CAST IRON COOKWARE MAKING A COMEBACK!

I am reposting and updating this because several of you have asked me questions on the Facebook page about cast iron cookware. Some have expressed how much they love their cast iron and use it everyday.  Cast iron is definitely seen in the stores today and those old iron skillets are just as good as they once were when used by cooks and early pioneers.

Do you have old iron skillets, muffin pans, and cookware stored away somewhere covered with rust?  Ironware is making a comeback. Our mothers and grandmothers made cornbread, fried chicken, and cobblers in iron skillets.  They can go from the stove to the oven and into the fridge. This cookware has excellent heat retention and is non-toxic.  I can still see my mother taking a big iron skillet from the oven with cornbread to accompany a big pot of pinto beans or fresh vegetables from the garden. A cast iron Dutch oven makes wonderful stews.  Cast iron is fun, healthy, and cooks evenly no matter how uneven your cooking surface.

Just don’t put it in the microwave!  I use my cast iron on a glass top cookstove with no problems. They will tell you not to use it but I think the reason for this is because it is so heavy and if you drop it on the stove it could break your stove top.

Below is an excellent article on cast iron and how to preserve it and bring it back to life by seasoning it. 

Please don’t throw away that old cast iron frying pan that was your mother’s or grandmother’s!  Clean it!  As long as it has no cracks or nicks, you can clean, season, and use it.

There are several reasons that people rave about their cast iron pans and cast iron skillets. Besides being an ideal heat conductor, cast iron cookware heats evenly and consistently, it is inexpensive and will last a lifetime (actually several lifetimes) with proper care, and it is an old-fashioned way to cook fat-free. When well seasoned, a cast iron pan will be stick resistant and require no additional oil. 

The benefits of cast iron pans and skillets are terrific: Foods glide out of it as from no pan made with Teflon; it goes from stove to oven; no special utensils are needed to cook in it; it won’t warp, and cleanup is a cinch. A well-seasoned cast iron pan will only get better with age, and will last you for a lifetime. It’s time people realize the culinary wonder that a cast iron pan can be!  Want to know how to season and preserve your cookware click here.