Why ignite
Cast iron is a porous and very hard alloy. It perfectly absorbs moisture and oil. When you brought a new frying pan home, you need to wash it, put it on fire and thoroughly heat it up so that the lubricant applied to the cast-iron surface burns out during the production process of the product.
Another reason for the calcination is associated with the formation of non-stick film. After roasting the pan with oil, a protective film is formed on the cast-iron pan. Thanks to her, nothing sticks to the pan. Moreover, it does not rust and becomes better and better over time.
Summing up, we can say that calcination is necessary for:
- removal of industrial oil and foreign odors;
- non-stick layer creation;
- corrosion protection.
New or stale old pan need to be ignited, and now we will learn in more detail how to do it correctly.
Calcination with Salt
Any frying pan can be calcined with salt. To do this, pour a layer of salt about 1 cm thick at its bottom. The bottom must be completely closed. Then put the cast iron skillet over medium heat and wait for the salt to heat up and absorb all the extraneous substances. Depending on your stove type, it may take 10-20 minutes.
When the salt begins to darken, the stove must be turned off. Let the pan stand for a while, cool down a little, then you need to throw out all the contents from it and wipe it with vegetable oil or fat. Heat again on fire to form a dense protective film. After this procedure, with salt and oil, the dishes are fully prepared for frying.
Oil and fat
You can heat the pan with oil. If it is completely new, wash it with warm water and soap and put it on the stove to warm it up. By smell, you determine that it is time to remove it from the stove. This usually happens in 10-15 minutes. Sometimes the smell is so strong that you have to open the window.
After that, pour some oil into the pan and heat it again. The oil forms a non-stick coating as it penetrates deep into the pores of the iron. This coating is more reliable and better than any Teflon. You can safely fry any dishes and not be afraid that the products will stick. Bake pancakes, roast meat, cook vegetables - whatever. Only never wash the cast iron skillet with abrasive powders or brushes, do not apply caustic detergents to it. If you do this, you will have to heat the dishes again.
Roasting in the oven
No one will tell you how to properly heat a griddle 100%.The principle is the same: it should warm up well, and oil should get on its hot surface. In connection with this, an oven is sometimes used for roasting.
Preheat the oven to approximately 180 °.Next, take iron dishes, wash it in water and put in the oven for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave to cool with a frying pan inside. We would advise to add a little fat to this method. If the dishes are old, it is not necessary, but if it is new, then fat is very useful.
It happens that the hostess inherits a cast iron pan, covered with rust. Do not be afraid of this. Wash it in warm water, with detergent, and dry it. Then, as it should, wipe with oil and calcined. You will get a reliable friend in the kitchen. Although the cast iron is very heavy, it has a great advantage - it heats up evenly and perfectly keeps the temperature.
