Seasoning a Cast Iron Dutch Oven?

[rufus]

You got a great deal on the dutch oven. The older cast iron is, the better. The best cast iron is something some old lady used for the last 80 years or so. Go to estate auctions and look around.

Just heat it up and wipe it out with a paper towel. If you have to clean it out with water, put it on the buner to dry off all of the water. Then rub it with bacon grease lightly to reseason it.

If the thing is kind or rancid the next time you go to use it, you just are not using it often enough.

Always heat the pot or skillet up before you put oil into it.

The downside to cast iron is that it takes some muscles to use it. It is not for wimps.

Rufus

 

[Pupsnpullets]

used my oven for the first time last night after spending the weekend admiring it and seasoning it. I cooked a simple chicken thigh casserole with a few veggies, homemade stock and lipton recipe secrets. Dang!!!! Delicious!

I'm an official convert now. It even cleaned up easily afterwards. I soaked it for a while, then just scrubbed it out with a plastic pot scrub - and no soap.

 

[Opa]

See we told ya. Start looking for skillets. You'll like them even better the the dutch oven. Then we'll need to discuss chicken fryers.

 

[EweSheep]

Almost all my cookware are the Lodge pans and two are unknown, made in USA. Have one huge Dutch oven and one bean pot and one tiny pie pan and two trivetts. I dont think I will go any other cast iron companies except for Lodge and Griswolds.

I have three iron skillets, size 8 for sale. I believe two of them are made in China and the other one didnt have a label or manufactor's name on it. My mom didnt want them anymore and had used them for camping for at least ten years.

I got one 8 in iron skillet that has layers of build up on the sides and I didnt want to unseason the stuff off on them, maybe next year I will put it in the fire to burn off the sides.

After I heard about non sticking pans causing deaths in birds and bad for you if you get some chips flaked into your food, the cast iron skillets and dutch ovens are the way to go!

 

[crtrlovr]

LOVE my cast iron, but I have problems with my hands and wrists, and I can only use it on my VERY good days (which are few & far between, unfortunately). The big skillet is SO good for cornbread, upside down cakes, etc., and I wish it had the "helper" handle on the other side, but it doesn't. I have to use both hands on the handle, and it's difficult to control that way. I usually don't do anything in it that requires pouring out of the skillet -- too risky! -- but cornbread & such is ok.

 

[WriterofWords]

Harbor Freight has great deals on good cast iron. It's got the legs and everything for use in camp fires. They also have the huge cast iron frying pans!

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
Steel wool or one of those green scratchy pads removes the rust quite well.
I have================
15-dutch ovens w/lids, all sizes
10-skillets all sizes
15-frying pans, all sizes
15-pots, all sizes
3-gridles, reversable, flat on one side, grill marks on the other side.
2- large roasters
10-cornbread and muffin molds
and dozens of other cast iron items that go with them.
I think thats it though I may have forgotten 5 or 10.
I love them like I love my chickens, whoops sorry.

AL

I bow to the pro here! WOW! I also got hooked on the Campfire Cafe with Johnny Nix. I bet you have a rig like that too. Instead of buying one of his for $500.00, I made it with some extra horse shoes and $30.00 worth of iron.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Had those and HATED them! Poor quality of iron if you ask me! One even cracked when I was fixing scrambled eggs on the pit fire. Those are made in China as the box says. So I tossed them in the garbage.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
Had those and HATED them! Poor quality of iron if you ask me! One even cracked when I was fixing scrambled eggs on the pit fire. Those are made in China as the box says. So I tossed them in the garbage.

I agree, pay for Lodge or find them at thrift stores.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Had those and HATED them! Poor quality of iron if you ask me! One even cracked when I was fixing scrambled eggs on the pit fire. Those are made in China as the box says. So I tossed them in the garbage.

I am glad you said it first, a nice old fella told me once never buy chinese cast iron very poor quality.
Like everybody doesnt already know avoid anything chinese if you can.