Cast-iron cookware

Stop using nonstick or Teflon pans, which are known to cause cancer. Cast-iron cookware is the way to go. Glass and stainless steel are equally safe to cook with. Store your food in glass instead of plastic. 

Nutritional biochemists have known for decades that acidic foods cooked in cast-iron cookware can supply significant amounts of dietary iron (ferrous ion). 

Many parents find it especially difficult to get enough iron in their child s diet. Adding orange juice to meals can increase a child s absorption of iron especially from vegetables. Some people recommend using cast-iron cookware to increase the child s intake of iron. 

Nutritional biochemists have known for decades that acidic foods cooked in cast-iron cookware can supply significant amounts of dietary iron (ferrous ion), (a) Write a balanced net ionic equation, with oxidation numbers, that supports this fact, (b) Measurements show an increase from 3.3 mg of iron to 49 mg of iron per -cup (125-g) serving during the slow preparation of tomato sauce in a cast-iron pot. How many forous ions are present in a 26-oz (737-g) jar of the tomato sauce ... 

Although the need for iron was discovered long ago, and although it is the most common and cheapest of all metals, more deficiencies of iron (chiefly in the form of anemia) exist in the United States and in most other developed countries than of any other nutrient. An estimated 10 to 25% of the population is affected. Lack of iron in the diet is attributed primarily to (1) the increased refining and processing of our food supply, and (2) the decreased use of cast-iron cookware. 

The use of cast-iron cookware increeises the iron cxjntentof foods, especially those that have an acid reaction, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce. However, it has not been established that the iron leached from iron cooking utensils is as available to the body as the naturally occurring iron in foods. 

Cast iron is porcelain enameled primarily for plumbing fixtures for the sanitary products industry. It is also used for cookware and for various appliance parts such as grates for gas ranges. The average yearly production of a plant is 1.56 x 106 m2 (16.8 x 106 ft2). This figure represents the areas of enamel applied. For multiple coats, the area for each coat is considered. 

Frit also is used with clay and electrolytes for coating steel, aluminum, cast iron and other metals. This coating—called porcelain enamel— is used on major household appliances, sanitaryware, cast iron and aluminum cookware and architectural panels. 

Nonreactive materials include glass, stainless steel, ceramic, enamel, and hard anodized aluminum. Reactive materials include (non-stainless) steel, cast-iron, copper, and aluminum. These materials conduct heat evenly and are excellent for boiling water, frying burgers, or making stock. But if you re working with acidic or alkaline ingredients, stick to nonreactive cookware. 

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