When we woke up, we were both surprised that our backs weren't killing us! Yee ha! Kev started up the fire again and I made us tea on the Coleman stove inside the screen tent. The weather was looking up and we were excited! Now, I had planned some big, yummy breakfasts and I was ready to get cooking! I brought up a large cast iron pan which my Mum gave me years ago, but I had never seasoned it until I decided to bring it camping (don't worry, I'll tell you how I seasoned it a bit later!). I had a half of a cooler dedicated to breakfast ingredients and we ate just about everything! I had a pound of bacon, both streaky and pea meal, steak, eggs, mushrooms, old Cheddar cheese, hash browns, English muffins, whole wheat bread and my fave, crumpets! I figured these ingredients would give us about a million different breakfast combinations! Believe me, they did not disappoint! And get this, I ended up cooking over the campfire each morning!! That's right, I cooked over the open flames and really enjoyed it! It's true what people say, food tastes better when it's been made over a fire! So, all week long we started each morning with a big brek and a huge mug of tea. It certainly gave us the energy we needed to spend our days canoeing, hiking and swimming... Perfect!
So, for those of you who don't know, cast iron pans need to be 'seasoned' before you use them (unless otherwise stated on the label). If not, your food will stick. This is how to avoid that! First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, scrub your new cast iron item (it will have a sheen to it and will be smooth), with hot water and soap to remove the smooth coating. I use industrial steal wool and scrub every centimeter, including the handle. Dry thoroughly with a cloth and cover the entire vessel with a thin coat either vegetable shortening or oil. Put a little extra fat on the direct cooking surface and put it into the oven. Leave in the oven for an hour (warning: put on your hood fan or open the windows, it will smell a bit weird!). Carefully remove from the oven and put another thin coat of fat onto the direct cooking surface again and place back into the oven for another hour. You will notice a colour change, that is normal! Once done, carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature. If you were to add cold water to your vessel while hot, it could crack! Now your pan has been 'seasoned.' To maintain your cast iron vessel, do not scrub, or use soap. To clean my cast iron items, I add hot water right after use, let it sit for a little while, pour out the water and gently wipe it down with paper towels until dry. Every time you use your cast iron item, it will get darker and work better for you. Cast iron items are a great investment! They hold heat extremely well, last forever and actually increase the iron levels of the food prepared in them! Good to know! Alright followers, I will be back with more photos, stories and a recipe tomorrow!
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