Seasoning Cast Iron

[Roseofsharon]

 

 

I have coooked with cast iron for years - but I guess it has been a while since I got NEW cast iron.

 

I got a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas. I just started frying in it- I figured that would season it - and it did the bottom inch or so... butI noticed some rust spots on the sides and the inside of the lid (steam must have gotten to it) was totally rusted (well a thin greasy layer of rust).

 

Anyway someone please remind me of the easiest way to season this stuff. thanks

[Mother]

This is how I season mine. First I make sure there is no rust and the pot is clean and dry. Then I coat the cookware, inside and out with a thin layer of some type of fat. I use lard but you can use tallow or vegetable shortening. Not butter or margarine which just seem to burn. Then you put it in a fairly hot oven or even over the coals of a fire and let it heat through until almost smoking hot. This sets the fat into a coating on the pan. Let it cool slowly and repeat as necessary. Enough coatings and you will have a non stick surface that is almost like glass. If the pot is pretty porus then you will have to keep curing until you have filled in all the holes.

 

Hope this helps..

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Hi! Mother is right on and I take care of mine similarly. If you want more detailed information, try: http://www.lodgemfg.com/usecare1.asp

http://antiques.about.com/cs/miscellaneous...eanCastiron.htm

http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html

 

This one takes care of hers like I do:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CastIronPans.htm

also: http://www.nwta.com/couriers/11-96/castiron.html

I hope this helps.

[Roseofsharon]

Thanks Ladies!

I will be working on this tomorrow- I hope it gets cold so I wont feel like I am waisting gas!

 

 

[SueC]

Any fat that is solid at room temperature, preferably unsalted, will work the best though any edible fat or oil can be used if it's all that you have.

 

Scrub the iron clean, rinse very well, warm on the stove or in the oven until thoroughly dry then rub or brush on the fat until completely coated. Put upside down in the oven (including the lid), put a pan on the rack underneath to catch any drippings, turn the oven to 400 degs F, OPEN THE WINDOWS, and bake for two hours. At the end of that time turn off the heat, but don't open the oven. Allow to cool completely. You should have a smooth, dry seasoning in one go.

 

.....Alan.

 

 

[Synn]

Didn't it come with instructions on how to do so?

[Guest Guest]

Oh, and I forgot to add something about cleaning.

 

Because the experts say you should never use a SOS or Brillo pad to clean cast iron, I use the nylon 3M dark green scrubby sheet to clean my cast iron.

 

A friend of mine does wok cooking and she has the funny little scrubber thingy that came with her wok. It looks like a short stubby palm sized wisk broom, only it is made out of bamboo. She swears it is the best thing for cast iron or carbon steel pan cleaning there is. She says you are not supposed to use soap on high carbon pans either. I guess if you have an international section at your department store or cooking/kitchen store you might find one, or online maybe.

 

I personally have never tried one. If I ever get to the kitchen store that is 47 miles away, I may pick one up and try it.

 

 

 

 

 

[Leia]

Hi Amber!!

Shawna

[Guest Guest]

Hi Shawna! back at ya

[Mother]

[Guest Guest]

 

 

 

[Kygal]

what is "ableskiever"? i did a google search, but it did not turn up any pictures at all. there are recipes with no pictures though.

[Synn]

I was wondering the same..

[Mother]

I've seen lots of recipes on the net for this also and I've tried some of them. Recipes with baking powder and soda and buttermilk with beaten egg whites are light and fluffy and I like them but the one I use most is the one I got originally. I understand it's also much like the Dutch poffertjes which can also be baked in this pan. (I learned that later from a Dutch woman)

 

Aebleskiver

2 1/2 cups flour (I use part whole wheat and buckwheat)

1 1/4 cup lukewarm milk

2 teaspoon yeast

1 or 2 eggs beaten (not separated)

2 Tablespoons of Sugar or honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

oil for frying

 

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Then add milk, beaten egg and melted butter adjusting the amount of flour if needed to make a thick batter. (my friend had a specific way of doing all this with making a well in the center of the flour and adding the milk without stirring, then she would let it set covered for fifteen minutes. Then she added the egg and etc before finally mixing, I didn't find any difference in the finished product that way though) Let it rise, covered with a damp towel, in a warm place about an hour. Put about a teaspoon or two of oil in each declevity of the pan and heat to very hot. Fill each about half full with batter and fry over medium high heat until bottom is dry and starting to brown a bit. Turn with a fork or skewer and finnish frying. You can place a slice of raw apple or other fruit in the center of these when you put the batter in the pan for a neat turnover.

 

These make more of a bread/doghnut type compared to the lighter beaten egg white ones and are not as puffy or round looking.

 

What recipe do you use?

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Oops! I spelled it wrong -- Mother spelled it correctly:

Aebleskiver. If you go to solvangrestaurant.com and look at the pans on the pictures there, you will see them. I'll try to get the link listed below (my first try). The picture box labeled Jams & Mixes has a rotating picture of jam and then the pan with the 'round doughnuts.' Solvang Restaurant

 

[Guest Guest]

[Kygal]

looks yummmi!

 

funny thast i never heard of it, my mom used to make all sorts of danish pastries when we were young. being danish and all...lol

[Guest Guest]

Pixie, did your mom have an aebleskiver pan?

[Roseofsharon]

COOL! Those look good- If I was not 20 lbs. overweight at the moment I might want to try them- too bad for my boys I have little self control!!!

 

I seasoned my pan! It came out good -except it is slightly sticky! I used lard to season.

[Kygal]

i dont think she did. i would have remembered a pan that odd-looking. heh heh

[Mother]

If your pan is still sticky, Evergreen, it's probable that you didn't heat it hot enough or long enough. Give it another cure and leave it a bit longer or in a hotter over, even until it starts to smoke. Let it cool in the oven slowly by just turning the oven off and not removing the pan until it's cold. See if that helps. A cure should be almost like glass but sometimes it does take a few cures to get it that way.

 

 

[Linda]

i have only one cast iron skillet... got it from my mother who got it from her mother who got it from hummm???? any ways i really never did know how to cure them and now i am going to do it right. thank you all