Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Sorry, I'll bet this has been discussed to death, but I couldn't find anything in a search. I won a silent auction yesterday (rolling Milwaukee Brewer's softside cooler stuffed with items, one of which was a new cast iron ... casserole?) I've never seen one like it. It would be for inside the house because it has no legs. It's really a nifty pot, about 3 1/2 in. deep, with two metal side handles that fold down, and a nice lid with a handle. It's somewhat glossy looking and dark and so it looks preconditioned to me. Is there a way to tell? It did not have any packaging with it, and there are no markings on it other than a 3, which I assume means it's 3 qt.

Is there a way to tell if I need to condition it?

Hmmm, maybe trying cooking something in it, and if it sticks...its unseasoned! Doh! (Sorry I couldn't resist).

I really don't know how one would would tell...I am thinking I would probably go through the process of pre-seasoning it, just in case.

Congrats on winning the auction!

AL in Asheville

Yep, thought of both of those already, o helpful one! I see you got another chance to post your cool 12 steps!

tearhead wrote:Yep, thought of both of those already, o helpful one!

Yes, unfortunately my free advice is worth even less than the price (grin).

As far as the 12-Steps, it is funny how teardroppin' can become habit formin'. I think about how three years ago, I'd never heard of one. Now, I'm building, checking the list, talking about them all the time...

AL in Asheville

I think I'm now able to be a social teardropper. Only check the board once a day!

tearhead wrote:I think I'm now able to be a social teardropper. Only check the board once a day!

Yeah, yeah...I know...You can quit anytime...I've heard it all before. Teardropping starts out as a hobby, before you know it you're in a campground somewhere, basically living in one for weekends at a time...Making peach cobbler in your (hopefully) seasoned cast iron casserole...

By the way, forgot to mention, any presence of rust may be an indicator its not seasoned...(grin).

AL in Asheville

Hey Pat,

I was actually hoping someone would give you a useful answer to this one, as I really don't know, either...

By the way, I am finding the cast iron can be addictive, too. I started out buying a large Lodge frying pan, to be used only when we went camping. Ended up bringing it up into the house, I enjoy cooking on it more than the teflon pans we already had upstairs.

Then bought a medium cast iron fry pan at Big Lots, of all places, then picked up a small one somewhere (It is perfect for making one fried egg, or baking corn bread).

Then for Christmas last year, sweet Wife bought me a cast iron griddle...

Addendum: Almost forgot Sweet Wife surprised me a Lodge Dutch Oven with legs earlier this year.

Recently bought a cast iron lid for the large fry pan from the Lodge outlet in Myrtle Beach (factory second, but works great).

AL in Asheville

Hmm. Are we substituting one addiction for another???

tearhead wrote:Hmm. Are we substituting one addiction for another???

Wait a minute, you're not referring to my growing infatuation with vintage Coleman stoves and lanterns, are you...?

AL.

Pat

If your looking at New, unseasoned cast Iorn, it will look just like any other peice of cast iorn, be it a tool or a pot, kind of a silver grey, iorn.
But, if it has been properly seasoned it will be Black and shinny.
and that is how you can tell that you have reasonably re-seasoned your pans/ovens properly, they will be a nice even black.

Just my experience, others may differ.

Thanks, Al--I think it's preseasoned, then. It's an even black and it feels kind of oily. My old "lost its conditioning" iron looks really different and feels dry. I think I have my answer fellas, thanks!!

Hey, at the end of the day, the "AL's" come through with an answer, or at least one of us did...The other one, actually.

But, now I know the answer for next time.

AL in Asheville

P.S. Don't cast iron pots have a numbering system? I'm not sure your "3" means quarts. However, one can always fill it with water and find out how much it holds!

godskid wrote:P.S. Don't cast iron pots have a numbering system? I'm not sure your "3" means quarts. However, one can always fill it with water and find out how much it holds!

I think on the Lodge Dutch Ovens, it has to do with the diameter of the pot (?).

AL in Asheville

I'd bet it's quarts, based on the size. Definitely not feet or inches!

I did brown some hamburger in it tonight and it behaved like a seasoned pot. So, Al #1, I did try your suggested experiment!