New cast iron pan care

[dragnlaw]

Which is counterintuitive to the well known advice of NEVER PUT ANYTHING ACIDIC INTO CAST IRON.

honestly? I've never heard that advice before. This was the first time and I sort of wonder why
a) in 80 years, I've never heard it before and
b) nope not particularly good advice insofar as I am concerned...

because:-
a) I believe you can cook what ever you want in Cast Iron
and
b) I believe you should not STORE anything in Cast Iron

there's a difference

 

[jennyema]

I cook with wine, tomatoes etc in my cast iron all the time. It will change the taste of the food slightly — and some people do it deliberately to get extra iron.

It does not wreck your seasoning.

 

[Millah]

I’ve just recently binned all the frypans I had , they were scan-pan brand that can be on the expencive side .
I made the decision due to media going on and on about the dangers of teflon coated products .

I’ve replaced them with stainless steel heavy Bottom scan pan brand ,I’m quite happy with them ..they cook the steak to perfection ( we rarely have steak ) but it’s so nice to have a pan that cooks food just the way we like it
for myself and my other half

 

[taxlady]

I’ve just recently binned all the frypans I had , they were scan-pan brand that can be on the expencive side .
I made the decision due to media going on and on about the dangers of teflon coated products .

I’ve replaced them with stainless steel heavy Bottom scan pan brand ,I’m quite happy with them ..they cook the steak to perfection ( we rarely have steak ) but it’s so nice to have a pan that cooks food just the way we like it
for myself and my other half

Scanpan cookware doesn't use teflon.

 

[Millah]

Scanpan cookware doesn't use teflon.

I was uncertain ….so I binned them…just to be sure , I’m waiting for the day they release air fryers without coatings , Costco had one last week with stainless steel interior but it was to big ( like a mini oven) , I’ve got a reasonable a amount of room on my bench top but I didn’t want to clutter the area
@taxlady

 

[CharlieD]

It's not just that one recipe tho, it's several. Which is counterintuitive to the well known advice of NEVER PUT ANYTHING ACIDIC INTO CAST IRON.

This tomato dish looks fantastic and several sites including this one tell you to use the pan to cook this dish https://memoriediangelina.com/2023/06/03/spaghetti-allassassina-killer-spaghetti/

all i can say if this is what you want, go ahead, But I would make sure your pan is Well seasoned. Otherwise you will have everything stick to the surface.

 

[Andy M.]

One false rumor created decades ago and it still hangs on. There is no danger in cooking food in a teflon pan.

If you leave an empty pan on a burner to preheat and forget about it, eventually it will over heat and release some fumes that may make you feel like you have the flu. But that happens at around 600ºF-700ºF. Cooking happens at 300ºF to 400ºF.

 

[Marleyan_Wine]

honestly? I've never heard that advice before. This was the first time and I sort of wonder why
a) in 80 years, I've never heard it before and
b) nope not particularly good advice insofar as I am concerned...

because:-
a) I believe you can cook what ever you want in Cast Iron
and
b) I believe you should not STORE anything in Cast Iron

there's a difference

They say the acidity strips the seasoning. From everything I've read online anyway.

My CI obsession dates back to the year 2002, my dad took me camping and made this wondrous soup, with chicken, carrots, and hot sauce. The camping expedition sucked, it was rainy and cold, but that soup happened to be the highlight of my trip. I have since tried replicating the flavor of that soup without using CI to no avail. Even tried several different cooking techniques and different ingredients, no bueno.

I don't have the pan yet, it's coming in via the post at the end of this week or sometime early next week. I'll try and upload a photo. But the surface of the pan appears grainy, perhaps not as grainy as some other lesser costing pans. But it's still grainy nonetheless and @dcSaute had the right idea, I think. I may have to do some sanding before doing a seasoning in some beef fat or something. Lodge is a solid brand, but it's not the highest quality CI one can pay for. I think that designation belongs to either La Creuset or Stargazer. On Stargazer's website, their pans don't appear to have any grainy textures, they're smooth to the touch despite being seasoned. And that's supposedly done thru some proprietary technique.

 

[dragnlaw]

Of course acid can strip it, but only if you leave it in there. Even water can remove the seasoning, so can soap. But again, only if you leave it in there! I use soap and water all the time. Seasonings are still there.

Pebbly surface, well, let's just say I am not a fan. Even wire sanding can't take it down. Been there, done that. I imagine you would need a grinder. Even with a lot of seasoning I find many things still stick and come off with black on it.

 

[caseydog]

Just keep it well oiled and do not, what ever you do, ever leave something acidic in it for any length of time.
As soon as that dish is finished, wash, dry and oil your pan.

Personally, have never heard of sanding a CI before - and certainly not a Lodge.

Some people sand newer cast iron pans because they are rougher than the really old ones. My 100 year old Griswold is smooth as silk.

For the first few cooks, I have always cooked something fatty, like bacon. Then the tomatoes would not be as big of a problem. As mentioned, anything acidic needs to be rinsed out right away, and don't use dish soap, such as Dawn. That will strip your seasoning.

CD

 

[Kathleen]

We have a wall of cast-iron like many others here. I cook everything in cast iron. As others stated, what I would not do is store acidic foods in cast iron. But honestly, I don't store anything in my cast iron because I clean the pan when I finish cooking with it.

Wash your skillet like you would with any new skillet. Dry it, heat it, and wipe with a thin layer of oil, and then make that recipe. THEN...take a few pics and let us know how it turned out!

 

[caseydog]

I'm just an old batchelor cook, so feel free to skip this post.

When I scortch something in a cast iron pan I don't panic. But I want to stop the burning. Assuming this is at the end of cooking, after emptying the pan I'll quickly pour a little boiling water in and then stir or brush or otherwise agitage to unstuck stuff. In better circumstances, this is called deglazing.

I do the same thing, basically. I boil some water in the pan, and use a stiff dish brush to remove the gunk. Then, just rinse and dry.

CD

 

[caseydog]

They say the acidity strips the seasoning. From everything I've read online anyway.

My CI obsession dates back to the year 2002, my dad took me camping and made this wondrous soup, with chicken, carrots, and hot sauce. The camping expedition sucked, it was rainy and cold, but that soup happened to be the highlight of my trip. I have since tried replicating the flavor of that soup without using CI to no avail. Even tried several different cooking techniques and different ingredients, no bueno.

I don't have the pan yet, it's coming in via the post at the end of this week or sometime early next week. I'll try and upload a photo. But the surface of the pan appears grainy, perhaps not as grainy as some other lesser costing pans. But it's still grainy nonetheless and @dcSaute had the right idea, I think. I may have to do some sanding before doing a seasoning in some beef fat or something. Lodge is a solid brand, but it's not the highest quality CI one can pay for. I think that designation belongs to either La Creuset or Stargazer. On Stargazer's website, their pans don't appear to have any grainy textures, they're smooth to the touch despite being seasoned. And that's supposedly done thru some proprietary technique.

Keep in mind, Le Crueset is coated cast iron. I have a bunch of it. It is much easier to maintain. Acidic foods are fine with coated CI. They can even go in the dishwasher.

If you want to sand your new Lodge, you will need a pretty good sander, and some spare time on your hands.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I use soap and water (and I use Dawn) and haven't stripped any pans. Well, one time, looked up to see 3 horses trotting past and ran to corral them leaving the pan in the sink. Completely forgot the dishes 'til morning. Even then a good oiling and everything was fine.

 

[jennyema]

With all due respect, you are totally overthinking this. No need to sand. Lodge is top quality. Le Creuset is enameled. Soap is fine once it’s seasoned

Season it with a shitload of bacon.

It will last a lifetime or three. I have my great grandmothers and my grandmothers and my moms and my own.

It’s not Waterford Crystal. It’s just an iron pan.

 

[Kathleen]

With all due respect, you are totally overthinking this. No need to sand. Lodge is top quality. Le Creuset is enameled. Soap is fine once it’s seasoned

Season it with a shitload of bacon.

It will last a lifetime or three. I have my great grandmothers

You said it so much more succinctly than I did. Thank you!

 

[taxlady]

Quit saying that soap is okay. It's not. It's made with lye. It's modern dish washing detergents that are okay to use on cast iron.

 

[caseydog]

Quit saying that soap is okay. It's not. It's made with lye. It's modern dish washing detergents that are okay to use on cast iron.

Any soap that claims to "fight grease" is not good for bare cast iron. I just use scalding hot water to wash mine after use, and wipe it out with a paper towel to dry. It always turns out great, and I don't have to wipe it down with more oil/fats.

CD

 

[taxlady]

My mum didn't wash her cast iron on a regular basis. She only did that after making gravy in the pan or if she had cooked fish. Otherwise, food didn't stick and leave residue, so she just wiped it clean.

I have often cleaned cast iron by heating it with a layer of salt and then brushing hard with something like a stiff bristled brush or a wok brush. I have never managed to get a cast iron pan seasoned as well as my mum's was seasoned.

 

[caseydog]

With all due respect, you are totally overthinking this. No need to sand.

Sanding is totally optional... if you want a silky smooth cooking surface.

CD