Outdoor Food and Cooking in the Wild

Cooking in the Wild

By Iris West

Any camping experience for women isn’t complete without outdoor food – and, of course, cooking in the wild. Let’s be honest; nothing beats that adrenaline-packed thrill that comes with going all “wild” out there. That in itself isn’t news at all. Since time immemorial, humans have always found home in the wilderness. That being said, they’d cook in the outdoors enjoying that ambient, calming and refreshing air. So, why wouldn’t today’s women enjoy that thrill and rewarding experience in the great outdoors?

Nowadays, women campers look to relive the bygone stone age era. Herein, I am going to walk you through some camping food ideas and tips on cooking in the wild. Read on to have a taste of the Stone Age Epoch.

Contents

Cooking in the Wild Tips

Cooking in outdoor camps is part and parcel of the whole nature experience. Whether you intend to cook over campfires, camp stoves, grills, Dutch ovens, or foil packets, we got you covered.

Cooking Over Campfire Tips

Start the Fire Early

Cooking in the Wild 1Campfires are exhilarating. No question, but if you don’t start the fire early enough, it won’t burn well. If you are in a group of 3 or more, it would be great if one of you takes charge of the campfire.

If you dread the use of burning wood, cooking over hot coal can be your best shot. But, what would be the need for a camp if you aren’t willing to experiment a little, right?

Use a cookie sheet:

The allure of a cookie sheet lies in its ability to contain heat. This way, you food will cook evenly. If you can garner any item that can trap heat, it would be ideal for even cooking as well.

Want to Grill Green Corns?

Whether you are a newbie to outdoor camping or a seasoned camper, grilling green corn will certainly knock your socks off. The green corn itself is a mouth-watering delicacy that makes cooking in the wild such an exciting adventure. So, how do you grill green corn in the wilderness? Start off by removing the silk then soak the corn in water. Grill on medium heat until it’s well done, pull back the husk then slather it with a little basil butter. The result is quite a treat.

Using Portable Camp Stoves

Camps stove are indispensable equipment for venturing into the wilderness. If handled rightly, they can work like a charm out in the woods. The trick is to use versatile cooking utensils. For one, a cast iron skillet and camps stove are a match made in heaven. They are sturdy and rugged enough to cook food over open fires and subtle enough to cook delicate food.
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Use camp stoves with instant turn-off feature. Also, propane use is advisable to avoid forest fires.

Cooking with Dutch Oven Tips

A dutch oven is another tool that can make cooking in the wild fun and somewhat practical. Though cooking with a dutch oven is pretty straightforward, here are some tips to make it effortlessly easy.

Bring a lid lifter with you:

This is the wilderness, you can even craft your own lifter from a tree brush. A lid lifter is paramount as it allows you to stay at a safe distance from the blazing campfire.

Use a grill grate to keep your oven stable.

You need to keep steady at all times to avoid spillages. Also, make sure to point the handle away from the fire.

Breezy conditions?

Block the direction the wind is blowing from to minimise heat loss when cooking with a Dutch oven over a campfire. This way, cooking in the wild can take the shortest time possible.

Cooking meat?

If you are cooking meat, it’s advisable that the whole surface of the piece makes contact with the Dutch oven to ensure that it’s browned evenly. If your oven isn’t large enough for your meat, you can cook in smaller batches. Here’s the thing: hot campfire can brown meat pretty quickly, but if you want precise temperatures, you opt for charcoal briquettes.

Grilling in the Wild Tips

Believe it or not, grilling in the great outdoors is far much more exhilarating than your average backyard cookout. The ambient air out there is always ideal for grilling. From charring veggies to cooking steak and everything in between, there’s something to grill out in the wild. To make it even easier, here are grilling tips:

Char Some Veggies using a grill basket. Mix some pepper, salt, and olive oil and toss some veggies in it before setting them on a grill basket. Wait till they char nicely before serving warm. Your fellow campers will have nothing but praise for your culinary skills.

Use foil packets to grill directly over a campfire. Foil packets make cooking a breeze. As if that isn’t terrific enough, clean-up is a snap.

And finally if you are keen on really impressing your fellow campers with amazing and delicious creations, then check out The 3 in 1 Camping Cuisine Cookbook. It is a fabulous resource. Bon Apetit!

Multiple Contributor

A young writer and blogger, Iris West lives across her 3 rental houses in Nairobi, Mombasa and Nanyuki in Kenya.

She spends most her holiday time travelling and exploring different geographic regions for social pleasure, nature experiences and for educative purposes, including spending some weeks each year at Kenya’s North parts of Rift Valley, Turkana.

She contributes a lot toward supporting less fortunate families and attends a number of international business conferences as part of her professional work.

11 thoughts on “Outdoor Food and Cooking in the Wild

  • August 14, 2020 at 8:36 am
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    The best part about an outdoor trip like this to me is the action around cooking. One activity that everyone loves to be involved in some way or another. Here we normally go for picnics and invariably the food tastes much better when you sit out altogether and eat. Thanks for the awesome tips.

    Reply
  • August 13, 2020 at 10:32 am
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    I haven’t tried camping outdoors during our vacation because of restrictions (first bushfire then COVID). I always find it tricky to do it but I’m glad I read this page. Very helpful and I think I will grab one of those stoves.

    Reply
  • August 13, 2020 at 6:57 am
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    Cooking in the wild during camping can be tricky, at least that’s what I have thought always. I really love the BBQ stoves some of the camping sites have as I have used them to roast veggies and chicken. I have also roasted potatoes in the open camp fire which has been so awesome.
    My friend did have a camping stove that we used often when we went out. But I have always been scared to have my own, may be it is high time I buy one as I do go out for camping quite a bit.

    Reply
  • August 12, 2020 at 3:00 pm
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    Wow! Looks like you love to have a lot of great dishes when camping. I usually take cold food with me and rarely cool anything other than guacamole. It is so interesting to learn about all the fun things you can cook while camping.

    Reply
  • August 11, 2020 at 6:26 pm
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    Cooking would be such a fun thing to do when camping. I absolutely love those cast-iron pots, so I’m sure they would be amazing for a camping trip. I also love your tips about cooking meat. I’m sure it can be tricky when you’re not in your kitchen.

    Reply
  • August 11, 2020 at 11:48 am
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    The only thing that I have managed to do when it comes to outdoor cooking is roast mushrooms and marshmallows over a fire. However, after these options I am tempted to buy a stove and give a few more dishes a try. I like the option of a Dutch oven. It definitely seems practical after reading your tips about it.

    Reply
  • August 11, 2020 at 11:26 am
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    This is such a great collection of camping tips that could not have come at a better time. With all the travel restrictions going on, there has not been a better time for camping than now. My uncle always used to take us camping and we never had a portable camp stove back then, so he used to grill corn over the open fire. It took forever and we ended up with burnt corn on a cob. Not the greatest really but then he never was that experienced with being out in the wilderness (yes, he was taken straight out of the bygone stone age era haha).

    Reply
  • August 11, 2020 at 12:17 am
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    There is nothing better than food cooked on an open fire. But I must admit I have never heard about using a baking sheet. I like the idea of cooking in foil packets. And of course, the fire is great for marshmallows for dessert!

    Reply
  • August 10, 2020 at 8:27 pm
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    I’ve been wanting to grill corn outside on the grill all summer. I haven’t because the last time I tried I messed up pretty badly, and it was so hard. This is an awesome tip regarding soaking the corn in water first! Can you do milk instead?? Or it has to be water?

    Reply
  • January 10, 2017 at 4:26 am
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    Thanks for all the Cooking tips! We usually just do a Braai over and open fire, I think that is what you call Grilling?

    Reply
  • January 9, 2017 at 9:55 pm
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    I liked that tip about the green corn. One day, I will get a Dutch oven and make sure to refer to this article as one of my go-to references. Thanks!

    Reply

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