Cooking over a wood-burning campfire can be tricky. You'll never realize how much you miss your spacious kitchen counter tops, running tap water and a pantry full of staples and spices until you try cooking a multi-course meal outdoors. However, ways to make campfire cooking easier include making sure you have the correct supplies on hand and packaged in a convenient manner.
Universal Staples
Assuming you will be cooking traditional “camping meals,” menus that aren't too fancy or specialized, you will almost always need a list of basic “universal” staples. This list includes flour, cracker crumbs, eggs and cooking oil for fried items and simple baked goods. You'll also need basic spices and flavorings like sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and chili. Staples like milk, shredded cheeses, Parmesan cheese and butter are also a must. Condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce should be on your list too. If you intend to make breads or desserts in camp, add solid shortening, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, dried active yeast and cocoa to your list. You can cook nearly anything with these basic items.
Flexible Staples
In addition to these basic staples, you'll want to pack supplies that can be put to many different uses in camp. With items like refrigerator-biscuits and sliced bread, you can make many dishes. Macaroni is very versatile, as is tomato paste or canned Italian sauce. Canned soups like cream of chicken and cream of mushroom are very adaptive. Canned gravies can be handy too. Bisquick is essential for any outdoor cook. Honey and maple syrup can play multiple roles. Chocolate bars are always useful in some fashion, as are marshmallows.
Vegetables and Fruits
Fresh vegetables and fruits are great to have on hand in camp, but if that is difficult to pull off, or if you're worried about spoilage, consider taking along bags of frozen products. Freeze these items solid before leaving for camp and keep them on ice thereafter. Use them as needed for meals and reseal the bags with rubber bands or clips.
Staple Proteins
Protein staples like navy beans, bacon, bologna, sausages and peanut butter can produce many different meals. Peanut butter is one of the most adaptable food products around, useful for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Starch Staples
A bag of potato chips is a multipurpose staple. So are Ritz crackers, graham crackers, saltines and vanilla wafer cookies. You can use these items in entrees and desserts, and as snacks.
Packaging Staples
Before leaving for camp, package all your dry staples in resealable plastic containers and bags. This packaging will save room and keep foods from spoiling. Label the bags and tubs legibly. Pre-measure some dry staples into handy teaspoon, tablespoon and cup portions and individually package them. You won't have to worry about measuring cups or spoons if you take this trouble ahead of time. An even better idea is to pre-measure and package entire meals in advance, such as all the ingredients for a pot of baked beans, and place them in a box. You can take each “meal” out of your stores and won't have to root through all your supplies to find the makings for one meal. You'll also be less likely to forget to take some key ingredient.
Keeping Supplies Clean and Fresh
If you need to chill items, fill your ice chests with dry ice, not frozen water. The dry ice will evaporate and your foods won't end up swimming in water. Reseal your staples packages immediately. Don't leave them open for ants and bees to intrude. Change out all packaging that doesn't have a tight seal that can be shut firmly. Large binder clips are great for closing packages.
References
- “Campground Cookery”; Brenda K. Kulibert; 2007
- “Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired by Campfires, Chuck Wagons and Ranch Kitchens”; Grady Spears”; 2009
- “The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook”; Christine Conners and Tim Conners; 2008
- “Campfire Cooking”; G&R Publishing; 2005
- “Camp Cooking: 100 Years”; National Museum of Forest Service History; 2004
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