Homesteader Depot

Tag: cast iron

  • Homestyle Skillet Pizza (Video)

    Homestyle Skillet Pizza (Video)

    Who doesn’t love pizza? Ordering in from your local pizzeria is great, but like so many things in life, homemade is always better. You get fresher dough, you can tailor ingredients to your personal

    A really fun and easy way to make homemade pizza taste delicious and cook perfectly is to cook it in a skillet, like this video shows. Cast iron skillets are so useful in the kitchen, but they don’t have to be restricted to stir-fries and bacon! Baking in cast iron is a great way to add some versatility to your dishes and your cooking talents.

    Enjoy, and bon appetit!

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  • How to Cook With And Season Cast Iron (Video)

    How to Cook With And Season Cast Iron (Video)

    A good cast iron skillet is one of the most important–if not the most important kitchen tools you’ll ever own. You could probably have only a cast iron skillet and some basic utensils in your kitchen and go very far.

    Many people are intimidated by cast iron because it has a particular cleaning protocol, but it’s really not so complicated to care for, especially if you know what you’re doing.

    The YouTube channel Tasty, purveyor of those really awesome visually-appealing viral cooking videos, shares some important tips on how to care for and use the classic cast iron skillet.

    Enjoy!

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  • The 11 Commandments of Cast Iron Care (Graphic)

    The 11 Commandments of Cast Iron Care (Graphic)

    Most people who own and regularly use cast iron can’t gush enough about it. You might wonder what all the hype is about cast iron, and you also might wonder why people are so legalistic about cleaning it.

    The thing is, they’re really not so difficult to care for, at all, and no matter how much they wear or rust, it’s actually usually pretty easy to get them back in shape again, if you know what you’re doing.

    The great news about cast iron is that if you use them regularly, you really don’t have to do very much at all to keep them conditioned.

    I found this graphic recently on Pinterest, from Southern Living Magazine, that has the “11 commandments of cast iron”, and I think they’re great suggestions. I thought I’d share it with you guys so you can see that cast iron care is really not so complicated. These basic guidelines are sure to keep your cast iron in great shape, for many, many years. Enjoy:

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  • Five Must-Have Cast Iron Pieces

    Five Must-Have Cast Iron Pieces

    When first making the switch from toxic nonstick cookware to cast iron, you may have a few reservations about the care or cost, especially if you run your homestead on a tight budget. The good news is that cast iron cookware outlasts its nonstick and other counterparts by decades, even centuries; you won’t be replacing cheap pots and pans every few years. This coupled with a good grasp of the simple process of caring for your cookware, leaves no reason not to take the plunge! If you’re ready to start your cast iron collection, check out these essentials first!

     

    • Dutch oven: A good, high capacity dutch oven is a staple in any cast iron stash. Use this for baking bread, cooking soups, grains, legumes, and hearty casseroles.
    • Skillet: Skillets come in all shapes and sizes for use in almost any type of cooking. Get started with a standard 8- or 10-inch.
    • Grill pan: Ditch the bulky countertop grill and make restaurant-quality burgers and steaks with a grill pan. Great for use during the winter months when you want the perfect steak without cooking out in the cold!
    • Pots: Cast iron pots are a healthier alternative for boiling and steaming. From a multi-gallon stockpot to a cute little teapot, there are plenty of options available.
    • Baking dishes: Whether you’re whipping up a batch of cookies, a pan of cornbread, or a deep-dish pizza, there are myriad different styles and shapes of pans to get the job done. Artisan cast iron makers even offer dishes in novelty shapes such as states or animals.

    There’s no need to break the bank or clutter up the kitchen when becoming a cast iron convert. Yard sales, thrift stores are great places to find vintage pieces. Even big-box retailers are tapping into the growing market and offering affordable cookware selections. It’s easier than ever to start a great collection, but be careful- it can be addictive. But with cast iron, there’s no such thing as too much!

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  • How to Clean Cast Iron

    How to Clean Cast Iron

    Cast iron cookware is fantastic. It is durable, lasts forever, can be used over an open flame and is often called “the original non-stick”. A cast-iron skillet is an essential to any homestead kitchen. However, they have to be cared for properly. There are differing opinions on how to properly clean cast iron, so this is just one way that I have found works best for me. Based on what kind of cleaning supplies and fat you regularly have available to season with, you might find a different method works for you. But I’ve been cleaning my cast iron skillets this way for years, and they’re in great shape. I also find that this  method keeps them very non-stick, making them less likely to need to be cleaned with any more than a quick swipe of a paper towel after most uses.

    The Secret to Keeping Cast Iron Well-Conditioned

    The secret to my method of cleaning cast iron is the use of bacon fat. About once or twice a month, I fry up a package of bacon and save ALL the drippings. I keep a small, 4-oz glass container with a lid in my fridge that I fill up with the drippings. This is what I use to season my cast iron, which I’ll explain later. You can use essentially any kind of fat, such as rendered tallow, olive oil, or coconut oil, which are other popular and effective options. I personally have found animal fat drippings such as bacon grease to be the most effective.

    The Cleaning Process

    When you have a dirty cast iron skillet, always see if you can simply wipe out the food residue with a damp paper towel or cloth first. A lot of the time, this will be sufficient, and you can simply rub all the food residue out, heat over a very low flame until the moisture is gone, and apply more bacon grease. However, often times this won’t be enough. If you have food residue that can’t be simply wiped up, follow these steps:

    1. Rinse your cast iron skillet with warm water and NO SOAP. Gently scrub with a plastic or natural fiber cleaning brush or sea salt, if needed. If you have some stubborn gunk, let soak for about ten minutes, but never much longer than that or your cast iron might rust.
    2. Once you have thoroughly removed the majority of the food residue, rinse, and blot the majority of the moisture off with a dish towel. Your dish towel will most likely get a little gunky at this point, so make sure it’s one that you’re able to wash right away. Don’t worry at all about getting all the moisture though, just whatever is dripping off, and move on to the next step:
    3. Put your skillet on the stove over a low flame, and let it dry this way. WARNING: don’t forget about it! Set a timer for 5 minutes if you’re worried you’ll forget.
    4. Once the skillet is hot and fully dry, grease it thoroughly with your bacon drippings or fat of choice. Make sure to fully coat the whole inside of the skillet so that it looks “wet” again.
    5. You’re done! The heat from the drying process will sort of “lock in” the fat and make the skillet more non-stick for the next time you use it.

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  • Caring For Cast Iron

    Caring For Cast Iron

    Cast iron sometimes gets a bad reputation as hard to care for. If you’ve never used a cast iron skillet before, rest assured: once you’ve done a few simple first maintenance steps, cast iron is even easier than caring for a special nonstick coated skillet.castiron

    Seasoning

    Before you use your cast iron skillet for the first time, it needs to be seasoned. Seasoning is a process of creating a natural non-stick surface, and it’s very easy. All you have to do is cover the entire skillet (including the handle and the outside) with cooking oil, and bake it for an hour at 350 degrees. It probably won’t emerge with the shiny look that it will develop later, but that’s okay. Simply dry it with a paper towel when it cools, and you’re ready to go.

    As you use your cast iron skillet, you can season it as often as you like. If you notice that food has begun to stick more often, you see rust on your skillet, or your skillet is showing some scratches in the seasoned surface, scrub the old seasoning off with steel wool and follow the same process to re-season.

    Daily Care

    You should not use soap on a cast iron skillet, and it’s not best to set it to “soak”. Instead, it’s best to rinse a cast iron skillet or pot with hot water right after cooking. In most cases, this is all you need. Wipe dry with a paper towel and you’re done. However, if there is some burnt food stuck to the skillet, you may need to use a bit of coarse salt or a non-metal brush to scrub it away.

    Storing your cast iron is very easy. If you want to keep dust off the surface, use a paper towel to cover it; but otherwise, you don’t need anything to protect your skillet from bumps or scratches. The seasoning is durable enough to withstand being stacked.

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  • Caring For Cast Iron

    Caring For Cast Iron

    Cast iron sometimes gets a bad reputation as hard to care for. If you’ve never used a cast iron skillet before, rest assured: once you’ve done a few simple first maintenance steps, cast iron is even easier than caring for a special nonstick coated skillet.castiron

    Seasoning

    Before you use your cast iron skillet for the first time, it needs to be seasoned. Seasoning is a process of creating a natural non-stick surface, and it’s very easy. All you have to do is cover the entire skillet (including the handle and the outside) with cooking oil, and bake it for an hour at 350 degrees. It probably won’t emerge with the shiny look that it will develop later, but that’s okay. Simply dry it with a paper towel when it cools, and you’re ready to go.

    As you use your cast iron skillet, you can season it as often as you like. If you notice that food has begun to stick more often, you see rust on your skillet, or your skillet is showing some scratches in the seasoned surface, scrub the old seasoning off with steel wool and follow the same process to re-season.

    Daily Care

    You should not use soap on a cast iron skillet, and it’s not best to set it to “soak”. Instead, it’s best to rinse a cast iron skillet or pot with hot water right after cooking. In most cases, this is all you need. Wipe dry with a paper towel and you’re done. However, if there is some burnt food stuck to the skillet, you may need to use a bit of coarse salt or a non-metal brush to scrub it away.

    Storing your cast iron is very easy. If you want to keep dust off the surface, use a paper towel to cover it; but otherwise, you don’t need anything to protect your skillet from bumps or scratches. The seasoning is durable enough to withstand being stacked.

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