Jambalaya pots: a summary of important tips

The Jambalaya tradition is alive and well and is spreading far and wide, far beyond its Cajun origins in Louisiana. If you are thinking of getting into Jambalaya’s kitchen, there are a few things that are good to know.

Jambalaya pots are multipurpose; They’re great for casseroles, soups, gumbos, popcorn, and more. You can cook almost all types of food with cast iron cookware, which is why these pots are the supreme example of “ anything goes ” large-scale cooking equipment.

Cast iron pots are an excellent cooking medium with almost perfect heat conduction and retention; they are very efficient and heat evenly and constantly without hot spots.

There is one piece of advice that is essential: don’t buy cheap. A Jambalaya pot is an investment your grandchildren’s children will enjoy, so buy well. Remember, by comparative standards, they are inexpensive and when measured over their long lifespan they are incredibly cheap.

As a simple tip, we have found the Bayou Classic range of jambalaya cookware to be excellent, representing the very best in Jambalaya cookware.

Jambalaya pots are great for outdoor cooking, but they can be a bit heavy, especially the larger models. That being said, the common advice from users is that if you think you have chosen the right size, go for the next size as there will surely come a time when you will need it. With that said, also keep in mind that going from, say, a 7 gallon pot to a 10 gallon pot, you will go from being able to serve 60 people to being able to serve 100.

It is very healthy to cook with cast iron jambalaya pots because you can cook without fat, as a properly seasoned jambalaya pot will be non-stick, thus requiring no oil to cook.

Jambalaya pots are easy to clean:

  1. once the pot is cool, wash it with normal liquid detergent, then rinse and dry with a paper towel; don’t listen to those who say just clean it up; this is not hygienic.
  2. after washing, put the pot on the stove / burner to dry it completely; then, before cooling it very slightly, oil it with a vegetable oil; then leave it on the stove for a few minutes; then remove it from the stove and wipe off excess oil with a paper towel;
  3. After cooking utensils are dried, they should never be stored with the lid on, as this can allow moisture to build up inside, causing them to rust. To help prevent this, it may be helpful to place a paper towel inside the pot to absorb moisture; and
  4. If you experience rust, scrub with steel wool until rust is gone, wash and re-season.

Finally, here are some things to do when cooking with your Jambalaya pots:

  1. Don’t use your pot to boil water.
  2. Always preheat the pot before starting to cook. The temperature is just right when the water droplets sizzle and then pop out. It’s too hot if the water turns to steam right away and too cold if the water just bubbles up.
  3. Never put cold water in a really hot pot as it can break. AND
  4. Never touch the jambalaya pot when cooking as it gets very hot. Have a good pair of heavy duty oven mitts handy if you must touch or move it.

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