Preparing a dinner over a campfire is slightly different from how you go about your day to day cooking at home. Though in some ways it is pretty easy, for example you don’t have to spend as much time preparing dinner. Yet in other ways, it may be easier to mess up and then your limited supplies are wasted! No one wants to be hungry on a camping trip! When preparing a campfire dinner, here are some tips to help you through getting your dinner ready without facing any setbacks:
Hot water is in high demand when camping. Hot water especially will be of great importance when preparing hot beverages. Just because you are in the woods doesn’t mean you have to start the day off with no coffee! The perfect way of ensuring that you have enough water throughout the night, and morning, is by boiling water beforehand and storing it in thermos. That way, it can remain hot for as long as the next 24 hours. Alternatively, you may choose to boil water in cups. This is done by filling the cup with water and putting it directly on the coals. Since water acts as a thermal conductor, it helps prevent the water cup from burning even if it is paper.
When you are out camping and you want to enjoy a nicely prepared meal of meat, like freshly caught fish, the perfect way of doing this is by wrapping it with wild leaves. Examples of leaves to use include banana, reed and palm leaves. Wrapping the meat with leaves while cooking over a campfire helps prevent it from burning and gives it a great flavor.
Another smart campfire tip is to use your army knife as the kitchen knife and your Frisbee as the chopping board. This saves one from having to carry too much kitchen ware and cutlery when preparing a campfire dinner.
To enable you prepare a highly nutritious dinner with the best of fresh spices, have all of your spices, dried herbs, tomato puree or curry powders stored in an ice cream box. This keeps them fresh for long and helps in preserving the natural aroma.
Finally, to ensure that you enjoy a nice dinner around a campfire, you have to preserve it well during the day. If you have been camping for a while, the best way to keep your meat fresh all through is by drying it in the sun during the day or smoking it. Smoking it is ideal for it not only makes it stay fresh for longer but also adds a nice tang of smoke when being cooked and eaten.
You might also want to check out this 12-Step Guide to Camping for Beginners: http://enjoylife.co.za/12stepcamping
Written by Mark Lynch.
