cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/9250689

How do I test cast iron cookware for lead

So I found a griddle that was in pretty bad shape seasoning wise so I stripped it and noticed a small shiny area which worried me about lead. I ordered some lead tests that stated they were for metal (no specifics) and after doing the tests it came back positive. But this got me wondering if iron reacts with sodium rhodizonate, the main ingredient in these lead tests, to give false positives and load and behold it does. I confirmed this with another cast iron cookware that I know 100% never touched lead. So my question is how the hell do I test this? Everyone keeps recommending the same sodium rhodizonate lead test swabs just with different brand names.

Tldr: After stripping a griddle and finding a shiny spot, I tested it for lead and it came back positive, leading to concerns about the reaction between iron and sodium rhodizonate. The question is how to accurately test for lead contamination in the griddle without potential false positives from the test method recommended by others?

Edit: wanted to add some more info. I did experiment with the test themselves to see how reliable they were and they passed it so I don't suspect its the test themselves but the chemical reaction between iron and the sodium rhodizonate

Also this might be off topic for this community as this is a carbon steel pan (Merten & Storck).

I hope this is ok to post: cast iron adjacent and has not better home on Lemmy ….

Seafood feast I made for the kids last night. That fried rice started as 2c dry rice and would have been tough to make without the space of this griddle top! Or maybe it’s just me, I can’t seem to make it without spreading out and making a mess

It’s all an experiment

• only the second time cooking tuna steak
• only a few times trying to sear shrimp
• fried rice - ok, hot sesame oil was new, gave it a nice kick without being hot

Probably use it for a massive number of pancakes tomorrow

So this is also a cry for help: what can I replace this with?

• I’m getting an induction glass top, which doesn’t support griddles of any kind
• I don’t want to go back to Teflon, that all stand-alone electric griddles seem to be
• I don’t know how big to consider: during the week it’s just me and a skillet is sufficient, but kids do come home from college
• I considered getting a Blackstone or similar, but the weather here is not friendly to outdoor cooking half the year

Anyone have ideas what to look for in a stand-alone griddle that’s not Teflon, and is cast iron or cast iron adjacent?

Second time making compote but first time using cast iron to do it.

I opted for enameled over seasoned due the lemon juice added. I knew it would take a while to reduce and didn't want the extra acid to break down seasoning on my other pans.

It worked well and tasted good. Less sweet and more tart than store bought preserves.

Used it on toast, pancakes and made some tarts in the oven.

Using an oven to season never really worked for me; it used too much electricity and the waste heat made my living space super uncomfortable.

So, I decided to try using butane cans meant for hotpots. They can be bought at most Asian focused grocery stores and I bought the torch adapter from amazon; I don't think it really matters which one you get, seems most of them are from the same manufacturer. Probably also have them at some restaurant focused stores.

My process was the same as if you were using an oven; a thin layer of canola oil (or whatever you use) and then blast it with the butane torch. I found I needed to get real close until the oil "dries" (in the right light you see crystal like shapes, I think that's what it looks like when it polymerizes). After it's 'dried' I apply another layer and repeat. I did this about 10 times I think. Same as always, don't apply too much or you'll get sticky areas that will take more time to polymerize.

It's quite laborious, but it had great results though I think I'll have to do another 10-20 layers to get a really good seasoning. As it is now, eggs still stick a little in some places but it's still a far cry from what it was before.

I also want to get some canola oil spray since that would make reapplying a cinch, but I can't seem to find it any more. Do you have it in your area? I hope it wasn't discontinued. :(

I hope this helps, happy cooking!

You are already getting the pan hot enough to sear, just leave it there a little while longer and it's cooked!

This is my first time making and eating this meal. It has a mild but pleasant flavor.

I found it in a cupboard at my family farm. It's unlabeled, gate marked, has a funky raised "8", and an interesting design on the handle. The finish job on the inside looks great, very smooth.

Filet mignon in cast iron and ribeye in carbon steel. Dry brined for one day, cooked in avocado oil, basted in ghee and garlic, and finished with a little cracked pepper.

Picked it up for a song recently. I suspect it to be a BSR but it's kind of weird. Also, why is it so clean and skinny? It looks like aluminum but it's labeled as CI.

This pan was difficult to get completely stripped, but I prevailed in the end. I used Easy-Off, and it took multiple tries to get the stubborn stuff off. This is while applying the first coat of shortening to the bare iron. I tested both pans for lead, even though I've been using them both for a number of years. Thankfully, they tested negative.

The pan on the left has 4 coats of seasoning. The pan on the right has one. I wanted to season them together, but the pan on the right took a long time to strip so it fell behind.

Both pans are in the oven as I write this, getting their 6th and 3rd coats, respectively. I don't have a goal in mind, but I'll stop when the bigger pan looks good.

I have a Griswold #8 that had some areas where the seasoning was failing. I don't remember what I seasoned it with, but it was about 5 years ago so it didn't last long. I blame my wife.

Anyway, I decided to strip and re-season. I used the Easy-Off method -- spray it down and let it sit in a garbage bag. This worked well except for some stubborn spots. I re-sprayed multiple times but the oven cleaner didn't seem to work.

I was going to keep chipping away at it with oven cleaner, but my can ran out so I went to the hardware store. Looking at the ingredients in oven cleaner, I realized that maybe drain cleaner would also work.

I got a big bottle of drain cleaner and headed home. I made sure to get basic (Sodium hydroxide) drain cleaner instead of acid, and got "gel" style so it would stick to the sides of the pan better.

It didn't work. I don't recommend trying it because it's a waste of time. Oven cleaner must have a bunch of other stuff in it, not just lye.

So, I'm going to head back to the store and get more oven cleaner. It's so close to being fully stripped, I'm sure I can finish it off with oven cleaner.

In the past I've used electrolysis, self-cleaning oven method, and oven cleaner. Oven cleaner is my preferred method, even after struggling with a few spots this time.

I was going to try and finish this pan off with the self-cleaning oven method, but the latch on my oven door is broken, so it won't perform the cycle.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I don't have any pictures, but I will take some once I start the seasoning process.

Finally got a cast iron takoyaki pan, it works so well!

I just acquired a Vollrath #8 deep dryer with lid, in fantastic condition, just needing to be stripped and reseasoned. I see these going anywhere from $140 to $290 online.

I got it for $40!!!

Made some pan pizza, the other day. Followed this recipe, with some added Napoli Salame on top.

Note: The white sauce is some home made ranch dressing. As the crust is covered in caramelized cheese/frico, I enjoy dipping it into a special sauce.

Edit: Used the leftover tomato juice for a bloody mary, which is in the glass next to the pizza.

Here are some more photos:

I always try to mix in a little bit of oregano, thyme and basil. Remember to add a tiny bit of extra water when using dry ingredients.

I made an apple pie in a cast iron pan. It's actually easier to make than it seems. Everything is from scratch.

I was originally going to make Chile Rellenos but I ran out of time. I made Rajas and added them to the Picadillo that was going to be the pepper stuffing. I didn't take a photo of that because I was too hungry. It came out great.

Edit: You char all sides of the pepper. Then you let it steam in a bag for 10-15 minutes. This allows you to remove the char and you are left with a pleasantly smokey and flavorful pepper.

Lately I've been cooking everything in my cast iron pans. Once you get the hang of them they're fantastic.

For this pan I sanded the original sandpaper like texture with an orbital sander then applied many coats of seasoning. Sadly, I may have made it too smooth. The seasoning doesn't stay on as well as another smaller pan that I own. Which means I'll sand it again with 40 grit in order to help the seasoning stick. Fingers crossed.