Cooking with the spun iron, black iron and cast iron cookware every day.
First use.
You can use them straight from the box.
Simply wash in hot water, do not use soap or detergent.
Immediately dry on the hob or in the oven on a low heat, if you use a towel it my leave sooty marks, from the initial seasoning, this is normal.
For best results we recommend that you give all cast black and spun iron bowls, lids, pans, cook and bakeware an extra seasoned coating before first use.
You can do this by following the instructions below re-seasoning at home, or watching the videos above.
The more you use the cast, black or spun iron and carefully follow the care instructions, the better the seasoned coating will become.
You may occasionally see small specks of black on the pan surface when new, these are traces of cotton fibre that has been baked on during the seasoning process as we use washed cotton to apply the flax oil by hand, this is normal.
Cooking every day.
Remember a hot iron pan will retain heat for a long time.
Always pick up cast, black or spun iron by wooden handles (if fitted) and use oven gloves.
Pre-heat the cast, black or spun iron as this will reduce food sticking.
Avoid cooking food that is very cold as this is more likely to stick.
If your food is sticking, it simply means that the surface in contact with the pan has not fully seared. Do not try to lift it from the pan, leave it for another minute or two and then try again. Once your food is cooked, it will easily lift from the pan.
When cooking fillets of fish, steak, chops, chicken breast and the like, consider rubbing the food with oil, rather than putting oil in the pan. Warm the pan before you place your food in it.
Acidic Foods.
Additional care is required when you cook recipes containing acidic foods, (eg: tomatoes, citrus juices and recipes containing vinegar or wine).
We suggest that you re-season before using these foods.
The high acidity of these foods may create superficial rust if they have insufficient seasoned coatings.
Don’t worry if you see any rust appearing after cooking one of these recipes, please follow the instructions for re-seasoning your product and it will soon be back to as good as new condition.
Photo is courtesy of the very talented Ros Atkinson, better known as @her_dark_materials on instagram. Ros is a good friend of us at Netherton Foundry and we are always in awe of her work. Have a look at her website Her Dark Materials, where you can see more of her photos and buy prints.
After cooking and storing food.
After serving remove cooked food from pre-seasoned cast, black and spun iron bowls, lids, pans, cook and bakeware.
Cold damp food will encourage the cookware to rust and you will need to re-season more often.
Seasoned iron-cookware is not suitable for storing wet or moist foods.
Do not store food in iron cookware in refrigerators or freezers.
Cleaning pre-seasoned spun iron, black iron and cast iron cookware.
Never clean the cast, black or spun iron bowl, lid or pan in a dish washer, unless you plan to re-season your cookware.
Don't place, when hot into very cold water, this might cause it to crack or warp.
After use, clean the bowl with a stiff plastic brush and hot water.
We suggest that you do not use soap or detergents unless you plan to re-season your cookware.
If you find that some food has stuck, place in boiling water or boil water in it to soften stuck food.
The best method of drying your iron cookware is either: return the cookware to the hob on a low heat for a few moments until dry or place in a warm oven.
Never allow the bowl, lid or pan to stand and air-dry as this will encourage rusting.
Storing spun iron, black iron and cast iron bowls, lids, pans, cook and bakeware.
Store in a dry airy place.
A convenient solution is to hang your pan from a hook near the hob.
Don't store with lids on, as this can trap moisture and encourage rust.
Your oven is a great place to store your iron cook and bakeware, just remember to remove it before turning on the oven.
When does your spun iron, black iron and cast iron cookware need re-seasoning?
If your iron cookware is used and cleaned following the instructions above, re-seasoning will not be required very often.
It will need re-seasoning when:
* Food starts to stick to surface.
* There are any areas of grey metal showing,
* It has been placed in dish washer / washed in detergent.
* The cast, black or spun iron has not been dried and spots of rust have appeared.
* It has a metallic taste or smell.
Netherton Foundry Re-seasoning service, We'll make your iron cookware as good as new!
If you don't have the time, or would just like factory fresh looking cookware, we can do this for you at Netherton Foundry for a reasonable charge
If you need advice....
You are very welcome to call us to discuss your cooking projects and problems. Netherton Foundry doesn't use chat bots or AI, the phones are answered by people who cook. We have years of experience and if we don't know the answer, we probably have a freind who does.
Call us between 09.00 and 16.00 on Monday to Thursday and 09.00 and 14.00 on Friday (these are UK times). We don't work on Saturdays and Sundays or English public holidays.
Telephone: 01746 862781. If you are calling from outside of the UK : +44 1746 862781
Alternatively you can email your questions to us at: sales@netherton-foundry.co.uk, these are typically answered by the end of the following working day.
