{"id":87833,"date":"2026-01-12T12:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=87833"},"modified":"2026-01-12T12:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:15:08","slug":"how-to-cook-with-cast-iron-and-bake-perfect-cherry-pie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-cook-with-cast-iron-and-bake-perfect-cherry-pie\/","title":{"rendered":"How to cook with cast iron and bake the perfect cherry pie"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A cherry pie baked in a cast-iron skillet provides a nice even bake. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The virtues of cast iron cookware are several. It takes any heat, from very low to super high. It retains that heat if the recipe calls for it. Over time, it develops a nonpareil non-stick surface. And it\u2019s fairly easy to care for, even eschewing soaping and scrubbing. Backpackers often \u201cclean\u201d their cast iron Dutch ovens with gravel or river sand.<\/p>\n

Cast iron cookware also lasts a lifetime \u2014 or more than a lifetime. George Washington\u2019s mother \u201cgave and devised\u201d one-half each to her two grandchildren her \u201ciron kitchen furniture,\u201d her cast iron cookware.<\/p>\n

So why is it that so many cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens while away their own long lives in the nether regions of the kitchen cabinetry?
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Get more tips and recipes from Bill St. John<\/a>.<\/div>\n

I spoke to a few home cooks to find out why. \u201cIt\u2019s not fashionable anymore,\u201d says one; \u201ctoo heavy,\u201d says another.<\/p>\n

And myths about cast iron pans persist: \u201cI can\u2019t reduce my (acidic) tomato sauce in it.\u201d Or \u201ccook with wine\u201d or other acidic foods in it. Or \u201cCast iron is a pain to maintain.\u201d Or clean, or keep from rusting.<\/p>\n

As the first president\u2019s mother might have said to these cast iron naysayers, \u201cPshaw!\u201d<\/p>\n

Why cast iron beats other pans<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cast iron\u2019s non-stick surface, if lovingly established, may not be as slick as fry-a-nude-egg Teflon, but nonetheless it will take higher heat than the latter, still be nearly as slippery and, to some folk\u2019s minds, safer for it.<\/p>\n

The key to cast iron\u2019s patina and an answer to many of these complaints is what\u2019s termed its \u201cseasoning,\u201d the polymerization (or to use a less techie term, \u201cplasticization\u201d) of the cooking fats or oils with which it comes in contact during both cooking in it and caring for it.<\/p>\n

Stovetop or oven (or even burning charcoal) heat breaks down these oils into large-chain molecules that then bond to the iron itself in a never-ending layering \u2014 if the dang pans are used, people \u2014 that becomes impermeable to (mild) acidity, makes the pan facile to clean and maintain, and resistant to rust and oxidation.<\/p>\n

In the end, it\u2019s cast iron\u2019s way with heat that selects it as a preferred ware for much cooking. It just makes common sense when you think of it.<\/p>\n

John Hinman, proprietor of Denver\u2019s Hinman Pie<\/a> and one of the region\u2019s top pie makers, answers his own question, \u201cHow often do you get a pie when the top is done but the bottom is still soggy? A lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith cast iron, the fact is that when the pie is done, because the pan keeps so much heat, the bottom continues to cook. The pan nurtures and finishes the cooking, plus it continues to force moisture in the form of steam out through the top vents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sounds like a win-win. Right, Mother Washington?<\/p>\n

Hinman\u2019s Cast Iron Skillet Cherry Pie recipe<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Makes 1 pie, using a 9-inch cast iron skillet<\/p>\n

Baker John Hinman\u2019s note:<\/strong> Using a high-quality European-style butter really improves the crust. While making the crust, make sure your butter is really cold\u2014almost frozen\u2014and that your water is ice water.<\/p>\n

The assembled balls of dough, well-wrapped, will keep in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for months.<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dough:<\/strong><\/p>\n