5 Handy Tips for Cooking Over a Campfire
2020 has proven challenging for us keen campers. We have been locked away over the peak warmer weather holidays when we all love to head bush camping. With travel restricted, but the chains coming "off" for camping in a lot of the states, we know that most campers will, this year, head out during the cooler weather just to get back into camping and enjoying the great outdoors again. Never before will a fire at your camspite be more important, and so why not utilise the coals to make some great camping tucker?
Tasty and nutritious meals are an important part of a great camping experience. If you’re not sure how to make them, here you’ll find the tips that will help you do it easily.
Spending time in nature is always a good idea. This is why camping is a very popular hobby for many. There are all kinds of activities that you can do to get the most out of your camping trip. To make sure you can do them all, you need good meals that will ensure you have enough energy.
Cooking over a campfire is far more difficult than cooking at home, but that’s also why it’s so much fun. If you’ve never done it before, getting the hang of how it works can be a pretty challenging task. However, this is a skill that’s useful for life once you pick it up.
To make the learning process easier for you, here are some of the best tips for cooking over a campfire:
1. Plan Your Meals Ahead
An important part of every trip is planning. When it comes to camping, planning your meals ahead is always a good idea. It can save you a lot of time when you’re out in nature, and it can help you prepare everything that you’ll need to make delicious meals.
Before you go camping, gather all the food that you plan on preparing and organise it well. You don’t need to over-plan it, just have an idea of what you and your friends or family would like to eat. Then, collect all the camping kitchenware supplies that you think you’ll need, and you’re good to go. Having a cooler is pretty much a must when you’re camping, so get one that’s of the right size.
2. Bring the Necessary Cooking Equipment
Make sure to have everything you need for cooking before you go camping. Take your pots, pans, and other cooking utensils. Don’t forget to bring sharp knives, as you’ll definitely need them.
One thing to keep in mind is to bring the right camping cookware. Either bring some old utensils or buy some cheap ones. You will likely ruin some of them, so you wouldn’t want to lose your favourite cookware.
3. Use Aluminium Foil
Tinfoil is a campers’ best friend. There are many uses for it. For one, you can place it on top of your grill grate to ensure less grease while cooking.
Also, tinfoil can be a great replacement for dishes. Instead of having to bring a whole bunch of dishes, you can simply use tin foil to wrap the food in it. You can just throw it away after you’re done.
4. Cook Over Hot Coals
Many people make the mistake that cooking over an open fire is simple. There are many issues with this. First of all, the heat tends to change frequently, so you might not get consistent cooking temperatures. Also, your food can catch fire, which will obviously ruin it.
A better way of cooking is to wait until the firewood burns down. When this happens, you’ll see white hot coal that you can cook over. To ensure consistency, you can keep adding wood. Instead of burning, it will turn into more coals. Coals can also be used on our wide range of cast iron cookware. placed on top its generates a more consistent heat throughout the cooking vessel.
On the subject of cast iron camp ware. Check out the Youtube Video below where Ashley from our Online team gives you some super tips on care and seasoning on our range of cast iron cooking aids.
5. Turn the Food Frequently
Do this if you want your food to be evenly cooked. After you start cooking, make sure to turn your food every 10-15 minutes. This way, you can make sure that there are no overcooked or undercooked parts.
This is especially important if you’re making greasy food. If you don’t turn it frequently using the right camping utensils, the grease might drip into the coals and cause flare-ups, which can ruin your meals.
The Final Word
We hope you now have an idea of what cooking over campfire looks like. As we said, it might not be easy at first, but you’ll master it pretty quickly. Once you do, you’ll be able to prepare all kinds of meals that will make camping even more enjoyable.
After you’re finished cooking, don’t forget to clean up behind you. Put out the fire and use a shovel or other tools to clean all the debris, so the next campers can enjoy their trip as well.
Comments (1)
How to estimate camp oven Temps?
By: Holgiebear on 27 May 2020Always preheat your camp oven before cooking or baking. Use a piece of paper towel to check the temperature of the oven before cooking. Place a corner (3x5cm) of paper towel in the camp oven once it’s been on the coals for about 10-minutes. After five minutes of paper going in: • If the paper is black and smoking, the oven is too hot. • If the paper is dark brown, the oven is very hot (approx. 220°-230°C) • If the paper is light brown, the oven is hot (approx. 190°-200°C) • If the paper is yellowish, the oven is moderate (approx. 180°C-90°C) A very hot oven of about 230°C will char things to a blackened crisp. For food requiring short cooking times for browning, such as Pizza, biscuits or pies about 190°C-200°C works well. The most common Temperature required to in camp oven cooking is what would be "moderate" with a temperature of about 180°-190°C. This would include things like cakes and some fruit dampers, takes about 40mins cooking time on average. For stews and casseroles you want a slow oven - about 150°C-175°C. Note: I always cook off to the side of the camp fire where the coals are taken. It is common to refresh coals for stews, but not usually for cakes and dampers. Once one gets the hang of cooking or baking a few meals it becomes second nature.
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