Because cast iron retains its heat well, they'll cook thoroughly. The most important thing here is to let your eggs sit for at least 30 seconds. Make sure a skin has formed all along the bottom of your eggs before you begin to stir. Stir SLOWLY.
Cast iron is honestly wonderful for eggs because of its even heat distribution and retention. They come out perfect every single time, because there are less variables.
While a seasoned cast iron pan is somewhat non-stick, its heat-retaining properties increase the risk of over-browning and overcooking your eggs -- pretty much the opposite of how you want a classic omelet recipe to turn out. This also makes gently stirring and flipping omelets a challenge.
Acidic foods (unless you make it snappy)
Acidic foods (like tomato sauce, wine-braised meats, etc.) enter the red zone when they spend too much time cooking in the skillet. It's particularly important to not marinate anything in a cast-iron pan, as many marinades are quite acidic in order to tenderize the meat.
Common cooking oils like olive oil will gradually produce seasoning, but won't be as effective as grapeseed oil. Canola, other vegetable oils, and shortening are a little better.
Why do Scrambled Eggs Turn Green In a Cast Iron Skillet? This harmless but unappealing color change is the result of a chemical reaction between iron in the pan and sulfur in egg whites. Why do Boiled Eggs Turn Green?
I never skip the fat because I love the flavor of eggs cooked in olive oil, but even the most seasoned of cast iron pans will benefit from oil added to a preheated pan. You can go butter here, a neutral oil like canola, or even coconut oil. Delicious.
The only non-negotiable is a good nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned carbon steel pan to prevent the eggs from sticking and developing an undesirable crust.
With proper care cast iron cookware can withstand a lifetime of use. Actually several lifetimes as these cast iron pans and dutch ovens are often passed down from generation to generation. Taking care of cast iron cookware is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.
Cast iron shines when it comes to high-heat cooking, like searing steaks or charring vegetables, but it goes beyond that—you can use cast iron to sauté, bake bread, or even or make a table-worthy dessert.
For classic scrambled eggs, use butter to cook them. I also love light and fruity olive oil. Heat the butter (or oil) in your nonstick skillet, and then get ready to cook your eggs. The secret to the most creamy and soft eggs is using low heat.
Cast iron pans are made from heavy-duty iron and are known for their excellent heat retention. Scrambled eggs cook quickly and thoroughly in cast iron with zero unpredictability. Since cast iron retains heat well, the eggs cook through before they lose their fluffiness or moisture.
Now comes a key utensil: a silicone spatula! Contrary to popular belief, scrambled eggs should never be scrambled with a fork. Not only does it do a sloppy job but it's also going to scrape up your pan! Slide the silicone spatula under the bottom of the eggs, which will have formed a cooked, fluffy layer.
The cast iron skillet will fry up bacon beautifully for that perfect salty side.
A greenish-gray ring may appear around a hard-cooked egg yolk. It's unattractive, but not harmful. The ring is caused by a chemical reaction involving sulfur (from the egg white) and iron (from the egg yolk), which naturally react to form ferrous sulfide at the surface of the yolk.
Stuck-On Residue
Perhaps the simplest reason that some non stick pans start to stick, especially if the pan isn't very old, is that there's a layer of stuck-on food residue getting in the way. Even the thinnest layer of dried egg white or residual starch from stir-frying potstickers can cause food to stick.
Oil, especially canola oil (bad, unhealthy oil), should not be used. If a quick oiling (not seasoning) in between is desired, it's best to use a high temperature oil like avocado. A quick rub can do the trick, if your pan looks a bit dry. I have one pan that is about 100 years old!
You should only need to fully re-season your cast-iron cookware one to two times a year, but you may also want to give it some extra seasoning love anytime you cook something that requires a heavy-duty cleaning.
When using carbon-steel and cast-iron pans, some people like to heat the dry pan first, then add the oil. This is because high heat causes the oil to oxidize and polymerize, allowing it to bond to the metal, filling in any small pits and divots—a process that seasons the pan, essentially giving it a nonstick surface.