What would you prefer when you’re out camping – snags and salad or a lamb roast with all the trimmings? It’s not a hard decision really, but getting the courage up to take the next step into camp cooking can be overwhelming for many people. The truth is though, all it takes is the right camping & cooking gear, and the willingness to give it a go! The fear of burning the roast or having charcoal spuds is too much for some people. However, there really is no real need to be afraid of cooking on the fire or even using a portable gas bbq for camping – just a few simple tips and tricks and the over-burnt roast that you’re worried about can all but be avoided. Here’s some basic info you need to know about camp cooking gear!

TYPES OF BUSH COOKWARE

The most popular types of bush cooking gear on the market are cast iron and spun steel. Cast iron camp cooking gear is known to be easier for a novice bush cooker as its solid construction distributes heat evenly meaning no hot spots and less chance of burning food.

Spun steel camp ovens are much lighter and stronger due to the thinner steel construction. For a camper looking to decrease their weight this is ideal but they do react quicker to temperature changes which means they need a bit more attention – not that big a deal!

CAMP OVEN STORAGE

This is simple and will become second nature in no time, when packing your camp oven away don’t place the lid on tight! Keep an old tea towel or even some paper towel on stand by, roll it up and stick it in between the lid and the oven. Air needs to be able to flow in the oven to prevent moisture build up, which will lead to rust. Using the tea towel trick will prolong the life of your cast iron camping & cooking gear massively.

CAMP COOKING GEAR CARE

Taking care of your cast iron cooking gear, whether it’s your camp oven, skillet or jaffle iron is much the same as looking after your 4WD – keep fresh oil up to it and it will last forever. The oil that you apply to the surface of your camping cooking gear forms a barrier between the metal and moisture in the air, keeping this barrier in tip top condition inhibits rust. Stopping it from penetrating the surface of your oven will prolong the life and your investment in your cooking gear!

SEASONING CAST IRON

The key to seasoning your cast iron cooking gear is heat and oil, so by following a few simple steps your cast iron cooking gear will stay in tip top condition for years to come. In the kitchen preheat your oven to 230°C, stick your camp oven in there with the lid ajar for around 20 minutes or until the camp oven is warm to touch but not too hot. This allows the pores of the metal to open up and dry right out before we start to apply our own protective layers. Remove your cooking gear from the oven, grab some paper towel and a bottle of good quality vegetable oil, wiping the oven inside and out with oil making sure not to miss any spots and don’t have any oil pooled in the bottom of your oven. Pooled oil if left over time can go rancid and destroy the new seasoned coating that you’re applying to your camp oven.

Placing the oiled up camp oven back into the oven and letting it cook for an hour will enable the oil to soak into the layer of metal and form the new non-stick layer inside of your camp oven. Repeating this process twice more will ensure that your oven now has a new non-stick coating on the inside and looks a million bucks on the outside. Your cast iron cooking gear is now seasoned and ready to go on your next camping trip.

HOME-MADE TRIVET
What happens if you get to camp and the trivet for your camp oven isn’t in with the rest of your camping gear?  No problems, that just means it’s time to get a little bit creative! Making a custom trivet for your camp oven is super simple. The idea of a trivet is to keep your meal up and off the bottom of the oven to stop it burning, and allow the heat to circulate right around. The easiest way I’ve ever come across is to use aluminium foil – It’s usually already in your camping cooking gear kit, and it doesn’t burn easily! Simply roll a few lengths up and place them on the ovens base. You want to roll’em up nice and tight so they don’t sag too much when weight is applied, and crisscross a layer or two over each other to get enough height. It’s as simple as that.

To get out camp cooking with some of the best value camp cooking gear head to www.4WDSupacentre.com.au to get some of the most appropriate gear for the tastiest meals, call us on 1800 88 39 64 or drop into one of our stores for the best value gear in the country!