Cast Iron Use and Care

[thymeless]

I'm not a fan of salt for cleaning cast iron. Yes, it's abrasive, but it's also highly reactive and rusting agent. My brother is a fan of that method. I'm happier with a plastic putty knife and a teflon-safe scrubby. But my seasoning is getting to the point now that's only a problem with one specialty use pan.

thymeless

 

[jennyema]

Well, all food is acidic (baking soda and egg whites being the two common exceptions). Some just more than others. Here's a chart of foods and their pH. http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp65.htm The lower the number, the more acidic it is.

A bunch of those foods are not acidic at all -- they are alkaline.

 

[shpj4]

Cast Iron pots and pans are great and using oil in them so things won't stick to the pan is the thing to do.

 

[HickoryHacker]

Re: acid / alkaline foods:

Here's the U.S. FDA site on the topic:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/lacf-phs.html

I took a quick look and saw very few foods with a pH above 7. I had always assumed that almost every food was at least somewhat acidic - and that those foods with a pH below 4.6 were used for preserving....but I'm far from being a food scientist....don't even own a pocket protector.

Oh, incidentally, I have checked with Lodge about the salt cleaning....they had no problem with it. I usually wipe the pan down with a damp cloth then add a bit of oil once it's clean, so I wouldn't imagine salt accumulation / rust would be an issue....but at the end of the day, it's as much art as science I guess. Go with what works for you.

 

[thymeless]

A bunch of those foods are not acidic at all -- they are alkaline.

I think you're confusing the health view of what foods acidize and alkilinize the body. In that view, it's what they percieve as the effect incorporating that food into body has upon the body. That is not related to the pH of the food itself in that view.

Because yes, all those foods are acidic.

thymeless

 

[jennyema]

I think you're confusing the health view of what foods acidize and alkilinize the body. In that view, it's what they percieve as the effect incorporating that food into body has upon the body. That is not related to the pH of the food itself in that view.

Because yes, all those foods are acidic.

thymeless

Then why provide a pH chart to prove your point? A chart that shows some of those foods have a pH above 7?

And ... I frankly don't understand your point, sorry.

 

[thymeless]

Neutral is at 7.

The food list I linked shows all but a few items below that value.

My point is that to say "don't cook acidic foods in cast iron" is imprecise and unhelpful as most food is acidic. Yet it cooks just fine in cast iron.

There is a health perspective that views alkalinity and acidity in a way that contradicts the common usage of the terms. I brought that up because I thought that was the view with which some were coming to the discussion.

thymeless

 

[jennyema]

You claim that "all food is acidic" and linked a chart that shows that some foods have a pH of 7 or above which seems to directly contradict your claim.

Admittedly, most are 7 or below, but not "all" of them are. HH's FDA chart shows at least 20 of the foods listed to have pHs of 7 or above.

I'm in total agreement with you on the issue of cooking acidic foods in cast iron.

But I still don't understand "There is a health perspective that views alkalinity and acidity in a way that contradicts the common usage of the terms."

And I still don't know what you thought I was "confusing" earlier.

 

[thymeless]

a quick google pulls up this:

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/salivaphtest.htm

The goal is to "de-acidify" the body to prevent illness. I don't accept that view of health and eating BTW.

When I said "all", I also gave two counter examples right off to show that alkaline foods do occur, but are few compared to the acidic foods.

 

[jennyema]

a quick google pulls up this:

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/salivaphtest.htm

The goal is to "de-acidify" the body to prevent illness. I don't accept that view of health and eating BTW.

When I said "all", I also gave two counter examples right off to show that alkaline foods do occur, but are few compared to the acidic foods.

Hmmmmm.... I am not sure what I think of that site, but I did get a that they say eggs are "highly acidic!" Also not sure what the notion of "de-acidifying" your body has to do with the simple chemistry of which foods react to cast iron.

My only point is that you did say that all food is acidic, some just more than others and "(b)ecause yes, all those foods (on your linked list) are acidic," when in fact they aren't. IMO it's important to keep the facts straight.

So I guess we should call it quits and agree that while most foods are acidic to some degree, not all are.

All this talk has made me decide to make my garlic chicken with white wine in my CI skillet for dinner tomorrow!

 

[Gretchen]

I'm not a fan of salt for cleaning cast iron. Yes, it's abrasive, but it's also highly reactive and rusting agent. My brother is a fan of that method. I'm happier with a plastic putty knife and a teflon-safe scrubby. But my seasoning is getting to the point now that's only a problem with one specialty use pan.

thymeless

Salt is not a problem if it is rinsed off. you don't leave it on.

 

[thymeless]

I understand that. I'd just rather keep it away. Matter of preference.

thymeless

 

[sugarx2]

Anyone have access to a list or codes of the DESCOWARE Cast Iron line? I am in need of matching missing lids. I don't know what the codes mean. Is there a list of all the items they made anywhere?

Thanks!

Candy

 

[justplainbill]

Something I haven't seen mentioned is the technique of using kosher salt and a bit of oil to clean your cast iron. It's an abrasive of sorts, and does a great job of sopping up / scraping off whatever bits o' stuff are stuck to the cast iron. The only time I will use soap on cast iron is when I'm planning to re-season the pan.

Whenever I get a pan that is really, really crudded up I either put it in the BBQ grill (heat cranked all the way up) or spray it with oven cleaner and use a soft wire brush (bronze) to clean it up. I've used this to restore very very old pans with no problems.

Oh - and I don't use the cast iron for any tomato-based dishes. I've also heard that the acidity will cause some icky flavors (or metals!) to leach into the food.

Real soap (as opposed to detergent) should be quite alkaline considering it's made from lye and fat. Real soap is not a particularly effective degreasing agent.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Once your skillet is decently seasoned don't be too afraid to your soap and hot water when you need it.

They key is to rinse well and DRY completely.

Veg oil usually leaves a sticky film, which is why I like to use crisco.

My father's skillet is 40 years old with 40 years worth of seasoning and he's shoot me dead if I got soap near it.

My dad's pan is also 100% non-stick. He can cook anything in that and nothing sticks to the bottom.

I really want my dad's pan.

 

[pontalba]

This a great thread, I'm off to season pans!
Thanks everyone for great tips and links.