The Beauty and Benefits of Using Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron ware to me was just something that my grandparents used back in the day and that now we have evolved to using better ware.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

Cast iron ware is iron that has been heated and casted into cookware.  People who love to cook and chefs love to use them because they will last you a life time.  The cookware cooks your food so wonderfully because it distributes heat evenly though out the pan and retains the heat.  It is also non stick and oven safe.

To have a non stick cast iron pan you must season it before you use it for the first time.  You can do this by rubbing a thin layer of oil (use the of your choice) evenly throughout the pan using a paper towel.  I prefer to use coconut oil.  This should leave a light layer of shimmering oil though out the whole pan.  Do not leave any excess oil in the skillet.  Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees and bake the skillet for an hour.  After baking it for an hour take it out of the oven and let it cool for a while.  When your skillet is cool enough to touch rub another thin layer of oil on the pan and bake it for another hour.  You can repeat this as many times as you like, but two to four times should be enough depending on how raw the iron pan is.

Another reason cast iron ware is loved by many is because it is actually healthier.  The act of cooking takes away vital nutrients and minerals from our food.  Cooking with cast iron ware does the opposite of this.  Cast iron released iron into your food, especially acidic foods, which increased the amount of iron in the food that you are cooking.  This is beneficial to everyone especially women.  Women are more likely to be iron deficient.

Some of the ways you can use cast iron is on the grill to saute veggies, making deep dish or pan pizza, to bake dishes like peach cobbler and to bake biscuits.  You can bake corn bread, pasta dishes, a roast, or fry chicken.  You can use the cook ware for cooking just about anything.

Please keep in mind that cooking with cast iron eliminates the need for Teflon and other non stick pans which has fluorocarbons  in it (PFC's).  PFC's is a chemical that has been linked to cancer. So, using cast iron is one of the safest and healthiest things you can do for you and your family and the best thing about them is that they last a life time so you can pass it down to the next generation.