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Wanderlost's avatar
Wanderlost
Nomad II
Mar 13, 2014

Hit the Cast Iron Jackpot

We moved MIL into a retirement village she picked out. They don't cook in their suites, so she gave us all her cast iron.

Some of it was in sad shape, having been used directly in the campfire and never had the ash scraped off, or left out in the garage where it rusted and mud daubers made nests on it.

After a frenzy of cast iron cleaning in the self-cleaning oven, we've got the cleanest oven around and re-seasoned cast iron of all sizes and shapes -- and I'm out of bacon fat...

One skillet is almost as large in diameter as my grandfather's chuckwagon DO, so they both hang by each other on the laundry room wall. If we ever get out of this draught, we'll use Grandad's DO for beans or cobbler in a campfire. The 14" skillet will fit on the outdoor grill, so we can use it more often.

All the other pieces fit just fine in the kitchen.

The really cool thing is now we have such a variety of stainless and CI to choose from when we take the RV out. We gave up on the separate cookware sets for RV and S&B long ago, just taking the few items we knew we'd need on each trip. Works out just fine, and will be even better with the increase in CI choices.

I feel rich right now...
  • Wanderlost wrote:
    We moved MIL into a retirement village she picked out. They don't cook in their suites, so she gave us all her cast iron.
    ...
    I feel rich right now...


    In our Cast Iron Chef circles we call that kind of inheritance from mom "hitting the 'mother' lode."

    Congratulations! I have many pieces from my own mom.
  • Whoa! Lovely pieces with heritage to pass down to future generations and use well in present times:).
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    nothing better than good old fashion fried potatoes, red beans, and salad with vinegar w/sugar dressing. Had some last night... Sometimes momabear will get onions mixed in with the country fried potatoes - don't know how she does that but its great. The BENNETS BBQ in Gatlinburg TN does their country frys that way as well... I'm getting Hungry again

    We do alot of cooking on the trips with our big Electric Skilet with lid... Does cooking many ways...

    Roy and Carolyn
  • buta4 wrote:
    lard will do also, it's just rendered pork fat not beef. Easier to use I think.


    Just eat a lot of bacon, win, win.
  • buta4 wrote:
    How fast can I get to your kitchen from MA????


    Depends on how much more snow you'll have to shovel out of the way...

    If you can box it up and bring it, we really need the water. :W
  • Wanderlost wrote:
    Luckily, it was all her idea, and we were delighted. Two days into living there and she was happily complaining about the food (which is delicious, by the way) and what kinds of clothes folks were wearing to Mass (she's old school, the others are strictly into relaxed clothing).

    I have a DO in the oven, with a roast, potatoes, carrots and onions in it. No liquid needed. In 80 minutes, a perfect, tender roast with beautifully carmelized veggies will be on the table.


    How fast can I get to your kitchen from MA????
  • lard will do also, it's just rendered pork fat not beef. Easier to use I think.
  • Luckily, it was all her idea, and we were delighted. Two days into living there and she was happily complaining about the food (which is delicious, by the way) and what kinds of clothes folks were wearing to Mass (she's old school, the others are strictly into relaxed clothing).

    I have a DO in the oven, with a roast, potatoes, carrots and onions in it. No liquid needed. In 80 minutes, a perfect, tender roast with beautifully carmelized veggies will be on the table.
  • I just got a craving for fried potatoes! Cast iron, bacon fat, my mind tends to wander sometimes. Congrats on the new stuff. Putting MIL in a home is a tough move. My mom was in one for the last couple of years and we just lost her last month.