Modern Cast Iron: The Complete Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, Cooking, and More - Hardcover

Jones, Ashley L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1684351022 ISBN 13: 9781684351022

Verlag: RED LIGHTNING BOOKS, 2020

Inhaltsangabe

Warm, crumbly cornbread. Chicken sizzling in the pan. Childhood memories filled with delicious, home-cooked dishes and your family there to enjoy it with you. Cast iron's popularity faded in the '70s—replaced by chemically processed cookware—but today's cooks are reigniting a passion for wholesome cast-iron-cooked meals. This ain't your grandma's kitchen—caring for and cooking with cast iron is easy, healthy, and totally Pinterest worthy.

In Modern Cast Iron, self-proclaimed cast-iron connoisseur Ashley L. Jones recaptures the ease and joy of cooking with cast-iron cookware. Jones introduces readers to the best brands and types of cast-iron cookware to fulfill any cook's needs. She offers detailed tips and tricks for rescuing old, rusted pans and keeping them properly seasoned, and she shares recommendations for the best cooking oil for every recipe. With Jones's help, both experienced and beginner cooks will be able to rival grandma's cooking. Chock-full of stories from Jones's own childhood growing up with cast-iron meals, as well as recipe after tantalizing recipe—from breakfast quiche to gluten-free meals and beautiful blueberry cobbler—Modern Cast Iron explores the countless ways that cast iron benefits health and happiness.

A comprehensive guide to all things cast iron and home-style cookin', Modern Cast Iron offers a new way for cooks to spice up the kitchen using all-natural tools and ingredients.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Ashley L. Jones is an author, blogger, and teacher, but she prefers the title of Big Sister. A firm believer that we all know something worth sharing, she started the blog Big Sister Knows as a way to encourage and inspire other young women to live with gusto. Ashley sees Modern Cast Iron as a continuation of that mission. Here, she not only instructs readers about cast-iron cookware but also inspires them to cook simple, wholesome foods and to gather with family around the table. Find your inspiration and follow Ashley's journey at www.ashleyljones.com.

Ashley L. Jones is an author, blogger, and teacher, but she prefers the title of Big Sister. A firm believer that we all know something worth sharing, she started the blog Big Sister Knows as a way to encourage and inspire other young women to live with gusto. Ashley sees Modern Cast Iron as a continuation of that mission. Here, she not only instructs readers about cast-iron cookware but also inspires them to cook simple, wholesome foods and to gather with family around the table. Find your inspiration and follow Ashley's journey at www.ashleyljones.com.

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Seasoning
The trick to cooking with cast iron is to understand—and respect—the seasoning. And I'm not talking about salt and pepper.
In the context of cast iron, seasoning is oil baked onto the iron, which gives it a natural, nonstick finish. It sounds simple enough, but the science behind this process is pretty neat, and it helps us understand which oils are most effective at creating that nonstick coating.
When fat is heated at a certain temperature for a while, it polymerizes, which means hundreds of molecules link together through the formation of chemical bonds. When that fat is heated in a cast-iron pan, it creates a plastic-like layer of large polymers that are trapped within the pitted surface of the pan and are partly bonded to the iron itself. In other words, by applying oil to your pan and then heating that oil, you can create a fairly durable nonstick coating. (Too much heat is a bad thing, though. At a certain temperature, oil begins to decompose and emit harmful fumes. This temperature, called the oil's smoke point, is addressed under Choosing Your Oil in this chapter.)
While all cast iron is sold preseasoned, this nonstick coating is not invincible. Acidic foods, harsh soaps, dampness, and even neglect can reduce the effectiveness of—or even destroy—the seasoning. That's why it's important for you to understand how to season (or cure) your pan. Through research and trial and error, I've discovered two main ways to season cast iron, giving it what I call a light seasoning or a deep seasoning.

Light Seasoning
You can use light seasoning in the following circumstances:
- After cleaning or cooking.
- Whenever you see dull patches develop on your pan or food begins to stick.
Clean the pan, removing any bits of food and cooking oil. Heat the pan on the stove on medium heat for a couple minutes. Add about a teaspoon of oil to the pan. (See Choosing Your Oil in this chapter for helpful info on which oil is best for light seasoning.)
Wad up a paper towel and, using tongs, wipe the oil around the inside of the pan. Continue to rub oil into the pan as it's heated until the pan looks dark and shiny. Remove any remaining oil residue to avoid a sticky buildup.
While heating, watch the pan carefully and adjust the temperature as needed. Let the oil get to the smoke point, and then turn off the heat. To create a good seasoning, it's important for the oil to reach this point, but you don't want it to continue to smoke. That's because the heat can begin to breakdown the nonstick coating, and the fumes released are toxic if inhaled. (See Choosing Your Oil in this chapter for more information.)
While the pan is still warm, you can rub any remaining oil onto the bottom side of the pan to keep it from developing rust. Let the pan cool completely before storing it.

Deep Seasoning
You can use deep seasoning in the following circumstances:
- If light seasoning isn't sufficient.
- If you need to season the outside of the pan as well as the inside.
- When restoring old pans.
Clean the pan, removing any bits of food and rust. (For more info on restoring old pans, see From Rust to Wonderful in this chapter.) Preheat oven to 350–400 degrees Fahrenheit. (You may need to select a different temperature based on the oil used. See Choosing Your Oil in this chapter for more details.)
Using paper towels, coat the entire pan—inside, outside, and handle—with up to a tablespoon of oil, rubbing it into the pan's surface. Wipe the pan lightly with fresh paper towels to remove excess oil until the pan looks dry, not oily.
Place the pan in the oven upside down and bake for one hour. Check on your pan periodically—never leave it curing in the oven unattended! If you smell smoke, it means your oil has reached the smoke point. Ventilate your kitchen and reduce the oven temperature.
Remove the pan and let it cool before storing it. This should be sufficient to properly season the pan, but you can repeat the process as many times as needed.

Seasoned Innovation
For hundreds of years, cast iron was manufactured and sold unseasoned. That meant you had to season a new pan thoroughly before you could use it. Although Lodge provided some instructions on how to season its pans, there was a lot of confusion among customers. Finally, in 2002, Lodge developed a way to preseason its cookware, becoming the first US manufacturer to do so.
Not only was this a first in the industry, it was a game changer. After winning one of Good Housekeeping's Good Buy Awards for its preseasoned line, Lodge began seasoning all of its cookware . . . and the rest of the industry followed suit. Now all cast iron is sold seasoned and ready to use (though the methods and oils vary greatly from company to company).

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: RED LIGHTNING BOOKS
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2020
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1684351022
• ISBN 13: 9781684351022
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 232
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland