To Do Or Not To Do, That Is The Question.....

[pargolf44067]

Crisco?  Hadn't thought about that, but maybe we'll try that in the future.

[Gone]

Crisco?  Hadn't thought about that, but maybe we'll try that in the future.

 

Crisco is da' bomb. Works great. Does not go rancid and conditions REAL nice!

Edited April 7, 2015 by Mozartbrau

[packsaddle]

 It might be a bit interesting to find out how and how one works with Dutch ovens.  There's been quite a bit of talk about them, but as a scout we never used them.  It wasn't until I became a leader did I see a more general use for them.

 

1) Do you use Dutch ovens?

Yes

 

2) Wood or charcoal?

Mostly charcoal

 

3) Troop cook or patrol cook?

mostly patrol, it depends

 

4) Size(s) used?

6 and 8 quart mostly

 

5) Uses: stove top style (Stews, soups, oatmeals) or Oven (breads, pies, cobblers, casseroles, pot roast, etc.)

Exclusively oven

 

6) Do you own an aluminum Dutch oven?

yes, look forward to recycling it someday

 

7) Do you use DO's on activities other than plop camping?

too heavy for backpacking

 

8) Aluminum foil liners or clean as you go?

clean

 

9) Oil or wax?

oil. People use wax, really?

 

10) Troop use any other cast iron other than the Dutch Oven?

Yes, frying pans, griddles mostly.

[Stosh]

What seems to be the problem with the aluminum DO?  I've used mine for BWCA and had no problem doing what I normally do. Including portaging with it.  It doubles as one of the dish washing buckets that can heat it's own water.  I even have an aluminum insert for baking that weighs little to nothing to go with it.  Anyone wanting to get rid of their aluminum DO's send them to me, I'll pay the postage.

 

I have also used my aluminum mess kit as an individual serving DO and it has never failed me.  The only difference is the clean up.  I use soap and water just like I would any other non-cast iron cooking vessel.

 

 By the way, yes, I use wax regularly on about half my cast iron.  The stuff that doesn't get used as much.

 

Unless one does something really stupid like pouring cold water into a hot fry pan, or taking out of the self-cleaning oven before cool down or dunking it in the lake after over heating it or dropping it on a cement surface while winter camping, the DO is pretty hard to ruin.

 

Grandma's skillet?  No problem most of my cast iron is either Lodge, Griswold or Wagner Ware.  All have seen a campfire and survived with no problem.  Show me a Club Aluminum or Revere Ware or any Circulon, or whatever they sell in stores today that has seen a campfire and I'll show you an abused piece of cookware.  What boys do to their mess kits in the name of cooking is really sad.  A large part of cooking is learning how to take care of your equipment, too.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Stosh

[DuctTape]

 It might be a bit interesting to find out how and how one works with Dutch ovens.  There's been quite a bit of talk about them, but as a scout we never used them.  It wasn't until I became a leader did I see a more general use for them.

 

1) Do you use Dutch ovens?

 

yes, but rarely.

 

2) Wood or charcoal?

 

wood, except at district camporees

 

3) Troop cook or patrol cook?

 

patrol

 

4) Size(s) used?

 

8 quart camp oven (the ones with legs)

 

5) Uses: stove top style (Stews, soups, oatmeals) or Oven (breads, pies, cobblers, casseroles, pot roast, etc.)

 

cobblers, roasts

 

6) Do you own an aluminum Dutch oven?

 

no, but we use other aluminum pans as dutch ovens. The BSA mess kit can be used this way. Takes practice and skill.

 

7) Do you use DO's on activities other than plop camping?

 

yes, see above.

 

8) Aluminum foil liners or clean as you go?

 

no liners

 

9) Oil or wax?

 

carbonized oil seasoning

 

10) Troop use any other cast iron other than the Dutch Oven?

 

skillets and griddles on plop trips

[Stosh]

Duct Tape,

 

Sorry you don't use it much, but you're a man after my own heart if you're using your mess kit as a DO.  Not many can do that anymore.  That used to be a standard lesson for all scouts 50 years ago when I was in scouts. 

[MattR]

I don't know why everyone thinks lodge is so great. If you can find old cast iron it's better because someone sanded down the bumps, which Lodge doesn't do. So I went and sanded down my skillet. It is much easier to use now. A big dirty mess but worth it.

 

About flax seed oil. Be warned that's for seasoning, not for day to day use. Flax seed oil has a very low burn point, which is good for seasoning but bad for cooking. Some people have a lot of luck with flax seed oil for seasoning and some do not. I don't. Some people swear by saturated fats. Some swear by unsaturated fats. Seasoning cast iron is a whole subject on its own.

 

I've never heard of using bee wax. I've only had cast iron go rancid if they aren't wiped out as clean as can be. But wax might be easier for scouts to work with.

[DuctTape]

Duct Tape,

 

Sorry you don't use it much, but you're a man after my own heart if you're using your mess kit as a DO.  Not many can do that anymore.  That used to be a standard lesson for all scouts 50 years ago when I was in scouts. 

I don't do a lot of trips where it is feasable to carry that weight. Even on canoe trips, there are multiple portages and a light duffle is still the way to go. I learned to cook on the open fire and using the simplest pans. 

[Eagle94-A1]

While cast iron is virtually indesructable if cared for, My wife's skillet and pan have a lot of memories for her. So for sentamental reasons she wants them home.

 

And always remember, when momma aint happy nobody is happy!.

[Stosh]

While cast iron is virtually indesructable if cared for, My wife's skillet and pan have a lot of memories for her. So for sentamental reasons she wants them home.

 

And always remember, when momma aint happy nobody is happy!.

 

Hit the antique stores and resale stores for cast iron.  I have taken some really bad stuff (as long as it isn't cracked) and brought it back to life.  And once you get a small fry pan and maybe a couple of other pieces, skillet, griddle, etc. you can have a set of your own and SHMBO can be can be as happy as you are.   

 

Warning:  Always make sure that the stuff you refurbish NEVER looks as good as her stuff.  If you refurbish it correctly, you may have to hide it for a while.

[Twocubdad]

The aluminum DO is really fussy. You tend to get burned spot at every coal. You can deal with it by rotating frequently or crunching up the coals, but why bother if you have a real DO available?

 

If your oil is going rancid, you're not doing it right. After oiling, you should reheat the oven to bake on and carbonize the oil.

 

Flax seed oil is the best. Flax seed oil is food-grade linseed oil, which was the base for paint for centuries. I've read a couple really nerdy articles about the chemistry, polymer length, yadda, yadda, yadda, but the bottom line is Flax seed oil doesn't go rancid and provides a much more durable finish.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Twocubdad

[Stosh]

Crisco used to be cotton seed oil (now it's a combo of soy and palm) and you're using flax seed oil.  I'm thinking the seed oils might take longer to go rancid, but eventually all oils go rancid.  Your heating of the oil may change it's properties, but the finish one is going after is different than mine.

 

For permanence I like the wax.  Like honey it can never spoil or go rancid.  It also doesn't need to be burned on to be effective.

[blw2]

but do you have to reapply every time?

 

It doesn't seem like bees wax would turn to carbon.... or does it?

[Stosh]

but do you have to reapply every time?

 

It doesn't seem like bees wax would turn to carbon.... or does it?

 

Bee's wax has a couple of features that make it great for cast iron.

 

1)  It NEVER goes rancid under any circumstances

2)  It is totally waterproof so it can hang out in a wet garage for years with no problem.

3)  It cooks and cleans up just as well as any oil.

 

The only downside to wax is that it has to be applied while the cast iron is warm   Heat it up a bit, melt a bit of wax, swish around and you're done.  Leave it out in the rain if you wish, it'll be okay.  Yes, like any cast iron, I reapply wax every time it is cleaned up.

 

I don't try to burn anything on as a finish to my cast iron.  Over time a veneer will build up, but I don't go out of my way to work at it, it happens just with use.

 

Like oil, when one puts the cast iron in the self-cleaning oven to be cleaned, the wax will burn off just like the oil does. 

Edited April 8, 2015 by Stosh

[Twocubdad]

Heating bakes away a lot of the organic gunk and causes the polymers to link into longer chains creating a more durable surface. But I'll give the bees wax a try. I keep bees, so I have plenty.