Practicing what you Preach

How to restore and how to season remains the biggest question with cast iron cookware that I receive from folks around the globe.  The term, "There is more than one way to skin a cat" often relates to the care or restoring of cast iron since many methods work and some work better than others.  

Whether using an aerosol spray can of Oven-Cleaner,  coke-cola, electrolysis or placing the cook ware directly on a heat source first, there are many ways to clean rust off from a piece of cast iron and surely many different ways to restore the cookware.  However, in an early blog "Restore and Clean Cast iron Cookware" I try to fully explain why I choose one method over so many others. I always look for how to perform any task getting the best results, performing the least amount of effort, most affordable cost that provides the safest measures to any job.  This carries over into restoring my personal cast iron as well.  I do not knock others for finding what works best for them, although many other methods either cost more, do not get the best results or are simply not as safe which is why I practice what I preach.

I restore every piece of my cast iron using plain white vinegar.  It's that simple.  Take a look.

Lodge 20" inch cast iron skillet

Here is a piece of cast iron cookware with mild traces of rust.  It is not pitted but did need to have the rust removed and the reseasoning to protect the cookware from future oxidation.  Our first step, is to mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar with plain tap water to soak and clean the surface rust off.  Normally,  I soak over night, this I went right to work cleaning.

Cast iron frier

Minutes after pouring the solution into the skillet, it quickly begins to work. Notice the use of a plain scrub brush of nylon bristles.  No wire brush required to begin scrubbing away the rusty surface.  Vinegar cuts through the rust getting back to the iron finish. 

Rust easily removed

By scrubbing the cookware, the cast iron begins to shine removing rust from the oxidized surface.  After completely removing the rust from the surface, I always wash in plain luke warm water with a mild soap for a final cleaning. This will neutralize the vinegar.  Once washed,  wiped dry with a towel and place in the pre-heated oven at 250 degree (F). This temperature is used to dry the cast iron. Plus it allows the cast iron to preheat while drying.  Even when cooking, a good habit is to always slowly heat cast iron cookware for longer life.  Now the item is ready for seasonings:   

Seasoning on the outdoor grill, looking new again

Remember, for a complete explanation of restoring cast iron cookware, check out this link (Restoring)

( Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart )

return to recipes: 

return to Chuck Wagons:

return to cowboy and chuckwagon cooking:

Cabela's Six Annual Dutch Oven Cook-Off, Mitchell, South Dakota

Story by Cassandra Swanson

Mitchell, SD – Saturday, August 20, 2011, Cabela’s hosted its’ 6^th Annual Dutch Oven Cook Off.  Eleven adult teams and six youth teams attended despite early morning rains and created  fifteen main courses and fifteen desserts. 

The skies cleared by 10 am and our local and professional judges had a great time seeing all the unusual recipes cooked in Dutch ovens.  Hundreds of Cabela shoppers enjoyed these amazing Dutch oven dishes, and it was a lot of fun for everyone adding the Kid’s event this year.  Also new this year, Cabela’s had the public choose a “Friendliest Camp “ – taking home this great prize was Luinea Caldwell and Regina Geringer…Cabela's is known for hosting great events and offering wonderful prizes - as well as a good sale during their annual Fall Expo Weekend.

Early Cookware that Titillated mans appetite

If you never do much cooking, likely you never gave much thought to the cookware we use preparing meals. Modern technology has made most meals so easy to prep, cook and serve at the dinner table. It takes longer to shop for the groceries. Plus the fact of fast food chains, one rarely is without so many choices of what and where to eat be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I’m also very fortunate being married to a woman who takes pride in the culinary art of gourmet cooking which spoils my palate. Plus the fact that my mother in law also lives with us who too takes pride in her cooking. Perhaps the only thing she cooked different than my personal expectation is Chili. I’m from Texas, she is from Indiana. True Chili does not have macaroni mixed in with it. Plus, I’m the cook when it comes to the out door grilling. Just as long as I keep my hands off the wife’s collection of Rachel Ray cookware, she’s happy. Therefore, I too never really gave much thought about cookware either. Not until one day speaking with an associate about Chuck wagon cooking and period correct cookware. He stated “Chuck wagons did not use enamelware coffee pots” as he continue to point out that they did not become available until the turn of the 20th century. I knew this to be incorrect but not being a subject matter expert on early cookware, I decided to research the development of enamelware and facts of early cookware. While I merely desired to know one general era of period cookware, I found myself intrigued on the over-all history as man’s movement from a primitive state to modern civilization and how to titillate his appetite that develop the tools we have come to use. Though the lack of archaeological evidence makes understanding tools used prior to pottery difficult, though it can some what be understood through the developmental study of civilized cultural.