Wow, the fires were intense, weren’t they? They certainly forced many of us to consider what we would take given a moment’s notice and limited space. I guess I’m not the sentimental type because the first thing that came to mind was to grab my cookware.
Being able to eat a warm, home-cooked meal at least once a day centers and settles me, no matter how chaotic the world around me gets.
One evening during the fires, Randal and I sat on the porch to watch the constant procession of fire and emergency equipment that zoomed up and down the highway. We discussed the “what to take” question. The first thing out of my mouth was “my cast iron cookware”. Randal laughed and told me that wouldn’t be necessary. After all, cast iron can withstand extremely high temperatures, far beyond what most other materials can handle. You could recover a cast iron skillet from the rubble of a burned-down home and easily restore the cookware to its former glory.
But you don’t need to wait for your house to burn down to revamp your cast iron cookware.
Last spring, Randal built a big bonfire in his back yard and burned all his cast iron skillets, saucepans and Dutch ovens. He buried them in the coals and the next morning all the old coatings had disappeared. If you don’t want to build a bonfire, you can use spray lye, commonly found in oven cleaners. You can also use the self-cleaning function in an oven. Or, sand them with 80 grit automobile sandpaper. My friend Rachel uses a wire brush and steel wool.
After you remove the old finish, re-season the pans. There are a lot of different ways to do this. Some people use high heat, others low. I apply a thin layer of grapeseed oil with a paper towel then bake the cookware upside down in a 450⁰ oven for about thirty minutes and repeat the process three or four times. The cookware may not turn black until you cook with it though so don’t let the bare metal look fool you.
Griswold and Wagner antique cast iron pots and pans are highly prized. They were made using hand-poured molds that were machined to create smooth cooking surfaces. Overtime they acquire a lovely patina. I have my grandmother’s Griswold skillet and Dutch oven and I don’t think it’s my imagination – everything I make in those just turns out well. I believe that objects carry the energy of the person who had them, as if the thing absorbs the owner’s spirit. You can’t wash the spirit off; it just gets baked in. Maybe the pot even has a story to tell about the day the house burned.
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