Cooking with cast iron: making the water sizzle and jump

With the holidays just around the corner, one of the best things I remember is that nice family breakfast on Christmas or New Year’s morning, after opening all the presents, of course. And what better way to cook that family breakfast than with a cast iron skillet, griddle or skillet. As good as cast iron is for cooking and cleanup, there’s one thing to remember before making those fluffy pancakes and/or crispy bacon for breakfast. And that is, making sure your cast iron is at the right temperature.

You may be wondering, what happens if it is not at the right temperature? Well, first, if the temperature of the pan, griddle, or skillet is too high, the food will end up sticking to the surface. What happens is that because cast iron is too hot when food is placed directly on the surface, it quickly sticks to the surface and clogs, so it’s important to make sure the surface of the skillet, griddle, or skillet is at the right temperature.

Now, you’re probably wondering, how do you know it’s at the right temperature? To answer that question, you’ll want to start by heating your cast iron over low heat. Since cast iron is excellent at retaining heat, it will get hot too quickly if turned on high heat. On low heat, give it a couple of minutes to heat up. Once it’s warmed up, spray it with some water to see if it’s too hot or not hot enough. CAUTION, DO NOT apply a large amount of cold water to hot cast iron as it may cause it to crack. Just get your hands wet enough that you can drizzle some water onto the skillet, griddle, or skillet. If the surface is too hot, the water will immediately evaporate. If the surface isn’t hot enough, the water will just sit there.

If the skillet, griddle, or skillet is at the right temperature, the water should sizzle and “jump” or roll across the surface. It’s okay if the water sizzles and moves across the surface, this is what you’re looking for. As long as the water doesn’t evaporate right away, or just sits there, then the surface is ready to place food on. Once the surface is at the right temperature, you’re ready to whip up that memorable Christmas or New Year’s morning breakfast, complete with fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon.