MORE ON CAST IRON

Here is another way to cure your Dutch oven. The leftovers from it can be used also.

If you want to really season your Dutch oven, place it on the stove at the lowest setting that you can. Now fill it all the way to the top with Crisco, lard, or oil. Put the lid on it and leave it alone, but keep an eye on it.

As it processes, you may need to add more oil or whatever you started with to replace what was absorbed by the Dutch oven. Bring it back up to the top. Now, when you see the outside glisten, it's done. It takes several days to do this.

The oil will have turned black and can not be used for cooking, but it makes great waterproofing for your boots, moccasins, and other leather things. The only problem is that every dog or cat in your neighborhood will be following you around 'cause it does smell.

Old Joe seasoned a brand new 2 quart Dutch oven like this on the ranch one time. He always had some cast iron ovens and skillets in his little bunk house. And he always waterproofed all his boots at least once a year.

He even once put this oil on his old saddle, but he only did it the one time 'cause after he had oiled it up and put the saddle up in the barn the ranch, for some reason, was taken over by about a 1000 cats. They had cats of all kinds. Even two Bob cats showed up! And, of course, a ranch always has a dog or two, but they all of a sudden had about a 1000 dogs also. Plus, several coyotes, that tried to fit in with the dogs. You couldn't get near the barn.

Joe took his new boots and put the oil on them to waterproof them. He sat them out on the little porch of the bunk house. The next morning, the boots were gone! All Joe could find the next morning were some bear tracks around the bunk house.

After about a month, Joe was able to get to his saddle in the barn. He saddled up his horse, Old Dusty, and proceeded to climb into the saddle. As he turned Dusty towards the road, Joe slide right out of the saddle and landed on his butt. A few of the other hands saw what had happened. The younger ones laughed and the older ones knew better and turned their backs towards Joe.

Joe jumped right up. Dusty kind of had his head turned towards Joe as if to ask what happened. "What did you do?" Well, Joe got right back on old Dusty and started down the road. We all watched as Joe slid from side to side, forward, and backward on his saddle. He looked like a real tenderfoot on his horse.

Dusty showed up at the barn about half an hour later with Joe nowhere to be seen. As Dusty was being put in his stall, my aunt came out and said she had to go to town to pick up Joe. Seems that Dusty had "wandered off." When my aunt came back with Joe, we saw that the back end of his jeans was as shinny as a new silver dollar!