How to Clean and season cast iron cook ware

Cleaning up all the myths about cast iron cook ware

Things You'll Need

• Your cast iron cook ware and a small wood fire. You can do this in a public out door grill at a picnic site.

Instructions

1. Build a small fire in the grill. You can get kindling fire wood at most convenience stores.

2. When the fire is about half coals put in the pot or fry pan.Don,t worry about rust or old grease it will burn off. Turn the pot around the fire so to get all sides inside and out.

3. Remove your pot with a pot holder or pliers. Look out it will be vary hot. Let it cool down on the ground or some place safe. Scour the cool pot with 00 steel wool and wipe clean. DON"T use any soap of any kind.

4. Warm the pot up with the fire or on the stove. Now coat the pot or fry pan with good old LARD. You can still buy it at most stores near the vegetable oil or the dairy case. Let it cool and wipe off any excess. All you need is enough to wet the surface. Don't use vegetable oil it will go rancid and turn into glue. I have had people come to me with a pot with the lid glued on from vegetable oil. The lard doesn't go rancid if you get it hot enough on the pot. If you like, put the pot or pan in the oven at 350 deg for a while. When you want to use the pan just wipe out the dust and cook. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER use soap on the cast iron. If something sticks or burns just boil water in the pot and scrape out the food with a plastic or wood spatula. Dry out the cast iron on the burner and coat with lard. Processed lard has less saturated fat than butter. You won't be eating more than a drop of lard per use .

Tips & Warnings

• Go ahead and cook some lard in the cast iron every so often to help keep the pot seasoned. The lard won't bother you if you wipe it out before each use. If you use vegetable oil it will get thick and sticky and collect dust and bugs.

• Be careful with the hot cast iron. Don't worry about the lard, most stores don't refrigerate it when they sell it.