Campfire cooking

[rana]

Originally Posted by Rusticbob

Don't want the nasty crap in my food!

You bring up a really good point. It's pretty scary cooking over an existing fire pit without knowing what in the 'H' might be in there. When I get to a new location with an existing pit, I have a 10 gallon galvanized tub with a lid (that has multiple jobs). I take a good 10 inches or so out of the pit into the tub, lid it (to ensure there is no air supply to keep any lingering heat goin.. no telling how recently is was used and even days later, a few inches down can retain enough heat to ignite other materials), then let it sit for a few days before I bag it for disposal.

After the pit is what I consider to be 'clear', I'll add 6 inches or so of fresh dirt then built a clean fire on top of that. It might seem like overkill, but you're really only talking about a half dozen shovel fulls and 5 minutes out of your day.

[Idafrog]

Yup we burn our pit out really well, or shovel it out before I even think of cooking over it. Usually for just a weekend trip we eat burgers or dogs on the camp chef grill box on the first night. That way by next day the pit is burned out good for dinner on Saturday. It is amazing what people will throw in a pit. Don't think my ribs cooked over plastic forks would taste well.

[rana]

Originally Posted by Idafrog

It is amazing what people will throw in a pit. Don't think my ribs cooked over plastic forks would taste well.

No kidding! Fresh rainbow trout ala smoked plastic utensils.

I don't want to gross anyone out, but even digging out an established pit I'm still amazed what comes up sometimes in just the top several inches... dirty diapers, doggie dookie, bandaids, half filled sunscreen bottles, prophylactics, bug spray bottles.

Yeesh! Now I'm giving myself the heebie jeebies... BLEEEEeeckkkk..!!

Camp responsibly.

[rdenslow]

Originally Posted by Rusticbob

We have been cooking over a campfire for many years! Don't bring a grill with us any more. As for the trash burning in the pits... I agree can't stand it when we go to a park and the pit has been used for a trash barrel. We always pre-burn with a very large HOT fire every pit we cook over. Always stir the ashes before to make sure there is nothing in the pit prior to the Burn. Usually 3 to 4 hours before cooking on it. Don't want the nasty crap in my food!

I totally agree with you on this - we do the same thing. If my fire pit isn't presentable I will shovel it out and preborn before cooking anything for my family too.

[KDHfan]

We'll only cook over our campfires on the second full day of a fire. Seems like we're always digging plastics out when we arrive.


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