Favorite Camp Recipes

[Steve Morris]

13 hours ago, Katjo said:

I just put my vacuum sealer to work yesterday, froze up 20 ears of Michigan Sweet corn

That works!?! I figured the thawed cob would get mushy. Gotta try this!

[Katjo]

4 hours ago, Steve and Deb said:

That works!?! I figured the thawed cob would get mushy. Gotta try this!

@Steve and Deb Doesn’t get mushy at all as long as you vacuum seal it ie get all the water out. I’ve been doing it for years, it’s so good!🌽😋
Get yourself a corn peeler, so much faster and easier to take the kernels off the cob! 
 

OXO Good Grips Corn Prep Peeler https://a.co/d/8F4Y5kg

 

[Katjo]

Chocolate Burritos

A great recipe that can be made ahead for camping trips. 

1 flour tortilla

1 to 2 TBS peanut butter 

1 to 2 TBS chocolate chips

1 to 2 TBS mini marshmallows 

 

Place tortilla on a piece of aluminum foil. Spread with thin layer of peanut butter; sprinkle with chocolate chips and marshmallows. 

Fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll up. Wrap folded tortilla in foil.

Cook over a campfire or grill until melted, approx 10 minutes. 

Enjoy😋

[SeaDawg]

15 hours ago, Steve and Deb said:

! I figured the thawed cob would get mushy. 

Drop the still frozen ears in boiling unsalted  water. Don't thaw, for best results, imo. Don't boil for long. A few minutes then, reduce heat to low, and lid it. It will taste just like fresh picked corn 🌽  you can smell it.

Before freezing,  I usually break the fresh ears in half, blanche quickly, like a minute,  drain on towels, then freeze. Vac packing doesn't remove much water. Just the air that causes freezer burn.

I have pretty decent knife skills, so if freezing corn kernels, I just use a sharpened chefs knife. My mom, my aunt Betty, and I could do a bunch of bushels in an afternoon.  Strip the husk on two or three yanks, blanch, drain on towels, stand on end, and strip the corn. 

I've never used a corn stripper. I'd be concerned that a dull blade would eventually steal the sweetness and the "milk."

Btw, don't buy too much that you can't process.  Sweet corn loses about 20 per cent, or  more,, every day after picking. Get busy,, right away.

Back in the day, we had little freezer bags, and twist ties. We froze in 1 lb butter cartons , to square them up and save space, remove the bags, stack, and repeat.

Yes, i grew up on a farm. My aunt Betty is now 90, and still tends a huge garden. I miss ours 

[Katjo]

@SeaDawg  That’s fantastic that your 90yr old aunt still tends a huge garden. I personally find gardening to be so therapeutic as well as rewarding. Nothing like fresh from the garden! 
We really enjoy the corn come mid Winter and is just as sweet as the day I froze it.🌽😋

I do the same, I just drop the frozen bag of corn into boiling water for a few minutes, no need to thaw it. 

Thank you for sharing your tips and story, growing up on a farm I’m sure you have a lot of knowledge on preserving farm fresh food.

Would love to hear more! 

[Steve Morris]

Thanks for the frozen corn on the cob tips!! I had no idea this was possible. I too grew up on a farm until I was about 12. Grandma canned everything, though. I don’t recall a freezer other than what was in the fridge. 

[Katjo]

One meal we always have while camping is stir fry! It’s one of my favorite meals to cook on our Blackstone, super fast and easy. I precut all the veggies at home prior to trip. I use the microwaveable bags of jasmine rice to make it easier. 
I usually add chicken tenders, broccoli, carrots, asparagus and water chestnuts but the choices are endless! 
What do you like in your stir fry? 

[Katjo]

Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs. 

OK so this is only a partial make ahead breakfast, but it certainly saves you carrying around a bunch of eggs that could spell disaster if they cracked all over your cooler or refrigerator! If you love eggs around the campfire, there is a solution. Simply whisk your eggs at home and pour them in a plastic bottle. That way you can store them in your cooler/refrigerator and pour them straight into a hot pan. 

[Steve Morris]

On 8/23/2022 at 11:43 AM, Katjo said:

What do you like in your stir fry? 

Shrimp, pineapple, onions, snow peas, and broccoli with a home made teriyaki sauce. (This was last night)

 

[Katjo]

12 minutes ago, Steve and Deb said:

Shrimp, pineapple, onions, snow peas, and broccoli with a home made teriyaki sauce. (This was last night)

 

@Steve and Deb Ohhhh that looks so good! I love stir fry.😋

[SeaDawg]

10 hours ago, Katjo said:

whisk your eggs at home and pour them in a plastic bottle

That's ok, imo, very short term. Like 2 days. Keep the unrefrigerated, unpasteurized  time as very short as possible, for all aspects. Eggs out of the shell deteriorate quickly, and can make you sick.

I'd freeze beaten fresh eggs with a bit of salt to avoid the texture change, if you want to keep them longer than a few days.

Eggs are tricky. Unwashed, farm fresh eggs in the shell last a long time, pointy side down, at room temp. In the US, unless you buy directly from a farm, eggs are washed, and protective natural coating is removed. Eggs last longer in the shell (washed or unwashed.) In most countries we've been in,  eggs are sold unrefrigerated,  stacked in the aisle, because they are unwashed. ( Not here.) 

Pointy side down keeps the yolk in the middle, air sac up top. Opposite of most grocery store eggs . (I do that, even here, with washed eggs.)

You can freeze beaten fresh usa eggs in ice cube trays, or baggies, (flat packing ) as well . Or, just buy pasteurized egg product, and portion freeze.

Yes, we raised chickens, too, on our farm.

I have ( pretty  gross) memories of butchering chickens under the lilac bushes, gutting, plucking, etc.. 

But, they only lay eggs for a certain number of years, so  it is what it is. The time comes when they no longer lay eggs, so... 

[Katjo]

25 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

That's ok, imo, very short term. Like 2 days. Keep the unrefrigerated, unpasteurized  time as very short as possible, for all aspects. Eggs out of the shell deteriorate quickly, and can make you sick.

I'd freeze beaten fresh eggs with a bit of salt to avoid the texture change, if you want to keep them longer than a few days.

Eggs are tricky. Unwashed, farm fresh eggs in the shell last a long time, pointy side down, at room temp. In the US, unless you buy directly from a farm, eggs are washed, and protective natural coating is removed. Eggs last longer in the shell (washed or unwashed.) In most countries we've been in,  eggs are sold unrefrigerated,  stacked in the aisle, because they are unwashed. ( Not here.) 

Pointy side down keeps the yolk in the middle, air sac up top. Opposite of most grocery store eggs . (I do that, even here, with washed eggs.)

You can freeze beaten fresh usa eggs in ice cube trays, or baggies, (flat packing ) as well . Or, just buy pasteurized egg product, and portion freeze.

Yes, we raised chickens, too, on our farm.

I have ( pretty  gross) memories of butchering chickens under the lilac bushes, gutting, plucking, etc.. 

But, they only lay eggs for a certain number of years, so  it is what it is. The time comes when they no longer lay eggs, so... 

@SeaDawg What a wealth of knowledge and experience farming.  I never heard of freezing eggs in an ice-cube tray. Good tip! 
I spent a lot of time all over Europe (I was a flight attendant) and it took me by surprise the first time seeing eggs not refrigerated. 
where was your farm? What else did you raise/grow on it? 
 

[Katjo]

Make Ahead Campfire Pizza Log

Ingredients:

• 
  1 can pizza dough, store bought
• 
  1/2-1 cup pizza sauce
• 
  8oz shredded mozzarella
• 
  Toppings of your choice (e.g. veggies, pepperoni, cooked chicken etc.)
• 
  2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 
  Pinch of salt, garlic powder and oregano

Method:

• 
  Roll out the pizza dough and spread sauce around, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges.
• 
  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and then add your toppings, being careful not to add too many.
• 
  Carefully roll the dough into a log and pinch the ends so the dough sticks together.
• 
  Use a fork to poke some holes in the top.
• 
  Melt butter in a pan and spread on top of the dough followed by the salt, garlic powder and oregano. Wrap in tinfoil and place in the freezer.
• 
  At camp, place the foiled pizza log onto hot coals, cooking for about 30 minutes and turning occasionally.
•  

Use-by: Thawed pizza dough will last in the cooler for about 3 days. 

[SeaDawg]

That looks like fun! We usually do individual pie iron pizzas on the fire, but this would be awesome when we have a bigger group. We only have 5 pie irons left. 

[Katjo]

9 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

That looks like fun! We usually do individual pie iron pizzas on the fire, but this would be awesome when we have a bigger group. We only have 5 pie irons left. 

@SeaDawg It’s nice you can make them at home ahead of time and freeze them.
It makes for a fast and easy “around the campfire” snack with no mess! 
I don’t have a pie iron but it is on my list of “things to try”.😃

[SeaDawg]

27 minutes ago, Katjo said:

don’t have a pie iron but it is on my list of “things to try

They're a lot of fun. Here are a few photos of campfire breakfast a few weeks ago. Hashbrowns, bacon, and egg. Casserole in a pie iron.

[Katjo]

@SeaDawg Ohhhhh that looks so good! I’ve seen so many campers using pie irons and I’m definitely intrigued by it. It does seem fun! 

[SeaDawg]

It is fun. Pizza, breakfast, pies, grilled cheese.  Cook bacon and many other things.

Make sure you buy cast iron. Not aluminum 

[SeaDawg]

21 hours ago, Katjo said:

where was your farm? What else did you raise/grow on it? 

"Tropical" southern Minnesota,  where my ggg grandparents landed, in the 1850s. I still have many cousins up there.

We had a huge garden. Well over an acre, maybe 2? Apple trees. Plum trees. My moms apple butter was amazing.

We had a dairy herd. Pasteurized our own milk, made our own butter. Most of it was sold to the local creamery. (Awesome ice cream they made, btw.)

We raised a steer or two, and a hog or two for our own use. Of course, the chickens (laying hens.)  Eggs. 

Crops were hay, corn, soy beans, oats,  primarily to feed the animals. Corn fed venison (dad was the hunter) made great sausage combined with the pork. We had a great German butcher, 20 miles south, who also provided meat lockers, for a fee. He usually got a few pheasant, as well. 

Dad built a new barn from lumber he cut, dried, and milled on our farm. I "helped" as a little girl, picking up nails, straightening them if crooked. Everyone had jobs.

The barn  still stands today, though sadly, the old 1850s farmhouse is gone. Demolition by neglect. Most of our land is now a game preserve, and the hilltop field is a tiny subdivision.  The current owners have been kind enough to let me wander, with my memories. The woods and creek on the bottom land restore me. They have been very understanding,  and enjoy my memory  stories of picking up arrowheads in the plowed fields, etc. Very nice Midwest folks.

So, basically,  we raised most of our food. Canned and butchered and froze. We kids (5) wandered in the woods, did our chores, etc. I learned to cook at 7.  My grampa (an amazing farmer and gardener) said the best place to raise kids was the country.  I agree. If you can't,  at least get them into nature  via camping.  We are extremely glad that our daughter enjoys camping, even in crummy weather. She'll pass it on.

[Katjo]

@SeaDawg Oh how I love hearing your history of growing up on a farm that stems back so many generations.
I bet you have loads of enthralling stories you could share around a campfire about your farm life and cooking fresh farm raised food since you started at 7 yrs old! 
It’s so nice the new owners let you revisit and wander, I’m sure they enjoy your stories and the history you bring on the property, precious memories.💗
 

[SeaDawg]

I have many wonderful memories,  and I'm really glad I got to spend my early years as we did... not sure all are "enthralling."

I probably should have said I  burnt my first dinner at 7. 😅 Then, learned to cook. First dinner was pork chops, and I definitely overcooked them. I had to stand on a stool to reach the range top. 

 

[Katjo]

So sweet! @SeaDawg ❤️

[Katjo]

Pre-made Breakfast Burritos. 

You can choose from a variety of ingredients, adding as many or as few as you want depending on your taste.

You can tailor-make each burrito.
Make-ahead prep time: 30 minutes.
Serves: As many as you require.

Armed with your flour tortillas, here are some ingredients you can add to your breakfast burritos:

• 
  Eggs (scrambled)
• 
  Bacon
• 
  Sausage
• 
  Chicken
• 
  Ham
• 
  Pepper
• 
  Onion
• 
  Mushrooms
• 
  Black beans
• 
  Potato
• 
  Tomato
• 
  Hash brown
• 
  Cilantro
• 
  Cheese
• 
   

Method:

• 
  Simply cook-up all the ingredients you choose from the list, roll up in flour tortilla’s and wrap them tightly in tin foil.
• 
  They are perfectly fine to be stored in the freezer before transferring to your cooler.
• 
  Re-heat by placing the foiled burritos on a grill over the fire or next to hot coals. Heat for 10-15 minutes, turning over once. They may need longer depending on how hot the coals are.
• 
  Last but not least, strip back the foil and you’re good to go!
•  

Use-by: You can freeze burritos for 3 months. 
Top tip: If you have made different burritos for different people, use a marker pen to write their names on the foil so you know who’s is who’s. 

[jdmmtx]

On 8/21/2022 at 3:55 PM, SeaDawg said:

I don't carry a crock pot, nor an insta pot, since we rarely have hookups, but I do love campfire cooking.

Our freezer in the truckfridge is very tiny, so my method of flat packing really helps. 

I do the same with burger patties. Make the patties, wax paper under and above, spray one side and season. Vacpac, flat freeze.

Accompaniment for any red meat, or even pork chops,  is often campfire roasted onion. Take as little off the onion as possible, top and bottom, with a sharp knife. Score lightly and remove the husk and thin first layer. Set the onion on its now flat bottom,  on the cutting board, create 6 or 8 segments, not quite through. Open up just a bit, add butter or olive oil in the center. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, if you have it. Wrap twice with foil, tightly. Cook in the early coals, tucked into the side of the fire, as you prepare everything else. It's done when you've turned it a few times, and it's soft. (Using long tongs, obviously. ) if it's done early, you can always set it on a hot rock while everything else cooks. Depending on the type of wood, and heat of the coals, 20 to 35 minutes.

I buy whole pork tenderloins at Costco when on sale, and cut my own boneless chops. Marinade and freeze, flat pack. (Cilantro lime and Italian dressing are favorites for pork.) They continue to marinade as they thaw. Vac packed, they never leak. 

We love campfire onions! So much better for whatever reason than any onions we ever make at home.

[SeaDawg]

@Katjo,  the breakfast burrito thing apparently works with a microwave,  too. 

My nephew and his wife make a week's worth on the weekend, freeze, and have easy breakfast and quick out the door for their busy workdays..

I've not tried it,, but they love them.