Boy Scout Troop 114

Troop 114 Cooking Tips & Tricks

March 13, 2005

A good first reference is your Boy Scout Handbook: see chapter 10. Take note of the food pyramid on page 259. You can find basic recipes right in the supermarket – look on spice packages, boxes and cans. You can get the cooking merit badge book or Camp Cookery for Small Groups (also published by the Boy Scouts). Also check the library & Web for outdoor cooking ideas.

• For cold weather cooking, it is important to serve a hot meal.
• The Dutch oven, with the cover on, will keep food warm - especially with a few coals on top. You can use the Dutch oven for this purpose even if you don’t cook with it. However, I recommend that you try cooking with the Dutch oven because it is an easy way to serve a hot meal and clean up is very easy.
• Four stakes with the pins bent up will provide a stable platform for a grill on uneven ground.
• Use 1-2" hardwood to make a cooking fire - not logs. You want the fire to burn fast and leave a bed of coals. Softwood will turn to ash and logs will take too long. As an alternative, bring some charcoal. Kingsford is generally best for camping. Natural hardwood charcoal, however, is good for cold weather camping because it burns very hot. It is, however, so is harder to use. Don’t bring lighter fluid – you can start the coal with a small fire or charcoal chimney.
• You can cook directly on coals using aluminum foil – normal weight will work, but heavy duty is better.
• If you are cooking on a stove, make sure it is stable and level before you start cooking. Hot pans, food and water can burn if the stove tips over.
• Think about things you can do to prepare food at home, especially for the first day:
• Wash lettuce, dry, and put in a zip lock bag with a paper towel. You should wash lettuce even if it is the type sold in a bag.
• Wash and pre-chop vegetables, put in plastic bags, and have prepared for the meal
• Cube or slice meat ahead of time. For chili or sloppy-joes, hamburger can be browned at home.
• Eggs will keep longer if you coat the shells in vegetable oil.
• Keep in mind that smaller items cook faster and are often easier for the beginning cook
• Instead of chicken breasts, try chicken tenders
• Instead of big potatoes, try small new potatoes (or cut potatoes in half)
• Many items (eggs, potatoes, macaroni, corn, other vegetables) can be cooked directly in boiling water, which makes for easy clean up. You can put zip-lock freezer bags in boiling water with food inside (for example, a “one bag omelet”).
• A salad is an easy, nutritious way to add a vegetable to a meal. Another option for a nutritious side dish is to simply slice some fruit.
• Macaroni / Noodles provide carbohydrates, which is good for cold weather camping. Serve hot directly from the water (it will get cold quickly if you drain the water as you do at home). Rice is a good alternative. Carbohydrates will help make the meal filling.
• Don’t forget a drink and small dessert to finish a meal!