Ive always been intrigued by cast iron cookware and how if properly taken care it will last through generations. Over the holiday's I spent some time with an old friend, both old in the sense of his age, late 80s, and old in the sense that I know him for over 30 years (first boss at a C-Town Supermarket when I was 13) he has old Griswold cast iron cookware that belonged to his parents and the darn thing looks brand new or better. We got to talking about cast iron and how it never dies if properly cared for. He gave me a a few old pieces he found in his brother's barn that must have sat for decades, though not Griswold, they are very old nonetheless. After getting some pointers on how to restore them, I excitedly went home to work on my new project-hobby. I love the fact that I am lucky enough to know this man, his advice in the decades that Ive known him has been invaluable. Below are a few pics of the before and after.
I have fond memories of my mom cooking on the cast iron pan. I can't convince my wife to give it a try. Get find and rescue of those pans.
Yea mine cMe out nicely. It's a process to get them seasoned. It takes a few months of cooking on them for them to really get going
I own several cast iron pans that are far from new. If you look after them they will last several lifetimes. If you season them properly they are almost as non-stick as teflon pans. My oldest is a relative newcomer at only about 38 years since I bought them new. A good cleaning and light oiling after each use and they are ready to go again the next time you need them. I recently asked my wife why we were keeping a particular frying pan that we used to use for pancakes when the kids were young and she told me she uses it every couple of weeks to make grilled cheese sandwiches for her lunch. To me it seemed to just sit on top of the stove with her tea kettle on top of it but I am the first to admit I don't know everything that she does. For care, never let them sit soaking full of water and always put them on the stove for a final drying after you towel them dry. Cast iron does not take well to being wet so always try to leave it bone dry after you have cooked with it and cleaned it.
BrianK gave you the link to the other cast thread going, jump in!!! Good stuff over there! I have a couple....
Actually using soap will not hurt them... Believe it or not... When the oil is heated it turns to a polymer which is essentially plastic, leaving a plastic-like coating the soap won't wash off. It will look "dry" after washing so a couple drips of oil or a spritz with Pam and a quick wipe with a paper towel will make it shiny again. And heat it for a minute to remove any moisture That being said, I still don't "wash" them often. I just rinse/scrub them with water while they are still hot , like you mentioned
No it won't, but yes it will... I'll explain, Most people when they wash something in soap and water, it's washed, rinsed, and put away. When you do that with cast iron you leave the chance of any un-oiled surfaces exposed and can start to rust or pit. Also, that very fine layer of oils in the bottom of the pan that didn't polymerize are removed with the soap but will stay there with just a hot water rinse mostly. Lastly, some people just love that cast taste left in the pan. Soap is not needed, but can be used. I don't wash my pans, only a hot water rinse. I'm not dead yet! Once a pan gets about basiclly 250 degrees, no bacteria will be alive in the cooking surface anyway. A lot of people put a little water in the bottom and bring the pan to almost boiling, dump the water and wipe it out dry, spray with pam, wipe, "done"
