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#465546 - 12/16/07 03:16 PM Cast iron cookware
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	Hey I picked up some old old castiron pots and pans. What is the best way to Season them for use while camping. _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#465549 - 12/16/07 03:19 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
minkmaster minkmaster trapper Registered: 11/04/07 Posts: 1484 Loc: Mt Erie, Illinois	warm tehm on the stove at 200 until its hot to teh touch. Then add crisco all around inside and out and stick in the oven at 375 till oil is absorbed about 1 hour. Then it should stay seasoned as long as you dont wash it with soap. Mink _________________________ -Lil' Grizz Anti- $\:D$
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#465556 - 12/16/07 03:23 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minkmaster]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	Cool thanks matser!!! _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#465561 - 12/16/07 03:25 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	I was told to use renderd animal lard, can that be any animal lard, as i have some bvr fat i could render? _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#465568 - 12/16/07 03:26 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
minkmaster minkmaster trapper Registered: 11/04/07 Posts: 1484 Loc: Mt Erie, Illinois	Ya you could use it, but it seems easier just to use teh crisco( might taste funky $\:\)$ ) Mink _________________________ -Lil' Grizz Anti- $\:D$
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#465572 - 12/16/07 03:29 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minkmaster]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	If I dont use soap what shoul dI use to clean them? After they have been seasoned and used to cook with. Edited by minnscott (12/16/07 03:30 PM) Edit Reason: just a question _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#465601 - 12/16/07 03:37 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
snowman snowman trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 3286 Loc: Michigan	cook in it preferably bacon i have never cleaned my cast iron with anything more than heat and paper towel. I wipe it out. But then I have a belief that people worry all too much about cleanliness in the kitchen...if you cook food to safe temperature, that which survives would have survived the cleaning anyway.
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#465605 - 12/16/07 03:37 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
minkmaster minkmaster trapper Registered: 11/04/07 Posts: 1484 Loc: Mt Erie, Illinois	I just add water and rub with a scouring pad. If its just used for camping, it wont need to be super clean. MInk _________________________ -Lil' Grizz Anti- $\:D$
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#465620 - 12/16/07 03:43 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minkmaster]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	I agrre snowman, and thanks mink and snowman for you input. I love it. _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#465622 - 12/16/07 03:46 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
minkmaster minkmaster trapper Registered: 11/04/07 Posts: 1484 Loc: Mt Erie, Illinois	NP Mink _________________________ -Lil' Grizz Anti- $\:D$
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#465648 - 12/16/07 04:01 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minkmaster]
wildlifegeoff wildlifegeoff trapper Registered: 09/23/07 Posts: 83 Loc: Lakeville, Minnesota	I season mine with bacon grease. preferrably Apple Cinnamon Bacon from McDonalds Meats in Clear Lake. Makes everything taste mighty good.. _________________________ I'm spending my stimulus check at the Trap Shed! Thanks Trapperman
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#465724 - 12/16/07 04:47 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: wildlifegeoff]
GottaOtter GottaOtter trapper Registered: 12/25/06 Posts: 192 Loc: Alabama	If you have any rust on the pans you got you should netralize it with cider vinegar and scrub with a steel wool pad but not the soapy kind. Then do the heating and greasing bit. NTA Life Member #50
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#465728 - 12/16/07 04:49 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: wildlifegeoff]
David Underwood David Underwood trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 380 Loc: Peachland NC	If they are rusty you might season with grease, then need to wash good and do it again. As many times as it takes to get good and clean. Once clean, just wipe up good after cooking. The less soap and water, the better. If you wash off the oil you need to season again. _________________________ No signature (can't write). Charter member of the HAL fan club. Only 4 miles from neil!
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#465952 - 12/16/07 06:50 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: David Underwood]
3Bridger 3Bridger trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 269 Loc: Downeast, ME	Cook in it is definetely the way to season it. Like snowman said, bacon would do a good job. I usually clean mine by boiling water in it and giving it a good scraping. If it is rusty, give it a good coat of vegetable or some sort of oil, inside and out.
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#466077 - 12/16/07 07:43 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: 3Bridger]
longear longear trapper Registered: 03/16/07 Posts: 558 Loc: western pa	We season ours by frying chicken or french frys something that uses a lot of oil. _________________________ Life Member PA Trappers Association
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#466122 - 12/16/07 08:02 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: 3Bridger]
anton anton trapper Registered: 07/10/07 Posts: 304 Loc: New Hampshire, WMU-K	If you need to clean them, scrub them good with soap and water... then throw them in a self cleaning oven and put it on clean. DON'T DO THIS WITH WOODEN HANDLED POTS/PANS/SKILLETS. Self cleaning ovens are the best-when done, tip out the ash and season as above-we use olive oil and do 2 thin coats-will gum up if too thick. Many good suggestions above. We shy away from ALL the non stick stuff-not healthy at all, gives off gases, scapes result in toxins release etc. but big chemical company bucks behind it so no big deal :-) same as those soft-rubber-like gloves and stuff-HOW can that stuff be safe/healthy? Cast Iron and stainless is the way to go-you can pick up a skillet and a dutch oven or large pot at a flea market for like 5-10 bucks each and cook for 100 years or more with them! _________________________ NTA/NRA/NAHC/VFW-LM "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"-Benjamin Franklin
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#466390 - 12/16/07 09:18 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: anton]
RdFx RdFx trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1053 Loc: Wisconsin	When you get a dark black shiny finish inside of your cast iron cook ware , you know you have done things right in seasoning and cleaning.... this will take awhile with regular cooking in them.... Happy cooking!
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#466688 - 12/17/07 12:00 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: RdFx]
TasteLikeChicken TasteLikeChicken trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 1937 Loc: Oregon	It's all I and the wife cook on. I have Wagner and Griswold pans that have seen 100 years of continuous use. NOTHING beats cast iron for cooking. For the ultimate in disgusting heavily gunked pans/pots. Boil them in lye (just like traps). This is what my friend does that is a professional cast iron collector and sales guy. In most cases....you'll never have to do this. For daily cleaning... just wipe out after it is warm and grease it if it needs it with shortening. Some use lard...but it tends to go rancid. If it is heavily fried on crud....say fried chicken coating...you'll need to boil some water in it and scrape out the interior with a plastic or wooden tool. Then grease it with shortening. MOST IMPORTANT - if cooking on an electric range....do not put a cold pan on a hot element. They will warp. Instead put the cold pan on a cold burner and then bring it to heat. I'd also recommend not going above medium or medium high heat.
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#466945 - 12/17/07 07:53 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: TasteLikeChicken]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	You guys are great. I love TRAPPERMAN!!!!!! _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#466952 - 12/17/07 07:59 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
TrippleCreek TrippleCreek trapper Registered: 12/27/06 Posts: 170 Loc: Pt.Pleasant WV	The best way to clean a castiron pan is a little water in the pan ad a lot corse salt and rub the pan clean want it cleaner rinse and ad more salt. _________________________ 20 muskrats 1 red fox 1 bobcat 10 grinners 1 mink 1 coon
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#467050 - 12/17/07 09:48 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: TrippleCreek]
BigBob BigBob trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2191 Loc: St. Louis Co, Mo	If you don't know where they've been or what was in them, I would stick them in the wood stove or a fire till they turn a dull red to burn off all the surface crud. Then wash well and dry. Then coat with vegetable oil right away, or just cook in them. _________________________ "Every kid needs a dog and a curmudgeon"
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#467116 - 12/17/07 10:22 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: BigBob]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	Thanks guys great tips. i have them all seasoned now! i cannt wait to use them this coming summer while camping. Edited by minnscott (12/17/07 10:23 AM) Edit Reason: fat fingers and spelling _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#467140 - 12/17/07 10:37 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
tuskettrapperman tuskettrapperman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 547 Loc: Nova Scotia Canada	why wait until summer? I have 2 and that's all I use, do like triple creek onced seasoned and working good to clean boil water drain sprinkle with salt wipe with a paper towel rinse and coat with oil and put away. The mother-in-law would use them and wash them with soap( lost the shiney look) I would growl so they would wash it and wipe with oil so it would look shiny but still stuck so I gave them one and told them paws off the other now that I got it working right I showed the wife over the weekend, I was frying eggs and told the wife to to look, I slid the eggs in my plate and told her "that's how cast iron is supposed to work!" lol _________________________ not your milk hand, your cookie hand!
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#467157 - 12/17/07 10:51 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: tuskettrapperman]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	Why wait, the little lady has her pots and pans form the house hold. Told her iwas going to get some old cast iron for camping. She says she doesnt need my old rotten pans! But thats fine with me, as she willnot have a chance to burn anything in My castiron!!!! _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#467159 - 12/17/07 10:52 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: tuskettrapperman]
Ol' Blister Ol' Blister trapper Registered: 03/18/07 Posts: 293 Loc: McGrath, Alaska	I inherited one that looks like it was seasoned but some of that has worn off or chipped off. Do I need to start all over (the hot fire or oven cleaning tips?) or do you think I will be successful if I just season the unseasoned places by cooking with it?
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#467163 - 12/17/07 10:55 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Ol' Blister]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	Blister you came to the right place for you question. I am sure the fine folks of trapperman will help you out just fine. Thay all did right by me. _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#467172 - 12/17/07 11:05 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: minnscott]
bruce rich bruce rich trapper Registered: 12/25/06 Posts: 444 Loc: Eastern Virginia	You will never be able to make them safe to eat from but if you will ship them to me I will dispose of them for you. $\:D$
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#467215 - 12/17/07 11:43 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: bruce rich]
tuskettrapperman tuskettrapperman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 547 Loc: Nova Scotia Canada	Blister now when to say chips I take it just the coating and not the pan if so then I would reseason the whole thing once or twice remember NO soap to clean up and if it sticks the first time then it will be stick free after acouple times cooking with it. _________________________ not your milk hand, your cookie hand!
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#467270 - 12/17/07 12:29 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: tuskettrapperman]
suro25 suro25 trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 534 Loc: LaPorte, Indiana	I get the over hot about 350 or I will use my grill. put some cooking oil in the pan let it sit in there for a while about 1/2 hour I will do this a couple times. then after each use I put oil on the pan to prevent rusting. _________________________
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#467493 - 12/17/07 03:08 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Ol' Blister]
Mackinaw Mackinaw trapper Registered: 10/11/07 Posts: 145 Loc: Northern Michigan	Originally Posted By: Ol' Blister I inherited one that looks like it was seasoned but some of that has worn off or chipped off. Do I need to start all over (the hot fire or oven cleaning tips?) or do you think I will be successful if I just season the unseasoned places by cooking with it? Blister Dont worry about what has chipped out....just reseason the whole pan....little dips wont effect anything. I always recoat a pan as soon as Im finished with it and just put it on the cookstove or cast trivet. We use cast everyday for everything....so it always stays seasoned. _________________________ Earth First.....we'll log the other planets later!
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#467629 - 12/17/07 04:43 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Mackinaw]
leehop leehop trapper Registered: 09/23/07 Posts: 12 Loc: Laurens Co., SC	Here is one way to do it. Went fising one night with an old fellow in East texas. He brought an old 14" spider all covered with rust and 1/2" by 1/16" pit in it. Said he was going to cook supper in it. Built a hardwood fire and when it got good and hot, he put the spider in it upside down. When it had tuned black, he pulled it out and wiped it down good with a burlap sack, put it back in the fire and reheated it. Took it out, rubbed it good, inside and out, with some salt pork and reburnt it. After wiping it out again, he sliced sone bacon into it and cooked that, letting it burn a little bit. Then he sliced up the taters, fried them in the grease and then a big slab of steak. Wiping it clean again, he oiled it and set it aside while it was still hot. Never have eaten anything so good from the kitchen. Andno, the taters and steak didn't stick!
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#467930 - 12/17/07 07:04 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: leehop]
BigBob BigBob trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2191 Loc: St. Louis Co, Mo	"Spider"?? _________________________ "Every kid needs a dog and a curmudgeon"
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#467992 - 12/17/07 07:22 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: BigBob]
David Underwood David Underwood trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 380 Loc: Peachland NC	Bigbob, spider is like a deep skillet with legs. _________________________ No signature (can't write). Charter member of the HAL fan club. Only 4 miles from neil!
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#468004 - 12/17/07 07:26 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: David Underwood]
BigBob BigBob trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2191 Loc: St. Louis Co, Mo	Thanks Dave _________________________ "Every kid needs a dog and a curmudgeon"
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#468184 - 12/17/07 08:52 PM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: BigBob]
Ol' Blister Ol' Blister trapper Registered: 03/18/07 Posts: 293 Loc: McGrath, Alaska	Thanks for the suggestions. I will do a re-season on it. I was hoping it wasn't ruined because I love to cook on/in cast iron. You guys are so much help, I am going for broke here! I have not learned how to use the cast iron Dutch oven. I would love to be able to bake biscuits over a fire like Gus did in Lonesome Dove, but my Dutch oven lid always gets moisture on the bottom/inside of the lid and drips on the stuff inside. What am I doing wrong?
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#468696 - 12/18/07 07:57 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Ol' Blister]
minnscott minnscott trapper Registered: 10/10/07 Posts: 561 Loc: Itasca county,Minesota	I cannt help with your last question Blister. But am sure somebody here will know. What a great bunck og folks here!! _________________________ The man, The Ledgend, but my Wife says the Myth
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#468833 - 12/18/07 09:24 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Ol' Blister]
Blue Eyes Blue Eyes trapper Registered: 08/19/07 Posts: 313 Loc: Wisconsin	Originally Posted By: Ol' Blister Thanks for the suggestions. I will do a re-season on it. I was hoping it wasn't ruined because I love to cook on/in cast iron. You guys are so much help, I am going for broke here! I have not learned how to use the cast iron Dutch oven. I would love to be able to bake biscuits over a fire like Gus did in Lonesome Dove, but my Dutch oven lid always gets moisture on the bottom/inside of the lid and drips on the stuff inside. What am I doing wrong? Does your dutch oven have legs? Is the lid concave or domed? Concave is for a baking oven to put the coals in, domed is a stew pot and moisture will condense inside the top of the lids when stewing. I always use wood coals to bake with in the dutch oven, there is a science involved with charcoal briquetts (sp?)..a certain number of coals makes Xnumber of degrees...I've never tried it, never use the charcoal. Generally speaking, I put the oven on a bed of wood coals, put coals on top and bake for ?? minutes depending on the contents of the oven, then move the oven off the bed of coals but leave the coals on top to finish the baking...again for ?? minutes depending on what's in the oven. Sometimes it's necessary to rotate the lid to distribute the heat evenly or more coals are added to the top. It's easy to overdo the process as once the oven is heated, it's the cast iron that does the baking. Maintaining a steady temp is the trick. _________________________ "50" is the new "30"! $\:\)$ It's official! $\:\)$
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#468876 - 12/18/07 09:49 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Blue Eyes]
BigBob BigBob trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2191 Loc: St. Louis Co, Mo	Rule of thumb: Put 1 briquet per oven dia on top and bottom, plus 2 extra for the lid. ie: 12 in oven equals 26 briquet's. This will give you approx 325 degree's oven temp. add 1 briquet top and bottom for ea additional 25 deg. Cold air temps may require a few additional briq's. Rotate both lid and oven 1/4 turn every 15 Min's. Those chimney type charcoal starters are great. Keep the lid hot. Wood fires take some getting used to. Dutch ovens stack well and you can use the lid coals of one for the bottom coals of the the next. _________________________ "Every kid needs a dog and a curmudgeon"
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#468884 - 12/18/07 09:53 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: Blue Eyes]
BaldKnobber1 BaldKnobber1 trapper Registered: 06/29/07 Posts: 648 Loc: Ozarks of Missouri	Pies in dutch ovens: Three beer bottle caps in the bottom of the dutch oven hold the pie pan up off the superheated bottom, and alow for air flow like a convestion oven. A home made wire rack alows for a second pie pan to be perched above the bottom one. I have a matched pair of 16 qt ovens (with legs, otherwise they are not an oven). I have never cooked meat or other protien or fat in them. They are seasoned with canolla oil... 6 oil baths when they were new. These two ovens are ONLY USED FOR BISCUITS, BREADS, AND PIES, and my familly knows that they are not to even look at them, moreless touch them. The ability to create 24 biscuits, 2 12" cornbreads, and 2 pumpkin and 2 keylime pies means that I have never yet gone camping with anyone who doesn't regularly re-invite me. $\:\)$ Bob, All that stacking and turning...what are you trying to do? Give away all our secrets? BTW, the formula for temp given by BigBob is the same basic one that I use, but it needs to be adjusted thusly: add one cosal to the bottom and two coals to the top for every drop of 10 degrees below 40...ie one step up at 30, two steps up at 20, three steps up at 10 etc. Also add coals (dont know formula) when you go up in altitude. I learned the hard way that coals burn cooler due to less oxygen the higher you go. You can barely bake at 9500 ft. PS, Bob, I love the quote in your sig. I have been using it often in everyday life since I first saw it. Edited by BaldKnobber1 (12/18/07 10:17 AM) _________________________ LIGHTNING BOLT -LIGHTNING BOLT -LIGHTNING BOLT -LIGHTNING BOLT -LIGHTNING BOLT -LIGHTNING BOLT - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ekugPKqFw
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#468924 - 12/18/07 10:27 AM Re: Cast iron cookware [Re: BigBob]
Blue Eyes Blue Eyes trapper Registered: 08/19/07 Posts: 313 Loc: Wisconsin	Originally Posted By: BigBob Rule of thumb: Put 1 briquet per oven dia on top and bottom, plus 2 extra for the lid. ie: 12 in oven equals 26 briquet's. This will give you approx 325 degree's oven temp. add 1 briquet top and bottom for ea additional 25 deg. Cold air temps may require a few additional briq's. Rotate both lid and oven 1/4 turn every 15 Min's. Those chimney type charcoal starters are great. Keep the lid hot. Wood fires take some getting used to. Dutch ovens stack well and you can use the lid coals of one for the bottom coals of the the next. The stacking is cool. I saw someone do that once at a TE class. I haven't used charcoal in literally years. I'll have to write this down for future reference. Thanks! _________________________ "50" is the new "30"! $\:\)$ It's official! $\:\)$
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