Cast Iron Collection & Fire Cooking

[Lily&Me]

It was an incredibly difficult journey, and a difficult life.

Many women died during pregnancy and childbirth, epidemics of influenza, diphtheria, typhus, yellow fever, etc., wiped out entire families and communities.

I think that by using and cherishing some of the old ways, we honor and respect those who came before us... whose bravery and struggles we cannot begin to imagine.

I watched a movie a month or so ago, that was about just this....and women on the western prairies who went mad from these struggles. Tommy Lee Jones and Hillary Swank....The Homesman.

A little raw in places, but very well done and a really excellent movie.


Maggie

[OTRA15]

The TV mini-series Lonesome Dove gives a great overview of life on a cattle drive heading North to Montana way back then. Great Cast! -- Tommie Lee Jones, Robert Duvall, Dianne Lane, Angelica Huston, Robert Urich, Danny Glover, and lots of other fine 'uns . . .

If you have never seen Lonesome Dove, get the DVD set if you can find it, or rent it online to watch over a long rainy weekend. Not too much about cooking, but still great in my opinion.

[pappy19]

Having collected and used, mostly Griswold cast iron, for over 30 years, I have found the self-cleaning oven to be the easiest way to clean up crusty cast iron. I have seen nice skillets warp using the open fire method. Once the self cleaning oven is done, just let everything cool by itself. I then use a soapy Dawn steel wool all over in really hot water. Wipe with a paper towel and while still warm, coat all over inside and out with vegie oil. Then wipe off excess oil and turn upside down in the oven and "cook" at 300 for an hour. Turn off the oven and let it cool. You now have a seasoned cast iron whatever. Never, repeat, never use soap again on your seasoned cast iron. If something sticks, just soak in hot water for a while and brush it off. Again, use hot water to clean, wipe dry with a paper towel and spray/wipe with Pam. It's now ready for the next cooking job.

We have the micro/convection oven in our AS. I have a Number 6 Griswold Dutch oven that works perfect in that oven. I've cooked a lot of things in my DO using that convection oven and it has never failed to make a great meal.

[Lily&Me]

Found these suggestions in my inbox this morning. I love them! And, so easy.

Dryer lint, of which there is always plenty, mixed with lots of black dog hair. Who knew.


Toilet Paper Roll Fire Starters

Lint is the secret to success with these easy-to-make bundles—it’s highly flammable and makes great tinder. All you need is dryer lint, scrap paper (like newspaper or paper grocery bags—don’t use glossy paper as it tends to have chemicals in the ink you don’t want to burn), cardboard toilet paper rolls and twine (save your garden twine from trellising plants this summer). Assembling them is easy: Stuff a tube with lint, then wrap it in paper with a couple of inches overhanging each end. Twist the ends of the paper, in the way peppermint candies are wrapped. Tie a little bit of twine on each end to keep it closed.

Egg Carton Fire Starters

These cartons utilize soy wax, making them extra long-burning. That’s a great feature when trying to start a fire with damp wood, or outdoors while camping in poor weather conditions. You’ll need a paper egg carton (do not use Styrofoam cartons—Styrofoam should never be burned), dryer lint, and about a cup of plain soy wax flakes. You’ll also want a large can to melt the wax in—you can use this for all of your wax melting projects so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up dishes or pans.

First, cut the top off of the egg carton and reserve it for another project (makes a great disposable tray for paint or crafts for kids) since we’ll only use the bottom of the carton for the fire starters. Stuff each section of the carton with lint, then set aside while you melt the wax. Put the wax flakes into the can and set it into a saucepan about half full of water, to form a temporary double boiler. Simmer the water, stirring the wax occasionally, until it’s completely melted. Carefully pour a tablespoon or so of molten wax over the lint in each cup. Let the wax cool and harden, then cut each cup apart, so that you have 12 individual fire starters.

Pine Cone Fire Starters

All that’s needed for these is foraged pine cones and soy wax. Melt the wax using the above method, and dip each pine cone into the wax, lightly coating it. Leave about a half-inch bare at the top so the pine cone can be lit (and so you don’t burn your fingers). Due to the wax extending the burn time, these are also nice to use with damp wood or in adverse conditions.

Herb Bundles

Dried herb bundles make good fire starters and have the added benefit of smelling wonderful. Lavender, sage and rosemary are great for this! Just take a handful of dried herbs (still on the stems) and wrap it in a little twine—instant fire starter!


Maggie

[Gearheart]

Old candle stubs also burn long enough to get things going.

[GCinSC2]

We have long leaf pines AKA southern yellow pine. The needles are 6-8" long and cones the size of my hand. Make a bed of pine needles couple cones on top, usual kindling and that gets 'er done.

Fat lighter wood ain't too hard to find and its pretty good for a tougher start. That's an old pine stump that is just full of pine resin(?) really catches.

My old favorite go to was wild grape vine bark sheds. Crumpled up to a birds nest.

Gary

[OTRA15]

An old timer taught me a neat trick with old newspapers. Take 3-4 sheets opened up flat, roll them up fairly tight from one corner (parallel to the diagonal of the flat stock) so you end up with 2-3' long roll about 2" in diameter, then use this "paper stick" to tie a large single overhand knot on itself, about 6-10" in diameter. Hard to describe in words, but a few of these in between the fatwood and other kindling makes for a quick "one-match" fire. You will be surprised to see how long newspaper will last in this configuration.

[Lily&Me]

I use a piece of newspaper and a fatwood stick...purchased...for the wood stove.

Y'all in the South can gather fatwood out in the woods....we Yankees have to buy it at places like Menards.

Pine cones and pine needles are great kindling.....also palm fronds off the ground, at places like Edisto Beach. If you are there early in the season, there are palm fronds everywhere, and they make a great fire.

In the house, the idea of toilet paper rolls and lint from the dryer sound like a great idea.

I have started a dryer lint container for just that purpose, tho it will take awhile to get enough to stuff even one roll.

A good off-season task.

[Gearheart]

A Boy Scout buddy burner(rolled up cardboard strip cut to width and stuffed in an empty cat food / tuna fish can and soaked with candle wax) will burn long enough to start anything on fire. Put in a 3# coffee can and it will pass for a stove except in the coldest of winters. A charcoal briquette, in a piece of egg carton, soaked with wax works well too. Beats saving up dryer lint.

[Lily&Me]

But, I have nothing else productive to do with dryer lint, so why not a few fire starters.

Cardboard egg carton pieces soaked in soy wax would also be easy enough to do....something else that simply gets thrown away.

Just thought they were interesting ideas.


Maggie

[Cannonball]

Our firestarters: collect wine corks, place in a plastic jar/jug with a tight fitting lid, about a half gallon size, fill with denatured alcohol, available at the paint department. Wait a week. Two of these will start anything. Drink wine, put new corks in jug. Synergy.


Cannonball, Deep in the Heart of Texas!

WBCCI #4387, Air #84080

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Gearheart]

Sorry Maggie. I know that oneupmanship is an inherited male trait. I was just throwing out fire starting ideas, not trying to indicate that one way was better. Dryer lint with wax is as good as any other method.

[Lily&Me]

I have noticed that about men, especially here.

No need to apologize. It isn't something you would do, but I'm going to try a couple of them out.

I'm thinking it will take me quite awhile to gather enough dryer lint to stuff even one toilet paper roll, so there won't be a basket full of them by fall of next year, but what the heck.

Might get the grands to save some, and help me make a few....they would find that kind of fun next time we go camping.


Maggie

[OTRA15]

The low-sided cast iron pan/skillet in the last photo looks like it could be salvaged?

http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/3306962...chId=861079697

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...ay-146688.html

[Lily&Me]

It looks like a griddle or fajita pan.....nothing an SOS pad and re-seasoning probably couldn't resolve.


Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Isn't throwing a cast iron skillet into a fire one way to clean it?

[Lily&Me]

It is, tho this one looks as if it needs more than a fire cleaning, to me....it has rust, which needs to be removed before it is re-seasoned.


Maggie

[mimiandrews]

I think I had my tongue in my cheek on that. This fire was a little extreme.

[Lily&Me]

Ahh...okay, Mimi.


Maggie

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by mimiandrews

Isn't throwing a cast iron skillet into a fire one way to clean it?

Ive thrown some of my cast iron cooked meals into the fire...