Soot Covered Pot: Apple Crisp

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Scoop by scoop this old faithful dessert is almost certain to be a hit on your trail menu. An easy recipe, apple crisp is just the thing to round out an evening by the campfire.
I recently baked this in a 14 inch dutch oven for 12 people after a dinner of foil baked vegetables and grilled cheese over the campfire. Overall I received big sticky smiles and two thumbs up in approval from an audience ranging 50 to 5 year olds.

Why use a dutch oven?
I appreciate the versatility and consistency a dutch oven offers when it comes to campfire cooking. If you don't have a dutch oven, a pot will work but be sure to adjust the cooking time to accommodate the width of the pot walls. A pot with thinner walls will need less time over the fire. A reflective oven would also make for a great apple crisp which I will cover in another post.
I would suggest starting this recipe before dinner as it involves long preparation and baking time.

Apple Crisp
Apple Mix:
10 cups apple, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins

Topping:
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cardamom

First, the most important tool in your bag when it comes to campfire cooking is the fire! More specifically, the coals. When you stoke a fire and build a solid layer of coals you can cook just about anything out on the trail. Click the link for more on campfire building.
Now back to the good stuff.
Mix together apple mix ingredients and spread across the bottom of your dutch oven. Mix topping ingredients and spread over apple mixture. Bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes using 8-10 coals around the bottom and 16 on the lid. Continue cooking until apples are soft and topping is brown.
Chances are out on the trail you won't be carrying a thermometer to track the temperature of the fire so my suggestion is be prepared to check the crisp every 5 minutes after 30 minutes. You'll know when it is baked through when you can stick a fork straight through the apples.

Delicious!
Be sure to check back again for future "Soot Covered Pot" posts.

Soot Covered Pot: Campfires

Welcome outdoor adventurers to my campfire cooking post series "Soot Covered Pot".
I envisioned this blog post series to incorporate my knowledge of campfire cooking from years on the trail with my family and friends. Hopefully you'll find this series helpful and a jumping off point for your future outdoor adventures menu.
Before I share my recipes and tips on trail cooking, I wanted to cover the basics of basics in campfire cooking. Fire building.
The key to a successful campfire cooking experience is stoking your fire with a solid layer of coals. Fires come in all shapes and sizes and can be built just about anywhere as long as you follow these crucial steps.

Location Location Location!
That's right, choosing the right spot for your fire is key to a full belly on the trail. Make sure you chose a flat, clear space for your fire. Pull out all grass roots and create a flat dirt bed for your fire. If there is already a designated campfire ring use that as more often than not the work of clearing out a spot is done and it is good trail practice. Look up! Be sure your area is clear of over hanging branches and leaves. Protect you fire pit from wind by choosing a wind blocked spot at your campsite or build a fire ring.

Firewood.
Snap! The best sound you will hear when searching for firewood. Starting with small, dry twigs,  leaves, needles and forest duff called tinder. This will be what the flame catches after you light your starter so make sure you choose thin twigs. Kindling is next consisting of the medium sized sticks about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size. Keep going up in size. Before igniting your fire gather a pile of firewood to keep it stoked.

Fire Building
There are about four or five different methods for building fires. I choose to build using a lean-to method but please look up the other methods. To build a lean-to start with placing one large log in the direction the wind is coming from. Next lay your tinder in a pile in front of the log. Lean the kindling up against the log, over the tinder. Spread the sticks out far enough along the log to allow air to flow through the sticks but close enough for all the sticks to catch.

Ignition
Flint and stone, matches or battery circuit ignitions are all possibilities when it comes to lighting your campfire. My suggestion is to always bring a lighter, matches and cotton balls or lint in a waterproof case. Ignition can be tricky so watch a couple videos online about campfire ignition before trying it yourself.

Stoking a Fire
Keeping a fire burning is important to achieving a foundation of coals. As your evening is coming to an end be sure to use smaller sticks that you know you can burn down. On the trail we try to build fires that we can manage and completely put out. Leave no trace is a way of life on the trail.

Follow these steps and you will build a successful campfire. Of course if this is your first go at campfire building be patient. I always bring a camping stove as a back up. Even after so many years of building campfires I still practice before hitting the trail and am constantly learning how to improve my building method.

Keep checking back to my "Soot Covered Pot" for campfire cooking tips and recipes.

Where to Next?

Wondering where do I start preparing for a camping trip? What should I wear? Can I afford all of this gear? Through this blog I will attempt to answer these questions and more on preparing for your next outdoor adventure. Along the way, I hope to inspire you to keep searching for more camping information and resources beyond my blog. Here is your jumping off place for your next
journey into the great outdoors.