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The following article on the care of cast iron utensils, by Soc
Clay, is taken from the January/February 1992 issue of The Louisiana
Conservationist.

When the earliest white hunters and settlers came to Louisiana,
one important piece of equipment they carried was a cast iron Dutch
oven.

This highly practical cooking utensil was essential in the kit of
even the lightest traveling adventurer in early America. In fact,
long before Columbus began his quest of discovery, hunting parties
around the world depended uon some form of the classic Dutch oven to
handle a multitude of cooking chores.

The Dutch oven and other black iron cooking untensils continue to
be essential in hunting and fishing camps across Louisiana. An iron
pot with a tight fitting lid is still the prized possession of many
camp cooks. More than a few are also found "back home." The fancy
copper-bottomed and tinted glass cookware may be prominently
displayed, but the black iron is tucked away close at hand.

Properly seasoned, a flat-bottomed Dutch oven is an ideal pot to
whip up a venison stew, work up a batch of gumbo or jambalaya, fry a
mess of quail or bake a round of sourdough biscuits. The late Ted
Trueblood, one of America's most loved hunting scribes, was sold on
the dutch oven as being the most important piece of cookware.
Trueblood was an open fire cook of the first order. He saw no use
whatever in packing in a camp stove and fuel when he was in a serious
hunting situation.

Trueblood, writing in the August 1960 issue of Field and Stream,
talked about the then-modern equipment available to hunters and
fishermen. He said, "Among all these good new items there are a few
old ones that survived with undiminished popularity. Almost without
exception, they are things that the working outdoorsman adopted as
his own. The canoe and the axe are classic examples. The Dutch oven
is another old favorite."

Trueblood's observations ring true. According to America's
largest manufacturer of black iron cooking utensils, Dutch oven users
are thicker than they have been in years. There's even a Dutch Oven
Society and a bunch of Dutch oven cook-offs popping up all over the
country.

Amazingly, more and more folks are going back to ironware, not
only because of its unique cooking and flavoring characteristics, but
also because cast iron has stood the test of ages as one of the
safest forms of cookware.

While a dutch oven is still a favorite tool of the open fire cook,
probably the most used piece of ironware in today's camp kitchens is
the ever-faithful cast iron skillet. Throughout Louisiana, it is
safe to say that at least 80 percent of all households have at least
one black iron skillet in regular use.

Ironware was made for the cook who takes time to do things right.
The thick walls of the casting were designed to absorb and evenly
distribute heat from a licking outdoor flame or the flat top of a
wood burning cookstove. With modern camp stoves fueled by
electricity, natural gas or propane the iron pot continues to do a
superior job. It just takes less energy than most of the other
cookware on the market.

Cookware made of glass, stainless steel, enamel, porcelain or
copper, or lined with a space-age non-stick surface, strives to leave
no influence of taste in foods. Properly seasoned ironware, on the
other hand, emits a savory seasoning "flavor" that no other cookware
can duplicate.

But if black iron makes such black magic in the kitchen, how come
even more folks ain't using it?

The answer is simple. Sweetnin' the pot, as the old timers call
it, takes some time and patience. And once the initial job is
accomplished, some thought has to be given to maintaining the pot.
When done properly, fried foods won't stick and the bitter taste
characteristic of a new casting won't leak into your food. If you
have picked up a new casting, found a treasure at a flea market, or
want to recondition a neglected family heirloom, here are some tips I
gleaned from an old Cherokee lady who has used black iron to perform
black magic in her kitchen for three-quarters of a century.

First, inspect your black iron casting for a smooth interior
surface. The finish on the outside is unimportant. Quality ironware
has a smooth interior that readily accepts sweetening and provides a
slick surface to eliminate sticking.

Wash the new utensil, or one that has lost its seasoning, both
inside and out with a mild dishwashing detergent. New castings come
with a protective coating that must be completely removed. Use a
scouring pad if necessary, but this is the last time a black iron
utensil should ever see a scouring pad. Dry the casting thoroughly
with paper towels and allow it to air dry for at least 30 minutes.

Continued in Black Iron Black Magic (Part II)

Submitted By MICHELE STEWART On 01-07-95

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