4 Tips for Rockin’ Campfire Cooking By Kirsten Hudson

4 Tips for Rockin’ Campfire Cooking

By: Kirsten Hudson

Campfire cooking is one the best parts of camping. There is something special about food that is prepared over an open fire. It just tastes better, provided, of course, that the food is cooked properly. Now that summer is here we imagine that many families may be considering or even planning that first ever family camping adventure. A successful camping experience can come down to a family eating good, wholesome food prepared over the family campfire.

Towards achieving that end we suggest you read this article by Kristen Hudson. She discusses four tips for cooking your favorite foods over an open flame. The article offers these suggestions in the spirit of keeping things simple, but effective. In particular, it encourages you to be creative, to keep the fire low, to pay attention and to know your [cooking] techniques.

While there are many ways to start your campfire, this article eschews the several pioneer methods of fire starting in favor of one simple, unusual and creative way to start your fire. Use dried citrus peels (eg. orange) as kindling to start the flames. The oils in the dried peel assure that fire catches easily and the campsite is enveloped in the pleasant aroma of oranges. Once the peel is on fire, it is time to add a supplemental source to keep the fire burning, such as small dried twigs and then larger sticks. Once the fire is going stronger, add larger pieces of dried hardwood that you have gathered from your campsite or coals you have brought with you to grow the flames into a full-on campfire.

The best way to avoid a cooking disaster is to cook your meal low and slow. This means that that you must not allow the fire to grow too large and become too hot for cooking. We suggest that you invest in a cooking tripod or grate to keep the pot or skillet stabilized above the flame.

Campfire cooking is as much about the experience as it is the results. Do not rush the cooking process over a too hot of a fire. The campfire is about low and slow. The food will be cooked thoroughly without burning it. Monitor the fire’s heat production and be prepared to move you pot, kettle or skillet farther or closer to the flame, depending upon the circumstances. While this way of cooking takes longer, the overall experience makes it all worthwhile. You will have a better tasting meal and the fun of cooking it over a crackling fire.

There are several different techniques you can use in campfire cooking. The article identifies these methods as grill, skillet, aluminum foil and sticks. The gill method involves the placement of a grill grates over the flame and placing food directly on the grill to cook. The skillet technique is simply placing it directly on the fire and then cooking food in the frying pan. But, be sure the skillet is stabilized so it does not turn over or spill. The aluminum foil methods is where food is wrapped in foil and then place on the fire to cook. It is incumbent upon new campers to plan in advance as which method or methods to employ and then master them before you take your skills to the campsite for that first cook.

The advice in this article should give you a better understanding of the different methods of campfire cooking. We recommend that you read the full article for a more thorough understanding. To do so, just click here or on the article’s title below the featured image at the top. We hope that this discussion has been informative and helpful. If you need any gear for your next camping trip, please visit the camping section of our storefront.