self sufficient life

Cast Iron Cookware

Being the cook in the house, I really love my Teflon coated frying pans and wok. Low- or no-oil cooking just seems so much healthier. I had heard about how damaged non-stick coatings in cookware can be bad for your health and that even high grade coatings will only last a few years when used for you daily cooking.

Looking for information about good cookware, I found a lot of rather disturbing information about non-stick coatings. I wouldn’t just trash all my non-stick coated pans, but I have decided to not buy any new ones once our current ones have been used up. Now, since our new kitchen has an induction stove, all the aluminum pots and pans we have, had to be replaced by steel ones anyways, so now I’m cooking Teflon-free.

In my search for new cookware I came across a very nice deal on a 5 pieces set of Fissler pots. Cost shouldn’t really be an issue when buying cookware, with pots and pans you usually get what you pay for, so you should invest a little more and get something decent. My last set of pots have been used for daily cooking for about 7 years now and they are still like new. The only reason they had to be replaced is because they don’t work on the induction stove.

I still needed a good frying pan when I found out about how good cast iron pans are. When seasoned right, they have very good non-stick properties and can last several lifetimes. Old cast iron pans are usually better than new ones. They used to make two types of pans: plain cast iron (which has a kind of rough feel all over) and cast iron which has been machined inside, making it a lot smoother. They don’t do the machining anymore, but machined pans are so much better because of their smooth inside. Garage sales or flea markets are good places to find the old smooth pans. Don’t worry about how it looks, almost all old cast iron pans can be restored to look like new. Just be sure the pan you buy is not warped or cracked.

I remember my grandma used to cook with cast iron pans, so I went looking in her basement and found two old pans. They looked terrible, but where straight, had no cracks and where of the machined type! Restoration begins by removing the old seasoning. I put the pans in a bath of lye water and let them soak over night. The lye will eat away on the seasoning but not on the iron. The next day I gave it a good rub with a wire brush and the pans looked like new.

The seasoning of a cast iron pan is done by heating up some oil until it turns black and sticks to the pan surface. (Traditional Chinese woks get the same treatment before their first use.) My favorite seasoning is done with lard: rub the entire surface of the pan (inside and outside) with a thin layer of lard and set the pan in the oven or on the stovetop. Heat the pan on high for about 20 minutes, you should open up your kitchen window as this will produce a lot of smoke! Burned in fat should turn black and stick to the pan. One layer of seasoning is enough for the outside of the pan, I gave the inside 3 more layers. The inside of the pan should now have a shiny black finish.

When cooking in cast iron pans you should use a stainless steel spatula. Scraping the bottom of the pan with the spatula will make it a little smoother each time you use it. Don’t worry if things tend to stick at first, over time your pans non-stick properties will get better. Cleaning is done right after use with a dry paper towel. If that doesn’t clean it you can use a little water and a brush, just don’t ever use soap. After using water, let the pan dry on a hot stove and rub a little cooking oil all over the surface of the pan, both inside and outside. When treated right, I’m sure I can pass my grandmothers pans along to my own grandkids some day.

All that is left on my kitchens wish list is a decent wok and a Grease Keeper