Cooking in Cast Iron

[Ciara]

Hi there,

As far as I'm aware, macrobiotic people use mostly stainless steel saucepans, etc. Is there any reason why cast iron shouldn't be used? Should I stick wholly to stainless steel, or does it not really matter?

Hope someone has some ideas on this,

Thanks, Ciara

[Bruce Paine]

Ciara,

Sure you can do some or all of your cooking on cast iron, but it sure is inconvenient.

First of all you must season each cast iron pot and depending on how you use the pot, you might have have to season again and again, because you don't want it to get rusty and add rust to the food.

Seasoning the pot is quite a trip because it usually involves onions (or garlic) and cooking oil, and sometimes it also involves cooking off the packing oil.

Are you interested in the long warming or yang energy?


Does that answer any of your questions?

Thank you, very much.

_||_

Bruce Paine

I have been using cast iron for about 30 years, and it is very simple. I simply boil the pans after using if they are very messy. If not, I just run a sponge over them, and rinse. They never seem to need reseasoning, but if they do, just apply a light coat of oil and bake them at 350 degrees or so for about an hour. The older they got, the blacker and nicer they become. In short, they are wonderful!

The advice about from the man that has used iron pans for 30 years is spot on with mine. This might answer your question more.

I was taught (got through lvl 3 in Becket) that iron pans are fine for most people with a healthy condition (the iron staves off anemic blood) occasionally especially in the winter when yang cooking methods predominate but too yang for medical conditions where yang cooking method and foods have been restricted.

To find out if it is right for you, try it and see. For starters find a 2nd hand black skillet. My mom soft boils tomatoe puree in it for a couple hours to take off any film. Be sure to dry it and rub it throroughly with oil. Place in a 400 degree oven for an hour to bake the oil onto the metal.

Now you have *your* black iron skillet. You can use it many times a week without concern, but don't use it for every meal especially on hot summer days. Avoid dishwashers and boiling water methods of cooking to avoid rust which detracts flavor and can give a stomach ache.

Enjoy!