| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Taos Lyn |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 7:05:30 PM
Hi Farmgirls!
I bought a wonderful old cast iron corn bread mold at a yard sale and tried making bread in it (after brushing each corn cob mold with vegetable oil). Alas, it stuck! Any advise on how I can properly use this little gem? I don't have any experience with cast iron,
Many thanks! Happy Spring!
Lyn |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tinaberry |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 06:19:15 AM
Lyn, there is one thing I don't remember reading, NEVER wash your cast iron with soap. The soapy water will remove the seasoning you have been trying so hard to get. I either wipe mine out with a paper towel or I run the hottest water from the faucet over it to remove anything left in it. (This makes me feel like it's cleaner than just wiping it out). I then dry it with a towel and wipe shortening in it and put it in the warm oven to finish drying. Once it is seasoned well you shouldn't have any problems with food sticking to the pan. I agree with Heather never use oil, it makes the cast iron sticky, and only buy good cast iron. I have had some of my pieces for 30 years and use it every day. I just bought some new pieces this past winter at the Lodge outlet store in TN and I am enjoying my newest pieces with no sticking problems. |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 11:06:49 PM
I can totally relate Connie! I went on vacation once, and we gave the keys to our apartment to my inlaws to water the plants. I came home to my wonderfully seasoned cast iron rusty in a sink full of water! I started crying! I was seeing RED! I called them in disbelief asking WHY? They said cause it was black and dirty! It was seasoned! NOT dirty!!!!!!!!!!!!! they thought it was supposed to be silver not black! UHG! Well even so it isn't supposed to be rusty! WHY leave any metal in a sink of water for 3 weeks? WHY??????? I was sooooo sick. They got mad at me and said they would buy me new. I was like that's not the point, and you can't put that kind of season on new.......this took years to get to this point! UHG! I was ready to kill them both. Took me weeks to calm down enough to look at either of them again! I just didn't understand it. I really didn't. I mean they were to water plants......nothing to do with my skillet!
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| CMac |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 8:23:12 PM
I have an old ( no telling how old) Wagner 12 inch skillet that is seasoned to perfection. I never understood the dire threats my mother made about her cast iron until this skillet. I would have a meltdown if anyone but me touched this skillet! I got it at an estate auction. I looked at it and fell in love. I can't believe it wasn't left to some one in a will!
The Lodge cast iron factory is here in South Pittsburgh TN. They have a great outlet store and a cornbread festival that is April 30-May 1 this year.
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
| Nanniekim |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 8:03:20 PM
A friend of mine told me to season it in your gas barbeque instead of your oven so it won't stink and smoke up the house.
Kim |
| Sunflower64 |
Posted - Mar 28 2011 : 03:49:18 AM
I also agree about the oil, usually makes a sticky gummy coating, not a big fan. However, after cleaning and drying my pan each time, I sometimes, depending on how it looks and how hard I just used it, rub it with oil inside with a paper towel, keeping it seasoned for the next time. I use mostly olive oil and fry potatoes, eggs, or meat so it gets olive oil before cooking anyway. You'll get to know how it's supposed to look and feel when it's seasoned good and then you'll be a pro at maintaining it : )
Janie
"The country way of life is the closest thing to heaven" |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 28 2011 : 03:46:43 AM
And always put a coating of oil back in the pan after use. Just use a paper towel to wipe it on. I don't think I saw that here yet. Just thought I'd mention that little tidbit.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Sunflower64 |
Posted - Mar 28 2011 : 03:43:57 AM
ps-as far as starting out fresh..I read MaryBeth's lye method for restarting your seasoning...never heard of that, interesting. All the pans I have were given to me, so what we do is simply get a nice bonfire going, put the pan in a good going fire and let it all burn off and naturally go back to brand new...by burning off the old stuff, you get a new pan essentially. Be sure to try to completely cover it in coals so everything burns off. Then follow the above for seasoning and washing/drying.
It's all totally worth it!!
Janie
"The country way of life is the closest thing to heaven" |
| Sunflower64 |
Posted - Mar 28 2011 : 03:40:49 AM
The BEST way to season cast iron or even stoneware, is to bake a couple things greasy in it first. You could make meatloaf mix and bake in your cornbread mold, next you could bake some choc chip cookie mix...after that it should be ready to go. The secret really is...never use soap to wash it!!! Hot water and a scrubby is all you can use, or you'll continue to undo your seasoning and nonstick surface. If I do use any soap its just briefly and rinsed out immediately for something really messy...but it's very very rare. You must also heat it up to dry it, never let it sit wet. Follow this and you'll have wonderfully seasoned cast iron! It's the only thing I cook with besides my stainless pots.
Janie
"The country way of life is the closest thing to heaven" |
| Lady Woodworker |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 2:07:29 PM
This is a helpful thread for me too.
My iron skillets are all old but these are great tips for their care and,
if I ever get a new one I'll know what to do.
Karen
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 1:50:18 PM
Welcome, I just wanted to add a basic rule with cast iron is it must be seasoned well, and it must be hot before using. (skillets, pans, etc) otherwise they will stick. But, a well seasoned, HOT cast iron product will rarely stick. So if you ever buy say a cast iron skillet and decide you are going to fry eggs for breakfast, HEAT the skillet first! Other wise you will trying to pry those eggs off the skillet! A hot skillet they will come off and flip like butter!
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| Taos Lyn |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 12:57:45 PM
Wow~ thanks so much for all of this great information! I'm ready to tackle it again.
I really appreciate your help! |
| adnama |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 03:57:17 AM
The only thing that I want to add to this, is when buying cast iron anything for cooking in be sure that it's of good quality... not made in China- look for a logo of some sort on the bottom. From experience I have had a skillet fall apart from the heat in the oven and it wasn't that hot. My other skillets and dutch ovens I have had for years. |
| Okie Farm Girl |
Posted - Mar 26 2011 : 06:00:16 AM
I agree with Kristin. Your pan needs to be 'seasoned'. If you REALLY want to get it clean first, before seasoning, get a big plastic bucket and add water and then a small cannister of lye. You can get the lye at any ACE hardware store. USE RUBBER GLOVES. We take a coathanger and run one end through the hole at the end of the pan and twist the wire so that it will hold. Then, with rubber gloves on, lower the pan into the lye water, leaving the wire hanging out for later removal of the pan so as not to touch the water. We normally leave cast iron in that water for about three days. When it is pulled out, using the wire, the pan is almost silver. Now it's ready for seasoning. To season, I wash it in hot, soapy water, dry and then rub oil, lard or shortening over the entire surface and lay it face down on an old cookie sheet. That goes into a preheated 350º oven and is baked for an hour. It will stink up your house for a bit, but it goes away! :-) Anyway, that comes out of the oven and the pan is wiped of any excess grease and allowed to cool. It's ready for continual use. However, you wipe with oil for each use and a preheated cast iron pan does better than just adding cornbread mix to a cold pan. Also, you don't wash cast iron in soapy water after you use it. You just wipe it out with a brush or cloth and can rinse with a little water, but it must be dried totally. If it gets too dirty to wipe out, you can wash it in soapy water but you have to season it again as described. Hope that helps.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 26 2011 : 05:48:01 AM
I do use bacon grease when I make cornbread. I also use lard. But the skillet or pan needs to be really hot. I cook cornbread at about 400. You want the batter to sizzle when you pour it in. Then you get those nice crispy edges. Yum! Then slather with real butter and there ya go.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - Mar 26 2011 : 05:43:34 AM
I usually make mine in a big cast iron skillet and put bacon grease in it first. Maybe putting some bacon grease in the mold will help?
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 7:54:07 PM
I would use lard instead of oil, oil can make it gummy. A thin layer of lard, it will be baked on, that's why you don't want it heavily coated. Bake it in the over for a long time, it doesn't need to be as high as 400, 200-250 is fine.
Next time you go to bake corn bread in it, HEAT the mold up first, just like you would a cast iron skillet for before baking corn bread. Turn the oven on to the temp you would for baking the corn bread, put the mold in the oven, till it is close to the same temp if not the same temp as the oven (so in other words really hot!) pour your corn bread batter into the mold while the mold is hot and bake right away. This will also give your corn bread a nice crunch on the outside.
That being said, as cute as those little molds are, I have never been a fan of the end product they produce. To me the corn bread because of it being so small (the little ears of corn are quite narrow) the bread just gets dry when it bakes and keeps no moisture. My favorite way of making corn bread is by just using a regular cast iron skillet, heating it as I said, and baking it just like I explained you do for the molds. But, this keeps the outside nice and crunchy and the inside just right moisture wise. But, that's just me. I do have the little corn molds too. But, rarely if ever use them, just cause like I said, I'm not a fan of the dry corn sticks for eating! lol But, they are cute as the dickens! However, I also don't like corn muffins for the same reason. *shrugs*
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
| forgetmenot |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 7:41:07 PM
I had the same problem, Lyn. With the same mold. I'll try Kristin's technique next time. good luck to you.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 7:16:25 PM
Hi Lyn. Welcome. Is it new? If it is you will need to season it first. You turn the oven up really high and coat it with oil. I am not sure how long to leave it in, and I hope someone else knows, but then you turn it off and let it sit overnight. But if it is an old one it should be good to go. What I do it turn on the oven to about 400. Then I coat with oil and put the pan in the oven til it's really hot. Then pour my batter in. I have never had cornbread stick. And I just wipe out the pan afterwards. I hope this helps.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
