Housewifery - Cast Iron

Have you used cast iron cookware? Do you possess at least one piece of it? How do you like using it?

I don’t think I ever used cast iron cookware until our grandsons, John and Joey, became Scouts. No, I tell a lie. I guess I had some, but I didn’t use it regularly! Why? Because it was so hard to clean! At least in my mind! And, of course, in Raf’s estimation I never cleaned it properly! I have come the conclusion that cast iron, a favorite of our ancestors, is mainly a guy-thing in this day and age! I know when our men’s club meets at church, they always make their breakfast on cast iron!

I do remember that my granny had cast iron. At least I remember a corn bread pan that had individual compartments that were shaped like ears of corn. My granny was a good cook, and she probably had lots of other cast iron pieces, but I just don’t remember them.

I now have only one cast iron piece, in my cook ware, and that is an enameled frying pan. It’s just the size to hold two steaks or two thick pork chops, and it’s great for cooking those. I get the pan very hot and brown the salted and peppered meat on both sides. Then I stick it in a 350˚F oven for about 20 minutes, and the meat is done perfectly!

But, how about the history of cast iron? When did our ancestors begin using it?

Pots and cauldrons were originally made from brass because iron could not be worked until furnaces creating heat enough to melt it were invented, about 513 B.C. in China and not until 1100 A.D. or so in England. At this point, pots could be made by making molds out of sand and pouring molting metal into the mold. Thus cast iron cookware was born.

The firstl cooking pots generally had three legs because they were made to be used over an open fire. Cooking in the home was done in the hearth or fireplace. (And this is the reason Scouts use cast iron cookware today over their open campfire!) Stoves with tops for cooking did not come into common usage until the 1700s.

By 1776 Adam Smith, in his book, The Wealth of Nations, noted that the real wealth of the nation was not its gold but in its manufacture of cookwares. Cast iron cookware was highly valued in the 18th century. George Washington's mother thought so much of her cookware that she made special note to bequeath her cast iron in her will, and in their expedition to the Louisiana territory in 1804, Lewis and Clark indicated that their cast iron Dutch oven was one of their most important pieces of equipment.

In the 1800s cast iron cookware enjoyed tremendous popularity. Manufacturers at that time include Wagner, Lodge, Griswold, and John Wright. Some of these manufacturers are still around today.

In the late 1800s enameled cast iron cookware became popular and is still commonly used for Dutch ovens. In the 1900s cookware made from other materials began to become popular, stainless steel, aluminum, and pans with Teflon coatings. Today cast iron cookware, because of its many qualities, and questions about the health effects of other metals, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

Cast iron cookware leaches small amounts of iron into the food. People with iron deficiencies, may benefit from this effect, though those with excess iron issues may suffer negative effects.

In order to properly use cast iron cookware, it must be seasoned. Seasoning is preparing the cast iron cookware for use. There are two objectives in this process, to coat the cookware to prevent rust; and to create a natural, permanent non-stick cooking surface.

Seasoning is an easy, but very important first step when using cast iron. Unlike synthetically coated cookware, cast iron can be seasoned, re-seasoned, and its cooking surface restored. When you season a cast iron utensil, you are preventing rust and providing the cookware with a natural, permanent non-stick surface.

But remember, seasoning takes time and repeated use before a pan develops the shiny, black surface like your grandmother’s cast iron cookware. A black, shiny skillet is a well-seasoned skillet.

Here are the steps:
Wash cookware in hot, soapy water. Use soap this time only. Rinse utensil and dry completely. Discoloration on towel is normal.
2. Apply a thin, even coating of melted shortening to the utensil with a soft cloth or paper towel. Apply inside and outside (NOTE: If your utensil has a lid, make sure you season it as well.)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place utensil on top shelf of oven, upside down. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and put on bottom shelf of oven to catch any drippings. Bake in oven for one hour, then turn oven off and let utensil remain in the oven until cool.
4. To clean utensil after use, use boiling water and a plastic scrub bun or brush. Do not use soap, unless you are going to repeat the seasoning process. Do not put in dishwasher.
5. Always wash immediately after use, while still hot.
6. After washing utensil, dry thoroughly, then spray lightly with vegetable oil, wipe with a paper towel, and store. Never store utensil with lid on. (Cast iron needs air circulation.)
7. Do not use utensil as a food storage vessel.
8. To remove heavy food or grease build-up, scour with steel wool, SOS pad, etc., then re-season.
9. Deep fry in Dutch ovens at least six times prior to cooking beans of any kind. Re-season utensil after cooking acidic foods, such as beans or tomatoes.

Here are a couple of recipes to use with your cast iron cookware.
Baked Rabbit with Sour Cream
Ingredients:
1 medium rabbit, cut in pieces
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons margarine
1 cup minced onions
2 cups sour cream
Preparation:
In a food storage bag combine cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add rabbit pieces and shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oven to 325°. Heat margarine in a cast iron skillet; sauté rabbit until browned on all sides. Pour off excess fat. Add onions and sour cream, cover, and bake at 325° for 1 hour.

Corn Pone

3 cups cornmeal
3 tbsp. lard
2-3 cups boiling water
3 tsp. salt

Melt fat in 9" cast iron pan to coat. Pour remaining fat into other ingredients and mix. Bake at 350º F about 50 min. or until golden brown.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this cast iron trip down memory lane.
Until next time...

©2009 Sue Seibert