Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Cooking

Image by Chazz Layne via FlickrLodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Cooking

If you plan your meals before leaving to go camping, you can eat like a king with the help of your Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. 

You can find cast iron Dutch oven recipes online for all your favorite dishes and maybe even a few new ones.  It's not uncommon for some families to have better food while camping than while at home thanks to their Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. 

Make sure you bring enough ingredients to make everything you want.  You'll also want to bring some easy backup food in case anything goes wrong with your Dutch oven cooking. 

Be sure to keep track of how many briquettes each recipe calls for, you want to make sure you have enough with you to cook all the dishes you want at the same time.

You'll also need to bring all the accessories you'll need for your Lodge cast iron Dutch oven with you on your camping trip.  You'll need thick gloves, wooden spoons, metal tongs, and a lid lifter. 

If it is your first time using a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven then you might want to even have a trial run at home before you go on your camping trip. 

With a little practice Dutch oven cooking can really add a tasty touch to your family's next camping excursion.


Happy cooking,
Greg

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven - Aluminum??

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven - Aluminum??

There are aluminum Dutch ovens that you can use when camping.  Lodge does sell these and some say that they’re easier to care for because they’re not seasoned, along with being a lot lighter which is making them gain popularity with camping crowds.

However, cooking in them will be different because they heat up faster and loose heat faster.

If you do decide to go with an aluminum Lodge Dutch oven for your camping trip, try and pick recipes that were written for the aluminum variety.  Also, it is easier to burn food when cooking with the aluminum Dutch oven, so be careful.

This is an important point, because it is easy to get distracted while camping and burn the food.  For this reason alone, I don’t care for aluminum Dutch ovens… because who wants to have to watch the food all the time when there’s so many other fun things to do while you‘re camping.

Nothing ruins a camping trip faster than burnt food; you most likely won't bring enough to make another meal like you could at home, so you'll wind up just have to tough it out.

One of the many benefits of using a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven is that you can set it and forget it (sorry, just had to use that line). Besides if you want to save on the cleaning part, a lot of people just line their Lodge cast iron Dutch oven with aluminum.

Then when you’re done just pull the aluminum out and throw it away. I’d have to say that’s simple enough. And, as far as the weight issue goes, to me it‘s a non-issue… most people don’t go backpacking with Dutch ovens, they are usually car camping, horse packing, or rafting.

Happy cooking,
Greg

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Care

Image by UW Digital Collections via FlickrLodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Care

It is important to take good care of your Lodge cast iron Dutch oven while camping and prior to leaving.  Cast iron is very susceptible to rust, so you'll want to season it before you leave home. 

Of course… Lodge has already thought of this with their new pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron Dutch ovens. Lodge knows how important a good seasoned finish is on your Dutch oven, so they pre-season all new Dutch ovens to make sure you start out with a perfect finish.

A properly seasoned Dutch oven not only protects it, but adds that great flavor that’s unique to Dutch oven cooking.

With that said, you'll still want to take proper care of your Lodge cast iron Dutch oven, so you keep that great seasoned finish on it.

You’ll want to avoid soap when cleaning it because that will breakdown the protective finish in your Lodge cast iron Dutch oven that helps to prevent rust. 

To clean it, just scraper out the stuck food particles with a wooden spatula or spoon, wipe it out and rub some cooking oil on it. If it needs a little more you can heat up a little water in it and then wipe it out, followed by a light coating of oil. That’s it… What could be easier?

Happy cooking,
Greg

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Camping

Image by arbyreed via FlickrLodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven Camping

Camping presents an opportunity to try new things and have new experiences.  Many people who go camping rely on hot dogs or freeze dried food for meals.  It seems that camping is synonymous with bad food.

However, there is a way to eat great, even gourmet food while camping and it's through a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven.

Lodge cast iron Dutch ovens are simply a type of cast iron pot that is used to cook with while camping.  You can use them over an open flame hanging from a tripod, bury them in hot coals from the fire, but the most common way is to use briquettes.  This makes the food cook evenly.

You can also use them on specially made tables that make them more like a grill.  You can cook pretty much anything in a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven.  It is a great way to make your favorite homemade dishes while out camping.

One of the most popular Lodge cast iron Dutch oven dishes is cobbler.  Lodge cast iron Dutch ovens are absolutely perfect for cobbler and the whole family will love it.  So have fun and enjoy all the food!

Happy cooking,
Greg