cast iron cooking

I know I am not alone when it comes to my love of baked macaroni and cheese. Don’t allow camping trips or off-grid living to take away the pleasure of cooking. A Dutch oven solves your baking issue (as long as you have a nice heaping pile of burning hot coals). Simply place your Dutch oven on top of the pile of coals and use a shovel to pile more coals over the Dutch oven so that it’s completely covered. While your meal is baking, feel free to complete other chores or enjoy the outdoors – just don’t go too far: Smokey the Bear is always watching!

A waffle isn’t a waffle without a proper waffle iron. When it comes to cooking off the grid one of the questions I get a lot is “How do you make waffles?” According to The Cast Iron Collector, the cast iron waffle iron has been in use since the 9^th century.  It was around the 16^th and 17^th centuries that waffle irons were fashioned to make thick Belgian waffles.

I love to make this breakfast over a nice outdoor fire in the Autumn. It is especially satisfying when I go collect and process the acorns and apples myself.

There’s a lot of controversy about the healthiness of acorns because some varieties have a high tannin content, but if you have the time, patience, and desire, the leeching process (which removes the tannins) is well worth it! The good news is acorn flour, or acorn meal, is getting easier to find in different stores. However, it is a little expensive due to the amount of work it takes to properly process the nuts.