[SAJ]

Doesn't have to be tomatoes. Anything that is naturally acidic will absorb of some amount of iron, typically in compound form, when cooking in cast iron.

Some time ago, 1800s, one common palliative for anemia was to boil vinegar in an iron pot and use the result in place of 'plain' vinegar. (Side note: vinegar -- acetic acid -- is a quite remarkable chemical.)

[AnAmericanMother]

But tomatoes are a good and common example.

(Also: don't put aluminum foil over your lasagna or your barbeque. You get holes in the foil and nasty little lumps of blackish-grey aluminum oxide all over the food.)

So long as you cook an occasional meal in a Dutch Oven, you should have plenty of iron in your diet! Our Boy Scouts should all be just fine (I'm a bit of a Dutch Oven specialist -- real men don't eat quiche, but they never complain about Mountain Man Breakfast: sausage, hash browns, onions and green peppers sauteed in a dutch, covered with beaten eggs, shredded cheese and salsa, then pop the cover on, 9 coals under and 15 coals on top, about 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set.)

[Joya]

Interesting about the vinegar being boiled in cast iron. I wonder how that would taste if substituted for regular cider vinegar? Good home remedy.

I have read in the past that vinegar is very good for you. I had a coworker once who was told by her doctor to drink a glass of water with vinegar and honey added every day, I think it was to detoxify her body.

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I really do think people w/ anemia should cook using cast iron skillets and kettles.

I’m pretty sure Wal-Mart carries Lodge cast iron products. And anyone not familiar with how to season cast iron, search on the internet for that info or else ASK here on FR.