Can Cooking Tomatoes Hurt Cast Iron?
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I heard that leaving food with tomatoes or tomato sauce in cast iron cookware too long is not good. I like cooking with cast iron, and am interested in any information you can provide.
Cooking in cast iron is good. the iron you obtain this way is good for you. Your body needs iron. Don’t leave the food in cast iron for extended periods after cooking. The extran chemical action will damage the cookware and will affect the taste of the foods.
What you have heard is true. It’s the same with aluminum cookware. Tomato products have natural acids that eat into cookware. It is fine to cook them in any type cookware but should not be kept an extended period of time. I use my cast iron a lot but transfer tomato based dishes to another container after cooking.
The acid in tomatoes removes the seasoning and causes cast iron to rust. It doesn’t harm it. I’ve done it many times. Just re season your pot. I use suet, rub it well on a warm pot and bake in the oven for a few hours, good as new.
I haven’t heard of anything specific about tomatoes, but in general leaving food in a cast iron pan isn’t good for it, because of the acids in the food being absorbed by the iron.
Good to know that it won’t harm the cookware, other than to maybe reseason it…but I heard that cooking with tomatoes or red wine in cast iron will cause the food to tast like metal. Is that true?