Keeper of Memories
Praising the versatility and endurance of a perfectly seasoned cast iron skillet.
by Jennifer Moorman
If you asked me when I was a kid what I knew about cast iron skillets, the extent of my knowledge would have been three facts. Fact one: It’s heavier than a two-ton elephant. Trying to lift our family skillet with my spaghetti-thin arms was a two-handed job that involved a full-body fling. Fact two: It’s for frying. That’s all I knew at the time. Daddy fried chicken, pork chops, salmon croquettes, and fish in an oil that he later saved in a special container. Fact three: Never—and I mean, never—wash the skillet with soap. That rule held almost as much gravity as never talking too loudly during church. Possibly unpardonable.
When I finally felt brave enough to ask why it was such a travesty to wash cast iron with soap, I learned about seasoning. At first I thought this had to do with salt and pepper, but “seasoning” was much greasier than that.
Using a paper towel, I was taught to wipe Crisco all over the pan, like I was covering it in sunscreen to spend a day outside in the South Georgia sunshine. These days I think neutral oils, like canola or vegetable oil, are preferred. After wiping away any excess globs of Crisco, then it was time to heat the oven and put the skillet inside. Imagine my little girl face when I learned we were going to bake the skillet—empty! But this practice extends the life of the cast iron for decades. In fact, my mom has her great-grandmother’s cast iron skillet still in use and still heavier than a two-ton elephant.
Even though when I was younger we only used the cast iron for frying, as I grew up, I learned how versatile the skillet actually is. When I graduated from college, my parents helped me stock my first apartment, and having a cast iron skillet was a must. Through the years I’ve found so many ways to use my cast iron skillet with savory recipes that remind me of my South Georgia roots. A favorite recipe is for baking fluffy buttermilk biscuits that are served with butter and my daddy’s favorite cane syrup. For breakfast, a go-to recipe is sawmill gravy and homemade sausage that is so filling that afterward, we don’t eat again until dinner! Southern cornbread with those crunchy edges made delicious by the cast-iron pairs perfectly with chili. And there’s also room for new recipes that people don’t always think of using a cast iron for, like chicken and veggie stir fry.
But my cast iron recipes aren’t all savory. You can use your family heirloom for baking desserts like the crowd-pleasing giant cinnamon roll slathered in melting cream cheese icing. In the fall, skillet apple pie with a hint of cinnamon and topped with vanilla ice cream is requested. When the whole family gets together, we love making build-your-own deep-dish skillet cookies with a variety of add-ins. Blackberry cobbler made with fresh berries straight from the vine is never turned down after dinner. And during the holidays, peppermint brownies are an excellent companion to hot chocolate.
Even after all these years, every Christmas when I’m back in Georgia, great-grandma’s cast iron makes an appearance at breakfast time. This heavy skillet is what we use to ensure we have enough scrambled eggs to eat with our grits and biscuits before we open gifts, and it’s as much of a holiday tradition as filling stockings and wondering what Santa brought us.
When I was a kid, I could only tell you three important things to know about a cast iron, but as an adult, I can add a fourth to that short list. The cast iron skillet is a workhorse in the kitchen, lasting for so many decades it’s passed down for generations, but it’s also an heirloom and a keeper of our memories—a piece of our history that we often overlook. But when we stop and think about all the meals our cast iron skillet created, and all of the future meals it will be used for, the fourth thing to know is that the cast iron skillet is as much a part of our lives as a beloved family member.
Jennifer Moorman writes enchanting novels inspired by the everyday magic and whimsy in the world around her. She is the bestselling author of the magical realism “Mystic Water series” The Baker’s Man and The Magic All Around. Born and raised in Southern Georgia, she has a deep love for nature, a fondness for honeysuckle and childhood memories of whippoorwills singing her to sleep. She is a foodie, a self-taught baker and has a travel bag ready for her next adventure. When she’s not writing, you can find her testing a new recipe, chasing rainbows or stargazing. Moorman lives in a magic house in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram @jenniferRmoorman or on Facebook @jennifermoormanbooks.
