Prevent (mis)adventures with your cast iron by reading below!
I caught the cast iron craze last year and it finally got me hooked on cooking. 30 pounds of iron and lots of delicious calories later, I realized how many myths there are about cast iron. Let's debunk a few of them.
Myth 1: Never let your cast iron touch water. And don't even THINK about SOAP!
Truth: Cast iron WILL rust if it sits in water and should never be left to soak. However, washing it with water (and even a little soap!) can help your cast iron work harder because the oil layers will bond to the iron and not to food residue left on a poorly washed surface. The trick is to get every drop of water off the iron.
Myth 2: Washing cast iron is complicated.
Truth: Some people use elaborate washing regimens for their cast iron that involve salt scrubs, a forest worth of paper towels, and expensive oils. I want my cast iron to work, not to work for my cast iron! My washing regime is easy and works great.
Myth 3: "Seasoning" is old food cooked in the pan.
Truth: Seasoning refers to layers of oil that chemically bond to the cast iron, not bacon bits from last year's camping trip left to rot in the skillet. The oil layers polymerize with heat to protect the cast iron and get it closer to non-stick. Please wash your cast iron.
Myth 4: Cast iron will always stick terribly.
Truth: The following wash and season process has allowed me to season cast iron that easily cooks eggs and other delicate food. After cooking, wash the cast iron like any other pan (with water and whatever soap is still in your sponge). Towel dry the cast iron and put it back on the stove at full heat. After the last water drops disappear (about 30 seconds), put 1 drop of vegetable oil on a rag and rub it on every surface of the cast iron. Put the iron back on the stove at full heat until the oil starts to smoke. Turn off the heat and allow to cool before putting away. Using more than 1 drop of oil can lead to sticky iron.
Myth 5: Avoid stainless steel utensils.
Truth: Stainless steel utensils are my favorite to use on cast iron - I even bought a steel spatula for pancake flipping! Sure, if you turn your cooking into a forearm workout and really jam the steel into the iron you COULD do damage, but with regular use steel can actually help your seasoning stay even and it will be much easier to slide steel under delicate items like over-easy eggs.
Have you heard other cast iron myths? Let me know and I will include them in this post to help prevent cast iron (mis)adventures!
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