This information is from notes I took from lectures many years ago. I don't know the lecturer's source of information: It applies to cast iron only, not enameled cast iron like the Silit pot.

In Africa, the Bantus use iron pots and because the iron rusts, it gets into their food and as a consequence it overloads the liver.

This overload leads to death from cirrohsis of the liver, which is the same pathology as the alcoholic builds, but without the alcohol.

This iron creates poisoning of the body just as too much of the everyday foods that overload and poison the body can poison the body.

The red blood cell constitutes 5% iron in the blood. Some folks believe that cast iron pots are a reliable and safe source of iron, but this is misinformation. Our red blood cell is renewed and built from the elements of the earth through the roots of the plant kingdom and salt water, among reliable ones.

When you use your cast iron pots, be sure you dry out your pan well and oil it so there are no traces of rust at all.

I make it a habit to never use cast iron for foods I am preparing that are made with watery liquid. I use my cast iron for roasting seeds and nuts, in the wintertime, making toast and warming other breads. Sometimes I bake cornbread in the winter using cast iron. I heat the pan prior to adding the batter because my cast iron is very well seasoned and shows no rust.

By the way, if yours gets rusty or your find/buy/inherit cast iron that is rusty you can heat up some kosher rock salt, while being very careful you do not burn yourself, move it around in the pan, perhaps with a wooden spoon, catching the sides too...it acts as an abrasive to clean off the rust. When the rust is removed, empty out the salt and wipe clean of the powder left and oil well. Bake in a 350o oven for about an hour. If it has lots of rust, you might be busy for a while, but the effort will be worth it because if it is old, you will get back the old look. I have my greatgrandmother's pots and they look very authentically antique, have a good patina and have no rust.

After cooking with your pans, so it/they don't rust until you use again, wash carefully and put on a burner to dry out, and then apply a little oil while still hot.

Some folks complain about using cast iron because it is unsanitary because bacteria gets into the pores of the iron, but because I do not cook liquid in my cast iron, I use mine all the time with confidence.

Hope this might be useful information, Dorcas

Dorcas Anne Gerace, US

Dorcas Teaching at the GOMF Summer Camp 2003
Photo by Gerard Lum

Dorcas Gerace resides in Lake Montezuma, AZ Email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it