One of the longest lasting and most reliable kitchen tools, is the cast iron skillet. Many people consider them old-fashioned, and maybe even outdated.
But, in fact, cast iron skillets may be the one cookware that will never become obsolete. With the proper care and usage, a cast iron skillet has the potential to last through many generations of use.
Significance
Cast Iron cooking has been around for hundreds of years. In modern times, the cast iron is coated with a wax that should be scrubbed of before using, for the best results and to help season the pan properly.
Years ago cast iron pans were the thing to use. Now, with the addition of cookware that is made with steel, copper, and Teflon, the cast iron section of cooking has seemed to be taken over by many pieces of cookware that will wear out faster, and some of them will add toxins to the food that is cooked in them.
With cast iron, there is no danger of toxins leaching into the food. It is one of the healthiest ways to cook low-fat, and one of the easiest types of cookware to clean.
Even if a cast iron skillet has been passed down from generation to generation, it will still work just as well. As long as there are no cracks in it, it should be usable even if it looks rusty. The trick is, to get the rust off of a perfectly good pan. You can do this by scouring it with a steel wool pad, rinsing well, and drying.
Function
If your skillet is completely cast iron, including the handles, it can be used on top of the stove, in the oven, and even over a camp fire. Many people who camp and cook outside love cast iron because of the possibility of using it in so many different ways.
Before you use a new cast iron skillet, you will want to season it.
Seasoning it can be done very easily, and will help make it work even better.
If there is a wax coating on the pan, scrub it off with a steel wool pad with warm water and a little dish soap. Rinse it well, and dry it completely.
Then you will want to rub some cooking oil over the entire surface of the pan, but use a very light coat of oil. Vegetable oil, canola oil, shortening and lard are all good choices of oil to use.
After you rub oil in it, you will want to heat it in the oven, upside down with something such as a good size piece of foil underneath it to catch any oil that might drip from it. You will want it in a 300 to 500 degree Fahrenheit oven for anywhere from a half hour to an hour.
After cooling completely repeat the seasoning technique a couple of more times. If you do this a few times, you will end up with a well-seasoned pan.
Types
Cast iron skillets are available in many styles. Different sizes of frying pan, griddles, dutch ovens, and even roasting pans. Finding them in whatever style you want should be no problem. You can even find cast iron bake ware for all your baking needs.
Benefits
Besides being long lasting, oven and stove top safe, and the ability to use them over an open fire, the benefits to cast iron skillets far outweighs that of other types of cookware.
The health benefits include adding iron to your diet from the cookware. Another health benefit is that with usage and proper seasoning, your cast iron skillets will become practically non-stick. This means that you will be able to do more fat free cooking, and eat lower fat meals.
The amount of iron that leeches into food cooked in cast iron skillets is minimal, so is safe for most people, including pregnant women (who often have a problem with anemia).
Acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, make almost twice as much iron to leech into the food. If you are anemic, this is good news.
It is actually highly recommended for people who are anemic, as well as for those who are vegetarians, to use cast iron skillets for cooking. The amount of iron that goes into the food is enough to make a difference in the amount of iron in your bloodstream.
Warning
If you are sensitive to iron, and have any condition that requires that you avoid adding iron to your diet, you shouldn't use cast iron pans. One such condition is hemochromatosis, a genetic disease that causes the intestines to absorb too much iron for the body to handle safely.
When you clean your cast iron pan, make sure you use a regular dish soap, warm water, and rinse it well and dry it thoroughly to prevent rusting.
If you don't use your cast iron skillets regularly, you should rub a little bit of oil on them and heat them up on the stove to keep them well-seasoned. Make sure you wash and dry them thoroughly to keep them in the best shape possible.
Tags: cast iron, iron skillets, cast iron, cast iron, cast iron skillets, cast iron skillet