Dutch Ovens

The covered cooking pot. For the curious child and adult alike, it can stir up curiosity and anticipation. Before every meal, we wonder what’s cooking underneath the container’s lid. Is it a basic steamed vegetable or grain? Or is it something more savory, such as artichokes with alioli, or red curry rice? In Amish Holmes County Ohio and elsewhere, many of us are guilty of peeking underneath a pot’s lid before the cooking is complete. When camping, this ritual can be just as thrilling. After a morning or afternoon hiking, kayaking, and fishing, we have an urge to see what’s hidden under the lid of the Dutch oven lid. We hope it’s not canned pork and beans again...

After seasoning your cast iron Dutch iron as necessary, it is time to start the cooking. But before you dump in a mishmash of foods, it is important to follow some time-tested guidelines, to make sure that happy campers are seated around the campfire or at the picnic table:

1. Fire away! Certain considerations should be made about the heat source. For example, only experienced cooks should cook with coals. Also, fires are best built on hardwoods, to maximize the fire’s temperature and life. Next, rarely do camping stoves need to be used at the highest setting. Speaking of temperatures, if food is hot on the outside yet raw in the center, reduce the cooking temperature. Lastly, if you are worried about your pot burning, rub the outside with soap, before cooking.

2. Start cooking before you start camping. In particular, slicing and dicing of vegetables; and cleaning meats, is much easier at home in Berlin Ohio or wherever else your welcome mat lies. There, the countertop and ample water supply make it easier to do certain food preparation tasks.

It’s also important that everything is sealed properly before placing it in your Coleman cooler. Wrap vegetables in aluminum foil and then wrap them again with many sheets of brown paper.

3. Leave home without it. Whether you live in Holmes County Ohio or elsewhere, it is advisable to not bring glass products when camping. Glass is less compact than other containers, and more importantly, can create a dangerous mess if it breaks.

4. Necessity is the Mother Nature of invention. Cooking in the wilderness may require some innovations, or may simply make your life easier. Here are some suggestions:

• Use a can as a rolling pin
• To avoid burning food, wrap food in cabbage before wrapping it in aluminum foil.
• Use frozen “egg beaters” and readymade rolls in the winter
• Raw potato to reduce saltiness of gravy or stew
• Dinner leftovers make a perfect breakfast
• Warm up canned foods in the can
• Bullion cubes can be a substitute for meat stock
• Squeeze-bottle margarine is more convenient than other varieties

5. Give your Dutch oven a leg to stand on. Camping Dutch ovens tend to have three short legs. However, some Dutch ovens used in places such as Amish Holmes County Ohio, are legless. When that is the case, three metal spikes can be used to elevate the pot about 2 inches above the ground. That will provide enough room for the coals. Also, if your Dutch oven lacks a rimmed lid, create one using aluminum foil.

When camping in Amish Holmes County Ohio, only your imagination can limit the variety of foods you can prepare with your cast iron Dutch oven. By following some simple guidelines, you can enjoy a hearty meal that has been safely prepared and is easy to clean up. And from time to time you