How to calcine a cast iron cauldron?

One of the leaders in the preparation of almost any hot food, especially Central Asian dishes, is a cauldron. Due to the peculiarities of its manufacture and structure, thick cast iron dishes create unique conditions for the preparation of any dishes. In addition, you can use the cauldron even on the stove, at least in the Russian stove, at least at the stake. However, after buying cast-iron utensils, you can not immediately start gastronomic witchcraft - you must prepare the dishes. Today we will tell you how to calcine a cast-iron cauldron and why to prepare utensils for first use.

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Why bake a cast-iron cauldron?

The need for this procedure is explained by the method of manufacturing the product. A cauldron is cast in a certain form from cast iron, and in order for the product to easily come out of the mold, it is densely poured with technical oil. In addition, oil is necessary to protect the dishes from rust, because cast iron is an alloy of iron with a small percentage of carbon, which means that such material is subject to corrosion.

Naturally, such a lubricant does not give food either taste or a pleasant smell, or good. On the contrary, the remnants of engine oil on the inside of the cauldron will make the food unusable and inedible. Consequently, the procedure for calcining cast iron is vital. Fortunately, this can be done quite simply. From the happy owner of the cauldron, only caution and the exact following of the instructions are required.

Below we will introduce you how to prepare a cauldron for its first use without any excesses and damage to expensive dishes.

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How and where to calcine a cast-iron cauldron?

There is no doubt that it is necessary to get rid of industrial lubrication, it is for this reason that the cast iron is calcined. The methodology of the process is quite simple: it is necessary to increase the temperature of the material to a value at which the factory lubricant begins to burn and turns into smoke and soot. Smoke will come out naturally, and soot is easily washed off with warm water.

Important! You can engage in the process, both on the street and at home. Of course, it is better to carry out the process of calcining the dishes on the street, but if this is not possible, you will have to open all the windows at home and turn on the hood, since the smell of burned out grease will be noticeable.

There are two ways to calcine a cast iron cauldron at home:

• Gas burner. Set the dishes to maximum heat. The material will quickly heat up, and the factory grease will quickly burn out, forming carbon monoxide. After the cauldron is completely warmed up and the oil burns out, leave the dishes to cool completely (to room temperature). Then wash the cauldron thoroughly.
• Oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, and can be higher. Place a cauldron on a baking sheet. Leave the dishes for three hours. During this time, the factory grease will burn out. Once the cauldron has cooled, wash it and use as directed.

In more detail, we will talk about the calcination process below.

If you decide to calcine a cast-iron cauldron on the street, then you can use for this purpose:

• Brazier.
• Bonfire.
• Oven.
• Another source of heat, giving the necessary temperature in the focus of heat and flame.

Important! Do not worry about cast iron, since it is impossible to melt it at the stake, but the lubricant will burn out completely. However, do not forget about safety: be careful with open fire, and to remove dishes from the fire, use tight potholders or a cloth folded several times.

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How to calcine a cauldron? - Instruction for action

To avoid various incidents and excesses, strictly follow the instructions:

1. Rinse the new cauldron with warm water inside and out.
2. Drain excess moisture.
3. Put the dishes on the fire.
4. Wait until the cauldron begins to smoke and smell unpleasant. This means that the temperature is sufficient to burn out the grease.
5. Anneal the utensils until dark spots disappear from the surface.

Important! It is necessary to burn engine oil until smoke stops from the cauldron.

6. Put out the fire.
7. After the dishes have cooled, remove them from the heat source.
8. After the cauldron cools down, but is still hot, moisten a paper towel (cloth) in vegetable oil and wipe the surface from soot.
9. Dry the cauldron dry.
10. Apply a thick oil to the inside of the iron with a brush. You can use linseed or sesame oil for this purpose. It is not suitable for food, but just right for processing dishes.
11. Put the cauldron on medium heat and warm until smoke starts. Make sure that the oil film lays evenly. Brush the drips.

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How to prepare a cauldron for first use with salt?

The essence of this method is the adsorbing properties of sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is the only inorganic component that a person uses for food.

Use salt as follows:

1. Wash the cauldron with warm water.
2. Make a fire.
3. Pour a packet of coarse salt into the cauldron.
4. Calcine salt for three hours (no more), stirring occasionally. During this time, the salt absorbs excess moisture and harmful compounds of factory lubrication.
5. Turn off the fire.
6. Wait for the dishes to cool and discard the salt.
7. Wash the cauldron from soot particles.

Important! After the first calcination procedure (with or without salt - it doesn’t matter) one more is needed using vegetable oil. This is necessary so that the oil forms a protective film to prevent corrosion of the metal.

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Oil calcination

So, the cauldron no longer smokes. But in order to ensure further ease of maintenance of the dishes and prevent corrosion, it is necessary to carry out another calcination, using already vegetable oil.

Proceed as follows to properly calcine the cast iron cauldron and ensure its long service life:

1. Pour 400-700 ml of oil into the cooled cauldron - depending on the volume of the dishes.
2. Spread the oil over the entire inner surface of the cauldron.
3. Light a fire and set medium power on the burner.
4. Anneal the cauldron with oil for 30 minutes, periodically turning it so that the oil covers all the walls. Use a brush or special paper to completely cover the surface with oil. The oil must penetrate even into the pores of hot iron to form the thinnest coating, which will prevent further burning of food.
5. Drain the oil.
6. Wipe off the cooled surface with a napkin or cloth.

Important! After processing the dishes, boil water in it, if you can make tea with this water, then you did everything right.

If the size of the oven allows, then calcine the cauldron with oil in it. This method is longer, but less smoky:

1. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees and leave the dishes for 3 hours.
2. To prevent oil from entering the bottom of the oven, protect it with foil.
3. You can cover the cauldron with oil soot in several layers (3-4).
4. Wrap a paper towel on the brush and pour 10 grams of oil into the cauldron.
5. Rub the oil over the walls and put on another cycle.

Important! At 180 degrees, a cycle can take 5 hours, and at 250 degrees, thirty minutes. The cycle is considered complete if the next layer loses its stickiness.

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How to care for cast iron utensils?

There are several important fundamental points, the observance of which will allow the use of an ordinary cast-iron cauldron for many years and turn it into a tool for reproducing kitchen masterpieces.

Rules for the care of cast iron utensils:

1. Do not use detergents to clean the cauldron. They destroy the protective grease. It is enough to rinse the cauldron after use with clean, warm water, and remove food residues with a soft sponge or nylon washcloth.
2. Do not wash cast-iron utensils with metal brushes. Cast iron is extremely susceptible to microdamage. Moisture can accumulate in scratches and cracks, which will subsequently lead to corrosion.
3. Do not drop the dishes and carefully rearrange them from place to place. Handle cast iron utensils carefully since, despite the fact that the cauldron is very heavy, it is still brittle and may crack or crack during a fall.
4. Avoid sudden changes in temperature when operating the cookware. It is strictly forbidden to pour cold water into a hot cauldron, since it can burst from such handling.

Advice:

1. If the cauldron is rusted after long-term storage, clean it with a hard sponge or sandpaper. Then wash and bake. After such procedures, the cauldron will be as good as new.
2. After cooking and cleaning the dishes, be sure to lubricate the surface of the cauldron with vegetable oil, using a cloth or oiled napkin.
3. If the cast iron is covered with a thick layer of soot outside, then remove the plaque with an old knife or spatula. If there is such an opportunity, then use a sandblast for this purpose. She quickly and carefully removes the burning layer and does not damage the material. After processing, rinse the cauldron in warm water and calcine it with oil.
4. To get rid of the smell in the cauldron, put it on the fire and bake it with salt for 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly and distributing it on the surface. After processing, remove the salt, let the cast iron cool and wipe its inner surface with napkins. Then heat the pot and brush with vegetable oil using a brush or paper.

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How to prepare aluminum cauldron for first use?

An aluminum cauldron costs less than its cast iron counterpart, and it is much lighter. Aluminum utensils heat up very quickly and cool just as quickly, so there will be no languishing effect, as in cast-iron utensils. Aluminum is a low-melting material, therefore it is necessary to prepare the cauldron for first use with caution. The calcination procedure itself must be carried out at medium temperature.

Important! The purpose of calcining an aluminum cauldron is to create a film of oxides on the surface. After this procedure, free aluminum will not be able to get into food or react with any ingredient.

Calcination Methods

The following methods are used to prepare the aluminum cauldron for first use:

• Open flame. You can calcine dishes outdoors on a fire or at home on a stove, but with one condition - the fire should be below average. For a fire, use raw firewood that will not give a high procedure. The duration of calcination is not more than 1.5 hours. In addition, aluminum utensils must be monitored during processing. Otherwise, you risk not burning, but melting the boiler.
• Salt. The processing principle is the same as with cast-iron cookware, but the conditions are the same - low heat, the duration of the procedure is 1.5 hours. The salt should be creamy brown after processing. After the calcination procedure, discard the salt.
• Vegetable oil or animal fat. Aluminum cast irons do not rust, since there is no iron in the alloy.Therefore, the method using oil can be skipped. The only condition is to coat the surface with an oiled napkin or cloth so that the food does not burn in the future.

Important! If you want to use vegetable oil for calcination, then carry out the procedure in the same way as with a cast-iron analogue, but on low heat and not more than 1.5 hours.

Rules for the care and storage of aluminum cauldron:

1. Do not wash aluminum utensils with abrasive products or metal washcloths. Otherwise, you will damage the layer of aluminum oxide, the dishes will start to burn, and the metal will get into food.
2. Wash dishes in warm water immediately after cooking. If the food is dry, use classic liquid detergents or laundry soap and a soft sponge. After - re-heat the dishes and grease with vegetable oil.
3. Never wash a cauldron in a dishwasher.
4. Store the cauldron in a dry and well-ventilated place.
5. Dry the pot thoroughly before storing and open the lid.
6. If the food is burnt, then put the dishes on the fire, pour water and add a few tablespoons of salt and soda. Boil the solution for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with running water using a soft sponge.
7. After cleaning, regularly grease the cauldron with oil.

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How to choose a cauldron?

Manufacturers offer 3 types of dishes, which can be called cauldrons:

• Cast iron cauldrons. This is a heavy and massive dish. Needs calcination. It will last long enough, and the more often you cook in such a cauldron, the better. A good cauldron only gets better over time.
• Aluminum cauldrons. After the first cooking, the surface of the dishes is covered with a film that protects food from burning, and food from harmful metal. This film must not be broken. This type of cookware is perfect for electric stoves, as the aluminum cauldron heats up faster than others.
• Cauldron with non-stick coating. Dishes of a traditional shape, similar to a pan. The disadvantage of such dishes is the instability of the coating. Over time, the film may deteriorate and exfoliate.

When choosing a cauldron for a family, buy it with a small margin, for example:

• for cooking for 4-6 people, select a 7-8 liter cauldron;
• if you will use dishes for receiving guests, then buy a cast iron with a large volume.

The place of cooking also influences the choice: if you are cooking at home, then buy dishes with a flat bottom so that the cauldron stands steady on the stove.

Important! When buying dishes, be sure to inspect the inner surface for sagging, cracks and welding marks. If the influxes are still “treated” with a grinder or grinding discs, then cracks or traces of an attempt to weld them are an obvious defect. If cracked once, then crack in the second. So it’s better to refuse such a purchase.

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Stock footage

And finally: do not store food in a cast-iron cauldron, but eat it immediately, with a good appetite and good mood!