I inherited two of my grandmother's cast iron skillets years ago, but I have to admit, I really have no clue how to use them the way she did when I was a child. She used her cast iron for everything. From biscuits and cornbread in the oven to salmon patties and chicken on the stove. One of my favorites, though, was her homemade blackberry cobbler with blackberries picked from the bushes in the back yard.
For a long time I really only ever made cornbread because I didn't know what else to cook. Then I found a few recipes online that I like and that my family loves. Like this meatloaf recipe, this pizza recipe, this chicken, bacon, and spinach spaghetti recipe, and this Flora's Jam-Glazed Chicken recipe.
What I DO know? There's a reason why I still have my grandmothers skillets after all these years. Cast iron is tough as nails. It's built to last. From what I understand, some new pans come pre-seasoned but mine's been seasoned for years. There have been times when I've needed to add a little oil and season them again but they are just a good as the day they were bought.
I have been reading a few things to find out how to keep my cast iron for another hundred years. Here's a few things I've learned.
*Season it. Even if it's pre-seasoned like mine. I heated it on the stovetop until it was VERY hot, then I poured a bit of oil into it, rubbed it around with a paper towel, and let it cool. I repeated it once more because mine was already seasoned but if you have new cast iron, it's best to do this step several times.
*Clean it every time you use it. I had no clue you could wash it with soap and water but you can! Scrub out anything left stuck to the bottom. Rinse it with water thoroughly to remove any excess soap. Put it on the stove with the burner set to high heat. When the water has dried out, add some oil (vegetable, canola, flaxseed, or shortening), rub it around with a paper towel and let it continue to heat until it gets very hot. Wipe it with the paper towel again and let it cool.
*NEVER let it stay wet. Water is horrible for iron and letting it sit in your pan can lead to rust. Always dry it out with a paper towel coated in a small amount of oil before storing it.
*A well seasoned pan can be stored nestled inside another pan. No need to treat it with kid gloves.
*The best way to keep your pan seasoned it really to just use it. Frying, searing, baking. That'll make the seasoning better.
Now, here's something I still haven't figure out. There are numbers on the back of the skillets. From what I understand, the numbers do not mean the inches in diameter of the pan. It means the size according to the manufacturers sizing system, and different manufacturers have different sizing systems. So weird to me. So, my number 5 or 10 pan may be any other number from any other manufacturer. I'm still trying to find out where my grandmother got her cast iron. That may help. From this website, The Pan Handler, I believe my cast iron may be vintage Lodge. Which would be about right since it's a Tennessee manufacturer. Anyway, I'm going to keep reading and learning.
Here are a couple more websites that I got information from.
~Mental Scoop - Decoding Cast Iron Numbers and Lettering
~The Cast Iron Collector - Numbers & Letters
~Michael Lustfield - All I Know About Cast Iron
Here is an EXCELLENT website for Cast Iron Recipes.
~Serious Eats - Cast Iron Recipes
Let me know if you have cast iron!