Cooking Cast Iron - Long with many thumbnails

ive got to add to this one i have a 4 quart cast iron pot (that i havent used for a long time now) with a big trypod stand to hang it over an open fire, i used to make all kinds of stews beef, deer, or fill with lard and deep fat fry fish and hog rinds , i forgot about those days in the campground cooking for people i didnt even know the smell alone brought them in for a gathering of fun for the night, well afternoon into the night you know what i mean that pot has made some good food and i still have it all too, the trypod was hand made by a blacksmith that comes to this states FAIR each year, i just got a hankering for some old time deer stew i used to make, hate that as i dont have a real fire pit in the back yard, but i will now tho

Thanks for this thread. I have become a huge fan of cast iron cookware this year, and this is very helpful info.

I have an old CI chicken frier pan that my grandmother had.I messed it up some place a long the line and I need to strip it and start again. I have been useing CI for years but for some reason I messed this one up.Dummy me. Thanks,JT

bump

Interesting read. Good info.

I've tried patiently for 20 years to convince my wife NOT to use soap in the cast iron. I still haven't succeeded. The last time I reseasoned them, I "reviewed" the proper cleaning method with her again... There was some comment about "do it yourself then!" So I do. It's amazing how much better they cook, and how non-stick they have become since they've been cleaned properly.

As to restoring old ones, is there any reason they can't be media blasted? I believe my BIL uses walnut shells to clean up old CI, then reseasons them. I have one old skillet he did, and it's great!

For you folks using the CI for your cornbread, are you making it Northern or Southern style?

burgers wrote:

As to restoring old ones, is there any reason they can't be media blasted?

I won't hurt the cast iron if you media blast it. Think about it for a minute, All you're doing is cleaning it down to the original cast iron surface. Sure there's minor wear and tear but we are talking about cast iron & that is pretty tough stuff. After media blasting be sure you season it well & clean it properly. Cast iron will last for generations if it is taken care of properly.

Every weekend I make my breakfast in a skillet that my grandmother cooked breakfast in over 80 years ago. I dunno about you folks but to me that is just cool! The really cool thing will be passing it on to the next generation in my family.

Welcome to the board burgers!

I recently purchased a very small cast iron pan. It's just big enough to fry two eggs, or half a potato. I've been having fun cooking breakfast in it. I seasoned it a little in the oven and a little on the stovetop. Just a light coating of oil and a medium heat, repeated a couple dozen times. I haven't "washed" it yet... I just wipe out any excess oil & debris and put it back on the stove to season a little more. It's getting a real nice non-stick surface.

I have an old cast iron pan that I used to burn "smoke wood" in a propane smoker. Using it directly over the burner without seasoning it has burnt off all its protection and it has rusted pretty bad. It is no longer used for smoking so I've been thinking about blasting it and seasoning it to see how well that works. I have a blaster out in the barn but don't know when I will have time to "get-a-round-tuit".

Sorry for posting a thread from another forum , but I thought this was an excellent, EASY way to clean up cast iron. http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewt ... highlight=

tex

Thanks for the great education! I just hope you didn't turn me into a cast iron junkie now.

O.K... I stayed up a little late last night to give this a go.

Sorry for the blurry pictures… I don’t know if it was because the camera batteries were dead and I was pushing them to the limit or because was using the macro too far away. As you can see, it was very rusty before blasting. Before and after shots:


Changed the batteries when I got back into the house. All cleaned up any ready for seasoning:


A little oil to keep it from re-rusting and ready to start the seasoning process. Also a shot of my new little cast iron pan:


And here are some action shots of the little guy. Had to cut the bacon in half and had to cook the medium sized potato 1/2 at a time. This was two different cooks:




The egg didn't stick at all but it is difficult to get a spatula in such a small area. I've had a lot of fun with these two pans.

Good as new, Bob. It should last another hundred years now! Looks purdy!

tex

My wife and kids have been grumbling all weekend about the smell... The two pans have been seasoned at least a half-dozen times so the house is a little smoky. They look good.

I'll have to give the "new" pan a try soon.

Bob-BQN wrote:

My wife and kids have been grumbling all weekend about the smell...

I took someones advice on here several years ago to put my Chargriller Cast Iron grates in the kitchen oven and run the cleaning cycle so I could clean them to start a new seasoning on them and I smoked out the house. I was in the doghouse for a few days... I feel your pain!

tex

I really smoked up the house last night ...... and no one seemed to mind. I was cooking burgers with the doors and windows open. What a b e a u t i f u l day!!! You could see the sun rays beaming through the clouds of smoke in the livingroom.

B.O.T. Here are the final Before-After shots:


The pan is about half seasoned in my opinion but is now completely usable. I hope to give it a try soon. Maybe this weekend.