You can use a cast iron for just about any cooking task: bake a cake, sear a fillet, roast or fry a chicken, fry potatoes, stew chili (or stew stews - pun intended!), stir-fry vegetables, etc. Just be sure to always preheat your cast iron piece before adding the food you want to cook, and also remember you can begin your recipe on the stove-top, and then move it to the oven to finish. The possibilities are really endless.

For some recipes you'll probably want to use a particular cast iron piece, i.e., if you're making scones, corn sticks or waffles. But for most other dishes you'll be able to use a Dutch oven, griddle, or just a simple cast iron skillet - you'd be surprised how many dishes you can make in just one skillet! I say this because the market has so many wonderful cast iron pieces available today, it may seem overwhelming, and you may not be sure which piece to start off with. I would say that a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet would be perfect for starting to cook in cast iron if it's new to you.

Apple Bake

2 large baking apples; peeled and cored
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup quick rolled oats
1/4 to 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice apples into thick slices.

In your cast iron skillet (a 10-inch skillet works really well for this recipe), either in your oven or on your stove-top, melt butter. Layer apple slices on top of the melted butter. Sprinkle with rolled oats, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until apples are tender when poked with a fork or knife. This can be served warm or at room temperature. Serves 2.

Barbecue Baked Chicken

2 to 3 lbs. chicken parts, boned
1/4 cup butter - 1/2 stick
1/ cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 bottle barbecue sauce

Melt butter in a cast iron Dutch oven; crumble brown sugar and add to melted butter. Add onions, pepper, vinegar and ketchup, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; combine with barbecue sauce, and pour over chicken. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Uncover, baste and bake 30 minutes more; basting as needed. Raise temperature to 350 degrees F for the last 15 to 20 minutes; basting frequently.

Cast Iron Tea Kettles

As I've become more interested in cast iron cookware, I've found that there are so many different items that fall into this category. One item that has intrigued me recently is the cast iron tea kettle.

In cast iron there are different types and brands of tea kettles from different from countries. Besides American made cast iron tea kettles, Japanese kettles and Old Dutch kettles seem to be the most readily available. I noticed that the Japanese cast iron tea kettles are made in different weights of cast iron; I've seen them in 10 oz., 24 oz., 32 oz. and 45 oz. weights. The Old Dutch cast iron tea kettles I've seen are similar in weights to the Japanese kettles. These tea kettle weights in ounces of cast iron are 28 oz., 34 oz., 38 oz. and 48 oz. Because cast iron tea kettles are the heaviest (and thickest) of the tea kettles made (in comparison to glass tea kettles, stainless tea kettles & copper tea kettles) it's good to know they can be found in various sizes and weights. It should be easy to find something you prefer in both style and weight.

Types of American made cast iron tea kettles include hobnail - small & large hobnails - tea kettles, hand-painted enamel cast iron (many depicting scenes of the old farming countryside), pre-seasoned cast iron kettles, which should not rust because of the pre-seasoning (though it may need to be re-seasoned sometime down the road) and cast iron kettle humidifiers.

Rust can be a problem for cast iron tea kettles, but if the rust can be kept from these kettles, they will probably be the most durable of tea kettles (also compared to the other types I listed above). When boiling water using cast iron tea kettles, a sort of protective layer of minerals will build up on its base overtime. With this layer, these kettles will not easily develop rust.

If, by chance, your cast iron tea kettle does develop rust (to prevent rusting, keep your cast iron kettle dry as much as possible, and take out remaining water directly after boiling), you can try the following process to try and cure it: boil in it some water mixed with baking soda and lemon juice.

As far as colors and designs go, the Old Dutch cast iron tea kettles seem to have the most variety of styles. They have a list of names for their styles of teapots: Prosperity, Nobility, Symmetry, Mythology, Purity and Tranquility. Each style has its own shape, colors and intricate designs on the sides of the teapots - the colors being rather beautiful: pale blue, mustard, black, chestnut brown and red. Actually, the Japanese cast iron tea pots are quite colorful and beautiful too, but I think I fell for the names of the Old Dutch styles! As with anything else, personal preference is as they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

How To Season Bare Cast Iron

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Note from Karen:
If you're using new, never seasoned cast iron, skip to step #2 under the following header.


Cast iron is much beloved by serious chefs, and lasts nearly forever if you take care of it. Seasoning cast iron cookware is necessary to ensure a non-stick surface and to prevent the pot or pan from rusting. If seasoned correctly your cookware can last a lifetime and more.

Steps

1. For crusty cast ironware that you inherited or picked up at a garage sale: Your cookware may have some combination of rust and thick crackly black crud. It can be restored fairly easily to good as new condition! First place the cookware in a self-cleaning oven and run one cycle OR place in a campfire or directly on a hot charcoal fire for 1/2 hour, until dull red. The crud will be flaking, falling and turning to white ash. Then, after allowing to cool a bit to avoid cracking your cast iron,use the following steps. If you have more rust than crud, try using steel wool to sand it off.
   
2. Wash your cast iron cookware with warm water and soap using a scouring pad. If you have purchased your cast iron cookware as new then it will be coated in oil or a similar coating to prevent rust. This will need to be removed before seasoning so this step is essential.
   
3. Dry the cookware thoroughly, it helps to put the pan in the oven for a few minutes to make sure it's really dry. Oil needs to be able to soak into the metal for a good seasoning and oil and water don't mix.
   
4. Coat the pot or pan inside and out with lard, Crisco, bacon fat, or corn oil. Ensure that the lid is also coated.
   
5. Place both the lid and the pot or pan upside down in your oven at 300F for at least an hour to bake on a "seasoning" that protects the pan from rust and provides a stick-resistant surface.
   
6. For best results repeat steps three and four and five.
   
7. Ongoing care: Every time you wash your pan, you must season it. Place it on the stove and pour in about 3/4 tsp. corn oil or other cooking fat. Wad up a paper towel and spread the oil across the cooking surface, any bare iron surfaces, and the bottom of the pan. Turn on the burner and heat until smoke starts to appear. Cover pan and turn heat off.
   

Second Method

1. First, if you find your cast iron needs to be stripped down and re-seasoned do not fear. All you have to do is place the utensil in your Self Cleaning Oven on the shortest cleaning cycle (usually 3 hrs. on most models), and it will come out looking like the day it came out of the mold. Allow it to cool overnight. Wash the residue off with WATER ONLY in the sink using a stiff abrasive pad. Make certain NO DISH SOAP comes in contact with the utensil during this procedure. If it does you will have to start over!!! Dry the cast iron utensil off with a paper towel, and IMMEDIATELY place BACK in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or so.
   
2. Next, take the utensil out of the oven after the 10 minute drying time is complete, and lightly brush the utensil with a paper towel coated with Crisco or other solid cooking oil. Liquid vegetable oil will do in a pinch, but it's better to save the liquids until AFTER your initial seasoning. It is important in this step only to lightly coat the cast iron with a light, thin coat of oil until it only glistens. Do not allow any puddles or pools of liquid as this will cause problems at a later time.
   
3. Then, place the Cast Iron in the oven set to 500 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit with the COOKING SIDE FACING THE BOTTOM OF THE OVEN. This allows for any excess oil to drain off to the sides, and prevents pooling during the seasoning process. The higher heating temps allows for the oil to truly 'cook' as it should as opposed to just 'gumming up' at lower temps. Cook undisturbed for 1 hour.
   

Please note: During the previous step it will be best to turn off any smoke alarms in the immediate area as it may smoke quite a lot. Ceiling fans also aid in ventilation.

1. Finally, after your cast iron is finished seasoning for 1 hour or so, take it out of the oven and IMMEDIATELY wipe it down with another extra - light coat of Crisco. Allow it to completely cool.
   

Tips

• If food burns, just heat a little water in the pan, and scrape with a flat metal spatula. It may mean that re-seasoning is necessary.
  
• If you're washing the cast iron too aggressively (for instance with a scouring pad), you will regularly scrub off the seasoning. Wash more gently or repeat oven-seasoning method regularly.
  
• If your pan develops a thick crust, you're not washing it aggressively enough. Follow "crusty pan" instructions.
  
• If storing your Cast Iron Dutch oven for any length of time, it is always best to place one or two paper towels in between the lid and the oven to allow for air flow.
  
• Also, after cleaning after each use it is always best to place it back in the oven on 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so to ensure all water has vaporized and left the surface of the cast iron.
  

Warnings

• Do not cook tomatoes and other acidic foods in your cast iron cookware unless it has been well seasoned.
  
• Washing pans with detergent after they have been seasoned will break down the seasoning. Either wash without detergent (if you're cooking similar foods with the pan, this is fine) or repeatedly oven-season your cookware.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Season Cast Iron Cookware. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Different Types & Brands of Cast Iron

Different types of cast iron are: bare cast iron (needs to be seasoned upon purchase), enameled cast iron (does not need to be seasoned) and pre-seasoned cast iron (comes pre-seasoned to the purchaser). Here is some history and information on some of the different types and brands.

Le Creuset is a brand of enameled cast iron (that does not need to be seasoned). The company (Le Creuset ) was born in the countryside of Northern France (about 120 miles northeast of Paris) in 1925. From 1935 to 1945, Le Creuset began to develop its product ranges: cookers, charcoal stoves, hot plates for electric cookers and kitchen utensils. The company had a plan to launch enameled cast iron cookware, but the onset of World War II brought troubled times, and the foundry was used to make grenades.

Le Creuset saw a new start from 1945-1955. They concentrated on their range of enameled cast iron cookware, and were major innovators of the time with new and exciting styles, pieces, and in the creation of various enamel colors. In 1952 the company began to export to other countries, with 50% of their product coming to the United States. In 1974, Le Creuset set up a subsidiary, Le Creuset of America, Inc., in South Carolina.





Here is some basic information on Le Creuset cast iron cookware:
*Distributes heat more evenly, preventing "hot spots." Their "no hot spot" claim is based on the side walls and lid being of the same quality and thickness so there are no areas where heat can be lost rapidly.
*Cast iron retains heat so that food will be kept hot for some considerable time when served at the table.
*Sauteing, grilling, baking, roasting or casseroling, they have a pot, pan or dish to do the job.
*Le Creuset cookware is available in a wide range of colors that are equally at home in the kitchen or on your dining room table.
*The vitreous enamel (the transparent glossiness of the enamel)is completely hygienic and impervious to flavors and odors.
*Perfect to hold foods that are marinating or for storing foods (raw or cooked) in the refrigerator or freezer.



Lodge Cast Iron Founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896. Lodge is the oldest family-owned cookware foundry in America. Nestled alongside the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains is the town of South Pittsburg, Tennessee (population 3,300). Yet out of this tiny community comes the finest cast iron cookware in the world. Lodge Cast Iron began making cookware during the first presidential term of William McKinley. Amazingly, some of the first cast iron skillets, griddles and dutch ovens made over 100 years ago are still being put to good use.

Today, Lodge Cast Iron remains a family owned, family operated business producing the most extensive selection of quality cast iron goods on the market. Lodge now offers an expanded line of cast iron cookware for America’s kitchens—Dutch ovens, the largest selection of cast iron skillets on the market, deep fryers, country kettles and more. When cooking outdoors, Lodge Cast Iron goes too, with camp Dutch ovens, griddles, combo cookers and grills of unparalleled quality.

Well into our second century in business, Lodge now imports two lines of enamel coated cast iron cookware from China. The Dutch ovens, casseroles and skillets are made to our strict standards and have earned positive reviews from Good Housekeeping and Fine Cooking magazines, test kitchens and our valued consumers.

When Joseph Lodge began making cast iron in 1896, he began a legacy that would create the foundation to an enduring standard of quality carried forward by four generations of family management. The resulting privately held metal formula, precision molds and exacting mold wall thickness are the result of years of dedication to improving quality that began with the first skillet from the first sand mold.

Not even the most expensive stainless and aluminum cookware can rival the even heating, heat retention, durability and value of Lodge Cast Iron. Its legendary cooking performance keeps it on the list of kitchen essentials for great chefs and home kitchens alike.

For more than 112 years Lodge has been making cast iron cookware. And, much of the cookware made generations ago is still in the kitchens of fourth generation cooks. That’s why we say that when you choose Lodge Cast Iron Cookware, you’ve made a friend that will last more than a lifetime. The Lodge family appreciates your patronage and hopes that if this is your first piece of Lodge Cast Iron, it will be the first of many.










There are many, many other brands of cast iron cookware, each with their own history like Le Creuset and Lodge. Here is a list I came up with, and I'm sure there are probably more that I did not find! First of all, Lodge lists their wares under a couple of different names: Lodge Pro-Logic Pre-Seasoned , Lodge Enameled and Lodge Signature . Other brands include: Heuck, Calphalon, Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron, Outset, Innova, Rachael Ray , Cajun Cookware, Emerilware(also Emeril Enameled Cast Iron ), Paula Deen, Nopro Enamel Cast Iron , ExcelSteel , Stansport , KitchenAid Cast-Iron , Imusa Victoria Cast Iron , iittala Sarpaneva, NapaStyle Enamel Cast Iron, Staub, Old Mountain,Sante Cabin Kitchen Cast Iron, Martha Stewart , Keilen, Nordic Ware and BonJour Cast Iron .

Are There Health Benefits to Cooking with Cast Iron?

I've been surprised to read over and again that cooking in cast iron is known to greatly increase our dietary source of iron by leaching small amounts of iron into the food we eat. People who are anemic, or have other iron deficiencies, may benefit from this effect, though those with excess iron issues (i.e., people with hemochromatosis) may suffer negative effects.

This finding seems to be especially true when cooking foods high in acid, such as tomato based sauces, and the frequent stirring of food may also increase the amount of iron in foods cooked in cast iron. As you might expect, foods that spend more time in the cast iron will lend more iron to the body (as opposed to foods that are quickly fried in a pan/skillet). Foods that are cooked in cast iron can often provide all of the iron that a body needs.

Extreme iron deficiency can cause anemia. Women are more prone to iron deficiency because of the loss of blood through menstruation. Because iron can also be lost through perspiration, athletes can also be subject to low iron. It is also known that the excessive consumption of tea or coffee can inhibit the absorption of iron by the body. I wonder what's considered excessive these days, what with a coffee shop on almost every corner - yikes! That might be a small exaggeration, but I imagine we probably consume more coffee and tea than ever before. Cooking with cast iron might just be the answer more than we know.

It should be noted that it is also possible to consume too much iron; toxicity levels begin at about 45 milligrams per day. In an average diet it is very unlikely that cooking with cast iron will bring a person to this level. Low iron is more likely to be a problem, and cooking with cast iron can be less expensive and more fun (at least more hunger satisfying!) than taking iron supplements. If you do use cast iron you should consult your doctor before taking other iron supplements.

The History & Resurgence of Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron cookware may have been first used in China around 513 B.C. and later in 12th century England. Originally, the pots stood on three legs because cooking was done over an open fire. When stoves with flat tops began to be produced for common usage in the 1700's, the popularity of cast iron cookware increased.

By 1776 Adam Smith, in his book, The Wealth of Nations, could note that the actual wealth of the nation was not its gold but in its manufacture of pots and pans. Cast iron cookware was highly valued in the 18th century. George Washington's mother thought so much of her cookware she made special note to bequeath her cast iron in her will. In their expedition to the Louisiana territory in 1804, Lewis and Clark indicated that their cast iron Dutch oven was one of their most important pieces of equipment.

One important reason for old fashioned, cast iron cookware's popularity and comeback is that no matter how uneven the type of surface on which it is placed, on a stove top, an open grill or over a campfire, is it will cook food evenly. About the only place to avoid putting cast iron cookware is in the microwave.

Bare cast iron vessels have been used for cooking for hundreds of years. Cast iron's ability to withstand and maintain very high cooking temperatures makes it a common choice for searing or frying, and its excellent heat diffusion and retention makes it a good option for long-cooking stews or braised dishes. Because cast iron skillets can develop an extremely "non-stick" surface, it makes them very versatile. You can do almost anything, bake a cake, fry a hamburger, make an omelet, sear a steak, etc.

Today well-established brands of bare cast iron cookware in the United States include Griswold and Wagner (now both owned and manufactured by the American Culinary Corporation, in the USA), Lodge (made in the USA, though their enamel-coated line is made in China), and John Wright (some items made in China). Emeril Lagasse also has a line of pre-seasoned cast iron made by All-Clad, as does Rachel Ray.

Enameled cast iron is cast iron that has been coated with enamel to prevent rusting, and eliminates the need to season the metal, and allows for more thorough cleaning. While enamel coated cast iron doesn't have the seasoning and cleaning issues of bare cast iron, it can be several times more costly. Manufacturers of enameled cast iron cookware include Le Creuset, Le Chasseur, Lodge, Staub, Descoware, and John Wright.

Several newer brands of enameled cast iron are associated with well-known celebrities and chef's, including Daniel Boulud Kitchen, Martha Stewart (sold by K-Mart and other retailers), Rachael Ray Cookware (made by Anolon), and Mario Batali (made by Copco).