Cast iron cookware and SHTF....

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VenomJockey

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I knew there was a reason to keep Granny's cast iron cookware!!!

http://www.askaprepper.com/10-advantages-of-using-cast-iron-cookware-when-shtf/

Excerpt: "Cast iron is one of the best types of cookware to use in everyday life. Even better, cast iron is a great cookware option to go for in a SHTF scenario. Cast iron is not the lightest but is sure worth it to bring. To survive you are going to need some way to cook. Having a cast iron pan gives you the ability to cook food and has much versatility as you will soon see."
 
Even use it for baking. I have a few cast irons but I lent my favorite skillet to son number 3 and have not gotten it back yet. Maybe I just need to get him one for Christmas so I can get it back. It was one that granny had used during her lifetime and ended up giving me when she could not lift it any longer.
 
BTW, I found out quite by accident that nothing seasons a cast iron pan nearly as well as baking cornbread in it a few times. I was constantly reseasoning the pans until my wife started using them to make cornbread. I've never been able to get such a perfect finish, and believe me, I've tried many times.
 
Couple of things to note in the article:

"Iron And Its Impact On Your Health" You won't get any iron benefit from the cast iron, kindly an urban myth that has never been proven with peer review. This was tested at one time several years ago, they heated oil in several cast irons and tested the oil after 8 hrs heating, they found no increase in iron.

"How Long Do These Pans Last" Yes they can crack, unlike carbon steel if you have them heated enough dry they can crack. This is common on electric ranges set to HIGH and nothing in the skillet. I never had a problem over coals or wood burner (fyi)
 
BTW, I found out quite by accident that nothing seasons a cast iron pan nearly as well as baking cornbread in it a few times. I was constantly reseasoning the pans until my wife started using them to make cornbread. I've never been able to get such a perfect finish, and believe me, I've tried many times.

That's weird (having to reseasoning the cast) my last reseasoning was 3yrs ago. Though I strip them in a oven with self cleaning mode, that takes everything out of the cast giving a more even coating after the cleaning process. Though unlike the article seasoning time is 3hrs at 350degrees, the cast is coated inside, sides and bottom including the handle, the oils I use only are soybean oil or canola oil, I used to use lard but not good if storing the cast for long durations.
 
For cooking with an uneven heat source, nothing works as well as cast iron. We keep a tin of bacon greese in the frig and use only that to season the cast iron. Vegetable oils will not but build-up the coating to season cast iron, but it will keep it from rusting. In my camping gear I use cast iron despite the increased weight.
 
I have 3 cast iron frying pans, a 9 inch chili pot and a oval shaped broiler. Two other cast iron pots in different sizes with wooden handles rounds off my collection. Only bought half of them, the others were thrown away in the scrap metal at the junk yard from someone who had probably been given them for Christmas and never understood how to use them properly...and saved by me from being melted down. My wife cannot lift them, but lets me do that and absolutely loves the difference in flavors, how long food stays warm on the table and ease of cleaning. Great stuff and the hand-me-downs will stay in the family, GP
 
I love cast iron cooking. We have a covered area patio outside our milkhouse and I've set that up permanently for cooking. I have two iron cooking tables that each hold 2 dutch ovens. Saves my back not cooking near the ground. Have the propane oven out there, too and a large propane griddle.
 
One of my dreams is an outdoor kitchen! A place to clean game and fish and fry/grill/smoke meat. Now I have an electric smoker and we use that about once a week. Add to that two Weber propane grills. When I lived in Texas I built a fish cleaning station with flood lights and water hose so I could clean 20 to 50 fish all hours of the day or night. I plan to build another of those fish cleaning stations at our place in New Mexico.
 
We set up a little differently when we're doing lots of fowl butchering, but I do have a sink table that the hose connects to. I like cooking outdoors, but don't barbeque much.
One of the best things hunny made for me was the outdoor sink hooked up to the well pump. I normally use this for washing off root crops from the garden before bringing in to process.
 
The neighbor occasionally looks over the fence to see what we are cooking again in the middle of the winter. He can smell the fire, the spices, the meats and veggies over the tripod, but he wants to know what it is this time again...we also use an enameled steel pot over the open fire when making the original hungarian gulasch out back. No sticking to the enamel also and easy to clean. We usually leave the soot on the bottom of the pots there to further prevent any rust...am I doing something wrong? Anybody made any bad experiences doing this?
 

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