Cooking at camp

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Cooking at camp

Camping leads the way with campsites booked from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day with kids and their families looking to be one with nature and enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

For many of those families, that includes the daily chore of cooking meals for a hungry family. One of the many benefits to camping is actually preparing food without the use of gas ranges and microwave ovens. Food preparation becomes a family activity that can interest anyone if done correctly. Not to mention that the food can be some of the tastiest you have ever had. Follow our guidelines to a successful campfire meal.

• The Fire: The first step to creating a camp meal is to start a fire. A small fire is ideal for cooking most family size meals and allows you to get close without getting burned. Start a fire and pull the hot coals from it as they develop. A good bed of hot coals is actually what does the cooking. Keep the fire going and continually pull hot coals from it to keep a constant temperature for your cooking.

• Equipment: Cast iron pots and pans are best, as are long handled utensils. Additional gear that you may find useful as you gain experience include spiders and Dutch ovens. A spyder can be used to hang cooking pots over the coals much like you have seen in old western movies. Dutch ovens are large roasters that you can essentially bury in hot coals for hours while the food is cooked from all sides. The principles of a Dutch oven can be recreated with a bit of aluminum foil wrapped around your meal. This may be the easiest way to prepare a meal on an open fire.

• Cooking Tips: Beyond cooking over coals rather than an open flame it is important to make sure your meals have enough moisture in them to withstand a longer cooking time. Slow cooking means keeping the coals hot and the dishes simple in the beginning. Don't be surprised to find burned food at the edges while the middle is a delicacy. This is a common occurrence. Start well in advance of mealtime so you can take your time. It is easier to keep food warm for a period of time rather than cook it quickly.

As you can see, your family doesn't have to suffer through meals of hot dogs and marshmallows while camping. A gourmet meal awaits with the proper tools and a bit of patience.