Let’s ‘Build’ a Deep Pantry. “Cooking”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Guest Article by NRP & Blue, May 26, 2021.

Cooking, Come on NRP, I already know how to cook, why are we talking Cooking in an Article on Deep Pantry?
I’m going to go back to that same answer:
Poof, the Power is out, and it’s dinner time: How are you going to cook that grub you have?

Coleman Camp Stove:

Well, there ya have it, a good old Coleman Camping Stove, these things are GREAT, and you can also get them in a single burner and 3 burners.
Also, they come in ‘Propane’ and “White Gas” units.

A word on Fuel, do NOT store it in places that are occupied or have open flame, aka house, furnace room, garage or water heater room. FIRE is a very nasty thing. Be SAFE people.

Ok, back on track, so the power goes out, you need to cook or just get a cup of Coffee. I really suggest one of these. They are not too expensive for the convenience of them. Heck, most people that actually go “Camping” they will have one or two of these.

So, what is the main problem with having a Camp Stove that uses fuel?
What ya going to do when you finally run out of fuel in a couple of weeks or a month?

 

Campfire:

Now I don’t care where you live there is 99.999% chance you have wood around.
So the logical solution would be to simply build a campfire, not only for cooking but to keep warm by.

Humans have been cooking for thousands and thousands of years over a simple fire, and in a lot of countries, some still do. Remembering that Fuel cost $$$$, Firewood is usually free, unless you actually buy Firewood from 7-to-11 at $6 for 4 dried-out sticks, but that’s another story.

So do you have the “stuff” to build a fire (I’m talking a small campfire NOT burning down a city block or Building now)? Can you build a fire when the weather is not ideal, aka raining/snowing?
There are a LOT of articles on the net on how to, go find a few and practice it a few times, yes even in the Rain.
I also suggest you build a Fire Starter Kit, a preassembled bunch of stuff to get a fire going, this is simple and can literally be a lifesaver at times, think someone fell into the water in the middle of winter and needed to be warmed quickly.

Had to chuckle a little, the photo I picked out sure looks like Rice and Beans HAHAHAH

 

Rocket Stove:

Hey, this little puppy is really kinda neat and fun, it’s nick-named a “Rocket Stove”.
Easy to build something like this from junk lying around: Heck I’ve even seen them built from stacking up some Cinder Block: hit the net and check them out.
The one above is a very nice one and you can buy them or have someone weld you one up, very cheap.
They will work in about any weather, NOT INDOORS, and put off an incredible amount of heat for the wood they use.

Again, you need the skill and stuff to build a fire, I suggest to everyone to take a little time and put together a small “Fire Kit” you can have ready If/When. They can be as simple as a Bic Lighter and some Cotton Balls rubbed with Vaseline and maybe a few dried sticks of Fat-Wood. Maybe add a Fire Steel and some small kindling.
BTW, a good old fashion Road Flare is one of the best things for starting a fire; make sure it’s completely burned out before starting to cook on the fire; ya don’t want your Beans to taste like Sulfur.

Cast Iron:

Let’s talk what to cook in over a Fire.
Cast Iron IMHO is the only way to go. Take a look at those two Dutch Ovens literally sitting in the fire. Try doing that with one of those fancy Teflon-covered aluminum pots. How about a Stainless Steel Pot, Yeah Yeah Yeah they will probably do just fine… HAHAHAH of course you’ll never get it cleaned, Go On, once again, ask me how I know….. UGHHHHH

Ok, Everyone knows that Cast Iron is heavy, it’s “Big and Bulky”, yep, sure is, and that’s what I like about it, you can literally set it empty into a Fire, get it heated up to 500 degrees, pull it and set in on a rock, THAN fill it with food and let it sit and cook. I’ve done it.
Ya can use it to cook just about anything you can think of from Apple Sauce to Zucchini Squash. AND it’s easy to clean, just toss it back into the fire burn off the thick stuff, let it cool and wipe it clean, make sure to apply a little cooking oil afterward, they will rust.

 

Box Oven:

Ok, so you like to Bake, OMG so do I, and here is a little thingy that you just plop down on top of the Coleman and there ya go, Instant Oven, Yes I have used one on top a Camp Fire, just to see, well it worked… Sort-Of. The first time I literally destroyed the poor thing, and yes I tossed it out, but that’s ok, it was an old one and need to retire anyways.
The next time I did it, I don’t give up on ideas BTW, I set a piece if 1/4 inch steel plate on some supports in the fire, the plate was about 2” bigger (all sides) than the Box Oven, Worked perfectly.
Point is, if you have an ‘Idea’; work on it till it works.

BTW, those Biscuits look mighty good don’t they?

 

Sun Oven:

Now here is a fun little gadget that actually works, as long as the Sun is out.
A Sun Oven, now don’t laugh, this thing really works for a hunk of tin-foil.
I have cooked/baked a few things in this (have even baked Bread), and measured the temperature inside during the heat of the day… 380 degrees was the max I could get from it, now tell me you can cook inside that thing?

PLUS, it doesn’t take any outside fuel other than the Sun….. No Fuel, No Power, be kinda nice to have this when you’re out of fuel and the power is STILL off huh????

Utensils:

Yep, you’re going to need something to flop those pancakes over with, right?
Now I don’t know about you, but I have probable 3 generations of Utensils laying around in drawers and boxes somewhere. Those suckers are not going to do a darn bit of good if ya have to “Bug Out” and “Get Out Of Dodge aka ‘GOOD”” and you forgot to pack the Kitchen.

That little set above, Hummmmmm I don’t know about that, how about you just grab some of those “spare” things you have and make a nice little kit and stuff it inside that Coleman Stove, there is room. While you’re at it, get some of those cheap Plates and Bowls and make up a small set of items JIC you have to get out because a Hurricane is 10 feet from your house….. Think on it, in the last 15 minutes you have to ‘GOOD’ you’re probably not going to be thinking on Dinner, you’ll be too busy getting the Kids loaded up and hauling butt out of town, right?

 

Ok, and here you thought I was going to tell you how to make a Chocolate Chiffon Cheese Cake, RIGHT!!!???

What you cook is not my point; maybe, just maybe a way to cook that T-bone steak would help. Hint Hint Hint how about the good ole BBQ hehehehe it will still work till you run out of Propane/Charcoal/Wood, ya got a few bags of Charcoal stored up? Don’t you?

My suggestion, try doing a Lights Out this weekend, See what it takes to live without Power OR Running Water for a few days. Nope, I ain’t talking about being one of those Crazy ‘Survivalist’ or God forbid a ‘Prepper’ (yes I used that “P” word), how about just a few things and knowledge on stuff If/When ‘something’ happens.

Speaking of no water, you got a way to flush that Toilet?

Are you going to be able to make-due for your Family If/When?

Ok, I’m going to change this up a little starting next week.
Time to start filling that Deep Pantry, so going to try to give a bunch of ‘Hints” on what to get in there and if I can the cost, will be doing this for one person and Ole Blue, you can multiply it for how many Dogs you have. hehehehe
I will also keep putting suggestions on “Stuff” you might think on having JIC the world goes to heck in a hand bag.