The aroma of grilling food often fills neighborhoods at this time of year, bringing a wave of nostalgia with the scent of outdoor cooking.

When I was growing up, we did not have a grill until I was nearly in college. My dad was the chef for outdoor cooking. He brought out the cast iron frying pans and a propane cooking stove and a lot of solid white shortening.

Back then, I wasn’t even strong enough to lift those hefty pans.

Our Fourth of July menu consisted of “raw fries” and steak. We even ventured to state parks with our cookware and food.

Raw fries, by the way, were peeled, sliced potatoes that became browned and crispy on the outside when fried in hot fat. I was the official taste-tester.

The steak was fried, too. We were not exactly following today’s food preparation recommendations.

I have some of those pans in my kitchen from my family and my husband’s, but I don’t use them to fry steak and potatoes outdoors. 

Cast iron cookware has remained popular because it is very durable and holds heat. You can make stew, fry foods or even bake cornbread in it.

When I think of cast iron, the image of heavy pots hanging over campfires in old west TV shows or movies comes to mind. Cast iron cookware is much older than the Wild West.

Cast iron dates back a couple thousand years, with many historians tracing the origin to China. In the early 1700s, Abraham Darby of Great Britain patented a manufacturing method for cast iron pans. The popular cookware nourished generations.

Later, lighter-weight cookware such as aluminum and nonstick pans became popular. Some nonstick-coated cookware might pose some health risks, so stainless steel and cast iron pots and pans have become popular again.

Cast iron cookware requires a little tender loving care. Sometimes I see rusty cast iron cookware at thrift stores or garage sales. The rusty pans can be scrubbed with coarse salt or briefly soaked in vinegar. Then the old pots should be washed in soapy water, rinsed and thoroughly dried before phase two — seasoning.

Properly seasoning cast iron takes a little patience, but it’s worth the effort for a naturally nonstick surface.

Coat the entire pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil and heat in a hot (450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit) oven for about an hour. Put a layer of aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven to catch any drips of oil. Seasoning might take a couple of treatments.

Sometimes, you can’t bring an old rusty pot back to life. It could become a rustic decoration on a wall.

You can use your nonstick cast iron pan for frying, roasting or slow cooking. However, avoid long, slow cooking of acidic foods such as tomato-based dishes in your seasoned cast iron, because the chemical reaction can break down the protective oil coating.

Most cookware experts do not recommend soaking black cast iron pans in soap and water. A good scraping and wiping down with a paper towel or cloth as soon as the pan has cooled will keep your pans useful for many years.

If you decide to wash the pot by hand, be sure to dry it carefully with a paper towel, followed by setting it on a hot burner. Do not leave any water in the cast iron pan, and do not put a cast iron pan in the dishwasher. After drying, rub the pot with a thin layer of oil.

Cast iron pans can add a little iron to your diet, and that is especially good for people who are anemic (low in iron). As you are cooking with cast iron, be cautious because the handle can become very hot. Use a couple of hot pads and two hands to remove the pans from the oven.

Be sure to cook on a burner that is about the size of the cast iron pan. After cleaning the pan, store it in a dry place. Be careful not to drop the pans, especially on your foot. Dropping a cast iron pan could crack the pan and seriously hurt your foot.

Whether you’re reviving an old family pan or trying cast iron for the first time, these pans are a kitchen investment that can last for generations — just like the memories they help create.

Here’s a family favorite recipe that can be made in a cast iron skillet or a standard baking pan.

Golden Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a 10-inch iron skillet. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Stir in the egg and slowly add milk. If you plan to bake in the skillet, swirl the butter around the skillet so the bottom of the pan is coated. Add the melted butter from the skillet to the batter and mix. Pour into the hot skillet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Alternative directions: Melt the butter in a microwave oven and mix as directed. Spray the bottom of a 9-inch round or square pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use oil or shortening).

Makes eight servings. Each serving has 210 calories, 7 grams (g) of fat, 5 g of protein, 33 g of carbohydrate, 2 g of fiber and 590 milligrams of sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – June 19, 2025

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu