Tip of the Day - How to Keep Cast Iron in Top Shape

I lived with my great-grandmother for most of my teens, and she cooked almost exclusively in a set of well-seasoned cast iron pans. Cast iron cookware cooks evenly without dreaded hot-spots and will last your entire lifetime if you take care of it properly. As an added bonus, it's often inexpensive and can be used for "fat-free" cooking. It can be used on the stovetop or in the oven, it won't warp and clean-up is amazingly easy. Eating food cooked in cast iron also helps with iron absorption in the diet, and can cut down on anemia. When I was pregnant my midwife actually suggested I switch to cooking in cast iron to increase my iron levels.

Cast iron cookware can often be purchased from garage sales or thrift shops for next to nothing. Even if the piece is rusty or greasy, it's easily fixed and will be a welcome addition to your kitchen. You can also buy new cast iron pieces, that will have a gun-metal grey appearance but they will require "seasoning" (described below) before you can use them.

Cooking with Cast Iron

It's very important to pre-heat the pan before cooking your food. Sprinkle a few droplets of water into the pan before adding food. The water droplets should sizzle and skip around the surface of the pan. If the water immediately disappears when dripped into the pan, you need to turn down the heat as the pan is too hot. If the water bubbles in the pan, but doesn't sizzle and evaporate, the pan is too cool. It is CRUCIAL to never pour large amounts of cool liquid into a hot cast iron skillet, as it can cause the pan to break. Another important reminder is that cast iron handles are very hot when the pan is heated, so be sure to use potholders.

Seasoning

All cast iron cookware must be seasoned for proper use. If a pan is properly seasoned, it will work just like non-stick cookware made with Teflon - and the pan will not rust. Cleanup is a breeze with a properly cured cast iron pan. Seasoning simply is a process by which oil is absorbed into the pores of the cookware. You can tell if the cookware is properly seasoned because it will be a uniform black surface. To season cast iron, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash the cookware with hot soapy water and a stiff brush. Rinse and dry. Completely coat the inside and outside surfaces with melted shortening, lard, bacon fat or vegetable oil. Rub it in with a folded paper towel. Place the cookware on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove using a potholder and dry any pools of oil. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes. You MUST do this with any new cast iron cookware, and may need to repeat this again if you notice that food is sticking in the pan or that bits of the seasoning have flaked off and the pan is rusting.

Cleaning

To properly clean your seasoned cookware, let the plan cool completely and wash with dishwashing soap and water. Do not let the pan soak or let soapy water sit in the pan. Rinse and dry. Do NOT put cast iron in the dishwasher. Turn a stove burner on low and place the cleaned pan on the burner for a minute or two to ensure that all water is evaporated. While the pan is still hot, lightly oil the inside of the pan with vegetable oil, shortening, food grade coconut oil/butter or lard. Turn the burner off, but leave the pan on the burner for a few minutes. Wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel. If you see rust on the pans, you can use barkeeper's friend on the pans before re-seasoning. Or, for an all-natural approach, rub some rhubarb on the rust. Rhubarb is high in oxalic acid which chelates the rust and makes it water soluble. You can simply wash the rust away.

Never store food in cast iron, as the food will take on an unpleasant metallic taste. Tomato sauces and other acidic foods that are cooked in cast iron may look a little darker than normal due to the increased iron levels, but they will taste the same.