Inheriting my Cast Iron

Growing up, my parents & grandparents always cooked on cast iron. I never really appreciated cooking in cast iron until I was married for a few years. I had bought a few skillets that came as a set. I remember trying to figure out the process of caring & seasoning.  I just couldn't figure it out & I gave up on them for a long time.
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Several years later my sister & I were chatting about the cast iron she had gotten from our grandparents & I told her I would love to start cooking in cast iron. She cooked on them all the time & made the best fried chicken & cornbread.  She told me that she will give me some of our grandparents cast iron that she had acquired from them.. I was so excited that I would be using the very same cast iron that my grandmother & grandfather cooked in daily. Then my dad gave me a chicken fryer that he & mom cooked in. Then before you know it, I was addicted to cooking in them. I purchased some more from our local stores. Two large skillets were added to my collection. Then along came the Dutch oven & a few other pieces.  I was hooked!

 We cook in them daily. I even bake in them too. The baking is a little tricky but I am still learning. I am always searching online for tips & tricks. So for the last couple of years, we only cook in cast iron & we haven't looked back! We even got rid of our old frying pans. 
I was constantly researching & learning how to care for them. I even found a group on Facebook dedicated to cast iron that had people who are experts in caring for and cooking in cast iron. Not to mention all the yummy food post too :)
The more I used cast iron to cook in the more I fell in love with it. It became second nature to use. My husband & kids were on board too. Oh & the food tastes SO much better!

e key to caring for cast iron is to keep them well seasoned. There are a lot of debates on what oil to use but for me I use crisco shortening. Just a little goes a long way to season your cast iron. Make sure your skillets are completely dry. I dry my skillets on the stove... once dried, I add a dab of Crisco shortening on a (lint free) tea towel (you can use a paper towel if you like) & rub it all over the skillet including the handle & bottom. Do not leave the oil caked on or will get rancid. Wipe it til all the oil spread evenly. Your skillet is now ready for the next time you cook.
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Fyi: You will hear not to use dish soap to clean but it is safe to use.

If you are interested in giving cast iron a whirl, I recommend checking out YouTube videos. There are several tutorials on how to care & season your cast iron. Once you start, you won't look back. :)

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about cast iron, leave a comment below & I would be happy to help in anyway I can :)

Take care & have a amazing day :)
​Debra (aka: Dusty)

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