What's Cookin'?

[J]

I had an idea for the forum I wanted to pitch your way. As you can tell by my frequent visits, I am a big fan of what we generally discuss and the common sense approach that is taken by all members. One thing I got to thinking about in relation to a conversation with friends was cooking.

I personally love to cook, especially over an open fire. One of the first lessons I learned was cooking wihtout a modern cookstove is a LOT different. Even using a Coleman camp stove is not like a regular range. In the context of prepping, I was wondering what you might think of adding a section relating to cooking under primitive conditions? In a prolonged SHTF situation, you cant live forever on protein bars and MREs.

And face it, knowing a few tricks with MREs can make all the difference in their taste…remember the Pork Pattie one? 🙂

Let me know if you think this might be something you might want to add to the forum.

[Brandon]

That’s a great idea, J!

A while back, an Australian friend told me about some bread they make at campfires called damper bread. It seems really easy to make, and my friend said it was really good.

Here’s a link to an article on how to make it:

[Brandon]

Oops, the link isn’t showing.

Let’s try this:

http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/2009/03/australian-damper-bread-baked-over.html

[PJ]

you got it!

[Echo5Charlie]

I’m a horrible cook in the best of times, I can use all the primitive cooking tips I can get. If we are long term, we are in one of two locations and both lend themselves to cook pits or bbq grill type fire setups.

[J]

I grew up camping and the one immutable rule was cook, clean or bring. I hate doing dishes so I learned to cook over a fire good enough that others didnt mind the hassle of dishes!

[Clarity Jane]

A wire shopping basket makes a nice little stove to place over a small camp fire. Saw this on a documentary about tramps (hobos).

[PJ]

In today’s age with freeze dried meals all you have to do is boil water, pour in bag and presto!

[J]

….if you want to live off of freeze dried foods. They will eventuially run out, Also, freeze dried foods are not known for their great taste. There are a number of small things that can be done to greatly improve their palatability. This is one of the aims of this thread, to share the tricks we have all learned to make things taste a bit better than the packaging they come in 🙂

[PJ]

I agree, having tried many varieties I’d say freeze dried is good but not great. Even if you have 1 to 2 years of freeze dried it will eventually run out…although one cannot argue with the simplicity of the prep.

[Capt. Mac.]

S A L T !

with enough salt and Louisiana hot sauce I can eat any (well almost) thing.

My concern about the damper bread is the butter. In a real SHTF world butter will be very hard to come by unless you have a cow. And if you have a cow do you milk it or eat it?

Capt. Mac.
Pandemonium Airlines
“We are going to Saudi Arabia where the local time is 200 years behind the rest of the world”

[Echo5Charlie]

Milk it, mate it, kill the calf.

[ClarityJane]

Anyone know how to disguise smoke from a campfire?

[Echo5Charlie]

I don’t. I can tell you dry woods burn cleaner, wet woods give off more gray smoke as the moisture burns off.

[ClarityJane]

Echo5Charlie:

Thanks for the tip. I saw a documentary about the French Resistance in World War Two and they had a method of channelling the smoke underground and….something about pipes…and holes…and that’s all I can remember!

I really should start keeping notes on these things!

[Author]

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