Why We Use Cast Iron On Our Homestead

Cast iron is my go to item in my kitchen and the outdoors for our cooking and baking.  They not only keep my arms in shape, but they are phenomenal to use and provide healthy iron in our diet.  Every meal in our home is baked or cooked with love on or in a piece of cast iron.

We utilize the dutch oven on our wood stove all winter long and I use the same piece in my Sun Oven throughout the year as well.  Using cast iron in the Sun Oven has a real benefit in that your food will keep cooking when the sun goes behind the clouds because cast iron holds the heat.  Using my wood stove as well as the Sun Oven is a great way to harness natural resource which will also allow you to eliminate some expenses, not to mention the amazing smells that careen through your house while using the wood stove and the moist amazing dishes that come out of the Sun Oven.

We just had wonderful guests during hunting season and to make breakfast quick and easy I utilized my griddle which is such a wonderful piece.  Most of my cast iron are antiques found in varying places during my travels to yard sales, antique shops and thrift stores!  I wrote an article on preserving your cast iron that will be in Self Reliance Illustrated's Winter 2014 issue.

I treasure all my cast iron pieces and have been blessed to find some real amazing pieces.  One day in Pennsylvania, while out riding my motorcycle I passed a yard sale with a HUGE kettle – after spinning my bike around very quickly I managed to purchase that kettle for $40.00 right out from under some interested fella.  I was unaware, I promise, but he told the fella having the yard sale if she is that excited about that kettle she should have it…. Needless to say, I bought it, but certainly could not strap it fast to the motorcycle.  I couldn't get home fast enough to get the truck.  I looked and looked for a kettle for the Mountain Man previously for Christmas, but I could not find any for under $100.00 and as soon as I found them, they were already sold, so that was another reason that purchase was special!  Not to mention it has come in really handy here in the Idaho wilderness!

Trayer Wilderness Living

I also purchased what they call a pig pot which is an oval cooker that is probably 24″ wide and 16 to 18″ high which can also be hung over an open fire.  The Mountain Man makes varying handcrafted wooden spoons and kitchen utensils for me that need to be boiled for a long periods of time to keep them from cracking in the future and this pot was an added bonus for this task due to it's size.

Antique Store Cast Iron

Here are some of our favorite recipes made in the cast iron skillet:

Homemade Peanuts

Trayer Wilderness Pumpkin Skillet Cake

Wilderness Pumpkin Skillet Cake (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

Bacon Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread - Tammy Trayer

Bacon Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

 Lodge Cast Iron Giveaway

 Check out the 5 piece Lodge cast iron set *affiliate link and reviews we'll be shipping to one lucky winner.

What yummy dish would you be making with these if you were to be our lucky winner?

 

To enter this giveaway you must be 18 years of age and live in the lower 48 states of the United States (sorry, shipping costs and other laws prohibit us from making it open to everyone else) Go here to read our complete list of contest giveaway rules. This giveaway is sponsored by:

Melissa K. Norris of Pioneering Today 25+ One Dish Cast Iron and Dutch Oven Recipes

Laurie of Common Sense Homesteading

Tammy of Trayer Wilderness

Lisa of The Suvival Mom 12 White Hot Ways to use Cast Iron

Kathie of Home Spun Seasonal Living

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