Cooking is an essential life skill. Everyone must learn the basics of cooking at some point. And when it comes to survival, knowing how to cook off the grid is a must. Being able to boil water and cook meat using primitive methods can mean the difference between life and death in some emergency situations.
Off-the-grid cooking is more challenging and time consuming in the absence of electricity and modern conveniences. However, it can also be more rewarding. There is nothing more gratifying than making a full, hot meal for yourself and your family by cooking like the pioneers did two centuries ago.
The basic foundation of cooking off the grid is learning how to build an outdoor fire. In a pinch, a fire serves as a cooking method as well as a source of heat for staying warm. Fires can be fueled with wood, charcoal or even dung. Place a Dutch oven or reflector oven on the fire pit and you can make casseroles, pies, cobblers, cakes, bread, beans and stews.
Dutch oven cooking, in particular, is extremely popular; whole cookbooks are dedicated to it. Here’s a simple recipe for baked beans using a Dutch oven.
Fortunately, modern technology has made off-the-grid cooking even easier through the use of stoves that employ many different kinds of fuel sources. Outdoor camping stoves are lightweight, extremely versatile in terms of fuel, and great for boiling water or reheating. Some of these stoves have internal battery packs and can even charge cell phones! Other types of off-the-grid cooking methods include propane grills, solar stoves, and woodstoves.
The trick to off-the-grid cooking is finding a method you’re comfortable with and then practicing. The more that you practice, the more you will grow in your confidence, knowledge, and skills.