Cast Iron cooking - another green endeavor

I grew up in a household that cooked in Cast Iron skillets. My Mom never really taught me how to season them as she had been cooking in them for ever. She did, however, teach me they had to be completely dried or they would oxidize.

Then we "went with the times" and bought some non-stick skillets, started using cooking sprays, and even bought a microwave. Yep, I think I may have dated myself, but anyway...

In my efforts to have a healthier home and a healthier planet, I have gone back to these good old fashion skillets. I had non-stick for the majority of my married years, but the non-stick lasted only a few years and I was incurring the costs of new one more often than I liked. Then I come to find out about the lovely carcinogens left behind....wonderful.

Interestingly enough, even before I knew this, I venture out to buy to cast iron skillets because I loved to cook in them at my parents house. I stopped using them as frequently because they kept sticking. I come to find out I had to season them.

I found this wonderful blog post http://modernmrscleaver.com/2012/08/16/psssst-cast-iron-pass-it-down/ about cast iron and the ABCs of using and caring for them.

Image from modernmrscleaver.com

So I was sold. I pulled out both my skillets and seasoned them a few months back, and have slowly started using them.

I have the 5-inch lodge miniature skillet,

and the 8-inch skillet.

They have been a joy to use...once I got used to actually lowering the temperature on my electric range...because they heat up and stay hot so much beter than non-stick modern pans. One more for cast iron. That makes....a gazillion against non-stick pans.

I have noticed the lids I have from my other pans work well, but I plan to start using them in the oven as well, so I do plan to invest in a couple of cast iron lids.

I also noticed the handles do get pretty darn hot, and this multitasking Mom can easily forget to use a pot holder, so maybe some Silicon Hot Handle Holders are in my future as well

And since I am on a roll, I'l probably invest in a few more pieces. This one is a two-for-one, or should I say a five-for-two; a skillet, a fryer, a dutch oven, a lid, that also converts to a griddle. 

Have you tried cooking with Cast Iron?


Rossana G-A



FTC Disclaimer: I am not compensated to write this post.