Welcome to outdoor cooking Guide
Camping Cooking And Outdoor Gear Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Building fire in Outdoor Cooking
from: IOWABuilding the fire For the beginner, the first step is learning to build a fire properly. Successful outdoor cookery calls for glowing coals, not active flames. The coals give off even heat. You may be an “old hand” at building campfires, but here are some practical suggestions.
1. Select an open spot, away from trees, dead leaves, or anything that may easily catch fire.
2. Start with a crumpled piece of paper or handful of tinder.
3. Arrange very small twigs or sticks in teepee fashion. (Do not use leaves; they smother the fire.) Lay the sticks so that plenty of air can get through the spaces between them.
For a teepee fire —After the small twigs begin to burn, add larger sticks the same way you did the small ones. A teepee fi re burns quick and hot, with the flame directed to one spot.
For a log cabin fire —Build larger sticks in log cabin style around the kindling. This is a long-burning fire but takes longer to get started.
For a charcoal fire —This fire is easy to light. If you have never used charcoal, follow this plan.
1. Place the charcoal under the rack where the food is to be cooked.
2. Add crumpled newspaper. Light the newspaper.
3. When the coals begin to turn white or glow, they are ready. Stir the hot coals with a long, thick stick or an iron rod to distribute the heat more evenly. Add food onto the rack.
If the coals flame from fat dripping into the fire, sprinkle with water. A spray bottle is handy to use.
Choose your fire wood
The kind of fi re also depends on the kind of wood you use. Avoid wood with a pithy center. It does not burn easily, and gives little heat. Use split logs rather than round, smooth ones. They burn more readily.
Soft woods (pine, spruce, cedar, aspen, basswood, and birch) burn quickly and leave ashes but few coals.
Hard woods (oak, ash, hickory, apple, walnut, cherry, maple) burn slowly and provide excellent coals for baking or toasting.
How hot to build the fire
Beginners often ask how hot to build a fire. A quick rule of thumb is to hold your hand palm-side down at about the position the food will be above the fire and count (one-thousand-one, one thousand-two, etc.).
If you can hold your hand for
6 seconds or more, it is a slow fire;
5 seconds is a medium-slow fire;
4 seconds is a medium fire;
3 seconds is medium-hot; and
2 seconds is a hot fire.
Most foods are best cooked over a medium fire.
Camping Cooking And Outdoor Gear News
Pennsylvania State Parks, Forests Roll Out Welcome Mat for Summer Visitors - MarketWatch (press release)
Pennsylvania State Parks, Forests Roll Out Welcome Mat for Summer Visitors MarketWatch (press release) Primitive camping also is available throughout the state forest system. A brochure can be found at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_001910.pdf . A new overnight option this year is the Inn at Cook Forest in the ... |
My Camp Kitchen packs a full wilderness kitchen in a box - Gizmag
My Camp Kitchen packs a full wilderness kitchen in a box Gizmag There's so much gear that you need just to eat, sleep and relax, and if you lose just one piece, it could ruin your whole trip. My Camp Kitchen is a kitchen storage solution that keeps all your cooking and eating gear in one neat package. |
Gear, gadgets and gizmos for camping - TheNewsTribune.com
Gear, gadgets and gizmos for camping TheNewsTribune.com Here are a few pieces of gear to consider this year. They're all handy without breaking the bank (too bad) and they give you more things to play with on your next campout. Think of them like stocking stuffers, but you don't have to wait until Christmas ... |
Get set up for Memorial Day camping - Austin News
Get set up for Memorial Day camping Austin News It is part of the Outdoor Family Workshops at various parks throughout Texas. At McKinney Falls State Park in Southeast Austin, Parks employees taught families to set up camp, pitch a tent, cook on a stove, kayak, geocache and more. |
Camping time just got easier in Pa. - Allentown Morning Call
Camping time just got easier in Pa. Allentown Morning Call The gear must be returned when leaving. Campers need to bring their own food, cooking utensils and bedding. Reservations can be made by calling the specific park in which you wish to camp. "Our love of nature often begins in our childhood if we have ... |