Cast-iron pan

Modern housewives increasingly prefer dishes made of aluminum or stainless steel, while cast iron is avoided when choosing a frying pan . And in vain. Cast iron frying pan has a number of advantages over utensils made of other materials:

• presence of a natural non-stick coating;
• the possibility of an even distribution of heat;
• stronger heating, which is especially important for frying;
• after heating for a long time, a high temperature is maintained, which is necessary for preparing individual dishes.

Cast iron frying pan has a special protective coating, so before using it for the first time it must be removed. You can do this with a special food wax or flush the pan thoroughly under running water with soap.

Cast-iron frying pan: how to choose?

When buying a frying pan, consider the following:

• the heavier the frying pan, the better;
• the thickness of the walls and the bottom should be 3-4 mm;
• on its surface there should be no cracks, burrs, cinder;
• The bottom must be level;
• shape of pan (square, oval, round);
• its size (a frying pan with a diameter of 20 cm is considered universal);
• presence of a cover in the complete set;
• material from which the handle is made: heat-resistant plastic or wood.

How to use a cast iron frying pan?

Cast iron frying pan can be used not only on a plate of any type, but also in the oven.

Its bottom is strong enough. Therefore, during cooking, it is allowed to turn food by any of the blades (plastic, wooden or metal). Remember that cast iron has a very high temperature, so when you cook food, you need to use potholders.

Before preparing food, prepare a cast-iron frying pan for use. First, it is heated. Then a small amount of water is dripping to the bottom of the frying pan to make sure that it is ready. If from the heated surface water first hisses, and then evaporates, then you can start cooking. If the water evaporates almost immediately, the surface of the frying pan is too hot and you can not cook yet, otherwise the food will burn. If the cast iron bottom is not warmed up enough, the water will begin to bubble.

In order not to burn food, the bottom surface remained unchanged, and after cooking it was possible to easily wash the frying pan to be impregnated before its application.

How to heat a cast-iron frying pan?

The following sequence of actions should be observed.

1. First you need to wash the pan with warm water and soap.
2. Then it is dried.
3. We proceed directly to the impregnation of the frying pan. We heat it on a plate to a warm state.
4. At the bottom of the frying pan pour a layer of salt one centimeter thick.
5. Then put it in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees or leave it on the stove for one hour.
6. Then we cover it with vegetable oil on all sides. If the oil is too much you can remove the excess by wiping the frying pan with a rag.

As a result of such manipulations, a layer of natural non-stick coating from the deposit is formed in the frying pan. From such a coating, the food will be easy to separate.

If everything is done correctly, the cast-iron frying pan will be shiny, it will evenly heat up and quickly clean.

How to clean a cast iron frying pan from the deposit?

Caring for a cast iron frying pan is simple: just brush it with a sponge with fine table salt. Do it when you have not had time to cool down. In this case, the food remains faster and better to leave the surface of the pan. If necessary, you can scrape it. Then the dishes are rinsed with warm water and soap and wiped dry. The field of each application of the frying pan is greased with vegetable oil from all sides.

However, it should be remembered that a cast-iron frying pan can not be left in a soap solution for a long time, otherwise it will start to rust.

What if the cast iron frying pan is rusted?

If you noticed a rust in the frying pan, it means that during cooking you added an insufficient amount of oil. To get rid of rusty stains, you can recalcify the frying pan on fire with salt or vegetable oil. After this, the dishes must be wiped dry.

What if the cast iron frying pan fits?

To ensure that the food does not burn during cooking, it is necessary to add vegetable oil. If the products are still burnt, then the amount of oil was not enough and you need to pour a small amount of it into the frying pan.

After you have finished cooking, clean the surface of the burn with detergent and re-heat the frying pan in the oven or on the stove.

With proper operation and maintenance, the cast iron frying pan can last for several decades.