OT/Cast Iron Skillet
I bought a cast iron skillet about 6 months ago.
I love, but I can't seem to get it seasoned. Every time I cook with it, stuff sticks to the bottom. Not really bad but more than I expected.
Should I expect food to stick---chicken, eggs, rice?
I know not to use soap, but how do you clean it. My mom told me to use salt. Seems to work good for scrubbing off the stuck food but maybe that is why food is still sticking? (My mom is not good in the kitchen)
Any advice will be great.
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Hey - I love cast iron too. I
Hey - I love cast iron too.
I grease mine up really good every single time I use it with lard. Also if it starts to stick you can throw it in a fire for a few hours or the oven.
Grease it and stick it in a
Grease it and stick it in a hot oven for a bit.
I cook with cast iron all the
I cook with cast iron all the time. Love it. I have 4 or 5 pans now.
1) Make one of these. It's the same as putting it in the oven for 30 min with a ton of oil. But you get something yummy out of it: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/vanilla-dutch-baby-p...
2) Never soak it in water for a long time. Sometimes I'll soak it for 10-15 min if DP hasn't used enough oil in cooking or didn't clean it soon enough after using it (another hint, clean it as soon as possible).
3) Don't use soap - hot water. If stuff is stuck on simply scrape off with a good metal spatula. I have a special scrub cloth I use for it if needed.
4) Dry it off immediately and then oil it with about a tsp of oil (use a paper towel).
Done.
All mine are pretty much non-stick at this point. Even if DP manages to stick stuff to it it's still fairly easy to get off.
I use soap and water to wash
I use soap and water to wash ours, I just make sure to do it as quickly as possible and then to heat off the water immediately afterwards on the stove top and then put some oil (vegetable) on it before putting the pan away. The pan is already well seasoned though. My husband loves his pan and seasoned it in the oven, I don't remember exactly what he did but it works. He has re-done it once or twice to get it to his liking. I think the thing to remember is not to be scared. We rescued our pan from MIL who had let the pan get completely covered in rust after she left it wallowing in her house. You would hardly know that now as the pan is beautiful. You can always rescue the pan and can always re-season it if needed.
Some good advice above! I
Some good advice above! I love my cast iron pan.
I periodically put oil in the pan and then heat it up (to smoking) on the stove top to reseason. Other than that, I do use (mild) soap to clean after each use. The key seems to be to never let it stand in water - wash and DRY it, really, really well, immediately after washing.
monkey, those pans are
monkey, those pans are exactly what I'm looking at buying now. (weird coincidence that this post popped up lol!)
Anyway, compared to regular pans, are you happy with the flexibility of use or are these speciality pans in your kitchen?
I try to clean mine as soon
I try to clean mine as soon as I get the hot food out of it. I just run it under hot water and scrub with a brush, then put it back on the burner to dry really well. Then I put a little bit of oil in it and wipe down with a paper towel to store it.
If you have something stuck that won't come off, then scrub it with salt AND OIL.
If I want a nonstick surface (like for frying eggs, etc.) then I only use that skillet for frying. If you braise in it or do anything that involves cooking with liquid, it will ruin your surface and take you a little while to whip it back into shape. So I have cast iron that I make stuff like tacos in, and I have cast iron that I ONLY fry in.
I am very protective of my "surface" and get really upset with anybody who messes up my cast iron lol.