Take care of cast iron cookware
Most of us have cooked with a cast iron fry pan at one point or another. And if you have, you know the importance of keeping it ‘seasoned’. Seasoning is simply cooking oil which is baked onto the cast iron surface. The baking process is called polymerization. It forms a natural, nonstick surface over time. This means it is easier to cook and to keep your pans from rusting.
Today’s cast iron cookware arrives in the shop pre-seasoned. That’s a big step forward for most home cooks. Now all you have to do is maintain it. There is a Canadian company called Caron & Doucet, based out of Quebec, that has developed cast iron care products to do just that — care for your cookware. The family-owned business began in 2001 with skincare products using olive oil as a base. It’s an interesting leap from caring for skin to caring for cast iron. Caron & Doucet took that leap in 2013.
There are three main products for your cast iron care: a soap, a scrub and an oil.
All are made with 100 per cent natural plant-based oils. That sets the soap apart from many of the dish detergents we see on the market as the detergent is the ingredient that destroys the seasoned oil coating on the cast iron. Detergent-free soap from Caron & Doucet cleans without removing the seasoning. It is gentle on your hands as well, with a light essential oil infusion of lemongrass and
rosemary. It will also kill odor causing bacteria that builds up on cast iron over time.
If your pan is really in a mess, the scrub is the product you need. It removes rust and burnt on food bits, again using 100 per cent natural products such as coconut oil and dead sea salt. It will not scratch. Simply scrub, rinse, dry and then re-oil your pan. For really tough rust or burnt bits, it may take a second scrub.
Finally, you have cleaned your pan and now it’s time
to oil it. That’s the secret to keeping it seasoned: light cleaning and re-oiling. The Caron & Doucet oil is coconut oil based, enhanced with rosemary and lemongrass oils to reduce bacteria build-up. Simply wipe the clean, dry pan with some of the oil. I use a bit of paper towel to really work it in over the whole pan. It just takes a minute.
Caron & Doucet have a range of other products for the cook, including wooden board care products. Taking care of your kitchen ‘tools’ is an important part of cooking. My cast iron pan sits on the stove most of the time, ready for whatever meal we are preparing. Keeping it seasoned has become part of the cleanup routine. And it’s worth it to cook in a naturally non-stick pan.