In this episode Becky shows you the different types of cast iron cookware she uses in the homestead kitchen, she also gives advice on cleaning your cast iron cookware. Email Becky: beckyshomestead@gmail.com
Becky’s Homestead 23: Cast Iron Cookware
Becky’s Homestead 23: Cast Iron Cookware
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I went online to find some small enameled sauce pans, & was surprised to learn of the cost of enamelware today, or I still living back 2 decades ago. That evil empire Walmart carries Lodge CI cookware at a reasonable cost. What I don’t like about enamelware and CI are hot handles. Another good vid Becky.
@nvydvr81 well everytime CI cookware is use it’s going to heated to the point the nasties are killed. Stands to reason as to why no1 gets ill from using CI that hasn’t been scrubbed with hot water and detergent..
also, if you choose to cook/fry fish in cast iron, keep that pan for that exclusive use only. Even if you were to use soap & water, the food you cook will taste like fish faintly.
And no, my family has never been sick from not soaping the pans. The west was settled with a cast iron pan in a chuckwagon or on horseback!
my personal method..
I buy my cast iron from thrift stores or garage sales. I will NOT wash them, I purchase bulk bacon ends and fry them up. I toss all the bacon to my husky, and dont keep the initial lard as its polluted. Scrape any “shazz” away with a metal or wooden spoon, wipe out with paper towels, set aside for lighting fires in the woodstove, fry another batch up & do the same, but eat the bacon and jar the grease! Wipe extra oil again, put away.
use hot water and heavy dishwashing liquid and rinse well and then dry, your done.
Soysss52: your pan is not “seasoned”. Clean it well with steel wool and hot water, then “season” it: A tablespoon or 2 of Lard in the pan then 350 F degree oven for 45 minutes, dump the excess lard and wipe down well inside and out with a clean towel. Never use soap on it, that will strip the seasoning and lead to rusting and sticking, just a plastic scrubby and very hot water to clean. Dry and lightly oil it right after each cleaning you will build up a wonderful natural non-stick coating.
Never use soap on cast iron! All you need is some warm to hot water, and a bristle dish scrubber! Done!
You can dry the pan on the stove, and coat it with some oil!
I restore and maintain darn near a truckload of this stuff!
soap removes the seasoning on cast iron cook ware
Cast iron should be seasoned. Seasoning keeps it from getting rusty, and gives the cast iron that “no-stick” surface.
There are several ways of seasoning cast iron ( google “how to season cast iron ” ) but I just maintain the season by , after washing the pan , heating it over medium-high heat on the stove for a couple of minutes, then wiping a thin coat of lard or dripping over the surface of the interior of the pan. I then shut off the flame and allow to cool.
I have been cleaning a few old cast iron pans lately, and am having trouble removing the “gray” from the cooking surface of the pan bottom. If I pour a little oil on the pan and then wipe with a paper towel, the towel turns a grayish color. Im not sure if this is a huge problem, maybe you know of a solution.
Great stuff Becky. I just got back from the cabin and heated everything on the woodburning stove. It’s not ideal with my cheap stuff.
cant use sope on the cast iron. it will rust out and it will destroy the pan. the pan has a specail coating on it that the sope washes out.