Cast Iron Skillets: Everything You Need to Know

At the beginning of October, a friend of mine invited me to her small town for an afternoon of “boutique-ing” and antiquing. While we visited a few adorable boutique shops along Main Street, we spent most of our time meandering the quiet aisles and booths of a vendor-style antique/consignment store.

It may be no surprise that I am wholly drawn to all things kitchen while I am in those types of shops. I love old baking dishes, pie tins, tea cups and plates, serving platters, etc… And, it is no joke that I left the store with several “new” pieces to add to my ever-growing collection of old kitchenware.

The piece that cost the least and was possibly my favorite in the bunch, was a rusty, marked down, highly neglected cast iron skillet. Have I told you lately how much I love cast iron pots and pans? (Cue Whitney Houston…. And, Iiiiieeeeeiiiiii will always looooooooovveee yooouuu!)

Then, I started a few painting projects, lost power in my home, had a major and a minor leak, had car issues, and the list goes OOOONNNN…. And this ugly cast iron skillet sat amongst the lovely ones in a cabinet for over 3 months, before I finally decided to see if it was worth anything.

When Buying Thrifted/Used Cast Iron
If you ever come across a cast iron piece while you are out, give it a good inspection before you purchase it. You want to check for deep grooves, cuts, or other imperfections that go into the surface of the pan. Also, check the bottom to make sure it’s flat, not warped or uneven. Run your finger across the cooking surface to check the smoothness (the smoother the surface, the better!) Lastly, consider the price. I am all for used pieces, but if they are not in good quality (in need of TLC) I will often pass on something that I can buy new for the same price.

How to Restore Rusty Cast Iron
The piece I bought obviously had a decent coat of rust on the surface. While the rust from iron is not harmful to humans, it’s not something you want to leave on your beautiful pans. You can give the pan a soak in a 50/50 warm water and vinegar bath or give it a good scrub. Note: this is one of the few times that you actually should use soap on your cast iron.
Once you have removed the rust, begin heating the pan over medium-low heat. Add a spoonful of your favorite cooking oil (I typically use coconut oil.) Allow the pan to slowly heat up and absorb the oil for about 10-20 minutes. This is the initial “seasoning” of your pan, and will need to be repeated anytime you use soap on your skillet.

How to Cook with Cast Iron
After you have initially seasoned your cast iron skillet, it is ready to use. I always recommend a generous preheating time period prior to cooking anything in cast iron. (As with an oven, your preheating temperature should be roughly the same as your cooking temperature, and you should never use high heat on a cold skillet!)
Once the pan is hot, you may even need to turn down the temperature as the iron retains heat more than a stainless steel pot would. Add your desired oil or fat, and begin cooking. You will need to give yourself a bit of grace when first using cast iron, as it does cook things faster and a bit differently then a traditional, thin pan. (This will probably result in several thrown out batches pancakes… as it was the case for me!)

How to Regularly Care for Cast Iron
Most days, I reach for a cast iron skillet to do our cooking or baking. It is a must have for making fried eggs in the morning, and provides a better non-stick cooking surface for the more delicate foods. (When we first made the switch from Teflon coated pans to stainless steel, I thought I’d never be able to cook eggs again!)
After using the pan, it must be allowed to cool before cleaning. Then, under warm water, simply use a stainless steel scrubber to remove anything that may have stuck to the surface of the pan. Remember, soap should only be used if you cooked something with a really strong flavor that you don’t want in your next meal or if the pan has gotten dirty or rusty.

A Few Other Tips
Cast iron is my favorite way to cook because it is so simple to use. Initially, I was so intimidated by it, which is why I took so long to jump on the cast iron wagon. Now, it is the first pan I reach for.
The only 3 things I absolutely recommend before getting started with cast iron cooking is….
1. Good quality oil for cooking: I often only use organic coconut oil which creates a great non-stick surface, and will not “wash” off in water. When I make biscuits or cinnamon rolls, I tend to use butter.
2. Silicone handle cover: While you could use a hand towel and hot pad, this cover makes such a difference and reminds us all that the cast iron skillet is most likely hot. They are often sold with the cast iron pans.
3. Stainless steel scrubby: Have this on hand before you cook the first time. It truly is the only way you need to “clean” your pan.

Now, for the final test…. With my newly scrubbed and seasoned pan, I gave it the ultimate cooking challenge. The fried egg.

And, it worked!! Welcome to the team!

Here are some of my favorite recipes to cook in cast iron:
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Biscuits
Sugar-Free Breakfast Scramble