue,

I have one I use all the time when we camp. I am not sure of the merits of owning one for home, however....

[funnybone]

Ama47369 - Coke takes rust off of nails and other things, so I am sure it would off a cast iron skillet. We did this experiment in a science class over 25 years ago.

[BethH]

funnybone--
Do you mean Coke like coca-cola or coke like an industrial product associated with steel making or iron smelting or something??? I'm going to go ahead and guess you mean coke the beverage and then ask if diet works as well?

I inherited a very old and very rusty cast-iron skillet from a friend and after scrubbing and scrubbing--can't quite get all the rust off it. There are these little evenly spaced pock marks in the lid that I just can't get the rust out of. TIA!

[junietoo]

Mamasue: I think you need a cast iron dutch oven. After using them for years when camping (ummmm -- hot gingerbread after a long day of playing in the outdoors) I bought one without "legs" to fit on a kitchen burner. It makes great chicken cacciatore and any kind of longer-cooked thick sauces, stews, etc.

It's also good for browning things. I've also roasted veggies in it in preparation for making vegetable stock.

They aren't very expensive and it feels so, well...earthy to have one bubbling away on a back burner.

[BarbaraL]

Funnybone, the effects of Coke on rust are probably associated with its acidity. I remember a science teacher telling us if we put Coke on a car, it would eat the paint.

[makedah]

Coke does have some acid in it, but before we get carried away about what it can do, check out the urban legends about Coca-Cola...
http://www.snopes2.com/cokelore/acid.htm

I don't drink the stuff anymore (but I have an impending root canal as proof of my former addiction) so it doesn't matter to me either way...

[junietoo]

My car dearer suggested that if my windshield wiper blades don't clean well even though they're not that old, take a pot scrubber and some Coke and run it along the blade.

It apparently (according to him) cleans off the road grease and dirt that builds up and impairs the blades ability to be effective.

[sneezles]

I have 5 skillets, 2 Dutch ovens,a griddle, a corn stick pan and various other muffin pans-all cast iron-all beautifully black! The skillets are used almost daily. I use them, rinse under hot running water, scrub with a plastic scrubber if necessary and then wipe dry with a couple of paper towels. Then they are placed directly on the burner (heat as high as the pan is wide) and once the pan starts to smoke, I turn off the heat and pour in a tbs or 2 of oil and then wipe with a clump of paper towels. Other pieces go in the oven, first to dry (upside down) and then wipe with a paper towel soaked with oil.
Rust appears on a pan that has not been dried properly. Adding the oil before the pan dries will eventually show rust.
If a pan shows rust the best way to deal with it is to place hot coals into the pan and set in the fire; after a while remove the pan and dump the ashes. Scrub with sand or salt and a lot of elbow grease. Rinse, set back on the fire and then oil once the pan is smoking hot.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by BethH:
funnybone--
Do you mean Coke like coca-cola or coke like an industrial product associated with steel making or iron smelting or something??? I'm going to go ahead and guess you mean coke the beverage and then ask if diet works as well?



... as in Coca-cola. I don't remember how long the nail was in the glass, but it came out shiny! It's worth a try, and it probably is something you already have at home. I don't think it was diet, as diet probalby wasn't around in the 70's. Maybe it has to do with the sugars in the drink, something the diet one wouls not have. Not sure on the science of it, I just remember it working.



[This message has been edited by funnybone (edited 03-26-2001).]

[ama47369]

Thanks for the Coke tip! I will definately try it!

Matt-Happy cooking with your new cast iron! Fajitas are soooo delicous when made on them! And, I always feel like a gormet chef when the pan sizzles like all the restaurant fajita plates!
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by ama47369 (edited 03-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by ama47369 (edited 03-27-2001).]

[Mamasue]

junietoo and sneezles

All I needed was one or two persons to tell me to buy one and then I am convinced. I'm easy huh! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif I want a dutch oven that I can place on the stove and oven but right now can't spend big bucks for one. I love my cast iron skillet and use it almost all the time. I am going to order one this week. Thanks ladies! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[karole]

sounds like sneezles is the queen of the cast iron!!!!!!!

[junietoo]

Gee whiz, sneezles, that's impressive. The only time I oil my cast iron (and I, too, have several pieces) is when I'm going to store it for a long while. Otherwise, continual use seems to keep them in fine shape. I do dry them well on a gas burner, but that's it.

My camp dutch ovens, though, are oiled up before putting away until the next trip.

Do you camp with yours? What's your favorite, don't go camping without it, dish?

[sneezles]

junietoo
Would have to be the Dutch oven. My DH does most of the cooking on camping trips. He does buttermilk biscuits, brownies and his infamous dump cake in the dutch oven!
DH's maternal grandmother was the one who taught me to season each time I used the pans so after 22 years it is just habit. I sometimes just spray them with Mazola cooking spray instead of wiping with oil.

[junietoo]

sneezles: How lucky for you that your DH cooks. The last time my DH got near my cast iron pans on a camp-out, I came upon him and his father putting all the elbow grease possible trying to "get the black off" to surprise me!!!!

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Thankfully, I just slapped my forehead, rescued my beloved iron friends and went for a hike.

Now, the incident has become a cherished family memory -- But neither of them touches my pans (hmmmm...perhaps that was their plan all along?)

[This message has been edited by junietoo (edited 03-27-2001).]

[funnybone]

From foodtv.com

Question of the Week

What is the best way to season a brand-new cast iron skillet?

This Week's Answer

Remove any labels, then hand wash with a mild detergent and thoroughly dry. Coat the inside surface with shortening or vegetable oil, including the sides. Place the greased pan upside down on the top rack of a 300 degree oven for 1 hour (put a baking sheet or piece of foil on the bottom rack to catch any drippings). Let the skillet cool slowly in the oven. Store uncovered in a dry place.



[This message has been edited by funnybone (edited 03-28-2001).]