Out Of Grandma's Kitchen: Cast Iron

Cast iron was a standard material for cookware during the 19th century and early 20th century.  It was practically indestructible and held up when cooking with wood, whether a wood stove or open fire.  The only drawbacks are that it can be brittle, rusts, and must be kept seasoned.

Ignore Dirty Stove Top

My pans were handed down in my family and acquired at thrift stores.  Some of the pieces actually came from my great-grandma's farm.  I do have one extremely large pan that I bought for fried chicken.  It only gets used a few times a year, but I consider it a wise purchase.

Cast iron is the original non- stick cookware.  A well seasoned pan is almost as good as teflon and quite a bit healthier.  Caste iron actually adds iron to your diet, instead of dangerous chemicals and off gases.

Keep your pans in good shape by hand washing them with minimal soap, and keep a layer of oil on them.  Dry the pans in a hot oven or stove top rather than air drying.  You can search this blog for instructions on refurbishing dirty or old caste iron.

There is nothing better than corn bread cooked in a cast iron pan.  It develops a caramelized crust that tastes fantastic and has a wonderful crunch.  Our old folks knew about food and how it is supposed to taste.  Their cooking methods are worth emulating to get the same delicious results.

God bless,
Pam