Witch Tip Wednesday 3.28.18
Cast Iron Care
I grew up in what I call a cast iron family. All the pans were cast iron, we had a few enamel pots for pasta, and one beat up copper bottomed pan for boxed mac and cheese. My mom cooked most days and when she didnāt, it was mac and cheese or pasta because we werenāt allowed to cook with her pans unless she was there.
Cast iron has some mixed reviews, some (me), swear by it and some, think itās difficult and impossible to cook withā¦and theyāre right to a degree (get it, degree, cooking, farenheit, celciusā¦sorry), if you donāt know how to care for cast iron, itās a hassle and a mess. Thatās what this post is for though!
Seasoning
Seasoning is the term used to treat and clean cast iron. Even when you buy a new āpre-seasonedā pan, youāre going to want to season it yourself. A major benefit of cooking with cast iron is that it retains flavor, and makes its own seasoning for your foodā¦like magic!
Step 1: Clean your pan with HOT water and a scouring brush, rough side of a sponge, or steel wool. Nothing elseā¦just water and something rough.
Step 2: Dry it completely with paper towels, and then place it on a lit stovetop burner for a minute or so to make sure itās completely dry.
Step 3: While the pan is warm, probably 10-20 minutes after you remove from stove, (because it retains heat like no oneās business, and I donāt want you to burn yourself) pour some oil* into the pan and spread it around, completely coating the inside. Wipe off excess.
Step 4: Place in the oven set to 200Āŗ F, Upside Down for 2 hours
BOOM! Your pan is seasoned and ready to cook with.
*But Barber, what kind of oil? Thatās mostly up to you, but canola is the classic standard (vegetable oil) but I use olive oil or canola, depending on what I used last. You can use any vegetable oil you want, whether thatās grapeseed, sunflower or flax seed, but thereās no reason to go crazy and buy a āCast Iron Care Oilā because thatās literally just a marked up bottle of canolaā¦No Lies.
NEVER USE SOAP WHEN CLEANING YOUR CAST IRON,and hereās whyā¦**
Soap is great for clothes, and your body, and even your car, but not for Cast Iron. Cast iron is a porous metal, so when you put something in, it absorbs. When you cook with it regularly, and oil it regularly, it creates its own nonstick surface! Itāll absorb the taste of herbs and spices you cook with regularly, and everything gets a mild flavor boost from whatever you cooked in it previously. When you use soap, it removes that surface and flavor; soap can absorb and flavor your food, and no one wants soapy fritatas.
Now, the seasoning steps above are used when you get a new pan, or need to re-season a rusted pan. Itāll restore it like new. But what about cleaning after cooking something tastey?
Cleaning and Upkeep
Step 1: While the pan is still warm, take rock salt and/or a non-metal brush (like the one above that I use) and go crazy scrubbing it.***
Step 2: Rinse with warm water, and dry with a paper towel (I say paper towel, because itāll actually raise up some iron, and turn your towel blackā¦better use a disposable towel, or risk staining your nice linens) after that, feel free to put on the stove top for a minute to make sure itās all dry
Step 3: Coat with a little oil, wipe up excess, and store in your oven or broiler.
Special notes: The heat, salt you use to scrub, and iron itself all equal one great big anti-bacterial surface, so no worries about not using soap and feeling like youāll get salmonella. Because itās a porous surface, air drying is a no-no. Itāll lead to rust, and then youāll have to scrub it off and completely re-season it (refer to first seasoning process).
**The soap thing. You can use soap. I never do. Most soaps these days arenāt as damaging and stripping as the old ones. Again, you can use soap, but I never will because like I said, thatās how i grew up, my tradition, this is a part of my witchcraft practice, and it works for me. Updated 10/27/18 p.s. idk about yāall, but I use dish soap to get rid of oil, so while tons of people message me about using soap on it, I still am not going to break tradition of not using soap on a pan older than me. 11/27/18
***When you scrub with salt, it starts picking up iron particles and oil. Itāll start turning black and you can keep it in a jar until youāve got a good amount, bake it on a sheet to dry it, and there you have classic Black Salt! For more banishing oomph, I scald pepper in a fry pan, and add incense ash to the mix.
