Why I Made the Switch to Cast Iron.

I started cooking at a young age. My Grams lived with us and she was an amazing cook. As a child I had the honor of being her sous-chef. I still have fond memories of shelling peas at the kitchen table or digging my hands into the batter of the homemade fruitcakes she and I made every Christmas. I’ve never understood people’s dislike of fruitcake. Grams fruitcake was soaked in bourbon with a smidgen of flour and other stuff thrown in to hold the bourbon together.

“No officer I wasn’t drinking, I just ate a slice of my grandma’s fruitcake”.

At the time I was learning to cook, non-stick cookware was the all the rage. So were Pet Rocks, basically a rock in a box that sold for $4. I didn’t say it was a smart time in American history. A few years after I moved away from home I read about the dangers of non-stick cookware and tossed all of it. Immediately. I kept my Pet Rock.

Did you know:  Cast Iron was invented in China in the 5th century. Because it was inexpensive to produce, it was mostly used for utensils. Wrought iron & steel were more desirable for making weapons.

Stainless steel cookware was my next choice. I mean cast iron was old fashioned. “Ewwww” I thought. Ya, I’ve evolved.

My first set of stainless steel cookware was a dream. I’m a glitter glam girl – I know – homesteading isn’t glitter or glam but I march to the beat of my own sparkly drum. I say why CAN’T a chicken coop have a disco ball?!

Anyway, I loved the shine but it did take a learning curve to not have Every. Single. Thing I cooked in it not stick. Non-stick pans may give off toxic fumes and kill birds as well as give humans flu-like symptoms but stuff DIDN’T stick! After some time my enthusiasm for stainless steel waned. The shiny gave way to splattered and stained. Cleaning them became a chore. I don’t like chores. Especially self-imposed chores.

Then…cast iron pans came into my life. *Cue the angels singing*

My desire to make a restaurant quality steak [oh Porterhouse how do I love thee] lead me to my first cast iron purchase.

The term Dutch oven comes from the Netherlands where the Dutch perfected cast iron molds by using a dry sand method technique. This technique produces a smoother surface.

It was love at first use. While many people don’t care for the weight of cast iron, I LOVE it (of course dropping it is no picnic so do handle carefully). *BONUS* Who needs a gym? Have you ever seen the muscles on some of those pioneer women? Rough and tumble women indeed!

Here are only a few reasons I just love cast iron cookware:

• It’s practically indestructible.
• Has exceptional heating ability.
• Does a fantastic job on browning and caramelizing.
• Creates it’s own chemical free non-stick surface.
• A snap to clean up.
• You can cook almost anything in it*
• It lasts forever and it isn’t shiny!

*No boiling of water or cooking acidic foods (in newer pans). Once your pan is deep seasoned you can cook with acidic foods. I have with no flavor transfer problems with my well seasoned pans.

After experiencing the magic that cast iron lends to cooking I sought out more. And more. Ummmm and more. Little pans, giant skillets, griddles, and a camp oven complete with tripod! Plus my favorite my enameled Dutch oven. Roasting a chicken in a Dutch oven is a thing of beauty.

Hmmmmm…. I wonder if this love of cast iron is what brought us to our new home state of Tennessee? Some sort of cast iron subliminal messaging? Wait! You don’t know? Oh my goodness! Tennessee is cast iron mecca! It’s the home of Lodge Cast Iron Company. Hitch up the covered wagon, I’m making a pilgrimage.

For those of you not in the know here’s a bit of history about Lodge Cast Iron:

Originally from Pennsylvania, Joseph Lodge traveled to Tennessee in 1876 at the ripe old age of 28, after spending time in South America and living in Peru for two years. He started a foundry he called Blacklock (named after a minister friend of his). It burnt down in 1910 but he rebuilt a few blocks away and named it: Lodge Manufacturing Company. {Bet you guessed that huh}. Lodge has operated continually in the same location ever since! They are the oldest cast iron cookware manufacturing company in the US and are still owned and operated by the Lodge family.

I just love stories like this. True Americana. Supporting a family owned US business makes me a happy girl. Plus they make a quality product! I can’t wait to take a trip there.

I hear you… BUT IT RUSTS… you say. Yes it does but that’s called patina. People pay big money for that don’t they? Alright, I agree I don’t want rust in my food either. Don’t fret though, cleaning rust off your precious cast iron cookware isn’t as hard as you think. I’ve done it and it’s easy peasy. If you dry it properly the pan won’t even rust. I dry mine by placing it back on a burner, after washing, and heating the pan until the water has disappeared. It’s as simple as that. To see how painless it is to revive a rusted pan, take a moment and watch this video produced by Lodge.

 

See? Super Simple. Now it’s time to get my pioneer woman on, fire up the covered wagon and hit the trail for a trip to Cast Iron Nirvana!

What’s your absolute favorite pan to cook with?