Do It Yourself Outdoor Cooking

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Outdoor cooking can be a fun experience, especially if you are out camping in the wilderness, or if you simply want to have a backyard party with family and friends. Outdoor cooking can teach you survival skills, as well as resourcefulness. Where else can you find a thousand ways to use a fire for cooking, as well as a hundred ways to cook an egg using just foil and sticks?

Outdoor cooking is largely do-it-yourself, with the food usually very high in carbohydrates, as most campers and hikers need the energy. If you are going on a camping trip, you won't be able to carry fresh cuts of meat, or a stock of fresh produce with you. You will have to rely on noodles, dried meats, and perhaps a stock of potatoes to see you through. If you are an expert hunter, perhaps you can get some game, but this is getting rarer, especially with the issue of wildlife conservation looming over many parks.

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You can make a small fire and use a pie iron over hot coals. The pie iron is an iron pan with a long handle. You can use a pie iron for smores, hot dogs, and bread. You can also use a Dutch oven, which is made of cast iron or aluminum, and which has a cover in which you can place hot coals. Dutch ovens are heavy, so you can bring one or two when you have a group going out camping or for a cookout.

Some pots and Dutch ovens are clumsy, and your food may spill. You can rig the outdoor cooking pieces by assembling iron bars so that they hang over the flame. On the other hand, you can also wait for the fire to die down so you can place your pots directly onto the coal and flames. You can also dig a pit and place coals in it, then cook your food in the earth, just like a clambake.

Because campfires are banned in many states, you can use small flames and cook your food in clay pots, leaves, or aluminum foil. There are many other ways to cook your food on your own. In Hawaii, for instance, campers can treat themselves to lava-warmed food wrapped in banana leaves.

These are only a few DIY outdoor cooking methods. For more information, talk to your fellow campers and outdoor cooking specialists. Soon, you can enjoy your meal outdoors!