CAST IRON COOKWARE

Cast iron cookware is some of the oldest cookware we still use a great deal of today. It has been used for several hundred years, and for good reasons. Cast iron in any form of cookware heats fast and holds it's heat for a long time, and once a cast iron skillet is “seasoned” it is easy to clean and almost non stick.

Today there are companies that sell pre-seasoned cast iron skillets, but seasoning one is a simple task that must be done before the skillet is useable. The entire skillet is rubbed liberally with vegetable oil, inside and out, handle and all. It is them inverted on a baking pan and placed in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for one hour. The skillet is removed and let to cool. This seasoning should never be washed with soap and water. It should be wiped clean after use with warm to hot water only. Soap would break down the oil seasoning that keeps the cast iron from rusting and gives it it's almost non stick quality.

One of the things that makes cast iron cookware so useful is it's ability to be used in the oven. A skillet for finishing off meats, cooking cornbread, and oven browning. Most dutch ovens, and casserole dishes are now enamel coated, meaning no seasoning and easy clean up. This type of oven ware can be used on top of the stove to start a dish and then in the oven for a long period of time to finish the dish; the cast iron heating up all around the food and holding in the heat for a long time. A good dutch oven is indispensable in a kitchen today.