Camping Cooking Tips You Should Know
As humans, we are wired to need food regardless of where we are and what we are doing. When you go to a camp, you will obviously want to cook from time to time because the food you eat is what will keep you going. On the other hand, cooking in the woods can be a bit tricky, especially if you didn’t come fully prepared. For a start, you have to figure out how to create the fire and the cookware you will use.
Having the right cooking gear helps in ensuring that you prepare the meals without worrying about igniting a forest fire or injuring yourself. The good thing is that it gives you the privilege of enjoying hearty meals without being limited by anything. Here is a list of tips that can enhance your cooking experience at a campsite.
1. Have your Own Stove
Going to a camp without a stove is the worst mistake you can make. This is because you will not be able to cook the food supplies that you carried. The firewood can also not be reliable during wet weather. In fact, it’s very difficult to start a fire when the wood or twigs are not dry, meaning you will have to go on an empty stomach when you can fix a meal in a couple of minutes.
The good thing is that the stoves that are designed for camping come with a sleek design and are not heavy. There are actually those that use either kerosene, LPG, or propane. The downside of a kerosene stove is that it produces a lot of smoke that sticks on the cookery. The smoke sometimes gets trapped in the food making it have a smoky taste. LPG and propane stoves are ranked as the best camping stoves for Australia because they are economical and they produce smoke which in return makes it easier to clean the cooking stoves.
2. Open Flames Vs. Coals
When prepping your food in the woods, you have the option of choosing between open flames and coals. All in all, your choice should be guided by the type of food that you want to cook. Open flames are usually ideal for foods that need to be boiled as the heat is extremely hot. The advantage of the flames is that the food cooks faster and you can place your food on top of the stove immediately after igniting the fire. The downside is that the flames can be a bit messy.
But you can tame the flames by adjusting the stove regulator. Coals on the other hand are the crème dela crème. But they take a while to be formed. Once you have them, you can fix your meal without being interrupted by smoke. They are ideal for baking and roasting meat.
3. Cover your Pots and Shield Stove from Wind
Cooking with uncovered pots consumes a lot of energy from the stove and the food doesn’t cook fast as you would expect. This is because a larger percentage of heat escapes into the thin air. It’s also recommended you place your cooking stove in a place where there is no wind.
If you are using an LPG or propane stove, you can cook inside your tent because it’s smoke-free. Besides that, the yummy aroma can invite unwanted guests especially if you are cooking meat. The other looming problem is that your food can be contaminated by dust and other debris that are common in the woods.
