Black Iron in the Heat of Summer

     One of my most loved possessions is my cast iron cookware collection. I just don't know how I would get anything done without those pieces of cast finery. I learned a long time ago that if you plan to use cast iron, you'd better learn the secrets to keeping it in top shape. Yes, seasoning the surfaces....

We have rescued many cast iron pieces from the scrap pile. This is typical of a flea market find.

A gleaming kettle once it has been properly seasoned in the old way.

   I honestly believe that nothing cooks better than a nicely seasoned cast iron skillet. It has a slick, non-stick surface when done right. By "done right", I refer to the way my grandparents seasoned cast iron, not by the instructions that come with cast pieces today. I recall ordering cast iron pieces through mail order when I was sixteen and first married. I followed the instructions to the letter... poured oil into the pan and put it in the oven. Well that was a mistake! My whole house was soon filled with smoke and we nearly had a grease fire. I will tell you here the best way to season your cast iron. You may think it's way too much trouble in our modern times, but remember, cast iron has been around for a long time, and rightly so because of this seasoning method.
      First we will need a fire made of good hardwood and a bucket of lard... not shortening or cooking oil.... lard. You will need to coat the pieces both inside and out with the lard. A handy rag will work nicely for this. Build up a nice fire and let it simmer down to a good hot bed of coals along with the wood you are burning. Place each piece of cast iron into the flames. Be extremely careful! This can go bad so quick!
It would be helpful to have long rods or a pitchfork, a hoe, something with reach to push the pans around in the coals. Just let then sit there and burn off in the fire. As the fire heats the pans, it absorbs the oil from the lard creating a seasoned surface that will only get better with use. Even a rusty pan will burn out and become usable. Although I should say that it could take a couple of tries for a severely rusted pan.
     Next, the pans have to be removed from the hot coals. We do this when it looks as though all the lard has burned away. This is when the garden hoe or rake may be most handy. You do not want to touch that pan until it has cooled quite a bit. We just pull ours out and drag it to an area where nothing can interfere with it, maybe some bricks arranged on the ground or a cinder block. Now we wait for it to cool.

     Once it has cooled, you will rub more lard on the pot. The pot will still be hot, so be careful not to get burned. The lard will melt on contact with the heated metal so be careful of that also. At this point we let the pans just sit and finish cooling off. As they cool, the excess lard will be absorbed into the iron giving it a final seasoning and a good protective coat against rust. if you feel that the pan needs to be returned to the fire, then do so. Excess rust is the culprit to a sticking pan. Below you will see a skillet and tea kettle that was sent through the fire pit twice. It was worth the extra effort.

Most Excellent!

We have made a summertime ritual of burning off out cast iron pieces. An easy way for us to remember to do this is to always plan for it on the same day... The first day of Summer. We pull all of out newly found pieces out of storage and we include any from the pot rack that may need some attention. A fresh coat of lard does wonders for an old pot! Be safe!

Traveling at the speed of life.