July 11, 2017

11 Campfire Cooking Hacks for Camping

Campsites are booked solid across Canada and families breaking out those campers or tents to take the family on the road for a long weekend of hiking, fishing and breakfast around the campfire. To make the most of your camping experience this weekend, be sure you have handy take-along’s in tow for these Campfire Cooking Hacks for camping.

Campfire Cooking Hacks

Campfire Starter – Prepare egg carton fire starters ahead, either an egg carton filled with barbecue briquettes or dryer lint. Let the fire burn to an even temperature before cooking over – How to Build a Cooking Fire
Cooler Ice – Running for ice to keep your cooler cold is a pain but necessary. Freeze bottles of water and bags of omelet mix for a day or two free of ice runs. By the time they thaw, you’ll be ready for a drink or tasty breakfast ready to go.
Easy Feeding – Take along pre-made ingredients for campfire meals, such as sliced vegetables and meat portions. Pre-cracked liquid eggs in a sealable freezer bag makes for the perfect meal-in-one. No messy egg shells or worrying about eggs not making it to the campsite, just pour in the frying pan over the campfire, cook and serve.
Easy Recipes – Cooking at a campsite doesn’t always have to be basic. Pack pre-made meals in your cooler or find an easy recipe large enough to feed a group, like the recipes below, sure to satisfy those hungry campers.
Reuse Condiment Bottles – Fill empty condiment bottles with pancake mix ready for the morning. If it’s too thick by the time you go to cook, just add a little water, shake and pour.
Seasonings – Compact packing is important when camping but you shouldn’t go without delicious camping food either. Fill a few pill containers or empty Tic-Tac containers with different spices to flavour your camping recipes.
Coffee – If you’re like me, camping doesn’t stop me from my morning coffee but I don’t want to haul my coffee maker to achieve a hot cup either. Fill a coffee filter with a small scoop of coffee, tie with a food grade string or dental floss, pour hot water over the filter in your camping mug and enjoy. If you are making coffee for a few people, just throw a few coffee-filled filters in a pot of boiling water until you reach the strength you like.
Sticks, peels and foil – Cooking with sticks is obvious for marshmallows or hotdogs but you can also use fruit peels to cook in. Foil goes without saying; practically everything I cook over the fire is made in a foil pack lined with parchment paper for easy campfire cooking and cleanup.
Hand washing Station – From dirty hands to dirty dishes, you will want a water station ready to go. Have a water jug with tap on the picnic table with hand soap and paper towel roll and water basin on the bench below.
Camp Stove – I prefer cooking over the campfire but if it rains or there is a fire ban put on while you are camping, you’ll need a way to cook your food. A portable camping stove with propane is worth the investment and can be purchased used or new for a reasonable price.
Metal Leaf Stands – A great way to organize empty pop cans/bottles and garbage after meals. Just remember not to leave the garbage out for wildlife when you go to bed for the night. Campsites usually have garbage bins where you can throw out your garbage daily.

During the holidays or summer we often get together our extended families and, with a love for cooking, create many different recipes for all the personalities that come along with a large family. Whether it be hard-boiled eggs for the girls or one-pot meals large enough for group camping over the fire, these campfire camping hacks will make campfire cooking easier.

What will you be taking along camping this summer?

FOLLOW FOR MORE

If you like these hacks, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Please check out my other recipes and Pinterest board for more great camping hacks and ideas. I’d love if you’d pin it for later on Pinterest or follow along for other great recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Try these campfire recipes: