I'm updating my shorelunch box over the winter and getting rid of some old hand-me-down pans and am thinking about getting some cast iron ones. I figures they'll last forever and are pretty rugged, but Holy Cow! The weight! I'm usually cooking for 5 or 6 guys so I was going to get a 12 inch for potatoes and a 10 1/2 inch for fish. But together they weigh a ton! What does everyone else use?

We cook for 6+ guys, most shore lunches, and have the 14" (13 1/2 maybe) and 12" skillets. Wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, they're heavy BUT I wouldn't change for anything!

If you go this root, be sure to buy good cast iron. We have Griswald (sp?). And make sure you season them properly - VERY important to do!

Yep, they're heavy, but for a shorelunch, nothing beats 'em. If seasoned properly, and taken care of, they will last forever.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

I gotta agree with Ranger and Peanut. It's the only way to go. Don't buy the thin one's.Get the heavy ones and like they said, season them properly and you'll forget about the weight after a while. They're the best.

How do you "season" a cast iron pan???

Many good cast pans will come with their own instructions. But, in general terms, the pan needs to absorb fat.

Most often this can be accomplished by coating a pan with lard, heating it to melt (the lard), then completely cover the inside of the pan with melted lard, and "baking" the pan in the oven for a couple of hours.

For a good seasoning, repeat these steps a few times.

Also, I've heard it recommended that heavy lard works better than say light vegetable oils. If you've got bacon lard or something, that would work very well.

Finally, I never use any dish soap when cleaning a cast pan. A well-seasoned pan should be virtually no stick, so a bit of water, and wipe it out, that's all.

Oh ya, pans do need re-seasoning from time to time. You'll know it's time when food starts to stick, or some rust develops. Re-seasoning is the same process, but you don't always need to repeat as many times as the first.

Hope this helps.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

Nate,
Nothin' beats the conductivity and durability of cast iron. Got a little burnt batter on the side of the pan? No problem, just scrub it with some sand, throw it in the back of the boat and get back to jiggin.

As far as seasoning the skillet...I found that just frying in it (vegetable oil, peanut oil, crisco, etc.) keeps it well seasoned. Yea, even some detergent once in a while makes no effect.

Mr. Sauger

Peanut,

You can use the solid type of shortening, like CRISCO, too and it will accomplish a good seasoning as well.

Thanks! I got what I need the other day. If any of you have a K's Merchandise near you, they have cast iron on sale. I got Lodge 13" skillet for $17 and 12 incher for $15. Combined the two weigh about 30 pounds! I have a folding cooking grate that I put over a fire...I hope it's strong enough! Thanks everyone!

Nate,

You won't go wrong with Lodge - guaranteed! Just follow the instructions for seasoning that I know come with Lodge cast iron, just do it on a fairly warm day 'cause it will smoke up your kitchen/house and your significant other will want to open doors and windows. If you live alone YOU will want to open the place up as well!

You got good prices on those!

Peanut oil is the preffered oil to use because it will not break down under high heat. Lard and the vege/seed oils break down at temps needed to season the iron (they burn). They will work, but peanut oil is much better.
Also, try not to use soap when cleaning - this will remove the "seasoning".
I clean mine by filling it with water and heating it up - eveything just falls out with minimal elbow grease.
I found a 14"er a while back that works great for shore lunch.

Okay...I THOUGHT I goot good prices! I went onto The Sportsman's Guide website and found them for even cheaper. They have a 15 1/2" for $15!
here is the link is anyone want to check it out.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/ you'll have to going into the "Camp Kitchen" section. good prices here!

The thing to look out for here is the shipping. As was said, the cast iron is heavy, and shipping charges could be quite high.

Fred

Heavy disscussions last couple weeks between gun control and DWI's. Thought it would be nice to discuss something lighter. Anyway, Cast Iron is nice, and I was surprised that the deep fryer pots with the propane burners weren't mentioned on this post. We've been using them for shore lunches and they work great. Get a small 5lb tank for better packing.

Use the peanut oil if available and don't forget to rub oil on the outside of pan and handle. You want to protect the whole pan. Set oven on 375 and put it in there for 90 minutes or so. Doing it the second time really helps.... If you do feel the need to use detergent always re rub the pan down with some kind of oil and then store till next time. Good Cookin' Luck.... SWeed

That sounds like a good idea but, how long must you wait before you can pack up that oil and get back to fishing?

Matches,
fishinnut,

The reason I hadn't mentioned it is because we cook our shore lunches over wood fires that we build when we find a place. It's our way of doing it.

The oil cools rather quickly, you might be surprised! Place the skillet/pot on the ground and it is one heck of a heat-sink! By the time everyone is finished eating the oil has cooled and gets poured back into the container through the filter. Doesn't take long at all.

I'll talk about shore lunch anytime... It's much more interesting than DWI's
I have been designated the camp cook over the last few years and wouldn't have it any other way, Ive got my cook stove and cast iron.
I don't want to open up a huge can o worms, like fish recipies... how about a smaller one, shore lunch potatoes? For easy prepairing reasons I've been using pre-cooked sliced potatoes (canned) it's just not cutting it anymore.
How about some shore lunch side dish / fixens ideas?

To Fihinnut: If you try this way (deep fryer) don't forget pot holders to be able to put that pot on the ground to cool.

Another source for cast iron pans is garage and estate sales also auctions. I bought 2 12inch griswalds at a garage sale last year for 3.00, they were rusty and full of gunk. I sandblasted and seasoned them and the pans are new again.

I actually hit the jackpot a couple months ago and got a two burner Camp Chief stove at the Bargain Cave at the Owatonna Cabelas. I bought it for $70 and it's listed for $169 in their catalog! The only thing wrong with it was that it didn't have the screws to put the legs onto the stove. (It does now!) It folds up small enough that it won't take up much room. I didn't find a 5lb propane bottle, but I did find an 11 pound bottle that should work pretty good. Of course I'll have to have a couple "practice runs" before the real thing...who wants to come over for shorelunch & beer?

from a Lodge cast iron cooking ware website:

SEASON COOKWARE FOR GREAT AMERICAN FLAVOR

1. WARM COOKWARE AND PEEL OFF LABEL.

2. WASH, RINSE AND DRY THOROUGHLY. USE MILD, SOAPY WATER (NEVER AN ABRASIVE DETERGENT) AND A STIFF BRUSH.

3. GREASE COOKWARE WITH A THIN COATING OF SOLID VEGETABLE SHORTENING. DO NOT USE SALTED FAT (MARGARINE OR BUTTER). WARM UTENSIL AND THEN SPREAD SHORTENING OVER ENTIRE SURFACE WITH CLOTH OR PAPER TOWEL. BE CERTAIN THAT THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE UTENSIL, INCLUDING ALL CORMERS, HAS BEEN COATED THOROUGHLY.

4. PLACE UTENSIL IN OVEN AND HEAT TO 300 DEGREES FOR 60 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM OVEN WHILE WARM. COOL AND STORE. THIS COMPLETES THE SEASONING PROCESS.

5. EACH TIME THE UTENSIL IS USED, COAT THE ENTIRE COOKING SURFACE WITH A THIN COAT OF NO-STICK COOKING SPRAY, WIPE WITH PAPER TOWEL AND STORE.

6. CARE FOR YOUR CAST IRON COOKWARE

WASH WITH HOT WATER AND A BRUSH. RINSE AND DRY THOROUGHLY. NEVER SCOUR OR USE A DISHWASHER. YOU MAY WISH TO USE A PLASTIC BUN TO REMOVE STUBBORN FOOD PARTICLES.
WE SUGGEST YOU COOK FOOD WITH LITTLE OR NO WATER CONTENT THE FIRST FEW TIMES YOU USE YOUR CAST IRON. AVOID COOKING ACIDIC FOODS, E.G., TOMATOES, UNLESS COMBINED WITH OTHER FOODS. UNCOVER HOT FOODS WHEN YOU REMOVE FROM HEAT (STEAM MAY REMOVE PROTECTIVE COATING).
CAST IRON COOKWARE WILL TURN BLACK WITH USE. THE PORES OF THE IRON WILL BE SEALED, PROVIDING A DURABLE COATING THAT HELPS TO PREVENT STICKING.
RUST, METALLIC TASTE OR DISCOLORED FOODS ARE SIGNS OF IMPROPER OR INADEQUATE SEASONING OR MAY RESULT FROM COOKING ACIDIC FOODS. IF THIS OCCURS, WASH THOROUGHLY AND RESEASON.
SINCE CAST IRON HEATS EVENLY, YOU WILL NOT NEED TO USE EXTREMELY HIGH COOKING TEMPERATURES. BEST RESULTS ARE OBTAINED WITH MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HIGH SETTING ON RANGE OR IN OVEN. DO NOT OVERHEAT OR LEAVE EMPTY UTENSIL ON BURNER OR IN HEATED OVEN. NEVER PLACE UTENSIL ON AN ALREADY-HEATED BURNER.
CAUTION- WHEN USING ANY UTENSIL LARGER THAN THE BURNER ON YOUR STOVE, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU PREHEAT THE UTENSIL IN YOUR OVEN, THEN SLOWLY BRING THE TUENSIL UP TO COOKING TEMPERATURE. INTENSE OR UNEVEN HEATING MAY CAUSE UTENSIL TO WARP OR CRACK.
WHEN STORING, ALWAYS STORE WITH TOPS OR LIDS OFF. STORE IN WARM, DRY PLACE. YOU MAY WANT TO PLACE A PAPER TOWEL INSIDE UTENSIL TO ABSORB ANY MOISTURE.
WITH PROPER CARE AND SEASONING YOUR LODGE CAST IRON COOKWARE WILL COOK THE GREAT AMERICAN FLAVORS BEST. WE CAN CERTAINLY CLAIM, "THE OLDER IT GETS, THE BETTER IT IS."


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Nate,
I'm about 40 mi. north of Owatana, if you want to make a trial run I'm game... you also mentioned beer right?:P

If anyone is using a deep fryer, I also recommend to add to your kit an oil thermometer that hangs on the edge. Most super markets have them. Of course, I suppose the old float a match in the oil trick probably still works.