- Keep an eye on your ovens. There should always be someone monitoring any fire.
- If steam is forcing its way out around the lid, the oven is too hot or you have a poorly-seated lid. Re-seat the lid and remove some coals if that doesn't fix it. If the lid is a problem, you'll probably have burned or dried out food.
- Line the dutch oven with aluminum foil to minimize clean-up of sugary desserts.
- Use an aluminum pie tin set on 4 pebbles in the dutch oven for rolls or bisquits.
- Prepare as much of your food as possible at home. Cut your vegetables and such in your clean kitchen and then bring along in zip-loc bags.
- Wait for your fire to have hot coals rather than yellow flames. Cooking over flame is less efficient and gets soot all over your cookware.
- Use hardwoods in your fire for hotter, longer-lasting coals.
- Keep a notebook of the meals you cook and the results. Notice if the food is cooked thoroughly along with the temperature and cooking time for each attempt. Over time, you'll get a better feel for 'just knowing' the right temperature and time.
- A bit of oil or grease rubbed in the oven will really help minimize food sticking.
- Pancake mix can be made in a gallon zip-loc and then easily poured out as needed. Saves clean up too.
- Cut bacon strips in half. The shorter pieces can more easily be moved around for even frying.
- A natural fiber (not plastic) whiskbroom is great for brushing ash off the lid before opening your dutch oven.
- Always clean and dry your dutch oven after use. Letting it sit wet or in water or rain will rust it.
- Make sure you have food or water in your dutch oven before placing it on coals, unless you are monitoring the preheating. An empty oven can burn off the seasoning easily.
- Dropping a dutch oven will break or crack it. It's easier than you think!
- Dropping a hot dutch oven in the creek or pouring water into it or putting cold food in it will destroy it.
- Use wooden or metal utensils to scoop out food. Plastic spatulas touching the dutch oven sides can melt. I prefer wooden spoons for the most part since metal can ding the seasoning layer.
- A common mistake is to set the lid on the ground. Make sure you have a clean, sturdy place to set the lid.
- Your dutch oven will attract lots of curiousity. Be sure you are in control of your kitchen and keep everyone safely away from the fire and oven to prevent accidents.
Cook Away - Dutch Oven Cooking Tools
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