Best Camping Cooking Tips You Need to Try
Most of us go camping to escape the stress of the daily grind. It’s a break from the pace of day-to-day life and a chance to relax in the peace of nature. However, campsite cooking can sometimes bring its own set of headaches. Limited food options, a lack of cooking gear, and the hassle of trying to prep food in the wilderness could quickly turn your camping trip from a vacation into a nightmare. But that’s why we’ve come up with this list. Gone are the days of cheap hot dogs on roasting sticks. Follow our camp cooking tips below, and enjoy a delicious camping trip.
Plan your meals ahead of time: This is usually a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning. Measuring ingredients and packing items specific to each meal together can save a lot of time. Use zip-lock bags to keep dry ingredients dry and wet ingredients from leaking.
Freeze your meat: This is the two-fold tip. First, the meat will keep longer, which is perfect if you’re camping for more than one night. This means you won’t have to eat all the meat on day one to keep it from going bad. Take fresh meat for the first day and frozen meat for the following days. Second, the frozen meat is a great way to help keep the temperature down in your cooler.
Always keep a supply of aluminum foil: Just a good idea. Aluminum foil can keep food warm, cover food for later use, or provide a method of cooking over the open fire. It’s a must-have for campsite cooking.
Use heavy-duty aluminum bags: These are great for quick and easy cooking. They take almost no room at all and allow you to mix your meat and vegetables together. Aluminum bags can be used to cook on a camp stove, oven, or over the fire, which keeps your cooking options open. Also, clean-up is very easy.
Chop your meat and vegetables before you leave: Prepping food at the campsite can be a pain. Doing all the work at home will save a huge amount of time and help avoid the mess at camp. Chopped meat and vegetables should be stored in plastic bags as mentioned above. This will avoid contamination and keep your vegetables nice and dry. You can use Camping cooking table which would be helpful for chopping and cooking.
Test your camp stove before you leave: Really, nothing can be worse than finally getting to your destination with a bunch of travel-weary people who are ready to eat and then discovering that your camping stove won’t light. Make sure your stove is clean and that your propane tanks are full (or full enough). Need a reliable camp stove? Check out the Best Propane Camping Stoves.
Bonus Tips:
Always cover food while cooking: Covering pots and pans will not only keep insects out of your food, but it will also help your meals cook faster. This can also save you space on packing, as you won’t need to bring the lids to all your cookware pieces.
Use a little cooking oil on the camp grill: Natural cooking oil will keep your food from sticking to your grill and help keep your cast iron seasoned. Plus, it will keep clean-up to a minimum by preventing a bunch of burnt-on food. Check out best Built-In Gas Grills Under $1000.
Heat your cleaning water while you eat: Once you have completed the meal, fill a hot water pot with water and start it warming on your camp stove or over the fire. This way you won’t have to wait for it to warm up for cleaning after your meal. You may go through Best Natural Gas Grills under $1000 which will help you in planning the right and delicious meal.