Good Tools Is Half The Work
Humans have used cast iron for cooking for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Because cast iron has the exceptional ability to maintain and diffuse heat, and is easy to mold into various shapes, it is ideal for cookware.
Cast iron requires seasoning because it has the tendency to stain some foods, this is not one of its more desirable traits. Seasoning involves putting a coating of oil, either animal or vegetable, onto the surface of the cast iron.
There are several reasons for seasoning cast iron, that cast iron that is not seasoned stains foods is one of those reasons. It also provides a non-stick surface for cooking and prevents rusting, it is now possible to purchase pre-seasoned cast iron cookware.
Oils used for seasoning are high in saturated fats, as unsaturated fats tend to become sour much faster, and are therefore unsuitable for this process.
Cast iron cookware that is not pre-seasoned is shipped with a coating on food quality wax or mineral oil to prevent rust, and should be cleaned before seasoning.
New cast iron should be thoroughly cleaned with a mild dish soap and steel wool; if the surface is unpolished you may use a wire brush.
The easiest method for seasoning a pan is to wipe the cleaned pan with oil and use it, over time this will season it naturally. Another method is to heat the pan until water boils when splashed on it.
Wipe a think coat of oil on the pan with a rag; turn the pan upside down on foil in a medium hot over for 1-2 hours. Let the pan cool, it is now ready for cooking.
Full strength dish soap should never be used for cleaning a seasoned pan; it removes the coating and requires the pan to be re-seasoned.
Mild, much diluted dish soap may be used occasionally, but many feel the best way to clean a cast iron pan is to simply wipe it clean. One method of cleaning is to scrub the inside with coarse salt and rub with a towel, rinse with cold water.
Regardless of the means of cleaning, the pan should be completely dry and lightly oiled after cleaning.
For the best Cookware – check out Le Creuset Cookware at http://lecreusetcookware.org
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 4:29 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.