Cooking with cast iron is back, and maybe it never left your kitchen. A cast iron fry pan is in a class all its own and could be a family heirloom with a bit of care. Caron & Doucet, based in Quebec, is a proud Canadian manufacturer of care products for cast iron and wood. The company started in the early 2000’s as a skincare line, creating products with an olive oil base. By 2014, Caron & Doucet began to care for kitchen items. Products to season, clean, and maintain cast iron cookware and cutting boards were the new additions.
Today’s cast iron cookware usually arrives in the shop pre-seasoned. That’s a big step forward for most home cooks. Seasoning is simply cooking oil, which is baked onto the cast iron surface. The baking process is called polymerization. It forms a natural, non-stick surface over time. This means it is easier to cook and to keep your pans from rusting.
There are three main products for your cast iron care- a soap, a scrub and an oil. All are made with 100% natural plant-based oils. That sets the soap apart from many of the dish detergents we see on the market. It is detergent that destroys the seasoned oil coating on the cast iron. Detergent-free soap from Caron & Doucet cleans without removing the seasoning. It is gentle on your hands as well, with a light essential oil infusion of lemongrass and rosemary. It will also kill odor, causing bacteria that builds up on cast iron over time.
If your pan is really in a mess, the scrub is the product you need. It removes rust and burnt on food bits, again using 100% natural products such as coconut oil and dead sea salt. It will not scratch. Simply scrub, rinse, dry, and then re-oil your pan. For really tough rust or burnt bits, it may take a second scrub. I did a real number on my cast iron fry pan, walking away from cooking burgers. They closely resembled hockey pucks when I remembered them. The Caron & Doucet Scrub truly saved my pan, and after two scrubs, it was as good as new.
Once you have cleaned your pan, it’s time to oil it. That’s the secret to keeping it seasoned- light cleaning and re-oiling. The Caron & Doucet oil is coconut based, enhanced with rosemary and lemongrass oils to reduce bacteria build-up. Simply wipe the clean, dry pan with some of the oil. I use a bit of paper towel to really work it in over the whole pan. It just takes a minute.
Caron & Doucet have other products for the cook, including Cutting Board Soap, Oil and Wax for wooden items such as cutting boards, salad bowls, spoons, and knife handles. Taking care of your kitchen ‘tools’ is an important part of cooking.
Did you know? Coconut oil has many uses, from skincare to cooking to protecting cast iron and wood. One jar, so many purposes.
Cathy