Guest Post
Camp Cooking Can Be Gourmet
Since as far back as man can remember there has always been an interest in cooking around an open fire. We can’t have this luxury in our home or else we wouldn’t have a home after the meal was done. Over time the camp out included cold meat and bread, hot dogs, or an occasional hamburger but for the most part it was sandwiches. While open fires are the perfect place to fix meals the problem was carrying everything to the camp site and then roughing it when it came to preparing everything. It took a lot of preparing ahead of time so you could be ready for camping.
Camping around an open fire can be viewed in a totally different way. It’s not so much about dragging and lugging everything but the kitchen sink to the camp site and tons of water to help you rinse and keep up with the dishes. It’s about preparing all the food in bags and having it ready so that all you need to do is get it out and cook it. Here are some helpful hints and tips to make your next camping trip a success and leaving them wanting more of your gourmet meal.
When you are done preparing the meal everything should fit neatly inside a cooler so you can tote it around without making a mess. Make sure you count the number of meals that you need to prepare for so you won’t go hungry.
- Take the usual hamburger and hot dogs and spice them up. First, realize that aluminum foil is your friend. Press out hamburger patties and wrap each individual ones in an aluminum pouch. Don’t forget to add onion, carrots, celery, and your favorite spices and seasonings. You can also replace the beef and pork with chicken. Take the average hot dog and place it in the pouch with some potatoes and beans. Season to taste and then your family can enjoy it.
- For breakfast, you want everyone to enjoy the taste of a hot breakfast before you get your day started. Precook sausage patties and eggs before you leave and place them on a biscuit that has already baked. Individually wrap each one so that they can eat what they want. Purchase or make frozen potatoes which can also be put in aluminum pouches and season to taste before adding them to the fire. Everyone can enjoy a nice hot breakfast to get everyone started on the right foot.
- Snacks are going to be in demand because your family will burn more calories when they are outside. They can’t watch television or listen to music so they will be exploring more and becoming active. You will need to provide something that will hold them over until the next meal. Snack foods such as granola bars, trail mix, crackers, and popcorn are just some of the snack foods that you can have ready. These do not require too much preparation so you will be able to purchase them or fix them up before you leave. They will last during your trip without being refrigerated.
- Drinks are another thing you may want to consider. Everyone will probably drink water but they will want something different with their meals. Take advantage of the outdoors by brewing up some sun tea. This is easy to do and tastes so good. Your family will enjoy a tall glass of ice tea with their meals.
It’s not always easy to prepare for camping but this year the meal will be more enjoyable for you and your family.
Author: Lisa Paterson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Camping Cookware Comparisons: Which Is Best For Camp Cooking?
What type of camping cookware is best for you? Camp cooking and clean-up can be easy or a hassle, it all starts with great camping equipment.
Camping cookware, like any camping equipment, should be versatile and tough. A lot of campers have a set of cookware just for camping because they don’t want to risk damaging their good kitchen set and/or it’s easier to keep all your camping gear organized and ready-to-go in big plastic bin(s). Kitchen cookware usually won’t last long in the field anyway. Camp cooking outdoors can be a lot more demanding than what most kitchen utensils are made for.
Heavy duty camping cookware is not only a good idea, it’s almost a necessity. If you’re camp cooking and your only pan cracks or burns through making it unusable, you’re either going to have to find a way to use tin foil creatively or eat cold sandwiches the rest of your camping trip.
Remember to get camping cookware with tight-fitting lids to help heat food on your camping stove more quickly and to help save fuel, this is especially important to hikers that carry everything. I’d stay away from non-stick coatings as it only takes over-heating them once and the surface is junk. Also once the surface is scorched the chemical make-up is permanently changed and I’m not sure how healthy it would be for you. Non-stick surfaces can also scratch, it’s hard enough keeping them in good shape at home let alone camping or hiking.
Some pots/pans come in sets that mate together or “nest” for storage and even allow you to tuck a canister of fuel inside them. This comes in handy when you’re looking to save room while camping.
Look for camping cookware with rounded corners/edges to help reduce hot-spots and for ease of cleaning.
Remember that most camping cookware handles can get hot so bring something you can use to protect your hands. For quicker boiling and heating look for camping cookware with black colored bottoms because it will absorb heat better and save you some fuel.
Backpackers: One liter pots are a good size for two people who don’t eat much, if you and you’re buddy have a normal appetite you’ll want to use a 1.5 liter pot. A two liter should supply about three hikers with a bigger appetite each with a good-size meal. If you’re in a bigger group you’ll want to bump up the size.
There are several different types of camping cookware and they have different advantages and disadvantages…
Aluminum pans and cookware: Advantages: Lightweight, heat quickly, and cheap. Disadvantages: Possible link to Alzheimer’s, food has a tendency to stick, hot spot heating can easily burn food so you’ll want to stir it, hard to clean, can taste bad, pans can get bent/dinged easily, and aluminum has a tendency to react with foods. I’ve seen tomato sauce eat through…
If you’d like more information on camping cookware please click here for the whole article. You may also want to take a look at this related article on how to pick the best camping stove for your use.
Author: Marc Wiltse
Article Source: EzineArticles.com