Thanks for all your responses to my earlier post. Except for a couple
of you who choose to season your skillets with salt, the rest of you
recommend use lard, Crisco, frying bacon, etc.. In other words, using
cast iron skillets is not for those who are trying to minimize the use
of fat in their cooking. Am I understanding it correctly? I thought
that I was avoiding the need to reseason the skillet by buying a Lodge
preseasoned skillet. But evidently that is not the case. It seems that
it is a constant concern and chore to keep the skillet properly seasoned
through numerous uses and cleanings. So using a cast iron skillet is
not a carefree choice but rather a high maintenance one (compared to
nonstick pans).

"tenplay" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks for all your responses to my earlier post. Except for a couple
> of you who choose to season your skillets with salt, the rest of you
> recommend use lard, Crisco, frying bacon, etc.. In other words, using
> cast iron skillets is not for those who are trying to minimize the use
> of fat in their cooking. Am I understanding it correctly? I thought
> that I was avoiding the need to reseason the skillet by buying a Lodge
> preseasoned skillet. But evidently that is not the case. It seems that
> it is a constant concern and chore to keep the skillet properly seasoned
> through numerous uses and cleanings. So using a cast iron skillet is
> not a carefree choice but rather a high maintenance one (compared to
> nonstick pans).


Getting it properly seasoned takes time. Months of use to be exact. Once
well seasoned it is very easy to maintain. Never scrub it out or let it
soak. Just wipe it clean with a paper towel. If you have to wash it use
very little soap and a soft sponge only. Always dry it so it does not rust.

Once seasoned they are practically carefree.

Paul

"tenplay" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks for all your responses to my earlier post. Except for a couple
> of you who choose to season your skillets with salt, the rest of you
> recommend use lard, Crisco, frying bacon, etc.. In other words, using
> cast iron skillets is not for those who are trying to minimize the use
> of fat in their cooking. Am I understanding it correctly? I thought
> that I was avoiding the need to reseason the skillet by buying a Lodge
> preseasoned skillet. But evidently that is not the case. It seems that
> it is a constant concern and chore to keep the skillet properly seasoned
> through numerous uses and cleanings. So using a cast iron skillet is
> not a carefree choice but rather a high maintenance one (compared to
> nonstick pans).

I don't think it is much different than using a non-stick pan. You do have
to season it with some type of fat but that doesn't mean that you have to
use a lot of fat when cooking. Cleaning is about the same. I just use some
hot water and a brush or some salt - about the same as cleaning a non-stick
pan. The only difference is that I put the pan back on the heat for a few
minutes to make sure it dries out before putting it away. I also tend to
oil it before I put it away. I keep oil in an ordinary spray bottle and use
it for a lot of cooking and baking needs. Giving the pan a sprits of oil
and a quick wipe isn't too taxing. In exchange, you get a low cost pan that
hold heat very well and performs much better than an ordinary non-stick pan.
Besides, even the best non-stick surface won't last forever like a cast iron
pan. I find it easier to store my cast iron because I'm not worried about
stacking other pans on it. I try not to let other pans contact the
non-stick surface of the non-stick pans. You can use cast iron in a very
hot oven or under the broiler - tasks not recommend for non-stick pans.
Cast iron is so inexpensive that I can't see picking up a piece and giving
it a try. You might find an old piece at a yard sale or thrift store.

But if you didn't have a iron skillet, what would you make your cornbread
in????

:-) Donna from Texas


"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "tenplay" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Thanks for all your responses to my earlier post. Except for a couple
>> of you who choose to season your skillets with salt, the rest of you
>> recommend use lard, Crisco, frying bacon, etc.. In other words, using
>> cast iron skillets is not for those who are trying to minimize the use
>> of fat in their cooking. Am I understanding it correctly? I thought
>> that I was avoiding the need to reseason the skillet by buying a Lodge
>> preseasoned skillet. But evidently that is not the case. It seems that
>> it is a constant concern and chore to keep the skillet properly seasoned
>> through numerous uses and cleanings. So using a cast iron skillet is
>> not a carefree choice but rather a high maintenance one (compared to
>> nonstick pans).
>
> I don't think it is much different than using a non-stick pan. You do
> have
> to season it with some type of fat but that doesn't mean that you have to
> use a lot of fat when cooking. Cleaning is about the same. I just use
> some
> hot water and a brush or some salt - about the same as cleaning a
> non-stick
> pan. The only difference is that I put the pan back on the heat for a few
> minutes to make sure it dries out before putting it away. I also tend to
> oil it before I put it away. I keep oil in an ordinary spray bottle and
> use
> it for a lot of cooking and baking needs. Giving the pan a sprits of oil
> and a quick wipe isn't too taxing. In exchange, you get a low cost pan
> that
> hold heat very well and performs much better than an ordinary non-stick
> pan.
> Besides, even the best non-stick surface won't last forever like a cast
> iron
> pan. I find it easier to store my cast iron because I'm not worried about
> stacking other pans on it. I try not to let other pans contact the
> non-stick surface of the non-stick pans. You can use cast iron in a very
> hot oven or under the broiler - tasks not recommend for non-stick pans.
> Cast iron is so inexpensive that I can't see picking up a piece and giving
> it a try. You might find an old piece at a yard sale or thrift store.
>
>

"Donna" > wrote in message
...
> But if you didn't have a iron skillet, what would you make your cornbread
> in????


You don't use a skillet - any damn fool knows that pie are round and
cornbread are square.

Paul

On Tue 25 Jan 2005 04:09:15a, Paul M. Cook wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "Donna" > wrote in message
> ...
>> But if you didn't have a iron skillet, what would you make your cornbread
>> in????
>
>
> You don't use a skillet - any damn fool knows that pie are round and
> cornbread are square.
>
> Paul

Only if it's cornbread that looks and tastes like cake. Ugh!

Wayne

Wayne replied to Paul:

>> You don't use a skillet - any damn fool knows that pie are round and
>> cornbread are square.
>>
>
> Only if it's cornbread that looks and tastes like cake. Ugh!

Wayne, Paul was trotting out an old joke: The mathematical formula for the
area of a circle is pi (3.1416 and a bunch more decimal places) times the
square of the circle's radius. This is often spoken as "pi R squared." The
joke was that no, pie are ROUND. CORNBREAD are square.

And I've seen lots of cornbread baked in rectangles; I think the majority of
institutions cook it that way.

Bob

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 20:34:23 -0600, Alan
wrote:

> On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 22:30:47 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" > wrote:
> >
> >Getting it properly seasoned takes time. Months of use to be exact. Once
> >well seasoned it is very easy to maintain. Never scrub it out or let it
> >soak. Just wipe it clean with a paper towel. If you have to wash it use
> >very little soap and a soft sponge only. Always dry it so it does not rust.
> >
> >Once seasoned they are practically carefree.
> >
> >Paul
> >
> You know, I've done all that. And I regularly use my cast iron frying pan,
> which I like, but it has NEVER been non-stick. Never.
>
> Nice pan, but. . . . . .
>
You've actually taken the time... months?

No pan is completely nonstick, including nonstick pans if
you don't use them correctly. But - IMO a properly seasoned
cast iron pan is the next best thing to a nonstick surfice
and I certainly prefer my well seasoned cast iron over the
nonstick in most cases.

sf

sf wrote:
> You've actually taken the time... months?

That's what I was thinking, too. I bought a new griddle about 2 years
ago, use it sometimes daily, but at the very leas, weekly. It's never
seen water. Just the other day I was thinking that it is finally getting
seasoned.

>
> No pan is completely nonstick, including nonstick pans if
> you don't use them correctly. But - IMO a properly
> seasoned cast iron pan is the next best thing to a
> nonstick surfice and I certainly prefer my well seasoned
> cast iron over the nonstick in most cases.

I have one non-stick pan. It's a really el-cheapo saute pan and is about
8 years old and the non-stick is actually pretty good, but I always grab a
cast iron instead.

BOB
>
> sf

Cast iron works best with ANIMAL FAT. LARD, BACON GREASE, BUTTER, (cow) GHEE. Vegetable oil is why they had to invent plastic non-stick cookware. When heated vegetable oil turns to a tar like mess. IMHO the same thing happens in your body when your cells try to break in down and assimilate nutrition from it. I live in a county full of 80 and 90 year old cigarette smoking geezers, raised on fried ham and poke sallet - 50 year old doctors in nearby Louisville cooking with canola are dropping over...

Your CLEAN skillet works fine. Bacon and sausage tend to make a skillet sticky, especially the maple flavored ones, sugar cooks out and turns into caramel... Caramel is known for being good at removing fillings... Cook your food, while the skillet is still hot swab it clean with a little soapy water, towel dry, retained heat should finish the drying... Keep vegetable oil away from it... Vegetable oil is a tool of the devil... Hamburger simply doesn't stick in a clean cast iron skillet... Acid based foods are better not cooked in cast iron as the iron tends to alter the flavor of the food (but your skillet cleans up nicely...)