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 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 – just a few simple tips and tricks and the charcoal roast that you’re worried about can all but be avoided.

If you can get a fire going your half way there, mix this up with a few of your favourite campfire cooking recipes that you’ve always wanted to have a crack at and you will soon be cooking on the coals and tucking into the best food you have ever tasted. We’ve also chucked in a couple of hints, techniques and tips to help keep all of your camp cooking gear in tip top condition for many years to come.

Taking care of your camp cooking gear, whether it’s your Bedourie camp oven, skillet or BBQ Hotplate 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 camp 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 camp oven will prolong its life and your investment. New spun steel and cast iron cookware often come with a protective grease style coating aimed at protecting and preserving the camp oven, if you don’t want your first camp feed to taste like used motor oil it’s best to completely remove this. A bit of elbow grease and some hot soapy water will soon get this coating off and give you a fresh layer of metal for you to season. Remember that once your cast iron or spun steel is seasoned, don’t use detergents, use warm water only. Using soaps or detergents will wear away at your protective layer and will mean you’ll have to season it again.

The key to seasoning your camp oven and or cast iron skillet pan is heat and oil, so by following a few simple steps your camp cooking gear will stay in tip top condition for many years to come. In the kitchen preheat your oven to 230°C, stick your Cast Iron Skillet Pan or Bedourie 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 the Bedourie camp oven, grab some paper towel and a bottle of good quality oil (make sure the oil you are using has a high smoke point- I prefer to use rice bran oil), wiping the camp 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 spun steel camp oven. This exact same method can be used for just about any steel camp cooking gear whether its cast iron or spun steel.

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 camp oven is now seasoned and ready to go on your next camping trip.

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.

TYPES OF CAMP COOKING GEAR

The most popular types of camp cooking gear on the market are cast iron and spun steel. Cast iron 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 quickly to temperature changes and cooking in them can be challenging for a beginner.

WHY WE SEASON OUR CAMP OVENS

A well seasoned camp oven should never have food stick to the insides. If this does happen, don’t scratch it out with a harsh abrasive. Simply place water inside and put it back on the heat. After a while any residue should come away from the sides and bottom. Food will burn on the bottom of the camp oven if you use too much heat. If this happens and you do need to use a harsh method of removing it such as steel wool you will need to re-season the camp oven. Remember to always place the camp oven back on the fire to dry after washing it and then while still warm wipe oil over the inside and outside to prevent rusting.