Cast Iron

the only one to trust

I love cooking with cast iron, but it doesn’t always work well for me. Due to arthritis in both hands, the heavy weight of cast-iron pans became too difficult to manage. So, I decided to try a highly recommended ceramic pan. Unfortunately, it started to show signs of wear on the bottom surface, which can be toxic for consumption. Recently, I purchased a smaller frying pan that is cast iron, but easier on my hands and much better for both cooking and our health.

Everything tastes so much better cooked, grilled, or baked in a cast-iron pan, but I had forgotten the extra step in cleaning and maintaining the iron. Once seasoned, the pan can be washed in hot water but no soap. Dry immediately to avoid rust, season with oil, and it’s ready for use. Unlike other materials, cast iron cooks best if preheated; 5-10 mins is all it needs, plus it improves over time, and lives forever if taken care of properly. It’s very durable. Cooking with cast iron has a bonus: it’s a great way to get iron in your diet, too.

The best part is you can use whatever cooking tools you want! Personally, I love my wooden spoons best. Whenever possible, take your meat and/or vegetables out of the fridge or freezer before you need them to give them time to come to room temperature. This helps to cook evenly and faster, just don’t go over medium heat. And keep a pot holder handy!

It’s good to see cast iron make a comeback, even bigger than ever before, thanks to social media. If you haven’t made the switch yet, start with the small frying pan; it’s cheaper, lighter and great for beginners. Tip: I found the small pan in the camping section at Walmart, it was cheaper than the same size in the cookware aisle. And personally, I only use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, period, for everything. No seed oils!