cast iron fry pan myths

For me, it depends. If it's butter or oil to keep something from sticking, like eggs, I get the pan hot (hot but not smoking hot), then add the fat and get it hot, then food. If it is a larger quantity of oil, like to fry chicken, then definitely put the oil in a cold pan.

 

Add the oil/fat AFTER it's good and hot. You can add the food pretty quickly after adding the oil/fat since the pan should be real hot and heats the oil in a few seconds. But yes, as a test drop a drop of water in and it should go crazy in there.

As an update, my polished pan is working awesome. Much better than my not polished pan. So I'm going to do the other one..... Seasons real nice, cleans up nice, and it holds a really nice non stick now.... love it!

 

Enjoyed reading this thread. I have a fair bit of cast iron cookware, all vintage. Was wondering if anyone could tell me about this piece, other than the obvious. It had belonged to my grandmother and we use it only to make cornbread. 9-3/4" square and 1-1/2" deep. Wagner Ware, Sidney, Ohio. Number at the bottom says 1218F. It is flat and pretty smooth. Needs reseasoning.

 

I have been on the fence about stripping an old piece... but something about grandma's cooking still being crusted on it prevents me from getting out the oven cleaner.

So instead I have been using it, cleaning with coarse salt, then a light rub with lard (aka leftover bacon grease) and in the oven (usually 350° because that is the oven default.) Get it out the next day and use it again. Over the last few months it has gotten back to perfection. I still have some issues with the sides, inside the pan but they are slowly getting there with each salt scrub. I notice I need less and less salt to clean it.

I've gotten to the point eggs slide right out ...

 

No chance of selling it ever. My kitchen and house are full of vintage cookware and utensils from the late 1800's and early 1900's. Not a collector, per se, just like the old stuff hanging around, but that pan and an old dutch oven are special to me.

 

Try this, its the best way I've found for cleaning and seasoning flea market pans.
http://www.panman.com/cleaning.html

 

I use a one pound container of lye in FIVE gallons of water. It's strong enough to burn you, and it does a remarkable job. One and a half gallons would be pretty intense.

 

Bought some Lard the other day at the store.

Way better for cooking fried eggs with than butter when you don't have bacon!!!

 

I use olive oil nowadays.
Used to fry up some bacon, then baste my eggs in the grease, then cook up a nice juicy hamburger to go with it all.
I still use nothing but real butter on some things though. I heard somewhere that margarine is only one molecule away from being plastic.Now, back to CI stuff.

 

I need a "scrap guy", but only if he brings me stuff like that.
Nice.

 

I understand that also. Truth is coming out. Natural stuff is way better for you and your heart. It that darn prepared stuff that is plugging our arteries. Eggs OK, butter ok, margarine junk, wrapped american cheese, 49% oil. Cool whip is oil. Yuk.

 

That's a nice haul, WeldrDave.

I had a #10 Gris that nice once. I shined it up and gave it to my sister as a Christmas gift. Someday I'll find another. Part of the fun, I reckon.