Many of you will already have some but for everyone new to us, here are a few pointers on how to look after your spun or cast iron cookware.
All our cookware is pre-seasoned with organic flax oil.
There may be a few traces of the rag on the surface of the pan but this will rub off with a dry washing brush or Scotchbrite sponge.
The surface of the cookware is not smooth like a chemically coated pan. This is a special surface treatment that we do to prepare the metal for the oiling process. The oil adheres better to the roughened surface than it would to a smooth surface. Over time and use, your cookware will get blacker and smoother.
If you have a frying pan or a wok, just crack on with it and get cooking, the more you use them the better they will get and the little oil that you need for cooking will help to develop that lovely black patina you can see here. This one has just been rinsed under the hot tap.
Saucepans and cast iron bowls will benefit from a secondary seasoning before you use them. Just follow the instructions that came with your product or watch the video on our website.
You will find lots and lots of advice about seasoning on the internet, we are simply sharing our experience and the results of a lot of experimentation.
Flax oil is by far the best oil to use in our opinion. However, you can also use coconut or rapeseed oil to good effect. For the carnivores among you, animal fat is a great seasoner - just get that good quality bacon into the pan and get cooking!
Recipes which call for the inclusion of acidic foods, such as citrus fruit, tomatoes, vinegar can erode some of the oil coating in the early days of use, but this will diminish as you build up the seasoning. We regularly use our cast iron casserole to make chutney and it survives trial by vinegar without battle scars. Do not use olive or nut oils, they do not give a good result and you can end up with a sticky residue. Do not oil your pan unless you intend to bake off the oil. This will accumulate on your cookware, attract dust and result in a hard to clean finish and an unpleasant oiliness to your food.
If you really, really mess up - and you won't be the first to burn something to the bottom of your pan - try boiling some water in the pan and leaving to soak, then carefully scrape off the residue.
Worst case scenario - put it through the dishwasher, but make sure it is completely dry before re-seasoning - we find it best to do this either on a low light on the hob or in a warm oven. If you have adopted extreme measures, you will be well advised to re-season twice. But at the end of the process you cookware will be as good, if not better than new.
We also sell spares for all our products, so if you inadvertently burn your wooden handles or drop a screw down the drain, then you can get a replacement. Check out the spares page on the website and if you can't find what you are looking for, give us a call.
And if you want an independent view - spend a few minutes watching this YouTube video
Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2018 ©
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