Conscious Consumer - Green Tip

"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death."Rachel Carson,1907-1964

What Do I Use Instead of Teflon?

The benefits of cooking with Teflon pans are clear to anybody who has used them, but the health and environmental risks far outway the convenience.

So what's the best alternative to Teflon pans? Many professional chefs prefer copper pans because they conduct heat quickly. They also consider cast-iron pans to be precision cooking tools, because their heat retention qualities allow for even cooking temperature without hot spots. Cast-iron pans can also be used on top of the stove or to bake in the oven. They also hold up beautifully to the sear and bake process.

Besides being an ideal heat conductor, they are inexpensive and will last a lifetime, with proper care. George Washington's mother bequeathed her cast iron skillet in her will. And in France, enameled ironware is often passed to the next generation of cooks.

How to treat a cast ironware?

All our grandmothers had cast iron skillets and stove-top griddles. When well seasoned, a cast-iron pan will be stick resistant and require no additional oil.  Old or new, all cast iron pots and skillets can be 'cured' for a natural non-stick surface.

All new cast-iron pots and skillets have a protective coating on them, which must be removed. American companies use a special food-safe wax; imports are covered with a water-soluble shellac. In either case, scrub the item with a scouring pad, using soap and the hottest tap water possible.

The surface of a new cast-iron pan is porous with microscopic jagged peaks. They are gunmetal gray (silver) when new, but after use, they start turning darker until they are very black.

Avoid buying cast iron pans or skillets with wooden handles ; these are useless for oven cooking and most campfire cooking.

If the utensil comes with a cast iron lid, like a Dutch oven, make sure the lid fits properly on the pot before purchasing it. Also cure the lid's inside the same as the pot. Otherwise, use a glass lid or whatever you have on hand.

How To Season or Cure a Cast Ironware:

Season a cast iron pan by rubbing it with a thin coat of neutral oil such as a vegetable oil (organic canola or sunflower), shortening or lard. 

Heat the pan upside down, for 30 to 60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Once done, let the pan cool to room temperature. Repeating this process several times will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond. 

The cooking surface develops a nonstick quality because the formerly jagged and pitted surface becomes smooth. Because the pores are permeated with oil, water cannot seep in and create rust that would give food an off-flavor.

Your ironware will be slightly discolored at this stage, but constant use will help complete the cure turning the ironware into the rich, black color that is the sign of a well-seasoned, well-used skillet or pot.

Important:

If you have burned food or if the ironware is not dried properly and rust forms, the curing process must be repeated after cleaning.

Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast iron pan or oven. They will crack on the spot!

Be sure to preheat the ironware very slowly when using an electric range and keep the settings to medium or medium-low.

Unless you use your cast-iron pans daily, they should be washed briefly with a little soapy water and then rinsed and thoroughly dried in order to rid them of excess surface oil. If you do not do this, the surplus oil will become rancid within a couple of days.

Every time you cook in your cast-iron pan, you are actually seasoning it again by filling in the microscopic pores and valleys that are part of the cast-iron surface. The more you cook, the smoother the surface becomes!

How's that for sustainability and no special 'plastic' spatualas are needed - ironware is scratch resistant.

 

 

 

 

OP