Thank you, Helen, for this. I love my cast iron. Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "helen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 10:48 AM Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Fw: Caring for Cast Iron Info
> > i got this from another list and wanted to share it with the person who > was > wondering about the care of cast iron pans. i hope this helps. > > helen > > Grease and heat are the tricks to keeping pans seasoned; dishwashers > are the enemy > > Cast-iron Dutch ovens and frying pans are kitchen treasures -- > unpretentiously beautiful, classically designed and practically > indestructible. No matter what the shape or size, give your cast iron > pan a little TLC, and it'll reward you with several lifetimes of use. > Most people have at least one cast-iron skillet in their kitchen > collection, but they may not be getting the most use from it because > they're confused about how to season and clean cast-iron. > > And it can be confusing, because everyone seems to have a different > method. Some use shortening; some use vegetable oil. Some put it in > the oven and some put it on the stove. Temperatures vary, times vary. > > And we haven't even started on the cleaning methods. But all those > methods really boil down to two things: grease and heat. Here's why: > Cast iron is porous, and it rusts easily if exposed to air and water. > So the object is to protect the metal by coating it with oil. > According to "On Food and Cooking," the infinitely useful tome by > food science guru Harold McGee, heating the oil causes the fatty > acids to bond and form a hard layer. This has the added benefit of > creating a natural nonstick surface. So, the more you coat the metal > with oil and heat it, the better that protective, nonstick layer > becomes. That's why Grandma's cast-iron pan rocks. That's also why > experts all agree that harsh detergents, especially those for the > dishwasher, are a big no-no. They strip the layer off, leaving the > poor pot naked and vulnerable. > > Here are some tips on seasoning and maintaining cast-iron cookware: > > Grease it: First wash it and dry it completely. Then apply a thin > layer of shortening or oil over the entire surface, inside and out, > including the lid. Just don't use butter or any other fat with a low > smoke point. If you want to be a geek about it, McGee says corn and > soy oils are the best at bonding and creating that hard layer. > > Bake it: Put the cookware, upside down, in a preheated 350-degree > oven for one hour. (First, place some foil on the bottom of the oven > to catch any drips.) You don't want an excess of oil sitting in your > pot because any oil not absorbed will turn rancid and ruin the taste > of your food. Be patient; let these thin layers build up slowly over > time. > > Use it: The more you use it, the better it gets. Each time you heat > up some oil for cooking, you're essentially seasoning the pot again. > Over time it will become black and shiny, tell-tale signs of a > well-loved, well-seasoned piece of cookware. > > Clean it: Don't store food in the pot unless you like the taste of > metal -- cast iron isn't nonreactive. Besides, the acids in the food > can break down the seasoning if left in contact for too long. Real > cast-iron aficionados say hot water and a nylon brush are all it > takes to clean a pot. Truly rustic types rub it with salt rather than > a brush to scour away stuck-on food. However, those of us who get > nervous about washing without suds can use a mild soap. But > dishwashers, metal utensils and harsh scouring pads are expressly > forbidden. > > Store it: Pots that don't get a lot of use should be wiped with a > very thin layer of oil before they get put away -- especially those > washed with soap. Don't use anything that goes rancid quickly, like > olive or nut oils. Store pots with the lid off or put a paper towel > between the lid and the pot to keep moisture from building up inside > and causing rust. If the pot does get some rust, it's not a lost > cause. Just scour off the rust and reseason the pan. > > > Color-coated > > Although enamel coatings eliminate the need for seasoning, they do > have their own quirks. > > First of all, they can get scratched, so use wooden, plastic or nylon > utensils and scouring pads instead of metal. > > They can also stain, particularly lighter colors. To remove stains, > soak the pots for several hours in a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to > 1 pint of water. > > And enamel can chip. Dropping or banging pots are obvious culprits, > but excessive heat or temperature change can also cause chipping. > Don't leave an empty pot on the heat, don't put it directly in a > campfire and don't plunge a hot pot into cold water. > > The handles on enameled pots are usually made of heat-resistant metal > or plastic, but they should still not be heated above 450 degrees. > > Enameled cast iron can go in the dishwasher. However, think twice > before putting a Staub pot in one. The black matte enamel Staub uses > is special because it's porous, so it gets seasoned with each use. > Although it can be treated like regular enamel, heavy use of the > dishwasher may cause the coating to develop some white marks. It will > also remove the enamel's seasoning. This won't ruin the pot, but if > you want a supremely nonstick surface, wash with hot water or mild > soap to keep the seasoning intact. > > Also, the edges of the pots and lids are often not enameled. To > protect them from rust, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil before > storing them. > > The shiny set > > While we're talking about the care and feeding of pots and pans, > let's address the sleeker metals, stainless, aluminum and copper. > Well-made stainless steel and aluminum cookware is expensive, but > it's not going to chip, break or rust. And unless it's lightweight, > it probably won't dent or warp. > > Although leaving an empty pot on a hot burner could cause the metals > to get too hot and separate, which would severely damage the pot, > that's not the kind of mistake you make every day -- let's hope. In > general, stains and pits are usually the only things to worry about. > > Pitting is caused by salt. So wait to add salt until the liquid in > the pot is hot enough to dissolve it. Stains can come from food and > oil residue, from water with a high iron content or from using very > high heat. Despite all those flames we see shooting out of > professional ovens on cooking shows, high-end manufacturers such as > All-Clad and Calphalon say to use lower settings with their products > when sauteing or frying. They also don't recommend dishwashers or > steel wool, especially on nonstick surfaces. > > If the cookware does get stained, Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami are > safe cleansers to use. > > Copper pots require frequent polishing with copper cleaner to stay > looking new. They're also susceptible to denting or warping, so don't > bang them around or plunge hot pans into cold water. > > -- Danielle Centoni > > _______________________________________________ > Clipping-Cooking mailing list > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jamie R" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 4:08 PM > Subject: [Clipping-Cooking] INFO: Cast Iron > > > The Oregonian > > Test Kitchen > > > Listen or download previous Cooking in the Dark Shows at: > > http://www.cookinginthedark.libsyn.com > Got a pod catcher? Here is the address to paste into your pod catcher for > Cooking in the Dark: > http://www.cookinginthedark.libsyn.com/rss > Cooking in the Dark is sponsored by Blind Mice Mart! > http://www.blindmicemart.com > The Cooking in the Dark Show is streamed weekly on the internet. > > Visit the Cooking in the Dark page at Blind > Mice Mart for times and links. > Every purchase at Blind Mice Mart funds the Mouse Hole Scholarship Program > providing scholarships for Blind students! > http://www.BlindMiceMart.com > Use the coupon code "acbradio" when you check-out at Blind Mice Mart and a > portion of your purchase will be donated to ACB Radio and you will save a > little change too! > Visit the Cooking and Baking Department at Blind Mice Mart and get some of > the same products Dale uses on the show! > Recipes posted on this list serve are the property of Blind Mice Mart and > Cooking in the Dark. Reproduction without permission is not permitted. > Cooking in the Dark and Blind Mice Mart are copyrighted trademarks of > Blind > Mice Inc. > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
