Cast Iron Cookware

I have written on the safety of cookware before so won't go into this in great detail.  As a sum up - anything teflon or non stick is toxic to your body and should be avoided - not to even mention plastic, the evil of all evils.

I have been using stainless steel, ceramic and glassware to cook in and have found that it works really well however was reading up about Cast Iron the other day.  First of all, I was amazed at how cheap Cast Iron cookware is.  $19 from Walmart for a 12 inch pan - what a deal!  Apparently Cast Iron Can leach iron into the food you are cooking, depending on the food as it varies - which is great in our case as my husband is anaemic and very low in iron so I welcome any ways to increase the iron in his food.  The newer the pan too, the more iron leaches out also.  Info on the study is here.

If you have young children though it is best to avoid cast iron cookware and stick with stainless steel, ceramic and glassware as it can also give too much iron.  Too much iron can be a problem as the only way to get it out is by loss of blood - for a woman this is ok with the monthly cycle but for a man the only way is by regular donating blood.

I have used my new 12 inch pan and really like it.  I researched for tips on cleaning and like this method.... rub salt on it with water to clean it, then season with some oil and put on element or in stove till it's dry (so it wont rust).  Not a hassle at all!  One day I hope to get a Le Creuset dutch oven to add to my cast iron collection too!

Interested in your experience with cast iron or other cookware too so feel free to comment below!