Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
died some years ago.

Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
cornbread.

Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.

Preheated the Convection Device to 450 dF. Oiled
the mold with bacon drippings. When all was pre-
heated, oured the mix in and shoved it into the
oven. Cooked nicely, turned golden brown,
but seemed to be browning faster than the
instructions advised, Pulled them out at 6 minutes.

THey pass the "thump" test, and look ok, even
though they look like they were made with corn
flour and not corn meal..... but WTHell?

They are all glued to the iron mold. Feh!

Is the trick to preheat and THEN grease the
mold? Did I need to add oil to the mix?

You southrons who know this stuff might want
to advise this former Yankee. Then again...

Alex

In article >,
Chemiker > wrote:

> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
> died some years ago.
>
> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
> cornbread.
>
> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>
> Preheated the Convection Device to 450 dF. Oiled
> the mold with bacon drippings. When all was pre-
> heated, oured the mix in and shoved it into the
> oven. Cooked nicely, turned golden brown,
> but seemed to be browning faster than the
> instructions advised, Pulled them out at 6 minutes.
>
> THey pass the "thump" test, and look ok, even
> though they look like they were made with corn
> flour and not corn meal..... but WTHell?
>
> They are all glued to the iron mold. Feh!
>
> Is the trick to preheat and THEN grease the
> mold? Did I need to add oil to the mix?
>
> You southrons who know this stuff might want
> to advise this former Yankee. Then again...
>
> Alex

Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

"Chemiker" > wrote in message
...
> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
> died some years ago.
>
> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
> cornbread.
>
> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>
Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".

Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch, not a
boxed mix.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>> died some years ago.
>>
>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>> cornbread.
>>
>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>
> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>
> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch, not a
> boxed mix.
>
> Jill
>
>

Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you describe,
and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in days before
mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in that case. Hers
came out perfectly every time.

MaryL

On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...

>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>> died some years ago.
>>>
>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>> cornbread.
>>>
>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>
>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>
>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>> not a boxed mix.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>
> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>
> MaryL
>
>

It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
The temperature should be quite high.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Tuesday, 01(I)/13(XIII)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
5dys 1hrs 33mins
************************************************** **********************
I can do without essentials but I must have my luxuries
************************************************** **********************

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:20:11 -0600, Chemiker
> wrote:

>You southrons who know this stuff might want
>to advise this former Yankee. Then again...

Inquiring minds want to know.... !


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.

before or after heating?


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
>>Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
>
> before or after heating?
>
>
> --
> I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
> interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.
>
> Mae West

My grandmother greased hers (really slathered it on) *before* heating.
Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
"southern" cook.

MaryL

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
. ..
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
>>
>> before or after heating?
>>
>>
>> --
>> I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
>> interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.
>>
>> Mae West
>
> My grandmother greased hers (really slathered it on) *before* heating.
> Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
> "southern" cook.
>
> MaryL


My mother didn't know cornbread from a hole in the wall. She was born and
raised in Ohio. My father transported us to the southern states and there I
discovered cornbread. At first I added sugar. Now I don't. And I don't
make it from a boxed mix, either.

Jill

Chemiker wrote:
>
(snip)
>
> You southrons who know this stuff might want
> to advise this former Yankee. Then again...
>
> Alex

Ahah! I know what the problem is/was -- you didn't hold your tongue
right, as my grandfather would've said <G>. And your 'accent' isn't
quite right - it's "SUH-thun" - more so than it is "southrons" It's
rather difficult to get the sound right when it comes to text/type. But
then again (er, uh-GHEN), there are different dialects to 'SUH-then'
accents

Sky, who says all this with tongue-in-cheek! ;D

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>
>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>> cornbread.
>>>>
>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>
>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>
>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>>>
>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
>> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
>> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>
>> MaryL
>>
>>
>
> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
> in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
> The temperature should be quite high.
>
What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
heating from cold.

In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.

Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.

Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.

On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
> wrote:

>Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>
>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>
>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>
>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
>>> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
>>> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>
>>> MaryL
>>>
>>>
>>
>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
>> in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
>> The temperature should be quite high.
>>
>What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>heating from cold.
>
>In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
>through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
>cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>
>Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
>in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>
>Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
>done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.

Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
greased and the pan hot.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>
>>
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>
>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>> cornbread.
>>>>
>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>
>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>
>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was
>> baking in days before mixes were available, which was probably "a
>> good thing" in that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>
>> MaryL
>>
>>
>
> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before
> pouring in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better
> without burning. The temperature should be quite high.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright
The directions that came with my Lodge form pan say to preheat the pan with
the oven, grease the pan just before putting the batter in. I've always
done that and it works fine -- unless I load the batter with cheese, then I
get some sticking. I grease with lard or Crisco for this application.
Note: If you are using an oven with a special preheat 'button', it may be
that the oven air is preheated before the cast iron pan is. I turn the oven
on before I even begin to assemble ingredients. So my oven is heating maybe
15? minutes before I fill the cast iron pan.
Janet

The Cook wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>>
>>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>>
>>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
>>>> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
>>>> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>>
>>>> MaryL
>>>>
>>>>
>>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
>>> in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
>>> The temperature should be quite high.
>>>
>> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>> heating from cold.
>>
>> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
>> through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
>> cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>>
>> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
>> in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>>
>> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
>> done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.
>
> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
> greased and the pan hot.
I try to avoid animal fats due to already high blood fats but I don't
see why it wouldn't work. My folks always used bacon grease or lard to
oil up the pan.

One of my favorite meals is still cornbread and milk, particularly on a
cold day. Crumble up the fresh cornbread, pour cold milk over it, add
some diced onion and freshly ground black pepper, then eat it. Repeat as
needed.

During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>

On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:20:48 -0600, George Shirley
> wrote:

>> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
>> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
>> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
>> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
>> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
>> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
>> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
>> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
>> greased and the pan hot.

>I try to avoid animal fats due to already high blood fats but I don't
>see why it wouldn't work. My folks always used bacon grease or lard to
>oil up the pan.

I try to keep the animal fats to a minimum, but I only use about a
teaspoon of bacon grease in a #4 Griswald pan. If there is more than
enough to cover the pan, I pour it into the batter.

>One of my favorite meals is still cornbread and milk, particularly on a
>cold day. Crumble up the fresh cornbread, pour cold milk over it, add
>some diced onion and freshly ground black pepper, then eat it. Repeat as
>needed.

I love cornbread and milk too. But I can't stand buttermilk.
>
>During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
>ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
>limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
>and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
>sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>

One of our favorite meals is pinto beans, cole slaw and cornbread.
Onion or relish with the beans. Maybe I will get out a jar of home
canned pintos. I'm sure there is cabbage in the fridge and the
makings of cornbread.

Around here we get new crop pintos each fall. I canned way too many a
couple of years ago. They are getting low, but I think that I will
wait until next fall to stock up again.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Apologies to Susan. I hit "Reply" instead of "reply to group".

Message:

Um, go back and read the original post? Yours was the method
used. Preheat oven to 450, bacon grease in cold, mold into oven,
when grease was smoking, pour in batter. Maybe his oven was
too hot. Those mixes, in my experience, call for over 10 minutes
baking time, with temps in the 450-475 range. DIdn't he say they
were done at 6?

HAB, who rarely makes cornbread of any kind.
>
"The Cook" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
> > wrote:
> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
> greased and the pan hot.
> --
> Susan N.

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
> . ..
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
>>>
>>> before or after heating?
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
>>> interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.
>>>
>>> Mae West
>>
>> My grandmother greased hers (really slathered it on) *before* heating.
>> Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
>> "southern" cook.
>>
>> MaryL
>
>
> My mother didn't know cornbread from a hole in the wall. She was born and
> raised in Ohio. My father transported us to the southern states and there
> I discovered cornbread. At first I added sugar. Now I don't. And I
> don't make it from a boxed mix, either.
>
> Jill

Interesting...I grew up in northeastern Ohio. My grandmother baked a lot of
cornbread. My father grew up in true father--large family, and his father
died when Dad was only 5 years old. My grandmother reared them all, and
every one of them not only managed to graduate from high school but also
went on to professional careers. That was before any type of government aid
was available, and very little private or church "charity." So, concerning
the cornbread: It was very cheap to make, and my grandmother made her own
syrup with water and a little sugar. They used that on pancakes and also on
cornbread. By contrast, my mother came from a fairly affluent farm family.
But they also ate lots of cornbread! So, cornbrad was fairly common in that
region of Ohio (and still is--even served by one of my favorite
restaurants).

MaryL

The Cook wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:20:48 -0600, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>>> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
>>> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
>>> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
>>> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
>>> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
>>> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
>>> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
>>> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
>>> greased and the pan hot.
>
>> I try to avoid animal fats due to already high blood fats but I don't
>> see why it wouldn't work. My folks always used bacon grease or lard to
>> oil up the pan.
>
> I try to keep the animal fats to a minimum, but I only use about a
> teaspoon of bacon grease in a #4 Griswald pan. If there is more than
> enough to cover the pan, I pour it into the batter.
>
>> One of my favorite meals is still cornbread and milk, particularly on a
>> cold day. Crumble up the fresh cornbread, pour cold milk over it, add
>> some diced onion and freshly ground black pepper, then eat it. Repeat as
>> needed.
>
> I love cornbread and milk too. But I can't stand buttermilk.

My only use for buttermilk is in baking and cooking. Can't stand to
drink the stuff although my Dad loved it.

>> During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
>> ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
>> limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
>> and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
>> sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>
>
> One of our favorite meals is pinto beans, cole slaw and cornbread.
> Onion or relish with the beans. Maybe I will get out a jar of home
> canned pintos. I'm sure there is cabbage in the fridge and the
> makings of cornbread.
>
> Around here we get new crop pintos each fall. I canned way too many a
> couple of years ago. They are getting low, but I think that I will
> wait until next fall to stock up again.

We have to buy dried pintos and I don't bother to can dried beans
anymore. I have tried finding "pink" pintos, just enough difference in
them and standard pintos to make enough difference. Used to buy them
when we lived in Texas but haven't seen any in stores in years.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> >Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
>
> before or after heating?

Before.

She used her fingers and smeared it on thick.
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

In article >,
"jmcquown" > wrote:

> "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
> . ..
> >
> > "sf" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:48:12 -0600, Omelet >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>>Mom used to grease her corn stick molds with butter.
> >>
> >> before or after heating?
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
> >> interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.
> >>
> >> Mae West
> >
> > My grandmother greased hers (really slathered it on) *before* heating.
> > Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
> > "southern" cook.
> >
> > MaryL
>
>
> My mother didn't know cornbread from a hole in the wall. She was born and
> raised in Ohio. My father transported us to the southern states and there I
> discovered cornbread. At first I added sugar. Now I don't. And I don't
> make it from a boxed mix, either.
>
> Jill

Neither did mom. :-) It's too simple to make.
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
> >
> >> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
> >>> ...
> >>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
> >>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
> >>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
> >>>> died some years ago.
> >>>>
> >>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
> >>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
> >>>> cornbread.
> >>>>
> >>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
> >>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
> >>>>
> >>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
> >>>
> >>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
> >>> not a boxed mix.
> >>>
> >>> Jill
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
> >> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
> >> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
> >> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
> >>
> >> MaryL
> >>
> >>
> >
> > It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
> > in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
> >
> > The temperature should be quite high.
> >
> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
> heating from cold.
>
> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
> through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
> cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>
> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
> in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>
> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
> done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.

The pre-heating the oil sounds like it'd get a better bottom crust.
I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it.
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
> ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
> limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
> and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
> sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>

Beans and chili are just made for corn bread. :-)
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:52:39 -0500, jmcquown wrote:

> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>> died some years ago.
>>
>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>> cornbread.
>>
>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>
> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>
> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch, not a
> boxed mix.
>
> Jill

very helpful, jill.

look, we know you prefer scratch to mix, but surely the mix can be cooked
without sticking. otherwise, they couldn't sell the damned stuff.

blake

Well, Alex...wish I knew. Sadly, my Southern chhromosomes dont seem to
hold the cornbread gene.

Now...are you SURE you got the mold well-seasoned? Did you grease it up
and bake it empty for several hours? Then let it cool completely in the
oven after it was turned off?
Sometimes cast iron needs to be seasoned twice, even three times.
My mom KEPT her iron skillet in the oven. oiled after every use.

Other than that, I havent a clue. My mom (who did have the cornbread
gene) always put the oil into the pan and heated it before pouring in
the batter. She also insisted that the batter needed to 'rest" 30
minutes on the counter before putting it into the skillet. (no corn
shapped molds at our house).
According to her, this allowed time for the baking powder/soda to
"work".

Lass

Yep...I think all these folks are right. Forget a "mix". But the
problem, it seems to me, is the STICKING...?

So, Im still thinking that mold needs a few more sessions in the hot
oven, greased WELL with oil or lard.

You said you "cleaned them up" and I expect that means you scrubbed the
rust with steel wool? That probably emoved many years of seasoning that
just ONE new seasoning couldnt repair.

My mom's chicken skillet must have had a half inch of layers of
seasoning, I swear. If the house had caught fire, she would have run
thru flames to save it. And that sucker was OLD long before she got it
from HER mom....I wish I had it, now....

Anywqay, I do know that methods for seasoning a new iron pan vary
greatly. Some swear that greasing with gobs of lard, then setting the
pan in a roaring wood fire is the ONLY way. Others use veg. oil and do
it in a 425 oven for three hours, then turn the oven off and leave the
pan inside overnight to cool. My friend Peggy says to coat with oil on
the OUTSIDE, then FILL the pan with veg oil and simmer it on the burner
for a couple of hours, let it cool, then repeat the heat and simmer
process two or three or more times.

it's a conundrum, for sure. Of course Im sure you know that once you
get that good layer of seasoning, you NEVER submerge in water, never use
dish detergent and NEVER miss Church on Sunday. Just wipe it out with a
dry paper towel, apply a thin layer of oil and store it in the oven. IF
the house catches fire, well...YOU know.

Im pretty sure, mix or from scratch, the pan should NOT have "stuck". I
bet if you googled "How to cure cast iron pan", you'd find a dozen
different methods.

Hang in there.

Lass

In article >,
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote:

>
> Interesting...I grew up in northeastern Ohio. My grandmother baked a lot of
> cornbread. My father grew up in true father--large family, and his father
> died when Dad was only 5 years old. My grandmother reared them all, and
> every one of them not only managed to graduate from high school but also
> went on to professional careers. That was before any type of government aid
> was available, and very little private or church "charity." So, concerning
> the cornbread: It was very cheap to make, and my grandmother made her own
> syrup with water and a little sugar. They used that on pancakes and also on
> cornbread. By contrast, my mother came from a fairly affluent farm family.
> But they also ate lots of cornbread! So, cornbrad was fairly common in that
> region of Ohio (and still is--even served by one of my favorite
> restaurants).
>
> MaryL

You don't have to be destitute to enjoy cornbread. ;-d
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

In article >,
blake murphy > wrote:

> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:52:39 -0500, jmcquown wrote:
>
> > "Chemiker" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
> >> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
> >> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
> >> died some years ago.
> >>
> >> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
> >> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
> >> cornbread.
> >>
> >> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
> >> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
> >>
> > Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
> >
> > Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch, not a
> > boxed mix.
> >
> > Jill
>
> very helpful, jill.
>
> look, we know you prefer scratch to mix, but surely the mix can be cooked
> without sticking. otherwise, they couldn't sell the damned stuff.
>
> blake

That's why they make non-stick baking pans!

Om -> ducking and running!
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote:
>
>>
>> Interesting...I grew up in northeastern Ohio. My grandmother baked a lot
>> of
>> cornbread. My father grew up in true father--large family, and his
>> father
>> died when Dad was only 5 years old. My grandmother reared them all, and
>> every one of them not only managed to graduate from high school but also
>> went on to professional careers. That was before any type of government
>> aid
>> was available, and very little private or church "charity." So,
>> concerning
>> the cornbread: It was very cheap to make, and my grandmother made her
>> own
>> syrup with water and a little sugar. They used that on pancakes and also
>> on
>> cornbread. By contrast, my mother came from a fairly affluent farm
>> family.
>> But they also ate lots of cornbread! So, cornbrad was fairly common in
>> that
>> region of Ohio (and still is--even served by one of my favorite
>> restaurants).
>>
>> MaryL
>
> You don't have to be destitute to enjoy cornbread. ;-d
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> "Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

No, the part about being destitute was relevant only because cornbread was
very cheap to make, and so was the syrup. I was really thinking back to
some of my father's childhood stories. He used to joke that his family was
hardly aware of it when the Great Depression hit because they were already
so far down that there wasn't any farther to fall! My dad actually
preferred "sugar water" for syrup to the end of his life. We had real maple
syrup, but that isn't what he remembered from his mother (who, incidentally,
was an *excellent* cook and baker--she earned their income by selling baked
goods and taking in laundry for "wet wash").

MaryL

You got a lot of good answers here.

The main thing is to have that skillet/pan to the point of almost
smoking and the grease of choice, mine is bacon grease, goes into the
pan and then both go into a HOT oven to preheat.

After preheating, if using a skillet, swirl the grease of choice
around the skillet and immediately pour your cornbread batter into the
hot pan. Cornbread batter should immediately start to sizzle if your
pan is hot, as it should be.

Back into the oven it goes and when it begins to brown on the top,
remove and plate. As someone else said, when it's done it will fall
out of the pan.

And yes, you can get great results from a boxed cornbread mix even
though you will get some turned up noses on this group. Cook what you
like and don't worry about pleasing some on this group.

On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:43:22 -0500, (Lass
Chance_2) wrote:

>Well, Alex...wish I knew. Sadly, my Southern chhromosomes dont seem to
>hold the cornbread gene.
>
>Now...are you SURE you got the mold well-seasoned?

No, mistress. I failed.
>
>Did you grease it up
>and bake it empty for several hours? Then let it cool completely in the
>oven after it was turned off?

NO, Mistress, I failed again.

>Sometimes cast iron needs to be seasoned twice, even three times.
>My mom KEPT her iron skillet in the oven. oiled after every use.

I'm sorry, Mistress

I will try to do better.

Alex

On Wed 14 Jan 2009 06:35:33a, George Shirley told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>
>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>
>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>
>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking
>>> in days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing"
>>> in that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>
>>> MaryL
>>>
>>>
>>
>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before
>> pouring in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better
>> without burning. The temperature should be quite high.
>>
> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
> heating from cold.
>
> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
> through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
> cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>
> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
> in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>
> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
> done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.
>

Yeppers! Similar background, too, except in Mississippi.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Wednesday, 01(I)/14(XIV)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
4dys 5hrs 30mins
************************************************** **********************
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
************************************************** **********************

On Wed 14 Jan 2009 06:44:03a, The Cook told us...

> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>>Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>>
>>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>>
>>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking
>>>> in days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good
>>>> thing" in that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>>
>>>> MaryL
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before
>>> pouring in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better
>>> without burning. The temperature should be quite high.
>>>
>>What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>>temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>>canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>>heating from cold.
>>
>>In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>>the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>>mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
>>through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
>>cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>>
>>Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>>stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
>>in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>>
>>Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
>>done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.
>
> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
> greased and the pan hot.

I use bacon grease, too, if I have it. Trouble is, we just don't eat that
much bacon anymore (not that I wouldn't like to). Instead, I usually use
Crisco, or a mixture of Crisco and butter.

If I'm baking in an iron skillet, I bake for the alloted time and then pull
the skillet and shake it back and forth a bit. If the cornbread comes
loose on its own, it's ready. If not, it goes back in the oven for a bit.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Wednesday, 01(I)/14(XIV)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
4dys 5hrs 29mins
************************************************** **********************
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...
************************************************** **********************

On Wed 14 Jan 2009 07:20:48a, George Shirley told us...

> The Cook wrote:
>> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>>>
>>>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>>>> ...
>>>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from
>>>>>> scratch, not a boxed mix.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jill
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was
>>>>> baking in days before mixes were available, which was probably "a
>>>>> good thing" in that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>>>
>>>>> MaryL
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before
>>>> pouring in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better
>>>> without burning. The temperature should be quite high.
>>>>
>>> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>>> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>>> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>>> heating from cold.
>>>
>>> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>>> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>>> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to
>>> cook through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on
>>> the cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>>>
>>> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>>> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a
>>> fireplace in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>>>
>>> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me,
>>> moist, done through and through, and with that fine crust on the
>>> bottom.
>>
>> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
>> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
>> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
>> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
>> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
>> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
>> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
>> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
>> greased and the pan hot.
> I try to avoid animal fats due to already high blood fats but I don't
> see why it wouldn't work. My folks always used bacon grease or lard to
> oil up the pan.
>
> One of my favorite meals is still cornbread and milk, particularly on a
> cold day. Crumble up the fresh cornbread, pour cold milk over it, add
> some diced onion and freshly ground black pepper, then eat it. Repeat as
> needed.
>
> During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
> ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
> limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
> and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
> sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>

For me it's gotta be buttermilk with that cornbread. <g> One of my
favorite treats, especially if there's any left over.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Wednesday, 01(I)/14(XIV)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
4dys 5hrs 25mins
************************************************** **********************
Sum id quod sum et id totum est quod sum.
************************************************** **********************

On Wed 14 Jan 2009 10:38:47a, Omelet told us...

> In article >,
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> > On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>> >
>> >> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>> >>> ...
>> >>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>> >>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>> >>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>> >>>> died some years ago.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>> >>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>> >>>> cornbread.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>> >>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>> >>>>
>> >>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>> >>>
>> >>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from
>> >>> scratch, not a boxed mix.
>> >>>
>> >>> Jill
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>> >> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was
>> >> baking in days before mixes were available, which was probably "a
>> >> good thing" in that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>> >>
>> >> MaryL
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before
>> > pouring in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better
>> > without burning.
>> >
>> > The temperature should be quite high.
>> >
>> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>> heating from cold.
>>
>> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to
>> cook through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on
>> the cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>>
>> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a
>> fireplace in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>>
>> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me,
>> moist, done through and through, and with that fine crust on the
>> bottom.
>
> The pre-heating the oil sounds like it'd get a better bottom crust.
> I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it.

Absolutely! I heat it until it's almost reached its smoking point. The
batter should sizzle when it hits the pan.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Wednesday, 01(I)/14(XIV)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
4dys 5hrs 23mins
************************************************** **********************
How sharper than a hound's tooth it is to have a thankless serpent.
************************************************** **********************

On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:38:47 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:


You're right on, lad. THe bottoms o' those sticks were
browned beautifully. AT 6 min.

ALex

>
>The pre-heating the oil sounds like it'd get a better bottom crust.
>I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it.

In article >,
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote:


> Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
> "southern" cook.

Yes, I learned yesterday, while reading this group, that Ohio is in the
midwest, formerly called the far west. I live in California. What part
of the US do I live in, if any?

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote:
>
>
>> Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
>> "southern" cook.
>
> Yes, I learned yesterday, while reading this group, that Ohio is in the
> midwest, formerly called the far west. I live in California. What part
> of the US do I live in, if any?
>
Around here in Louisiana we call it the Left Coast and sometimes the
Peoples Republic of Kalifornia. All in good humor of course. I am forced
to say that as I have relatives in California and other weird places on
the Left Coast. They refer to the Gulf Coast as the Middle Coast and the
eastern seaboard as the Right Coast. I reckon we nearly all like where
we live or we wouldn't live there.

A,ex
FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

GO TO THE WHIPPING BENCH IMMEDIATELY and ASSUME THE POSITION!

and dont forget the PINK PANTIES!

Mistress Lass


Bout them cornbread sticks. Failed.

Group: rec.food.cooking Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 6:29pm (EST-1) From:
(Chemiker)
On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:43:22 -0500, (Lass
Chance_2) wrote:
Well, Alex...wish I knew. Sadly, my Southern chhromosomes dont seem to
hold the cornbread gene.
Now...are you SURE you got the mold well-seasoned?
No, mistress. I failed.
Did you grease it up
and bake it empty for several hours? Then let it cool completely in the
oven after it was turned off?
NO, Mistress, I failed again.
Sometimes cast iron needs to be seasoned twice, even three times. My mom
KEPT her iron skillet in the oven. oiled after every use.
I'm sorry, Mistress
**I will try to do better.
Alex

California....hmmmm...I believe that's The Land of Fruits and Nuts, isnt
it?

(kidding, of course)

Lass


Bout them cornbread sticks. Failed.

Group: rec.food.cooking Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 5:59pm (EST-3) From:
(Dan*Abel)
In article >, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote:
Incidentally, we lived in Ohio, so she would not have qualified as a
"southern" cook.
Yes, I learned yesterday, while reading this group, that Ohio is in the
midwest, formerly called the far west. I live in California. What part
of the US do I live in, if any?
--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Jan 14, 3:18*pm, itsjoannotjoann > wrote:
> You got a lot of good answers here.
>
> The main thing is to have that skillet/pan to the point of almost
> smoking and the grease of choice, mine is bacon grease, goes into the
> pan and then both go into a HOT oven to preheat.
>
> After preheating, if using a skillet, swirl the grease of choice
> around the skillet and immediately pour your cornbread batter into the
> hot pan. *Cornbread batter should immediately start to sizzle if your
> pan is hot, as it should be.
>
> Back into the oven it goes and when it begins to brown on the top,
> remove and plate. *As someone else said, when it's done it will fall
> out of the pan.
>

I use my mom's cornstick (cast iron) pan all the time - spray it with
Pam or something when it's cold - fill the spaces - bake - no problems
with sticking. You certainly don't have to heat the pan
first....these should bake just the same as if you were baking a
single batch in a square pan, and you don't need to heat it first.

We, a farm family, had cornbread frequently when I was growing up
(eastern Iowa, German descent mostly).

N.