Cast iron skillets

[chiknlady]

gosh this post is making me hungry--Miss Prissy what time is supper?

Unfortunately my sisters inherited my mother's cast iron skillets as there weren't enough to go around. But when I got married I bought new unseasoned pans and it took years to season them just right. I agree about the greasing the pan--but I cured mine in a 500 degree oven for an hour or so. Just turn the oven off and let them cool down inside the oven. And make sure you put it on top of a cookie sheet covered in foil to catch any grease drips or splatters. It still won't be perfect though...

The more you use them the better. Deep frying like potatoes, chicken etc with give you the high heat and oil penetration you need over time.

One day you will look up and it will be your prized skillet--too precious to hit anyone over the head with and perfect for a nice sirloin or Sunday morning Hash. While you are waiting you can usually find a nice seasoned cast iron pan at flea markets or estate sales--usually people don't want these wretched looking things around--I just keep it in the cabinet and enjoy...

Oh yeah and don't EVER put it away wet or damp--through it on a burner and let it dry and cool before storing...

 

[Robin'sBrood]

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Can you post a picture of it? I'm guessing, without seeing it, that you can probably get the rust off pretty easy with grease of some kind and a rag, and then put it through the seasoning process.

 

[gapeachy]

they will rust if you let them dry wet....dry them in the 0ven on high.....put crisco....lard works best and rub in and scrub the rust or stains out....

 

[dangerouschicken]

Our family naturopath gave our daughter a prescription to eat food cooked in an old, all-iron one. Supposidly it will leach your daily requirements of iron. Pretty cool, if you ask me

 

[BeckyLa]

Just a question here. If I found a mildly rusty pan at a sale or something, would it clean up using really hot water and coarse salt?

Also, to clean mine after using, I put a little water in it and let it simmer on the stove for a few minutes. This loosens any stuck on bits so it can just be cleaned out with a plastic scratchy thingy. Then I put it back on the stove to dry and when the water is gone I turn off the fire and spray lightly with cooking spray. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TURN THE FIRE OFF FIRST! Then I just put it away. This has worked well for me for years.

 

[Mrs MIA]

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That's what my naturopath told me, too.

Thank you!

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Can you post a picture of it? I'm guessing, without seeing it, that you can probably get the rust off pretty easy with grease of some kind and a rag, and then put it through the seasoning process.

I'll get a pic in a bit. Its mostly rusty on the underside, and handle it seems (I just hauled it out) it looks sticky on one side on the inside of the pan, probably from seasoning it at some point.

the rust looks just like a surface discoloration, I will dig around and see if I have perhaps the salt to clean it off with (I think I have icecream salt)

 

[consdrs]

I inherited a cast iron skillet from the first house I moved into. it was left in the stove. That was 28 yrs ago and it looked OLD then! I guess I treat mine badly. I wash with soap then spray a little cooking spray on it.
I love to cook fajitas in it and that requires a HOT skillet and you just can't do that with a Teflon pan without ruining it.
I got a dutch oven from a garage sale. it was rough, rusty and greasy!! we took a wire brush attachment to my grinder and went at it! for some reason today's cast iron pans are sooo rough on the inside, no wonder they stick. When we were done with the dutch oven it was as smooth as my skillet, and it's as smooth as glass on the inside. every once in a while the crud gets a little thick on the outside and I do the unthinkable... I put it in my self cleaning oven... the crud turns into ash. I oil it back up and back in the cupboard it goes, looks like new.

YMMV

 

[Fudgie]

Quote:
Great idea!!!!

 

[EweSheep]

I love my iron skillets.....buy Lodge! Its expensive but well worht the price! Do not buy cheapo iron cookwares, they are nothing but trouble.

There is another brand of iron cookware that is old too but cant remember.