[TheForge] Re: Cast Iron Cookware

[Bruce Freeman]

Dann?  Donn?  You guys have stuck keys on your keyboards or is this just =
the "N" thing?

Unlike Donn, I season cast iron at a higher heat =AF say 400F+.  That =
gives you a sturdy brown (looks black) coating that is very non-stick.  =
You can gently wash a pan so seasoned using detergent because the coating =
will not wash off.  If egg or something sticks to it, soak it briefly and =
clean with a nylon-bristle brush.  Scrubbing will remove the coating, but =
it's easily reseasoned.  Temp. of the water used doesn't matter.  This =
stuff will take up to its seasoning temp.

I think the difference is that Donn is coating the pan with oil.  My =
technique cross-links the polyunsaturated oil, leaving a "plastic" =
coating.  His washes off easily, mine doesn't.  (I didn't invent this.  =
Calling it "mine" is for reference only.)

Bruce
NJ

>>> "D.E. Barnes" <donn@phudpucker.com> 03/27/02 04:38AM >>>
Spot on Dann. I use, buy and resell tons of cast iron annually. I use the
caustic method to remove other people's grunge then pre-season the iron. =
My
preference is peanut oil applied after preheating in a 250 degree oven. It
takes some time afterwards before enough of my grunge fills the pores to
make the utensil "semi" non-stick.

After seasoning, cast iron should never be washed with soap or detergent.
You should only knock the big chunks off using a 3M (or similar) synthetic
scouring pad and lukewarm water. In the old days they "scoured" the pans
with dirt or sand scooped from the ground and rinsed with clear water.

Regards,
Donn