Laxman Kumar: My Mum tried always to just wipe out the cast iron frying pan with paper towels, while hot. If they’ve achieved that ceramic type of thick seasoned surface, it won’t absorb flavours, or wear off.
Laxman Kumar it does not, when you heat up the pan to a high enough temp the bacteria will die and it will carbonize what you cooked or the oil you put, so it won’t stink as long as u dry and oil correctly
Laxman Kumar You can use modern soap but only a small amount, older soaps were lye based and that breaks down fats and oils hence why no one used soap on cast iron.
My wife and I had 4 rusty, dirty, lumpy cast iron pans sitting in our basement for about 20 years. They were "salvaged" from her grandparents' home when they passed on. We "procrastinated" and finally restored them about 4 weeks ago. Took some elbow grease, but they cleaned up with less effort than we thought! They look fantastic and work very well too! We love using them for most things we cook these days. you can even bake in them! Anyway, they were manufactured by Griswold. That company stopped making them back in 1959!
I love cast iron. I have one pan that was made between 1905 and 1907, an ERIE pan made by the predecessor of Griswold. It's over 100 years old and my favorite and largest pan. They are great as long as you don't drop them on a glass top stove. I specifically bought a coil top stove because I use cast iron a lot. The reason new cast iron has a heavy texture on the inside and not a smooth surface is because years ago cast iron pans were sold in unseasoned condition and had smooth cooking surfaces. Now they are sold preseasoned and the textured surface is done intentionally to allow the seasoning spray applied at the factory to better stick to the surface and not run off. I inherited an old unused "new" cast iron skillet when my grandmother passed away. She had never used or seasoned it. It had a thin layer of surface rust. I scoured it with an SOS to remove the rust and seasoned it and use it now all the time but it never had a textured cooking surface, it was smooth from the beginning.
She is absolutely right the decision was made to make the seasoning stick to the LODGE cast iron on a coarse surface . Alll the older pans were machined to a smooth The Griswolds the Wagners the Favorites they were machine to a smooth finish. You can purchase an older Griswold or Wagner on E BAY. Well worth the price compared to the heavy, rough finished scrap cast iron today. The older pans were also made with higher grade cast iron, They are much thinner and lighter then the lodge pans made today...Find one you will love it !!!!
You can use sand paper to sand down the roughness on the newer ones. Kind like she did with the drill. Then over time with multiple seasonings you will get the smoother texture
@@janinedear-barlow3803 I wouldn't put it right on a red hot stove that is set at full high temperature but would if it was set below medium. You don't usually need to heat cast iron above medium anyway.
I've cooked in cast iron all my life and I was actually surprised that the grinding revealed a silver surface...guess I figured they were black all the way thru, LOL! Now that I think of it, it makes sense but thanks for teaching me something new, Emmy!
The black coating is probably a special enamel that is applied at the factory. Most pans are made so that they do not rust. But the best cast iron frying pans have bottoms without enamels. Food is less burnt in them. It's about the bottom inside the pan. Enamel on the edges and outside is beneficial. It's easier to keep the pans clean. The lady on the film removed the enamel (if it was there) and now the pan will be less sticky. I use pans with enamel coatings and without them and I can see the difference. Jokingly speaking, the best pans are (inherited) in the second or third generation.
I agree with you. I recently in Poland bought 8 cast iron pans (and a few steel ones) and only two made of raw cast iron (new Carl Viktor) and a grilled grill pan produced by the Swiss company Melior several years ago. Distinguish pans treated with oils from black or colored enamels. In frequently used frying pans, the enamel layer degrades (they tend to scorch dishes). And then you have to either often cover them with layers of oil or tear them mechanically to bare cast iron.
I don't use soap on my cast iron, but I think I read somewhere that it isn't actually as bad as people make it sound. The rule was formed back when people commonly used lye based soap, that's a big no no. But if you have a really good patina, and for your peace of mind a little dishsoap (sodium lauryl sulfate ) shouldn't ruin your day. (but you still don't really need it, a little bit of salt will clear away any hard to clean bits)
I have cast iron pans that are over 30 years old and I occ use soap but often use salt. Soap like you said is not that bad. I heat my pan with the oil in it to make a glassy surface each time I use it just about. The surface becomes hard and the soap if you don't use a ton won't desolve the patina
The best with the most thorough recommendations of all viewed cast iron restoring/cleaning presenters as it included tips about what to use to remove rust and season, but also even the scrub brush input about stove and the importance of water temp to use(ex. cold water could crack a heated pan), head phones when using a special drill brush tool to remove rust (appreciate it as one with a degree in audiology). Bravo Emmy!
Thank you for this video!!! Been really wanting to get a cast iron pan but was afraid of not knowing how to take care of it. Now I feel more confident so maybe I'll get one soon
I was a bit concerned about all the care I heard about. I'm lazy and don't go through the process. First few times, add a teaspoon of oil and heat it on the stove - the seasoning builds up pretty quickly. The more you cook, the better it gets. I wash mine with soap periodically and scrub it to get really stubborn fried bits. Then start the seasoning over. My pan looks no worse than hers, and it's pretty non-stick. Beats non-stick coatings which eventually wear off, with teflon (toxic) getting into your food. And they're cheap.
I just finally cleaned mine after decades of use. Was pleasantly surprised after I ran my oven on self cleaning mode. I didn’t even know it had a rid on the edge. Was my fathers he got it in 1960. It had so many layers that it looked like Molten metal had melted on the outside from years of boil overs. I tried many time to clean the out side of it with everything even to the point I tried oven cleaner on the out side but nothing worked. So glad I ran across a video of someone on RUclips using the self cleaning mode on one. It work like a charm. Have seasoned it a about 3 times since I cleaned it. I wish I did a before and after of it. Will be passing it on to my youngest that loves to cook. I found one one day as I was cutting and elderly person yard and she told me to just toss it. I really wish I kept it. Cause she was in her late 80’s and has since past away about 10 years ago. But I didn’t know they were such great items. It wasn’t even that rusty but was under the garden about 4 inches and all I seen was a dirty fry pan.
Thanks, Emmy! Every time I see a cast iron pan I think of my Mamaw, God rest her soul. Born in the deep backwoods of TN, she would make just about anything and everything in those pans. My personal favorite was her cornbread. Give me a big ol' warm slice, a big cold glass of milk and I'm a happy guy!
adam mac I still live in East TN and I remember my great grandmother always cooking in them... she used to make stakes every night just about and they were always so good.
adam mac They remind me of my grandparents too! They are Italian, they cook everything in like 3 pans.. Big Cast iron pan, huge pot (for tomato gravy obviously) and baking pan for lasagna and other baked dishes. Lol so I love seeing those 3 pans. I personally don't cook so I don't see those pans often. Lmao
I love cooking in cast iron too. I have several things passed down to me when my grandmother passed away and not only are they durable and last forever, they’re also family heirlooms that are priceless to me.
Perfect timing! My mom just sent me a 3 piece cast iron set as a house warming gift! Thank you for all the information Emmy! Can't wait to start cooking in them!
Absolutely Looooved this video!!!! I learned so so much, and I'm super grateful you did this now! My husband just bought me one and now I'm confident I can use it on the regular, and know I can one day hand it down to my children. Thanx soooo much Emmy😀 dont cha just love being sick😥
Emmy, I love all my cast iron pans!! They’re so very dear to my heart because they were my grandmother’s. She had several different kinds her mother gave her on her wedding day. My papaw and she were married back in 1942 and she passed them to my mother then my mother gave me several of them when I moved into my own home and started my little family. I absolutely adore them. My mamaw has been an angel for going on 7 years and we were very close so when I want to feel her with me I bust out my cast iron and she’s there with me!! Love you Emmy!!😘😘😘
I have an 80 year old Griswold 12 inch. Black as tar and slicker than grease. I retired it to making only one thing,,,, Pineapple upside down cake. Whatever caramel that doesn't release I just heat the pan up and run it under hot hot hot water and steam does the job. A quick wipe with a wet cloth, back on heat to dry completely, as splash of oil, wiped down and cooled, hung with care ready for the next cake.
Best video Ive seen on RUclips regarding cast iron maintenance. I bought one as a gift for my partner for his first apt but did not realize I needed to teach him the basics! Wonderful and informative video as always. Will be sharing this with him
My mom managed to save the family cast iron from being sold and I decided to take it down to silver and re-season it! It's turning out great! Thank you for the video!
I love cooking with cast iron. My favorites are all very old Wagner, Griswold and Lodge pans. 50+ years ago, they used to mill the insides of the pans at the factory so they came smooth even when they were new. Lodge skips that step now. I always tell people to hunt for oldies at flea markets and yard sales.
Absolutely EXCELLENT video about cast iron. I have had my Wagner cast iron passed down to me that is about 100 years old. They are durable indeed. I cook in them every day. I gave so many pieces away during my move and kept only 3. It really is great for searing food.
Thank you, Emmy! I found so many videos about how to season/restore cast iron, but none of them explained how to clean/maintain it after every use. So helpful, as always!
@Petri: Thanks for sharing your story! Awesome. I hope the story of this pan will be continued. Maybe you should create a folder about your Grandma, your mom, yourself (maybe add some pics) to tell the story of the pan when you will hand it over to the next generation.
I LOVE my cast iron pans. They are amazing to cook with. I have a standard 10 inch pan that I bought at the camping store but it was so rough. I sent it to work with my husband and he ground it down to bare metal like you did and we seasoned it back up. She’s such an amazing pan too!! I have a small egg size pan that was inherited from my husbands grandparents. And a HUGE painted cast iron soup pot. All amazing pans.
When my family would go camping, we'd take a cast iron. It's so good at holding heat. Anyways, my mom would scrub the inside with a scrubber but also she would put sand inside it too. I thought this was a weird quirk she did because we were in the desert but it all makes sense! I love this. It brought back so much memories :)
sand is a great abrasive. I learnt to 'wash' with sand from the bedouins, natives in the desert. Cleans like no other detergent and water-conserving king!!
I picked up an 8'' cast iron skillet in 1977 for moving away from home to go to college...I still have my black pan, love it, can even wash it and it doesn't rust (it's that old) - the handle is long lost and there's a crack in the centre but it still works, great for making deep crust pizza and French apple tart and a good fried breakfast !! Very little oil needed - eggs can be fried dry on it and turn out perfectly. My old black pan, love it !!
Just what I needed! I have several cast iron skillets that belonged to my grandmother & they need to be seasoned so we can start using them again. Thanks for this! kimchi!
I love cast iron so much. My husband found a set of skillets at the side of the road that someone had allowed to rust, it was a tragedy! But he knew I knew how to get them pretty and usable again so brought them home! It took some serious scrubbing to get rid of all the rust but they are my babies! My mother in law bought me another set of skillets at a yard sale because she knew I raved about mine so now I have lots of them..lol I am going to get a dutch oven in just a couple weeks for camping purposes and I am going to be glad to add that to my considerable collection. When the time comes and my son moves out on his own he will be getting a 12 inch skillet and a 6 inch. I will be sure to make sure his darling girl knows how to take care of them too.
It's a myth that soap will remove the seasoning. The oil polymerizes and bonds to the metal, becomes very tough, and will not dissolve in soapy water. After I wash my cast iron I dry it by putting on a stove burner set on high. The heat will get it drier than you can achieve with a towel. The best oil to use for seasoning a cast iron pan is flaxseed oil. It's a drying oil, which means it polymerizes easily. Also, it's a good idea when seasoning a pan to put it in the oven upside-down to keep the oil from pooling on the bottom (which would form thick spots). The seasoning on a pan will continue to build up and improve with use. Water should bead up on the surface of a well-seasoned pan. Another way to take a pan down to bare metal is to put it on the oven floor and run a self-clean cycle (assuming your oven has this feature). The existing seasoning will burn off, leaving a bare metal surface. Then you can re-season it from scratch.
I know this is an older comment. But since you seem very knowledgeable I was hoping you could help me. I just bought a new cast iron skillet and I have no clue what to do with a brand new one. It says pre-seasoned but I don’t trust it lol.
The seasoning on a new skillet isn't as good as what will develop over time. If you want to improve it now (rather than wait), apply a thin coating of a drying oil like safflower or flaxseed oil, put the pan upside down in your oven, and set it to a high temperature (like 450 or 500 F). Leave the pan in the oven for, say, an hour. The oil will solidify and bond to the pan. It's important for the pan to be upside-down so that the oil won't pool on the cooking surface. Have fun with your new pan!
Just a warning for anyone thinking of using their oven's self-cleaning feature. That releases extremely toxic fumes that are the same chemicals that people try to avoid by not using teflon pans. It caused severe asthma and migraines for me, even with windows open. I ended up finding an easy non-toxic oven cleaning method that just uses a paste made of baking soda and a very small amount of hot water. You apply it and leave it on over night, and all of the built up crud just wipes right off... no toxic fumes involved. I'm not sure if a baking soda paste would do anything to remove a thick cast iron seasoning... but it is very alkaline just like lye... so maybe it would work?
I have a whole collection of cast iron pans from my Great-Great Grandmother and they still see daily use a good 130 years after they were made. Not many other cooking instruments can claim that. Love this video, always good to see someone else who loves cast iron.
I love cast iron. When I was trying to get pregnant, Dr did an iron test and found my iron levels VERY good, because of the cast iron. Along with great cooking, cast iron has wonderful health bennies.
I have an old 11 ¼ inch Griswold. Very smooth. I took it to a Flea Market once looking for a lid. Got offerd $80.00 for it. Needless to say I did not take it. I wonder what they would have sold it for. Personally though I don't season it every time I use it. I clean it well with hot water. Finish with a paper towel than put it on the stove to make sure it is completely dry. I don't see the need to oil it every time. But I have heard of others doing the same as you. I also have an old 9 inch painted pan. and a Dutch Oven. Love them.
How did you know I was trying to figure out what to do with my grandma's cast iron pan that has been unused in my cupboard for 8 years? Such a helpful video!
I've been told that you want to use solid shortening (i.e. lard) and you want to avoid paper towels (because fibers can catch and be left behind, leaving a less smooth surface). Awesome instructions otherwise! Love all your videos!
I have always wanted a big cast iron skillet. I frequently used my roommate's many years ago and loved it. He used to clean it with oil and salt over heat and it worked great. One of these days I'll have one, I hope.
I don’t own a drill however I will scrub the hell out of my cast iron pans that my mother gifted me. They belonged to my grandmother and I remember her cooking amazing meals in those pans! I don’t have a gas stove but I’ll make it work!
I love cast iron too! My parents starting using cast iron skillets a few years ago, and while it took me a while to get used to cooking with them I love them now! Teflon, the non-stick coating on many pans, is very bad for you, so that's another pro to cast iron in my books :) My fiance bought me a cast iron skillet for Christmas, I can't wait to start using it once we are married! I really want a dutch oven as well.
I love my cast iron. I collect it from folks who don't want to take care of it. 2 prized possessions are my Wagner 10" skillet and a huge 30-quart dutch oven with the lid. I've only used the dutch oven once to make cassoulet for a huge party. I've ground off the finish of a skillet before but my favorite way to rehab a skillet is to take it camping and leave it in the coals overnight. Comes out really clean and smooth.
I love my cast iron. Mine have been passed down over the generations. I still season mine after every use. I have a chain mail scrubber and the scrapers that Lodge sells. They make cleanup really easy
It's nice to hear from someone who appreciates vintage cast iron. The difference is unbelievable. Vintage (pre 1970s) cast iron cookware interior was initially smooth because it was cast with finer sand and polished glass smooth when it was made. The modern Lodge "pre seasoned" label was a gimmick telling people they wouldn't have to season their cookware. They use coarse sand, and ceased polishing.
everything vintage was made more durable, heck i hav this normal pan passed down from my mother and it's unkillable and it is not even cast iron, just a good ol lagostina of back in the dayz
ANOTHER QUICK TIP.... WHEN CLEANING A SELF CLEANING OVEN I PUT MINE IN THERE WHILE OVEN IS CLEANING WHEN COOL I TAKE IT OUT WASH WITH HOT WATER ONLY THEN SPOT OF VEGGIE OIL , AND RUB IT AROUND WITH A SALT PACK :) BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS
remember to put your cast iron skillet upside down though. Any sticking will turn to ashes at the end of cleaning cycle. good tip and best use of energy.
My husband was born and raised in the same town where Lodge cast iron is made. My in laws are friends with Henry Lodge and my FIL is always bringing me something cast iron when they come to visit. It’s all we cook on.
I cannot stress this enough, do not season cat iron pans with olive oil. Olive oil goes rancid with heat, use an oil with a higher smoke point such as flaxseed oil or canola oil. Edit: spelling
Flax seed has the lowest cooking point. Which you actually need. The smoking point is actually the polymerization point, which makes that hard non-stick coating. Hope you are going to do something good with this info 👌🏼
Wrong. I used it, no rancid smell or flavor in food. Flaxseed is all fine and dandy, but it's not the end all be all. Besides, as you cook with it, the food you cook will add another layer of seasoning over time, sear a steak, cow fat is now the top seasoning, cook a pound of bacon, pig fat is now the new top seasoning.
Cast iron pans are actually all you need in your kitchen. A small breakfast? A medium lunch? An elaborate dinner?? Just use your cast iron pan! Thank you so much for this amazing and amusing video!!
I lost my favorite cast iron years ago, my sister stole it -_- my husband just bought me a new one two weeks ago and I've been using it every day since getting it lol
Thanks for a great information video! We had cast iron as a kid - that's all we cooked with on our wood stove. I am trying to get back into cooking with it as an adult. I ordered on 12" pan, which came a few weeks ago. I also found a griddle & 10" pan at a local thrift store. They were in rough shape, but i am in the process of restoring them now.
All I did was throw it in the oven on the highest setting and let it sit for a few hours. Good to go with a new coat of oil. To restore a cast iron pan.
I had no luck with my first cast iron pan and I messed it up so much I threw it out. When my mother passed away I took her pan (it wasn't anything really old) and didn't want to mess it up. I saw ads for something called The Ringer, which looks like a small piece of chain metal. I got it on Amazon and love it. IT makes cleaning the pan out super easy. The pan looks great and I don't fear using it now because I know I won't mess it up trying to clean it.
PVNCHO s14 She’s not bullshitting. Look it up. Any type of cast iron cookware can add a significant amount of iron into food, especially acidic food like tomatoes.
I was actually thinking about cast iron pans this morning, and realized I had no idea how to take care of one. My parents have one but rarely use it because of time constraints, and so even though I knew they needed to be cared for differently than other pans, I didn't actually know how to do it. So thank you so much for this video! Maybe I can get a good season on our pan! :)
You could try carbon steel pans. otherwise known as "black steel". it operates the same way as cast iron except not as heavy. Still have to season it etc and if done right, will be nonstick just like cast iron. and it will rust just like cast iron too.
I wash my cast iron and re-season after every use. it's just more sanitary. I have had OCD my whole life with an emphasis on a cleanliness obsession so that's why I put in the effort. It seems like a simple thing to do to avoid any issue while I work through in therapy.
Hi Emmy! I season my cast iron, and granite cooking stones with straight lard. I buy my cast iron new, one layer of seasoning, then use. I chip food out with a hardwood. I use water sparingly. When I'm done cooking, I clean with melted lard, or olive oil, and salt. a quick water rinse, and a fast heat dry, a thin application of olive oil, and done. The reason I don't season more thoroughly at first., is because over time, the cast iron seasons naturally. After six months, I can fry eggs over easy without them sticking. :) This is how my Granny used to do it.
I recommend using canola oil after cleaning. I tried using olive oil and it made the surface have a sticky build up. I love your vids Emmy can't wait till the next post.
We had an old cast iron skillet that my great-grandmother gave to my grandmother but it was super rusted. I took a scouring pad and used soap and water and got off all the rust. Heated it up put in a little bit of water with it and used a scrub brush to remove any of the rust that didnt come off from the scrubbing. Washed it off and seasoned it. Worked like a dream. We have 3 cast iron skillets. One is ONLY FOR CORNBREAD which the way we make it doesn't require any seasoning because we "season" it every time making the cornbread. (put oil in the skillet, put it in the oven at 500 degrees, once it is preheated put the hot oil in your cornbread batter stir it quickly before it cooks the cornmeal on top and then put it in the skillet and the cornbread will never stick and will be perfectly crunchy on the outside.) We have 1 cast iron skillet we use for meats and the last one is small as we use it for a few biscuits or eggs.
Amy Posey funny enough we don't really use a recipe we kind of just add stuff to a bowl and mix. Corn meal and self rising flour. But a small amount of self rising flour compared to corn meal egg and milk. You can do buttermilk we just don't cuz we don't ever have it . If you want it sweet add some sugar to it but we rarely do it unless having pinto beans then add the hot oil to the batter once the skillet is nice and hot stir it quickly and pour into skillet and bake at 500 for 18-20 minutes depending on how brown you like it...my grandma likes it damn near burnt but we like ours a little lighter.
Amy Posey I would suggest if it's available where you live to look for Martha white cornmeal mix. It's what we use a lot of the time. You don't want your batter too thick it should be pourable like a pancake mix it should feel grainy so if it's like cake mix you have too much flour. I'd say if you used 2 cups of cornmeal use a third of a cup of flour. Typically we just cover the top very lightly with flour hope that helps some :/
So glad you made this video Emmy! My husband and I have been wanting to switch to cast iron but wanted to be informed before doing it...you are awesome! 😘
I moved into a very teeny tiny apt and space is minimal. I love my cast iron as I can do 90% of my cooking with it. This saves on owning a lot of pans.
Emmy, I am originally from New Orleans. When I was a kid, we ate two snacks that may be new to you. Plain Lays potato chips with ketchup, hot sauce (Tabasco or Louisiana) and pieces of sour pickle, and/or pickle juice sprinkled on. Adding ingredients to the bag and shaking helps to spread the mixture evenly. We ate it right out of the bag. The pickles were the big individually packaged ones in their own juices. The other snack was a sour pickle (same type of pickle) with two Jolly Ranchers or Now and Laters shoved down the center. We would suck the juice of the pickle, which would be a very odd sweet/sour combination. I'd like to see your reaction to these, especially the potato chip, ketchup, hot sauce and pickle combo. Take care. You're great!
Yes, cast iron is cast by making a sand mold around a pan form. Depending on the manufacturer they may use a pan to create a mold with the oiled sand then take the mold and put a thin wax mold/Void stabilizer (this keeps the sand from flaking back into the mold) some companies use sand with a hire oil content and don't put anything in the mold to keep the void. They pour in the molten cast iron. It then continues through a fire tunnel to allow the pan to temper (keep it from cracking as it cools) and you have a pan. Even on a brand new pan I would do the process you showed with sanding the inner surface of the pan and keep working at it until you have a surface that reminds you of a pancake (small bubbles) but no grooves. If you have any grooves I suggest you keep sanding until the groove is smoothed out or it will always be your area to hang on to foods. I also sand the side of the pan because I like to make cakes in my cast iron (pineapple upside down cake or corn bread) You don't to be as forceful with sanding but every little bit of smoothing helps in the end. The don't use detergent is something a lot of people don't get. Also don't allow food to remain in the pan after it is cooked. your adding a small bit of water to the pan the loosen the bits is a good example of what to do. It's also something commonly used in the restaurants on the griddle for the same purpose 1/4 cup is plenty.
I have recently also seen another video with someone using that paint removing grinding disk. I've used those disks for grinding and removing paint, I worry that you might get some of that plastic material caught and melted onto the pans. I would recommend if you are using one of those grinding disks to not only do a VERY detailed job cleaning the pan, but also using some standard sand paper to go over the pan as well to make sure you get any of that plastic material off of it before using the pan.
It's 4:15 am, I'm 17 and don't own a cast iron pan... What am I doing
Laura I'm in quite the similar situation and I understand completely.
it’s okay, i’m 24 and don’t own one either.... i cook for myself all the time as well. it’s like 3:30am here 😂
That's ok it's Emmy. 😊
Lmao meee. I have to get up at 7 for school but here i am eating and watching emmy talk about pans
literally same... i’m 18 have never used a cast iron pan but emmy could talk about the area of triangles and i’d watch it because it relaxes me
Cook. Wash while hot. Dry on stovetop. Rub with oil. Done. Best. Pans. Ever!
Susan Carr: My late Mum agreed, no soap!
Doesn't they smell when you use it for next cooking. Because you are not using any soap
Laxman Kumar: My Mum tried always to just wipe out the cast iron frying pan with paper towels, while hot. If they’ve achieved that ceramic type of thick seasoned surface, it won’t absorb flavours, or wear off.
Laxman Kumar it does not, when you heat up the pan to a high enough temp the bacteria will die and it will carbonize what you cooked or the oil you put, so it won’t stink as long as u dry and oil correctly
Laxman Kumar
You can use modern soap but only a small amount, older soaps were lye based and that breaks down fats and oils hence why no one used soap on cast iron.
My wife and I had 4 rusty, dirty, lumpy cast iron pans sitting in our basement for about 20 years. They were "salvaged" from her grandparents' home when they passed on. We "procrastinated" and finally restored them about 4 weeks ago. Took some elbow grease, but they cleaned up with less effort than we thought! They look fantastic and work very well too! We love using them for most things we cook these days. you can even bake in them! Anyway, they were manufactured by Griswold. That company stopped making them back in 1959!
I love cast iron. I have one pan that was made between 1905 and 1907, an ERIE pan made by the predecessor of Griswold. It's over 100 years old and my favorite and largest pan. They are great as long as you don't drop them on a glass top stove. I specifically bought a coil top stove because I use cast iron a lot.
The reason new cast iron has a heavy texture on the inside and not a smooth surface is because years ago cast iron pans were sold in unseasoned condition and had smooth cooking surfaces. Now they are sold preseasoned and the textured surface is done intentionally to allow the seasoning spray applied at the factory to better stick to the surface and not run off. I inherited an old unused "new" cast iron skillet when my grandmother passed away. She had never used or seasoned it. It had a thin layer of surface rust. I scoured it with an SOS to remove the rust and seasoned it and use it now all the time but it never had a textured cooking surface, it was smooth from the beginning.
She is absolutely right the decision was made to make the seasoning stick to the LODGE cast iron on a coarse surface . Alll the older pans were machined to a smooth The Griswolds the Wagners the Favorites they were machine to a smooth finish. You can purchase an older Griswold or Wagner on E BAY. Well worth the price compared to the heavy, rough finished scrap cast iron today. The older pans were also made with higher grade cast iron, They are much thinner and lighter then the lodge pans made today...Find one you will love it !!!!
You can use sand paper to sand down the roughness on the newer ones. Kind like she did with the drill. Then over time with multiple seasonings you will get the smoother texture
Can you put it straight on a hot stove?
@@janinedear-barlow3803 I wouldn't put it right on a red hot stove that is set at full high temperature but would if it was set below medium. You don't usually need to heat cast iron above medium anyway.
I've cooked in cast iron all my life and I was actually surprised that the grinding revealed a silver surface...guess I figured they were black all the way thru, LOL! Now that I think of it, it makes sense but thanks for teaching me something new, Emmy!
The black coating is probably a special enamel that is applied at the factory. Most pans are made so that they do not rust. But the best cast iron frying pans have bottoms without enamels. Food is less burnt in them. It's about the bottom inside the pan. Enamel on the edges and outside is beneficial. It's easier to keep the pans clean. The lady on the film removed the enamel (if it was there) and now the pan will be less sticky. I use pans with enamel coatings and without them and I can see the difference. Jokingly speaking, the best pans are (inherited) in the second or third generation.
Barnaba Rudge the black coating is the seasoning. Most cast iron pans on the market today are pre-seasoned 🙂
I agree with you. I recently in Poland bought 8 cast iron pans (and a few steel ones) and only two made of raw cast iron (new Carl Viktor) and a grilled grill pan produced by the Swiss company Melior several years ago. Distinguish pans treated with oils from black or colored enamels. In frequently used frying pans, the enamel layer degrades (they tend to scorch dishes). And then you have to either often cover them with layers of oil or tear them mechanically to bare cast iron.
Barnaba Rudge Oh I was misunderstanding you! Are you polish?
i lowkey pankicked at first LOL
I don't know why, but that random swell of the background music made me laugh, like you were getting cut off at the Academy Awards lol
Just last night my mom gave me her cast iron skillet. This is wonderful! Perfect timing Emmy!👏👏👏
🙌
What an amazing gift!!
My mom got me a 3 piece set for a house warming gift! I think Emmy is psychic lol
Keegan Milcoff she really is very special isn’t she!?! I love me some Emmy❤️
I don't use soap on my cast iron, but I think I read somewhere that it isn't actually as bad as people make it sound. The rule was formed back when people commonly used lye based soap, that's a big no no. But if you have a really good patina, and for your peace of mind a little dishsoap (sodium lauryl sulfate ) shouldn't ruin your day.
(but you still don't really need it, a little bit of salt will clear away any hard to clean bits)
I have cast iron pans that are over 30 years old and I occ use soap but often use salt. Soap like you said is not that bad. I heat my pan with the oil in it to make a glassy surface each time I use it just about. The surface becomes hard and the soap if you don't use a ton won't desolve the patina
The "patina" is polymerized oil, soap won't make it go away :P
All soap is made with a form of lye once its mixed with oil it saponifys so there is no lye left. SLS is just what gives it bubbles.
All soap contains lye
Well, dish soap isn't soap. ;)
The best with the most thorough recommendations of all viewed cast iron restoring/cleaning presenters as it included tips about what to use to remove rust and season, but also even the scrub brush input about stove and the importance of water temp to use(ex. cold water could crack a heated pan), head phones when using a special drill brush tool to remove rust (appreciate it as one with a degree in audiology). Bravo Emmy!
Thank you for this video!!! Been really wanting to get a cast iron pan but was afraid of not knowing how to take care of it. Now I feel more confident so maybe I'll get one soon
I was a bit concerned about all the care I heard about. I'm lazy and don't go through the process. First few times, add a teaspoon of oil and heat it on the stove - the seasoning builds up pretty quickly. The more you cook, the better it gets. I wash mine with soap periodically and scrub it to get really stubborn fried bits. Then start the seasoning over. My pan looks no worse than hers, and it's pretty non-stick. Beats non-stick coatings which eventually wear off, with teflon (toxic) getting into your food. And they're cheap.
Saw the Lodge one in Target today for $18.
Go for the lodge brand. As long as it’s not the enamel cast iron it’s made in the USA. Love mine!
Pornography
Claudia Vélez ppon vhgczzxftyuioooo
I just finally cleaned mine after decades of use. Was pleasantly surprised after I ran my oven on self cleaning mode. I didn’t even know it had a rid on the edge. Was my fathers he got it in 1960. It had so many layers that it looked like Molten metal had melted on the outside from years of boil overs. I tried many time to clean the out side of it with everything even to the point I tried oven cleaner on the out side but nothing worked. So glad I ran across a video of someone on RUclips using the self cleaning mode on one. It work like a charm. Have seasoned it a about 3 times since I cleaned it. I wish I did a before and after of it. Will be passing it on to my youngest that loves to cook.
I found one one day as I was cutting and elderly person yard and she told me to just toss it. I really wish I kept it. Cause she was in her late 80’s and has since past away about 10 years ago. But I didn’t know they were such great items. It wasn’t even that rusty but was under the garden about 4 inches and all I seen was a dirty fry pan.
Thanks, Emmy! Every time I see a cast iron pan I think of my Mamaw, God rest her soul. Born in the deep backwoods of TN, she would make just about anything and everything in those pans. My personal favorite was her cornbread. Give me a big ol' warm slice, a big cold glass of milk and I'm a happy guy!
adam mac I still live in East TN and I remember my great grandmother always cooking in them... she used to make stakes every night just about and they were always so good.
adam mac They remind me of my grandparents too! They are Italian, they cook everything in like 3 pans.. Big Cast iron pan, huge pot (for tomato gravy obviously) and baking pan for lasagna and other baked dishes. Lol so I love seeing those 3 pans. I personally don't cook so I don't see those pans often. Lmao
I love cooking in cast iron too. I have several things passed down to me when my grandmother passed away and not only are they durable and last forever, they’re also family heirlooms that are priceless to me.
Perfect timing! My mom just sent me a 3 piece cast iron set as a house warming gift! Thank you for all the information Emmy! Can't wait to start cooking in them!
emmymade makes life so much better! What a great channel!
Absolutely Looooved this video!!!! I learned so so much, and I'm super grateful you did this now! My husband just bought me one and now I'm confident I can use it on the regular, and know I can one day hand it down to my children. Thanx soooo much Emmy😀 dont cha just love being sick😥
Emmy, I love all my cast iron pans!! They’re so very dear to my heart because they were my grandmother’s. She had several different kinds her mother gave her on her wedding day. My papaw and she were married back in 1942 and she passed them to my mother then my mother gave me several of them when I moved into my own home and started my little family. I absolutely adore them. My mamaw has been an angel for going on 7 years and we were very close so when I want to feel her with me I bust out my cast iron and she’s there with me!! Love you Emmy!!😘😘😘
I have an 80 year old Griswold 12 inch. Black as tar and slicker than grease. I retired it to making only one thing,,,, Pineapple upside down cake. Whatever caramel that doesn't release I just heat the pan up and run it under hot hot hot water and steam does the job. A quick wipe with a wet cloth, back on heat to dry completely, as splash of oil, wiped down and cooled, hung with care ready for the next cake.
Nice, Griswold has a great logo.
Clark W Griswold?
Best video Ive seen on RUclips regarding cast iron maintenance. I bought one as a gift for my partner for his first apt but did not realize I needed to teach him the basics! Wonderful and informative video as always. Will be sharing this with him
My mom managed to save the family cast iron from being sold and I decided to take it down to silver and re-season it! It's turning out great! Thank you for the video!
We just got a cast iron square omellette pan, so now thanx to you Emmy we will be able to take good care of it ❤ thanxxx ❤❤❤
I love cooking with cast iron. My favorites are all very old Wagner, Griswold and Lodge pans. 50+ years ago, they used to mill the insides of the pans at the factory so they came smooth even when they were new. Lodge skips that step now. I always tell people to hunt for oldies at flea markets and yard sales.
Absolutely EXCELLENT video about cast iron. I have had my Wagner cast iron passed down to me that is about 100 years old. They are durable indeed. I cook in them every day. I gave so many pieces away during my move and kept only 3. It really is great for searing food.
I love my cast iron too!itraded in all my stainless many years ago and I buy from thrift stores as well and restore them!😊
Thank you, Emmy! I found so many videos about how to season/restore cast iron, but none of them explained how to clean/maintain it after every use. So helpful, as always!
My mom gave me her cast iron skillet to me when i moved a way from home, the same her mom gave to her when she left her home :)
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
That's so lovely!
@Petri: Thanks for sharing your story! Awesome. I hope the story of this pan will be continued. Maybe you should create a folder about your Grandma, your mom, yourself (maybe add some pics) to tell the story of the pan when you will hand it over to the next generation.
@@peterdoe2617 that's a really good idea
@NASdaq dowJONES rude
I LOVE my cast iron pans. They are amazing to cook with. I have a standard 10 inch pan that I bought at the camping store but it was so rough. I sent it to work with my husband and he ground it down to bare metal like you did and we seasoned it back up. She’s such an amazing pan too!! I have a small egg size pan that was inherited from my husbands grandparents. And a HUGE painted cast iron soup pot. All amazing pans.
When my family would go camping, we'd take a cast iron. It's so good at holding heat. Anyways, my mom would scrub the inside with a scrubber but also she would put sand inside it too. I thought this was a weird quirk she did because we were in the desert but it all makes sense! I love this. It brought back so much memories :)
sand is a great abrasive. I learnt to 'wash' with sand from the bedouins, natives in the desert. Cleans like no other detergent and water-conserving king!!
5yrs ago I discovered cast iron, in the UK its expensive to get it but Im so glad I got into this community, it has changed my life and my health.
Anytime I see a cast iron skillet, I automatically think about Tom and Jerry 😂
La Crista James hahahhaha
La Crista James
Yes! Yosemite Sam, Roadrunner etc..!
Hahaha now i think like that
These days, that cartoon would be politically incorrect. Now, instead of using a frying pan, Tom and Jerry have to go to therapy and talk it out
I tend to go a little further than that, so it appears I have neither cats nor mice around here anymore
I'm jealous of how beautiful your Lodge skillet looks. What a treasure!
i love the concept of this style of video because i love seeing whats in other peoples kitchen lol
Could you do a Stainless Steel 101?
I know I’m a little late but just wanted you to know that I love your videos. I love how you give educational info about what and why. ❤️
Great tips! There's nothing like a well kept Cast Iron pan!
I picked up an 8'' cast iron skillet in 1977 for moving away from home to go to college...I still have my black pan, love it, can even wash it and it doesn't rust (it's that old) - the handle is long lost and there's a crack in the centre but it still works, great for making deep crust pizza and French apple tart and a good fried breakfast !! Very little oil needed - eggs can be fried dry on it and turn out perfectly. My old black pan, love it !!
Just what I needed! I have several cast iron skillets that belonged to my grandmother & they need to be seasoned so we can start using them again. Thanks for this! kimchi!
Emmy thank you! I love that you have been branching out from your usual cooking and tasting videos! Love it!!
You can also use metal cooking tools that would wreck non-stick coating which I personally find to be a huge bonus.
I loooooove stainless steel spatula and cast iron skillet for burgers
Lion
Seasoning is pretty durable stuff, it takes quite a bit of work to significantly scratch seasoning with some plain metal utensils.
I love cast iron so much. My husband found a set of skillets at the side of the road that someone had allowed to rust, it was a tragedy! But he knew I knew how to get them pretty and usable again so brought them home! It took some serious scrubbing to get rid of all the rust but they are my babies! My mother in law bought me another set of skillets at a yard sale because she knew I raved about mine so now I have lots of them..lol I am going to get a dutch oven in just a couple weeks for camping purposes and I am going to be glad to add that to my considerable collection.
When the time comes and my son moves out on his own he will be getting a 12 inch skillet and a 6 inch. I will be sure to make sure his darling girl knows how to take care of them too.
It's a myth that soap will remove the seasoning. The oil polymerizes and bonds to the metal, becomes very tough, and will not dissolve in soapy water.
After I wash my cast iron I dry it by putting on a stove burner set on high. The heat will get it drier than you can achieve with a towel.
The best oil to use for seasoning a cast iron pan is flaxseed oil. It's a drying oil, which means it polymerizes easily. Also, it's a good idea when seasoning a pan to put it in the oven upside-down to keep the oil from pooling on the bottom (which would form thick spots). The seasoning on a pan will continue to build up and improve with use. Water should bead up on the surface of a well-seasoned pan.
Another way to take a pan down to bare metal is to put it on the oven floor and run a self-clean cycle (assuming your oven has this feature). The existing seasoning will burn off, leaving a bare metal surface. Then you can re-season it from scratch.
My 92 year old mom cares for her skillets this way.
I know this is an older comment. But since you seem very knowledgeable I was hoping you could help me. I just bought a new cast iron skillet and I have no clue what to do with a brand new one. It says pre-seasoned but I don’t trust it lol.
The seasoning on a new skillet isn't as good as what will develop over time. If you want to improve it now (rather than wait), apply a thin coating of a drying oil like safflower or flaxseed oil, put the pan upside down in your oven, and set it to a high temperature (like 450 or 500 F). Leave the pan in the oven for, say, an hour. The oil will solidify and bond to the pan. It's important for the pan to be upside-down so that the oil won't pool on the cooking surface.
Have fun with your new pan!
No on flaxseed oil. It's notorious for flaking over time and many users on the castiron reddit have reported that before.
Just a warning for anyone thinking of using their oven's self-cleaning feature. That releases extremely toxic fumes that are the same chemicals that people try to avoid by not using teflon pans. It caused severe asthma and migraines for me, even with windows open. I ended up finding an easy non-toxic oven cleaning method that just uses a paste made of baking soda and a very small amount of hot water. You apply it and leave it on over night, and all of the built up crud just wipes right off... no toxic fumes involved.
I'm not sure if a baking soda paste would do anything to remove a thick cast iron seasoning... but it is very alkaline just like lye... so maybe it would work?
I have a whole collection of cast iron pans from my Great-Great Grandmother and they still see daily use a good 130 years after they were made. Not many other cooking instruments can claim that. Love this video, always good to see someone else who loves cast iron.
I love cast iron. When I was trying to get pregnant, Dr did an iron test and found my iron levels VERY good, because of the cast iron. Along with great cooking, cast iron has wonderful health bennies.
I have an old 11 ¼ inch Griswold. Very smooth. I took it to a Flea Market once looking for a lid. Got offerd $80.00 for it. Needless to say I did not take it. I wonder what they would have sold it for. Personally though I don't season it every time I use it. I clean it well with hot water. Finish with a paper towel than put it on the stove to make sure it is completely dry. I don't see the need to oil it every time. But I have heard of others doing the same as you. I also have an old 9 inch painted pan. and a Dutch Oven. Love them.
THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO CARE FOR A CAST IRON PAN I HAVE EVER SEEN! 💜
How did you know I was trying to figure out what to do with my grandma's cast iron pan that has been unused in my cupboard for 8 years? Such a helpful video!
Watching this because i know my cast iron pans are on their way to my doorstep. Im so excited 😃
I have my great grandmas cast iron 😁 I love it so much
It’s like 60-65 years old
I bet yours is as smooth as mine.
Herbert oh yeah, it’s great
I got a cast iron for Christmas and this video comes in quite handy!
I've been told that you want to use solid shortening (i.e. lard) and you want to avoid paper towels (because fibers can catch and be left behind, leaving a less smooth surface). Awesome instructions otherwise! Love all your videos!
Love it.
That ending made me smile.
I love my cast iron Le Creuset pan, it's older than me, has a couple chips missing from the middle, but boy does it make a great ribeye steak!! :D
+Black Lives Matter use aluminum it's healthier for ya
I have always wanted a big cast iron skillet. I frequently used my roommate's many years ago and loved it. He used to clean it with oil and salt over heat and it worked great. One of these days I'll have one, I hope.
I don’t own a drill however I will scrub the hell out of my cast iron pans that my mother gifted me. They belonged to my grandmother and I remember her cooking amazing meals in those pans! I don’t have a gas stove but I’ll make it work!
Where is your video of making it?
I love cast iron too! My parents starting using cast iron skillets a few years ago, and while it took me a while to get used to cooking with them I love them now! Teflon, the non-stick coating on many pans, is very bad for you, so that's another pro to cast iron in my books :) My fiance bought me a cast iron skillet for Christmas, I can't wait to start using it once we are married! I really want a dutch oven as well.
I love how Emmy can go from goofy to totally professional in a second
I love my cast iron. I collect it from folks who don't want to take care of it. 2 prized possessions are my Wagner 10" skillet and a huge 30-quart dutch oven with the lid. I've only used the dutch oven once to make cassoulet for a huge party. I've ground off the finish of a skillet before but my favorite way to rehab a skillet is to take it camping and leave it in the coals overnight. Comes out really clean and smooth.
Thank you for this, my husband and I want to buy a cast iron and I probably would have ruined it had i not seen this video 😊
I love my cast iron. Mine have been passed down over the generations. I still season mine after every use. I have a chain mail scrubber and the scrapers that Lodge sells. They make cleanup really easy
I have several vintage cast iron skillets and I love them. By the way, vintage cast iron is lighter than the modern.
It's nice to hear from someone who appreciates vintage cast iron. The difference is unbelievable. Vintage (pre 1970s) cast iron cookware interior was initially smooth because it was cast with finer sand and polished glass smooth when it was made. The modern Lodge "pre seasoned" label was a gimmick telling people they wouldn't have to season their cookware. They use coarse sand, and ceased polishing.
everything vintage was made more durable, heck i hav this normal pan passed down from my mother and it's unkillable and it is not even cast iron, just a good ol lagostina of back in the dayz
ANOTHER QUICK TIP.... WHEN CLEANING A SELF CLEANING OVEN I PUT MINE IN THERE WHILE OVEN IS CLEANING WHEN COOL I TAKE IT OUT WASH WITH HOT WATER ONLY THEN SPOT OF VEGGIE OIL , AND RUB IT AROUND WITH A SALT PACK :) BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS
remember to put your cast iron skillet upside down though. Any sticking will turn to ashes at the end of cleaning cycle. good tip and best use of energy.
My husband was born and raised in the same town where Lodge cast iron is made. My in laws are friends with Henry Lodge and my FIL is always bringing me something cast iron when they come to visit. It’s all we cook on.
I cannot stress this enough, do not season cat iron pans with olive oil. Olive oil goes rancid with heat, use an oil with a higher smoke point such as flaxseed oil or canola oil.
Edit: spelling
brofessorbrolaf How about cooking with olive oil?
use olive oil all the time...never had rancid.
Flax seed has the lowest cooking point. Which you actually need. The smoking point is actually the polymerization point, which makes that hard non-stick coating.
Hope you are going to do something good with this info 👌🏼
Wrong. I used it, no rancid smell or flavor in food. Flaxseed is all fine and dandy, but it's not the end all be all. Besides, as you cook with it, the food you cook will add another layer of seasoning over time, sear a steak, cow fat is now the top seasoning, cook a pound of bacon, pig fat is now the new top seasoning.
What about vegatable oil? 🤔
Cast iron pans are actually all you need in your kitchen.
A small breakfast?
A medium lunch?
An elaborate dinner??
Just use your cast iron pan!
Thank you so much for this amazing and amusing video!!
I lost my favorite cast iron years ago, my sister stole it -_- my husband just bought me a new one two weeks ago and I've been using it every day since getting it lol
That's sisters for you!
Yep, damn those sisters!😡
Thanks for a great information video! We had cast iron as a kid - that's all we cooked with on our wood stove. I am trying to get back into cooking with it as an adult. I ordered on 12" pan, which came a few weeks ago. I also found a griddle & 10" pan at a local thrift store. They were in rough shape, but i am in the process of restoring them now.
All I did was throw it in the oven on the highest setting and let it sit for a few hours. Good to go with a new coat of oil. To restore a cast iron pan.
I had no luck with my first cast iron pan and I messed it up so much I threw it out. When my mother passed away I took her pan (it wasn't anything really old) and didn't want to mess it up. I saw ads for something called The Ringer, which looks like a small piece of chain metal. I got it on Amazon and love it. IT makes cleaning the pan out super easy. The pan looks great and I don't fear using it now because I know I won't mess it up trying to clean it.
Another pro is that cooking in cast iron adds iron to your food, easy way to get more iron in your diet:)
U bullshitting ? I'm thinking of switching over to cast iron skillet, I've been using a non stick pan.
PVNCHO s14 She’s not bullshitting. Look it up. Any type of cast iron cookware can add a significant amount of iron into food, especially acidic food like tomatoes.
PVNCHO s14 Also, the vitamin C from tomatoes allows for easier iron absorption.
I was actually thinking about cast iron pans this morning, and realized I had no idea how to take care of one. My parents have one but rarely use it because of time constraints, and so even though I knew they needed to be cared for differently than other pans, I didn't actually know how to do it. So thank you so much for this video! Maybe I can get a good season on our pan! :)
You say you like using a high temp oil like safflower or peanut oil but then you use olive oil which is a non high temp oil
Maybe she uses safflower or peanut for building the seasoning and the olive as maintenance after cleaning?
This was wonderful. You are wonderful. My Papa died and NO ONE wanted his cast iron but me. I am oldest grand kid and knabbbbbed them all.
It's the weight I have trouble with, so I can only have a smaller pan.
They are heavy especially when they're filled with food. 😉
Robin Wagganer yup since getting weaker with my chronic illness our good frying pan is basically not an option which is deeply annoying
Do they make cast iron with the extra handle on the opposite side so you can pick it up with two oven mitts?
Try getting a carbon steel pan. They are thinner and lighter than cast iron, but you can season them in the same way.
You could try carbon steel pans. otherwise known as "black steel". it operates the same way as cast iron except not as heavy. Still have to season it etc and if done right, will be nonstick just like cast iron. and it will rust just like cast iron too.
I love cast iron my family traditionally has always used cast iron and when I inherit my grandmothers now I know exactly how to take care of it :)
The iron will also help repel evil spirits and mischievous fairies. So that's another pro.
And robbers
Kittylitteral yes but only if I could lift it high enough over my head. This pan is heavy!
Thank you! Best video about cast iron I’ve ever seen
Have you tried the oil-and-salt scrub that Julia Child used to clean cast iron?
I've had to do that once for a really bad sticking. (Was eggs I don't know what their problem is)
They're practically liquid protein, even with nonstick, a little lubrication is required, almost.
That’s my method. Oil n salt
you show was great you have a nice spirit and is an excellent teacher. You go lady
I wash my cast iron and re-season after every use. it's just more sanitary. I have had OCD my whole life with an emphasis on a cleanliness obsession so that's why I put in the effort. It seems like a simple thing to do to avoid any issue while I work through in therapy.
Family in the background, adds a nice homey touch. I like that. (And the demos are good too~!)
At 7.57 there's the word Kimchi popping up on the left. Korean easter-egg of sorts?
SiLi in Norway The camera focuses on the Kimchi in the background. Maybe she made it homemade and has a video on it coming soon.
Aaah! I see that now. I blame the late hour where I am. I should be sleeping, not watching Emmy. XD
I'm moving into a new apartment this summer and was JUST talking to my mom about buying some cast iron pans for when I move, good timing!
Le Creuset, though, so expensive but so beautiful
Hi Emmy! I season my cast iron, and granite cooking stones with straight lard. I buy my cast iron new, one layer of seasoning, then use. I chip food out with a hardwood. I use water sparingly. When I'm done cooking, I clean with melted lard, or olive oil, and salt. a quick water rinse, and a fast heat dry, a thin application of olive oil, and done.
The reason I don't season more thoroughly at first., is because over time, the cast iron seasons naturally. After six months, I can fry eggs over easy without them sticking. :) This is how my Granny used to do it.
FYI: Vintage cast iron is smooth due to differences in manufacturing of yore vs. now.
I recommend using canola oil after cleaning. I tried using olive oil and it made the surface have a sticky build up. I love your vids Emmy can't wait till the next post.
She didn't even cook but I can tell she A GOOD COOK
We had an old cast iron skillet that my great-grandmother gave to my grandmother but it was super rusted.
I took a scouring pad and used soap and water and got off all the rust.
Heated it up put in a little bit of water with it and used a scrub brush to remove any of the rust that didnt come off from the scrubbing.
Washed it off and seasoned it. Worked like a dream.
We have 3 cast iron skillets. One is ONLY FOR CORNBREAD which the way we make it doesn't require any seasoning because we "season" it every time making the cornbread. (put oil in the skillet, put it in the oven at 500 degrees, once it is preheated put the hot oil in your cornbread batter stir it quickly before it cooks the cornmeal on top and then put it in the skillet and the cornbread will never stick and will be perfectly crunchy on the outside.)
We have 1 cast iron skillet we use for meats and the last one is small as we use it for a few biscuits or eggs.
CapTrainT Cornbread recipe, please :)
Amy Posey funny enough we don't really use a recipe we kind of just add stuff to a bowl and mix. Corn meal and self rising flour. But a small amount of self rising flour compared to corn meal egg and milk. You can do buttermilk we just don't cuz we don't ever have it . If you want it sweet add some sugar to it but we rarely do it unless having pinto beans then add the hot oil to the batter once the skillet is nice and hot stir it quickly and pour into skillet and bake at 500 for 18-20 minutes depending on how brown you like it...my grandma likes it damn near burnt but we like ours a little lighter.
CapTrainT I guess it is trial and error :)
Amy Posey I would suggest if it's available where you live to look for Martha white cornmeal mix. It's what we use a lot of the time. You don't want your batter too thick it should be pourable like a pancake mix it should feel grainy so if it's like cake mix you have too much flour. I'd say if you used 2 cups of cornmeal use a third of a cup of flour. Typically we just cover the top very lightly with flour hope that helps some :/
Don’t cha just love being sick? :P
So glad you made this video Emmy! My husband and I have been wanting to switch to cast iron but wanted to be informed before doing it...you are awesome! 😘
Around 1:43 the music seems to kick back in. Not a big deal, just an editing error that I thought I should point out. :)
She bein held captive, we gotta save her!
You can tell me everything about everything, i will believe you. what a amazing woman !
Don't cha just love being sick?
michael lee That's because you gotta make a game out of it. Take a shot of nyquil everytime you sneeze.
Ohh dang that's a great idea! You just scheduled my day B)
Someone's been reading the description
I moved into a very teeny tiny apt and space is minimal. I love my cast iron as I can do 90% of my cooking with it. This saves on owning a lot of pans.
Love that you fixed up an old pan from a thrift store!
Came back to this after a long time for instruction! Need to give my cast iron some love
You are the coolest Emmy , and thanks for the advice about pans .
Emmy, I am originally from New Orleans. When I was a kid, we ate two snacks that may be new to you. Plain Lays potato chips with ketchup, hot sauce (Tabasco or Louisiana) and pieces of sour pickle, and/or pickle juice sprinkled on. Adding ingredients to the bag and shaking helps to spread the mixture evenly. We ate it right out of the bag. The pickles were the big individually packaged ones in their own juices. The other snack was a sour pickle (same type of pickle) with two Jolly Ranchers or Now and Laters shoved down the center. We would suck the juice of the pickle, which would be a very odd sweet/sour combination. I'd like to see your reaction to these, especially the potato chip, ketchup, hot sauce and pickle combo. Take care. You're great!
Yes, cast iron is cast by making a sand mold around a pan form. Depending on the manufacturer they may use a pan to create a mold with the oiled sand then take the mold and put a thin wax mold/Void stabilizer (this keeps the sand from flaking back into the mold) some companies use sand with a hire oil content and don't put anything in the mold to keep the void. They pour in the molten cast iron. It then continues through a fire tunnel to allow the pan to temper (keep it from cracking as it cools) and you have a pan. Even on a brand new pan I would do the process you showed with sanding the inner surface of the pan and keep working at it until you have a surface that reminds you of a pancake (small bubbles) but no grooves. If you have any grooves I suggest you keep sanding until the groove is smoothed out or it will always be your area to hang on to foods. I also sand the side of the pan because I like to make cakes in my cast iron (pineapple upside down cake or corn bread) You don't to be as forceful with sanding but every little bit of smoothing helps in the end. The don't use detergent is something a lot of people don't get. Also don't allow food to remain in the pan after it is cooked. your adding a small bit of water to the pan the loosen the bits is a good example of what to do. It's also something commonly used in the restaurants on the griddle for the same purpose 1/4 cup is plenty.
I have recently also seen another video with someone using that paint removing grinding disk. I've used those disks for grinding and removing paint, I worry that you might get some of that plastic material caught and melted onto the pans. I would recommend if you are using one of those grinding disks to not only do a VERY detailed job cleaning the pan, but also using some standard sand paper to go over the pan as well to make sure you get any of that plastic material off of it before using the pan.