I bought a lodge cast iron pot recently and have used it for a roast and steaks and I thought it was seasoned well, but yesterday I cooked a pot of pinto beans and to my surprise the beans turned out a blue/black color. What's up with that? Any one know?

A cast iron pot will do that to beans when you cook them from scratch. I use a stainless steel pot for making Pinto, Anazasi, white beans, etc. I use cast iron for most every other kind of cooking.

Here are some Dutch ovens I use both in camp and on our patio. Great pots = great food.



L.W.

Member KRP is the man on this.

Was it 'pre-seasoned' when purchased?

Whatever is used and however it is done, produces an extremely disappointing result. Best thing is to burn it off and start anew.

I wish I could master the cast iron thing. I use a big cast iron pan out at deer camp, I cook in it a lot and pretty much always stick food to the bottom of the pan. I've tried following seasoning instructions, it seems I just don't get it right and/or I'm using it wrong.

Maybe try an epoxy primer on the CI.

Get it hot BEFORE you put the oil in it.

The thing that I never see addressed is that cast iron holds its heat better than some other materials, so it keeps on cooking after the gas is turned off. This, of course, is exactly the same thing that using (horror of horrors!) an electric stove causes the faithful to spontaneously evacuate their bowels.

Dave, you might go to the link below and pose your question. Lots of good information on cleaning, seasoning, etc., etc., etc.

http://www.castironcollector.com/forum/index.php

L.W.

Thanks, I have a pretty decent pan. I think it's a lodge brand. I'm sure they are great, I just don't have the knack for it. (yet)

The key to not sticking stuff to cast iron is making sure it's hot before you start cooking on it.

And, not TOO hot. Plus a spray of cooking oil. gotta have some lube.

Never had problem with food sticking to a too hot cast iron skillet. The oil bursting into flames and the food being incinerated yes, but nothing stuck When the cast iron turns grey, it's telling you it's too hot.

But my observation of impatient family members that leave eggs stuck to the skillet is if they'd waited a few minutes for the skillet to get hot, they would not have had a mess.

I stick less by putting 1/2 teaspoon of bacon grease in a 12" pan and wiping out everything that doesn't stick to the pan with a paper towel than I do floating chit in grease.

The Griswold cast iron fry pans at my hunt camp have very smooth cooking surfaces. My Lodge cast iron has a bit of texture.

Ive had issues with food sticking to the Lodge pans, never the old Griswolds.

Lodge cast iron is entry level cookware at best.

My 12 inch lodge is pretty good. We have had it 20 years and it took at least 5 years to get it wore smooth though.

So, if I take one of my autobody sanders to the bottom of my 15" lodge skillet... Starting with maybe 40 or 60 grit and working my way to about 500 grit, then season it.

Advisable? Nay?


The idea being creating a smoother bottom.

For smoother bottoms, you need to go down to the basement and hit the .223AI thread.

As long as you use an abrasive medium that's safe for human consumption I'd say go for it.