Seasoned cookware is not pots and pans sprinkled with salt and pepper. Rather, it's cookware that you've coated with an edible oil, like vegetable oil, then baked at 350 for an hour or more in your oven.
Once you've done that, your cookware will be nearly non-stick, if not just plain non-stick. Seriously.
You can season all kinds of cookware...
-- cast iron, spun aluminum, you name it. I would skip the non-stick cookware, though. Just yesterday I picked up a small cast-iron pan and an aluminum one, for small jobs. The small cast iron pan was looking pretty gnarly. It was rusty too. So I took it home and scrubbed it with a scrub bud from Amway (I love their stuff.), rinsed and dried it, then I seasoned it. Now it looks awesome and I can't wait to cook with my little pan. I did the same thing with the aluminum pan that I acquired. And now it has a nice, non-stick coating, achieved with nothing more unnatural than vegetable oil.
Personally, I am not a fan of non-stick, chemically-coated cookware.I often wonder whether those chemicals and that coating is flaking off into my food. Secondly, I find that it's usually not that non-stick anyway.
Do you have problems with food sticking to your pans? Make sure you are not cooking at too high of a heat setting. Heat that is set too high will make your pans insta-sticky. This is especially true with eggs. They're sticky enough as is. :)
Benefits of Seasoning Your Cookware / Pots and Pans
- If the seasoning wears off, just season them again.
- It's simple: coat the inside with veggie oil or whatever, bake @ 350 for an hour or so.
- All natural.
- Allows you to use very sustainable products, like cast-iron, with the ease of non-stick products that aren't as durable.
So there you have it - You really need seasoned cookware, and once you've tried it, you will thank me. In fact, if you have any input or tips about seasoned cookware, please share them and feel free to leave comments!
Ok, so you know me, so you know I had to comment. Not just because I have to always put my two cents in, but because I really have an opinion.
ReplyDeleteOn this, I have to admit I agree with you 100%!! I have not one, not two, but THREE cast irons, in my kitchen! I have a comal, a grill pan/skillet, and a huge pan. I love them all. I have some of the nonstick stuff, and I like my PC ones, the rest are ok, but my cast irons are my favorites.
Oh, in my long speech, I forgot to mention the benefit that I like of cast iron, and that is that they are so easy to clean! You just scrub them as soon as you are done cooking (and they are no longer hot) and the food comes right off. Put it on the stove, or in the oven, turn on and dry. Just remember to season occasionally.
ReplyDeleteAlso, cast irons heat more evenly and stay hot longer, so your food stays warmer longer. I don't there there is too much I could say about the benefits of cast iron!!!
FTR, I do also like stainless steel, but I only have one. My mother has had her set since she was married over 30 years ago, and they are by far awesome.
To add to the seasoned cooking, you could also mention some stone products for baking. Even heating, easy cleaning, even cooking...
Oh, the other benefit of most of these products, is that most of the ones that you can cook on the stove with you can also use in your oven!!! Talk about Less Kitchen Stuff, Easier Cooking!!!
This really works on stainless steal too?
ReplyDeleteWorked for me! Just make sure that the pan is completely dry first, but it did work for me. You might have to bake it a bit longer.
ReplyDelete