Is it okay to make a recipe with tomatoes (in this case, red beans and rice) in a cast iron dutch oven?

Tania  - The Oceanside House HB
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4 Comments

Smaug July 16, 2019
I think you're probably all right if the pot is seasoned. At least the recipes I know for RB&R do not contain large amounts of tomato and are otherwise not notably acidic.
 
Smaug July 16, 2019
By the way, if you're interested in the subject there's a great deal of discussion of it around the internet, with opinions ranging from it's not a problem at all to we'll all be killed.
 
Emma L. July 16, 2019
Hi Tania! This is a tough one. It depends on how well-seasoned your pan is and how acidic the recipe is. (The more seasoned the pan, the less likely you are to get that metallic taste. And the more acidic the recipe, the more likely.) As a general rule, I avoid anything noticeably acidic when cooking with cast-iron (say, tomato sauce, tomato soup, or this super-lemony kale my husband makes a lot). If you have another (non–cast iron) pot that could fit the recipe, it might be a safer bet. Hope this helps!
 
Tania -. July 16, 2019
Thanks Emma - I'm going to use my trusty Dansk pot instead. Even if I'd used cast iron I would have transferred to leftovers anyway because of the metallic taste possibility. Thanks for saving me from an extra dirty pot!
 
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