Dutch oven cooking

[Moon]

Why no soap and water on cast iron DO's or skillets? What do you use instead?

Thanks,
Moon of Ohio

 

[PhilNH5]

Cast iron is season with a coating of baked on fat. Lodge now sells pre-seasoned cast iron. You usualy season by coating the pan with fat or oil and put in a 350F oven for one hour. This prevents the metal from rusting. It also makes the cookware non-stick (hundreds or years prior to Teflon /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

If you wash cast iron with soap you risk removing the seasoning. For many of us the seasoning is almost like a badge of honor. My father had cast iron cookware that had never been re-seasoned for 25 plus years. Until my unknowing wife scoured it clean /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Dad was not happy.

To clean my cast iron greddle and skillets I simply wipe them out with a paper towel while they are still warm. For the dutch oven I use running water since I often cook chili or stew in there. Soap and abrasive cleansers are the big no-no.

Phil

 

[Golfgar4]

The cast iron dutch ovens need to be "seasoned" when they are first used. This is a process where oil, usually vegetable oil, is wiped/rubbed into the metal. Then the dutch oven is heated, usually in a regular oven. One of my assistant Scoutmasters always insisted on doing it 5 times to a new dutch oven before using it. I always thought that was a bit extreme myself. Twice was usually enough.

Once a dutch oven has been seasoned, it should never be washed with soap and water because it removes all of the "seasoning" and the cast iron begins to rust. And that is really a pain to get off! To clean a dutch oven after being used, all that is needed is to scrape out any residue and then wipe the inside down with a paper towel.

Guess Phil and I were typing at the same time! At least we both agree on the basic process. Must be right, huh Phil!? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobS]

Yeah, what Phil said. In addition, cast iron is porous. Soap in the pores can be hard to rinse out and leaves a bad taste. I keep a scrub brush for cast iron only, no soap. Only use it if it won't wipe clean with a paper towel.

Over time your cast iron will develop a nice black finish. That's largely carbon which provides natural non-stick /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Moon]

I've heard my wife talk of seasoning the cast iron stuff ....but she still uses soap and water on them. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Thanks for the education guys!

Moon of Ohio

 

[Chuck52]

The wife has bought a number of stone cooking things over the years, like a pizza stone and bread pans, etc. The hard plastic scrapers that come with them are ideal for cast iron, too. Makes sense because you aren't supposed to use soap and water on the stone either.

I usually just scrape our cast iron with one of those things under running water. My iron is well enough seasoned that the water doesn't cause any problems. The water also removes any salt in the process. Those scapers are nice because they have a curved corner that just fits the pots around the bottoms, and a sharp corner for tight places and stubborn pieces, and a big hard edge for general scraping.

Chuck

 

[Spiffy]

<font color="blue"> plastic scrapers </font>

Cool idea! I like the the plastic "scrubbies" if a paper towel won't do it, but may have to try a scraper. Either way, I love the irony of using 20th century materials to clean cast. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

After reading a couple of the findings on Durbob's google search [and the double and quintuple seansoning ideas here], I may have to try stripping one of my "younger" skillets just to see if I can achieve "perfection." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rdricks]

My wife always gives me a hard time when cleaning them up - just throw some oil in, heat them up, and go to it with paper towels. I have a knack of using about a roll and a half every time we go camping!! But then again, since I am cooking instead of her she can't complain too much.

 

[Chuck52]

My favorite method of cleaning the cast iron skillet after frying chicken or pork chops or country fried steak, is to make gravy. Simmering the milk gravy frees up all the goodies that have stuck to the pan, and clean up after is really easy. Plus you get to eat the gravy! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Chuck

 

[getut]

All of you guys talking about this is funny. Talking about how good cooking is when you're out camping.

All of you are forgetting something obvious... when you're out camping and hungry a can of beenie weenies and a pack of crackers tastes like a fine filet mignon. That food could have been horrible and YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THE DIFFERENCE! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Actually one time I was on a hunting trip with my best friend. We actually took a couple of high quality steaks with us. It was so good we couldn't handle it. I still have blackouts thinking about it.. its just too much.

See.. just did it again.. took 45 minutes to post this with all that lost time.