Today’s guest post was written by long time Blind Pig reader Leon Pantenburg.
When my son Dan moved to his first apartment, it seemed like my parental duty to provide him with an “urban survival kit” that included some basic kitchen tools. These necessities included several good “survival manuals” (cookbooks) some sharp kitchen “survival knives” and a well-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven.
Dan’s urban “survival training” came from Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, Oregon. He, along with most of his buddies, earned the cooking merit badge. The requirements included learning how to cook outdoors over a campfire, using aluminum foil or a cast iron Dutch oven.
Dan’s oven is a cast-iron, 10-inch Lodge-brand oven that can be used both indoors and outside. It is the same brand, make, model and size of oven I have used at least weekly for nearly 30 years. When I bought my new oven, it seemed expensive.
But Dan’s oven was free because it was slightly rusty and dirty from being stored in an old garage for years. A little elbow grease restored the cast iron to like-new condition.
If you’re a recycler (like many preppers and survivalists are) and you frequent garage sales and thrift stores, then keep an eye out for good, useful cast-iron cooking implements. Somebody’s rusty, dust-covered survivor of a failed camping trip may end up becoming a valuable addition to your cooking tools.
In a survival situation, a Dutch oven is a useful tool for baking, boiling, sautéing or frying. You can use virtually any heat source, including a campfire, charcoal, a propane burner or barbecue grill. And talk about something with barter or trade value – a few days without electricity, and everyone will be clamoring for a Dutch oven.
You can also save money. Just keep a list of the cast iron items you need or want when you go garage sale-ing, because you never know when a treasure will pop up.
If you don’t need any more cast iron, you can always upgrade what you have, or buy duplicates. Re-seasoned cast iron also makes a great, unique gift that will be used and appreciated for years. Nobody re-gifts a good cast iron Dutch oven!
My Dad, sister Karla, brother Mike and I all collect cast iron, and the older and more obscure the brand, the better. In our informal competition, the only rule is that cast iron can only be acquired using fair chase methods. That means no eBay, or advertising. A special find or acquisition is always good for a flurry of emails!
But aside from the fun of searching and looking, cast iron implements are heirloom tools you can use regularly. And cast iron, combined with a little knowledge, can be used both indoors and outside, making a cast iron Dutch oven a multi-purpose survival tool.
When properly seasoned, cast iron can be virtually nonstick. The even heating and heat-retaining ability make cast iron a good choice for frying, searing, baking and cooking stews, gumbos and soups.
But buy quality pieces, because your cast-iron cookware can be with you for generations. I still regularly use the skillet my grandmother reportedly got in 1918 as a wedding present. My Mom got it in 1950 and used it for decades, until the skillet got passed along to me. Today, grandma’s skillet is good for at least a few more generations of regular use!
My daughter, Mary, already has dibs on an 80-year old, 6-inch skillet she cooks eggs in. And Dad’s old oblong cast iron Dutch oven that he used back in the 1960s is still in fine shape and could be used.
When it comes to quality, experts know that some experienced iron may be superior to what’s on the store shelves. But a potential buyer of used cast iron had better beware. A cheap piece of cast junk is never a good deal, because it will end up being replaced at some point.
Although I own several different brands of cast iron implements, I prefer Lodge cast iron for competition cooking because of the uniform quality. Camp Chef makes another good oven. (In competition, I have been beaten by cooks using virtually every brand on the market. It’s the cook, not the oven, that wins the competition!)
Before buying any used piece, look it over carefully. Dirt, dust and light rust are generally not a problem, but deep rust pitting might be. If the piece has been painted or had motor oil in it, or has any cracks, pinholes, warps, scratches or signs of abuse, don’t buy it.
Then check the quality of the casting. Look for uniform thickness in the sides, bottom and lid, because variances in thickness could cause hot or cold spots. Make sure lids fit tightly, with no gaps or rocking. A properly-fitted lid forms a seal that creates pressure while cooking and helps retain moisture.
Once you buy a used piece, it will probably need to be seasoned. Seasoning is the black patina that protects the metal and makes it nonstick. If the seasoning looks even, with no flaking or rust spots, then a good cleaning may be all that is needed before using.
But most likely, you’ll have to re-season, and there are different ways to accomplish that. My brother and competition partner, Michael Pantenburg, salvaged a badly-mistreated oven by soaking the cast iron overnight in regular Coca Cola, then scrubbing it with a steel wool pad. When he was done, the cast iron looked brand new.
An antique gumbo pot my Dad got at a farm sale decades ago was severely rusted. I took a crack at cleaning it with steel wool, but gave up. It was used to haul ashes from my fireplace for a while. Then, I took it to an auto body shop and had it sandblasted for $5. Once it was re-seasoned, the pot went back to work. When my mother-in-law visits from Mississippi, she uses it to make seafood gumbo.
Avoid cooking any tomato or bean products in a newly seasoned cast iron for the first few times, because the acid will remove the seasoning. After that, use your new, experienced cast iron whenever possible. The more you use it, the more seasoned it gets and the better it will work.
The Central Oregon Dutch Oven Society recommends this seasoning method:
Scrub off any dirt or dust. A stiff fiber or wire brush works well for this initial cleaning.
When the cast iron is clean and polished, coat the surface with shortening. Only use enough to make the cast iron look wet. Place the cast iron in a 350-degree oven and bake for about an hour. This is going to be smelly and smoky, so if you have a gas grill, do this outside. Put the piece upside down on the grill and lower the hood. Shut off the heat when the smoke stops, and let the grill and cast iron cool completely. This technique can be repeated until you get the preferred shade of black and level of nonstick.
Re-seasoning can be done whenever you feel like doing it. I periodically re-season some the scout troop’s Dutch ovens, just because I like them to look really black and shiny.
And they look really cool when we stack them!
Leon Pantenburg is a wilderness enthusiast, and while he doesn’t claim to be an expert survivalist, he’s interviewed many who are. This survival blog is a collections of articles and stories based on a lifetime of experience.
He is also the author of “Bushcraft Basics: A common sense guide to wilderness survival”. As an award-winning newspaperman and journalist for four decades covering stories about search and rescue events, Leon has seen his share of floods and forest fires, hurricane and tornadoes, earthquakes, mud slides and other natural disasters.
Granny and Pap used cast iron when I was growing up and I’ve continued the trend during my married life. I’ve become so accustomed to cooking with cast iron that it’s hard for me to imagine not using it.
Most of the pans and ovens we use are old pieces handed down through our families or gifted to us by friends. My favorite frying pan is a Griswold and we have a few Wagners that I really like. The largest pan we have is a Lodge that we got as a wedding present. I use it as often as I use our other cast iron.
I totally agree with Leon, the more you use cast iron the better it gets. In fact I thoroughly believe using cast iron regularly is one of the keys to keeping it well seasoned.
I hope you enjoyed Leon’s guest post about cast iron. You can visit his website Survival Common Sense here.
Last night’s video: Cleaning the Junk out of the Greenhouse & Beloved Dogs.
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I love and use my cast iron skittles almost every day. I love them. Last wk end my youngest daughter and my husband and I and grandson went to the flea market hoping to find her a hood cast iron skittle. They are pricey. But we did run across this one old man and he had one and let her have it for $10.00 I thought that was a steal My husband yet has to do yhe hard work. She was so excited.
I have some of my great grandparents’ cast iron pans and pots. They are still going strong. I keep them seasoned and they work as well as the non-stick cookware.
Another great topic beautifully done, Tipper!
My brother, John, collected cast iron. He got most or all of Mama’s set and added to it while ‘trash’ collecting all over NC and VA. He had enough pieces to hang on a wall 12′ high and 20′ wide.
I have a Dutch oven that I only use occasionally because we have a glass top range and it gets too heavy for us to trust not dropping it. We do use a 10″ skillet and a 12″ griddle (called a comal ’round these parts due to the Mexican influence). I never clean them in anything but hot water, and salt i there’s sticky residues. I ‘stole’ the Pressley trick of keeping an oiled cloth under the sink to use to wipe down a newly cleaned pan. It keeps any rust from forming. Thank you, Tipper and Matt.
LEON I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT MANY CAST IRON SEASONED PIECES AT ONE TIME. MY MOTHER HAD ABOUT 3 OR MAYBE 4 AND SHE WAS ONE HECK OF A GREAT COOK. LOOKING AT THOSE FRYING PANS WANTS ME RO HAVE A GREAT BIG OIECE OF COIRN BREAD. SLICED WITH REAL BUTTER ON EACH SLICE AND POUR MOLLASES OVER IT. NOW THAT WAS GOOD. MY DAD LIKED A GLASS OF BUTTERMILK AND HE WOULD CRUMBLE THE CORN BREAD IN THE GLASS AND EAT IT WITH A SPOON. ALSO LIKED SOUP BEANS POURED OVER CORN BREAD AS THEY SAY THATS FOOD THAT WILL STICK TO YOUR RIBS. LEON THANKS FOR SHARING.
I loved both the article and readers comments. Thanks for the wonderful information. ❤️
Love my cast iron!! Great information!!!
I loved how Leon referred to old cast iron as
“experienced”! I’ve heard people talk about being tested by fire and there’s even a verse in the Bible about it….1Peter 1:7-Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire
Sure do love reading Bp&A daily and watching y’all on Celebrating Appalachia.
Keep up the good work! Continued prayers for Granny and all of you.
A wonderful and informative post on cast iron – it’s uses and care. I grew up with cast iron and two of my children have also jumped on that cast iron wagon in their cookware as well. Thank you Tipper.
I grew up about an hour from where Lodge is made. My collection includes old and new pieces of different brands of cast iron. My favorite skillet is lightweight compared to the others and it has a very smooth surface. Not too many years ago I noticed the difference and realized it’s a Wagner. I have no idea where it came from. My least favorite are newer and do not have a smooth surface at least yet. My mother cooked on a wood fire in her early married life. She said when the outside of her cast iron skillets became thick and crusty she burned it off in the fireplace then re-seasoned. My grandmother always reserved one particular skillet for crusty cornbread pouring the batter in hot grease in a hot skillet as Tipper does. I use mine on my glass-top range with no problem. I am careful to warm the cast iron pieces gradually no matter what the heat source to prevent them from cracking. Several years ago I learned that using cast iron also provides iron as a nutrient to a daily diet. It is interesting to read how cast iron lovers care for their wares, not always the same way but getting the same results. I have a set of over 50-yr-old waterless stainless steel cookware I bought before I met my husband. I have kept it clean with a steel wool soap pad and wonder what will happen to it when I die. If it and the cast iron is continued to be used and cared for they can serve several more generations. I’ve noticed that some people buy non-stick skillets and after a few years have to replace them. I’m happy with what I have. I’ve baked in a cast iron Dutch oven in a wood fire using coals on the top and cooked in a deep pot with a rounded lid hanging over an outdoor fire or on my electric range. Although no expert, I am definitely a fan!
Randy, as it worked out (not intentionally) we celebrated my husband’s life on what would have been our 50th anniversary this past summer. He died two years ago from alcohol abuse. You can count your blessings. From what you have said you are certainly fortunate to have had such a loving family including your wife’s family. My husband was a good man but had issues he couldn’t deal with any other way. I wish we still had his dad’s Coleman lanterns. I do have the wooden box his dad made to carry his lantern. If you ever write details about restoring the lanterns I would like a copy.
I’ve never owned a smooth-top cooking stove due to its likelihood of breaking with cast iron cookware usage. At least one cast iron Dutch oven or skillet can be found on my stove once or twice a day. My favorite no-name cast iron skillets came from my mom’s collection. It would be hard to guess how old they are as they were probably used by one of my grandparents before they were given to my mom. Nothing on the market today can compare to my cast iron treasures that I will never part with as long as I live.
My mom used cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens most all her life. As she got up in years it hurt her to pull them out since they are heavy, so she gave them away to use lighter skillets. I had one but never seem to get the hang of keeping it seasoned. I always washed it so that didn’t work. Then it just got to heavy so I gave mine away. If one can keep them well seasoned food does taste better cooked in them.
I love cooking with a good cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. One of my cast iron pieces is a 10” skillet that belonged to my grandmother. It is probably 100 years old and is priceless to me.
In my very young and just out of the house days at 17 and 18 I had a piece or two of cast iron, but only used it for making cornbread or maybe to cook a hamburger or something simple. I was scared of it…not it, particularly, but the care after use. I stuck with whatever cheap non-stick or Teflon stuff I could find so I could just toss it once it wore out and start anew. Somewhere in my early or mid 20s, I overcame that fear and went headfirst into cooking with cast iron and haven’t looked back. I’ve got one of my Granny’s skillets that was her mother’s–so there’s no telling how old that thing is, but living near the Lodge factory a local collector who is involved in their museum told me several years back it’s an original Blacklock or a very, very early Lodge casting (Blacklock is the original name of the Lodge Foundry). That one generally only makes cornbread or cooks biscuits, etc., because at only 7″ it’s rather small for family portions in some cases. I have a few others from Lodge that get used constantly. After my other grandmother passed and Mom ended up with all of her pots, pans, etc., I was able to donate a bunch of my lesser pots and pans away to others because she handed me down her Revere Ware stuff and the good old copper-bottomed stainless saucepans and even the dutch oven and two skillets serve me well whenever I don’t use cast iron. Stuff like this is definitely multi-generational or “heirloom,” if you will, because it’ll last multiple lifetimes with a little TLC.
I wonder how long cast iron cookware has been around. I’m guessing since the Middle Ages sometime? Incidentally, in Colonial America iron was so valuable that any pieces were kept to be remade at the ‘smithy’ and were even listed in estate inventories. If memory serves, Harriet Simpson Arnow in her book “Seedtime on the Cumberland” discusses this and has examples from wills. So with Mr. Pantenberg’s nearly-106 year old skillet, just think of the old saying “use it up, wear it out, make it do”!
I have been watching the video and it was me that mention my father in law and him planting a “frost garden.” I agree with Matt and his comment about things today are not made like they use to be. The old true Troybilt tillers were heavy duty and would last a last time, the new Troybilt tillers of today are a joke if compared to the old ones . Today’s Troybilt tillers and lawnmowers are now made by either MTD or Murray. We live in what I call a “throw away world” today-use until it breaks, throw it away and buy a new one. I once collected and restored Coleman Lanterns, in the early 80’s they begin to cheapen their lanterns by using plastic parts, before then it was all brass and metal. I have some that date back to 1920’s and still work. Now many companies have cheapen their products.
Matt, checkout the Maxin Tillers, they are more expensive but I have been told by someone that owns one they are better made than most of the other brands. I think your small tiller may be a Manis or a knockoff of this make, it is probably has a 2 stroke engine and will smoke a little. I know you were referring to the larger Yard Machine tiller smoking. My Daddy like to joke and say when he saw a car engine or some other engine smoking (using/burning oil) it had stopped chewing and took up smoking.
I am going to throw this in about my father in law, he was a best friend to me, the times I spent with him are among the best times of my life. My wife once asked me when we were still dating if I had come to see her or to see her Daddy. I picture Matt having this kind of relationship with Austin. I also loved my mother in law.
I use my cast iron Dutch oven almost daily. I cook potatoes, soups, spaghetti and other noodles, meat, etc. It was a gift from my mama. She also gifted me a Wagner skillet that is precious to me. I have no idea how old they are, but they were given to her by a sister-in-law when she and daddy were married—and they were not new then. She used them for many years, and I have had them for many years. I hope to pass them on to my children someday. Love this post—so informative!
i inherited most of my cast iron. I did buy my cast iron 8″dutch oven at a flea market which I use constantly from making sourdough to a pot of vegetable stew. my big 10″ frying pan came from my husbands uncle who was a chef and owned several restaurants, my 9″ came from my grandmother, this one was a challenge to restore. Two others came from my parents. I use them all and love the memories they bring.
I love cast iron skillets and just bought a Griswald number 8 in great condition off of Etsy. I am using it daily and I like to work on the seasoning of it. Tipper, I think it’s like yours, Ive been admiring your pan in your videos for a long time. I also have a Smithy skillet as well, that one was a little spendy.
Enjoyed the post, too. We had one cast iron skillet in house. Learned to make fried eggs with it and a broad spatula which a lot of commercial kitchens today use. Also, my grandma’s Spanish Rice. The recipe calls for toasting the rice & the cast iron does it perfectly.
The guitar I play at was made in Bend, Oregon. It is a Breedlove. My mother was a Breedlove so, although it was expensive, I had to have it. It’s not one of those that was made on the other side of the globe and “closely” inspected here, it was made in Bend by Mericans.
Am I half guitar? Maybe, but from the sounds I make, you’d think I was a kid with a spoon and a cast iron frying pan.
Thank you! Blind pig and the acorn are back in my e mail. I do enjoy the read with my morning coffee! Have a great day!
Does anyone know of a good method for removing rancid grease or oil from the outside of a cast iron Dutch oven? It was used for deep frying fish.
If it’s really bad use vinegar and water, but don’t soak it too long. Otherwise just simmer water in it. The oils will float to the top. Don’t do it too long or the seasoning will come off too.
Correction: Simmer in water (requires a bigger pot) not simmer water in it.
If it were mine I’d take it outside and burn off the nasty with a propane torch. Keep the flame moving so it heats evenly otherwise it could crack.
Spray type oven cleaner works well for this.
I had skillet with rancid oil also. I first washed it with dawn soap and salt ! Lots of salt and a soft wash cloth using little water so the grit of the salt and scrub away. If that doesn’t work go at it with dawn and a Brillo or SOS pad. Once it’s cleared of the rancid oil you’ll need to let it dry on the stove top. Let it cool. And re-season right away. Good luck. It’s a labor a love that’s worth every stroke.
Soak first, then apply a single edge razor blade at an angle. Some oven cleaner will accelerate the process, and or scrub with a copper grill brush.
This was so interesting and informative. I foolishly bought some high end cookware thinking the costlier the better. Not so! within a month I absolutely hated it. I should have taken it back but I’m one of those people that has qualms about taking things back after I have used it. I wish I had a whole set of old good cast iron! Buyer beware!
I have Lodge and Wagner Ware skillets and Dutch ovens. I want a Griswold but cannot afford them. In my opinion, there really is no need for anything but cast iron cookware since they are multi generational and only require a minute’s time for oiling. I do own some stainless steel, but I only use it for heating up frozen vegetables and popping corn–that’s it. I also love cast iron because any piece can be restored. I use my 10″ skillets every day and would not live without them. Maybe it’s just me, but I also think cast iron anything is beautiful!
What a lovely post! I didn’t grow up around cast iron cooking, but got drawn to it after learning how to cook in my 20s. I have some Field cast iron, which I think Corrie also has. I think it works well enough for my purposes, being nicely smooth, and not having found any Griswold/Wagner/etc for good deals! I usually use Crisco for seasoning it after cooking, (just heating it up till it adheres to the surface), but find all the internet debates a bit tiring! If it works, it works.
I clean the outside burnt on sludge with a single edge razor blade after a good soak. I keep the inside well cleaned with residual grease and coarse salt, as Tipper has taught me.
Stewing or braising anything seems to suck all the seasoning out of the iron. So time for a reseasoning with bacon grease.
Im told not to use cast iron on the new glass top stoves. Well, what good is that. I love my two cast iron skillets. I want to be buried Egyptian style, with crossed arms holding my cast iron skillets in each hand.
P.s. they also double as law enforcement tools.
I completely agree Matthew M. Whatever works.
I have a Lodge cast iron frying pan that was gave to us as a wedding present, I still use it. It is 50 years old this year.The lady (neighbor and friend to both of us) that gave it to my wife at her wedding shower told her she could not only use it for cooking but to help keep Randy straight. She knew me too! The pan would have cracked if she had hit my hard head with it! I had plans to make what would have been our 50th wedding anniversary this year special for my dearly loved wife, but God had another plan. We had no money for much of a honeymoon when we married. My Daddy like to collect cast iron pans, he especially like the kettles that was used for keeping warm water on the old wood stoves or fireplaces. He always kept one with water in it on his wood heater. I have watched him clean rusty cast iron by scrubbing it with dry sand. Lodge is the most common brand around here, but Griswold and Wagner are the most prized brands. Good cornbread with a crunchy crust can only be cooked in a cast iron frying pan.