21 May 2008

Lovin' the Oven: Camping with a Dutch Oven

This is our Dutch oven. [Note: it doesn't have anything to do with you and your husband under a blanket]. You can also see the handy dandy lid lifter that doubles as a fire poker and tongs which we use to move the coals around.


Key features of our dutch oven are:
· 3 feet on the bottom so we can put coals underneath it
· lip on the lid so the coals won't roll off
· 10" across. It seems that most recipes assume a 12 inch and so we modify the number of briquettes required appropriately.

In this photo, you can also see our briquette lighting tower. Put a handful of paper in the bottom, the number of briquettes you need for your recipe in the top, light the paper, wait about 10 – 15 minutes and your briquettes are ready to go.


This is what it looks like in action. The cast iron gets very, very hot, which is why we like lid lifter. We also have a pair of welding gloves that come in handy.


We've been testing all kinds of Dutch Oven recipes and I can't wait to document them here, such as Pineapple Dump Cake and Mountain Babe Brunch. So much fun!

You can see all the recipes and activities we do camping here.

Check out Back Woods Home for the Seven Secrets of Dutch Oven Cooking.