Teach your Scouts how to enhance their cooking skills using a Dutch oven
The first-year Patrol plans their menu for the upcoming campout: cereal for breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and hot dogs for dinner.
This isn’t the first time the Scouts have been camping; This is the third outing in a row with such a simple fare. Now might be a opportune time to introduce you to the wonders of Dutch oven cooking. Traditionally, Camping Dutch Ovens are heavy cast-iron pots that make outdoor baking easy. You can also steam, fry, sauté or cook in it.
When your Scouts need a little help cooking up creative dishes, show them these recipes from boy scout life Magazine. Recipes include making pizza, breakfast casserole and turkey. The latest entries, featured in the October 2022 issue, feature troop-submitted ideas that may satisfy your sweet tooth.
You can find instructional videos for the Dutch Oven here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
cooking tips
Use Dutch Ovens on the ground and on durable, refractory material such as rock, gravel, or dirt. Always keep a bucket of water on hand to put out any flames or quench any coals after cooking.
How do you regulate the temperature in a Dutch Oven? Change the number of hot coals above and below the stove. Use this conversion chart to see how many coals you need for different temperatures, for stoves from 8″ to 16″ in diameter.
After you are done cooking and enjoying your food, clean the Dutch Oven properly. For a well-seasoned oven, you can use a sponge or non-metallic scouring pad and warm water to wash and rinse. You can also use salt and a paper towel to wipe it clean. Do not use metal scouring pads, which will damage the coating of the oven.
They generally don’t use soap, but check the manufacturer’s instructions; small amounts of mild detergents might be fine.
After cleaning your oven, apply a light coat of food-grade oil to its entire surface, including the legs and handles. Click here for storage tips.
Submit your prescriptions
If you have a delicious recipe like this one below from Troop 163 of Washington, Illinois, please feel free to share it boy scout life Magazine here or with scouting magazine here. They might be featured in a future post.
Black Forest shoemaker
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes, Temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ingredients:
2 cans of cherry pie filling
1 can of apple pie filling
1 yellow cake mix
1 chocolate cake mix
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Instructions:
Line your Dutch Oven with a double layer of foil. Pour the pie filling from the can onto the bottom of the Dutch oven. Mix the chocolate cake mix with 2/3 of the water indicated in the mixing instructions. Pour over the filling in the Dutch Oven.
Mix the yellow cake mix with 2/3 of the water indicated in the mixing instructions. Pour over the chocolate layer. Mix together the oatmeal, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake mixes.
Cut the butter stick into pieces and cover the top of the cobbler. Put the lid on and finish baking. It should take between 35 and 45 minutes at 350 degrees. That’s with about 10 coals on top and five on the bottom.