Partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds light and variable..
Partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.
Writer’s Note: Not long ago, I watched as Jim made two of his famous grilled cheese sandwiches for our lunch. Of course, there wasn’t a grill in sight. Instead, he used (as he always does) a cast iron skillet to make my favorite sandwich.
As I was watching, I thought back over how old that skillet is and how often it is used. It isn’t our only one; we actually have nine. They have “accumulated” over the years, and several are beloved hand-me-downs.
Those of you who read this column regularly know that much of what I write here is something I get curious about — like cast iron skillets. My curiosity about cast iron skillets morphed — predictably — into a research project. I hope that you enjoy learning about this quintessential item in the Southern kitchen as much as I did. — GP
Have you heard the one about the fellow who asks what’s the difference between a skillet and a person who asks celebrities invasive questions? One’s a frying pan; the other is a prying fan.
Well, what did you expect from a retired English teacher who has a weakness for puns and lame jokes? Sometimes I just can’t resist. Apparently others can’t either, because there are literally hundreds of joke and pun sites on the internet do be found by searching “jokes about iron skillets”. Who knew?
But where and when did cast iron cooking vessels originate? And why are they so prized? When I asked my social media friends recently if they had any cast iron and, if they did, how they use it, I was astonished at the robust response. The majority of those responding said they own cast iron cookware and use it often (some leave it on their stovetops to use daily).
As to how much we love our cast iron, one friend replied, “I would rather inherit cast iron pots than diamonds!” She has her grandmothers’ skillets plus another that her father used for years in his duck blind. She also has 2 cast iron Dutch Ovens that get a regular workout, too.
Scholars point to China as the original location of cast iron tools. (Suddenly, “Made in China” takes on a new meaning, doesn’t it?) To date, the oldest cast iron pieces that have been found go back to the 5th century B.C. Most of the early cast iron was used for war equipment.
Before long — around 200 B.C. during the Han Dynasty — cast iron found a home in the domestic kitchen. The Chinese first fashioned cast iron into woks. This cooking vessel was (and still is) used to deep fry, steam, braise, and stir fry. Cast iron’s amazing heat conduction properties, its ability to retain heat for long periods, plus its ability to withstand very high temperatures made it ideal for cooking many different foods in different ways. Around the 16th century Europeans learned the Chinese casting techniques and began producing cast iron cookware there.
In 1707, Englishman Abraham Darby revolutionized cast iron cookware when he patented the sand-casting method he was using to produce cast iron. Darby’s method produced pots and kettles that were thinner and therefore both lighter and cheaper to produce.
His early pots were still quite heavy, however, and were very like the Dutch Ovens used today. During the 18th and 19th centuries — thanks to the cheaper cost Darby made possible — cast iron cookware sold well. Every cook, it seemed, wanted a piece. Of them all, the ubiquitous flat-bottomed cast iron skillet so beloved today became a kitchen “essential” in Europe and America.
The cast iron skillet (aka “frying pan”) was invented in the mid-19th century. It is estimated (apparently there are scholars who do this sort of educated guessing) that by the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of households had at least one cast iron pan.
By the end of the 19th century, three American cast iron manufacturing companies became iconic purveyors of the cookware: Griswold Manufacturing, Wagoner Manufacturing (which acquired Griswold in 1957), and Lodge Manufacturing. Griswold (today often referred to as Griswold-Wagoner Manufacturing) was founded in 1865 in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The skillets that Griswold produced are highly-prized collectables and are considered to be the finest heirloom quality cast iron skillets available. Wagner was founded in Sidney, Ohio, in 1891. It was an early manufacturer of aluminum cookware, and was a global distributor by the early 20th century.
The third manufacturer, Lodge, was founded in 1896 in South Pittsburg, Tennessee (where it remains today). Lodge innovated cast iron production with such products as garden gnomes and by developing an automated molding process for Lodge skillets. Always looking forward, in 2002 Lodge produced pre-seasoned cookware for the first time, and in 2005, produced enameled cast iron products.
Some of the older pieces are highly sought-after. Joe McLaughlin purchased an old cast iron griddle for $20 from an estate sale in 2010 and then began wondering if he had found a bargain. In his blog, he recounted the steps he took to discover exactly what he had bought. He was not disappointed. His griddle, a Griswold, turned out to be quite rare — and at least 100 years old. A treasure and a bargain, indeed!
The New Kid on the Block
In 1938, Dr. Roy J. Plunkett made an accidental discovery that was to threaten the cast iron cookware industry and revolutionize cooking. Plunkett earned his doctorate at Ohio State University in chemistry and was hired by Dupont Company to work in polymers.
While researching new chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, Plunkett accidentally produced a heat resistant, chemically inert substance that had almost no surface friction. Later known commercially as “Teflon” the substance was extremely expensive to produce at first and chemists couldn’t figure out exactly what to do with it. Years later, Teflon-coated pots and pans were introduced to an eager market.
During the last half of the 20th century, cast iron cookware remained popular with many older cooks, but the younger generations preferred the “newest” things available. Electric skillets (many Teflon-coated) became the rage, and many cast iron skillets were put away for only occasional use (like making cornbread, one of the more common uses for those skillets even during those dark days).
Non-stick aluminum cookware was also popular, and offered an even lighter weight for cooks to handle. Enameled cast iron products saved the young brides the trouble of figuring out how to properly “season” their cast iron. Copper cookware — especially when lined with stainless steel — also impacted the cast iron market.
After a time, Teflon came under criticism because of concerns over what might be leaching into the foods being prepared using it. In 2013 the chemicals that were causing the concerns were removed from the process and are no longer in the Teflon coating.
Cast iron is not only more durable than most cookware, but it is also considered to be one of the safest of all cooking materials. Iron will leach into the food cooked in cast iron, but not at levels considered to be an issue.
Laurie Colwin (1944-1992) was an American writer who produced food columns for Gourmet magazine. She once observed, “No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past . . .” I would add “. . . and surrounded by the cast iron cookware that had been passed down by generations”.
Nearly everyone who responded to me had inherited one or more pieces of cast iron (the skillet being most often handed down) from grandparents, parents, and spouses. Some received the cookware as a gift, and others simply bought their own. When John McQueen was engaged, his mother asked him what he wanted as a wedding shower gift. He responded, “Cast iron!” His mom obliged, presenting him with a box full that he could barely lift. Jennifer Haneline learned after she moved South that she really needed a cast iron skillet to be able to cook “Southern”. “Today it is my go-to, and is always on my stove-top,” she admits.
Cast iron devotees would probably agree with Lauretta Tucker when she talks about her 70-year-old cast iron skillet that a special customer gave her some years ago. “Black skillets, a hand-me-down apron, and an old cookbook make me think I can cook anything!” she says.
With cast iron, cooking “anything” is an understatement. Meats (chicken, steaks, roasts, bacon), fish (salmon, perch, bream), vegetables (asparagus, potatoes), sweets (pineapple upside down cake, baked apples, Dutch babies — aka German pancakes), sauces (roux, gravies) and breads (cornbread and biscuits) all eventually find their way to our tables by way of a beloved cast iron skillet.
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