Campfire Cooking Is A Pleasurable Way To Enjoy The Outdoors.

Nothing tops off a day of outdoor adventure like a tasty meal cooked over the fire. Campfire cooking is its own delicacy, and sets the mood for a pleasant evening. Life can be simpler with the advent of gas camp-stoves and accessories, but the trade-off for ease is genuine flavor. And once you develop a taste for good grub, there's nothing to stop you from enjoying outdoor meals on a regular basis.

Enjoying the campfire cuisine can be enhanced by a few tips and tricks, the first of which is your local area fire restrictions. Make sure you are aware of your campgrounds rules for fire-building. Have respect for nature by using designated fire-pits and use the appointed wood supplies from your campground. Never destroy live trees for a fuel source, as it will burn poorly, and create unecessary smoke. For ease of mind, bring an ample supply of seasoned, dry firewood from home, leaving you free to concentrate on your culinary favorites.

If there is no fire-pit to be found, then you will have to choose an optimum spot for your campfire. Look first, for a flat, solid rock location. This is the best place for a campfire, as it allows good air circulation, heat retention (from the underlying rock), and ease of extinguishing flames and embers when finished. If no rock surface is available, then be sure to build on a flat area which has been cleared of debris clear down to the soil. This allows you to extinguish the fire thoroughly, without any chance of underlying debris holding hidden embers within. Never build a campfire in windy conditions, as the resulting sparks can start forest fires. Literally hundreds of forest fires are started each year by carelessness, and the fines are quite hefty.

To build your ideal firepit, create a horseshoe on the ground from large rocks that can be used to hold hot pots and pans. Adjust the size of the "horseshoe" shape to meet the size fire you need for cooking, and direct the back of the firepit towards the breeze. If you can find a large, but lift-able boulder, place it at the back of the pit as a "chimney rock". This will help direct heat upward, taking the smoke with it. Clear the area around your new fire-pit by eight feet, and check that overhanging branches are well above the threat of catching fire. Lastly, have a full water-bucket nearby for instant dowsing if needed.

To arrange the firewood for cooking, first fill your fire-pit with some crumpled paper followed by small dry kindling. Arrange small branches and sticks in a cross-checkerboard pattern over the kindling layer. Before adding larger firewood, ignite the paper and allow the kindling and branches to catch fire. Add the fire wood in increasing size until desired coals are produced, keeping an even checkerboard pattern across the whole pit. To determine the temperature for cooking, just hold your hand about 4 inches above the flames and count, in seconds, how long you can hold it there without burning yourself. 2 seconds is hot at approx. 450 degrees. 3 seconds is medium at 350 degrees and 4 seconds is low at 250 degrees. If needed, remove or pile up coals to achieve desired temperature.

When ready, spray a coat of cooking oil on your grill and set over fire, resting the edges on your outside rocks or logs that are wetted down. You are then ready to cook your favorites and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Some helpful tools to have around are leather gloves, long metal tongs, a shovel for coals, and a squirt bottle to control fire flare-ups. If cooking side dishes that need simple heating, a handy helper is a cast iron skillet or pot with a lid. Simply pour in, cover and set to the side of your grill while cooking your main entree and it's heated by the time you are finished.

Sound complicated? It's not really, and its mostly common sense preparation which will quickly become habit. So jump in and try it if you are new, or if a pro, enjoy another round of delicious campfire meals in the great outdoors.