If you’re one of those people without power, heat, or heat due to recent snow storms, you’ve probably recognized the need for a kitchen tool that can bake, boil, fry, and sauté. And it should be able to run on a variety of heat sources, as there’s no telling when the power might come back on.
My nomination for this wonderful implement has been around for hundreds of years. It’s easy to find, cheap and effective. Get a dutch oven made of cast iron or aluminum. The kitchen tool has a proven track record.
Hurricane Katrina was due to make landfall in a few hours, and my relatives in Mississippi, about 150 miles north of New Orleans, weren’t sure what was going to happen.
I overheard my wife on the phone with her sister, Patti, from Clinton, MS. In the middle of the discussion about hurricane preparedness, they started talking about recipes and what to cook, using a cast iron dutch oven!
Everyone close to Katrina faced a power outage that could last indefinitely. Among the necessities of urban survival was a way to cook and purify water.
Patti had a secondhand cast-iron field oven with a rim lid and three legs. Designed to be heated from above and below with embers or charcoal for campfires, that type of oven was taken on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, used by travelers on the Oregon Trail, and was indispensable in countless cabins, sheds, and soddies on the border.
Technically, a “Dutch” oven has a rounded top and no legs and can be used in a conventional oven on top of a stove or in an outdoor propane grill or fish cooker. My propane fish cooker stays on all year round on my patio, because it’s constantly in use. Even when there’s snow on the ground, we go out to fry bacon or cook fish.
Today, a camp oven is on my short list of tools for my disaster survival kit. And if you’re one of the people stranded due to record snowfall, or anticipating some sort of disaster, you need a dutch oven too.
A dutch oven can be used to boil water, make a stew, bake bread, and cook just about anything that can be placed inside. And if you were forced to evacuate an area, a camper and/or dutch oven is compact and light enough to be easily transported.
My wife’s advice to her sister was to go to Walmart, get at least 50 pounds of charcoal and three 14-inch diameter round metal pet food dishes. Put the oven, these items, and some basic kitchen utensils in a square milk crate for storage.
I have been cooking with Dutch ovens at hunting and fishing camps for decades, and on many camping trips and Boy Scout and Girl Scout outings. I am frequently asked for a basic list of tools to get me started in Dutch oven cooking. So, here’s the basic, basic list of dutch oven survival kit necessities, time-tested.
– 1 – Lodge 12-inch Shallow Cast Iron Oven: I like the Lodge cast iron best, because it’s made in America and has a proven track record of quality, but that’s just personal preference. Other experienced Dutch oven cooks may use different brands, so choose what you like. Sometimes I take an aluminum oven on outdoor excursions instead of a cast iron one to save weight.
– 3 – Shallow Metal Trays with Beaded Edges: These are critical and regular dog food trays work great. Place a tray under the oven to protect the coals from moisture and help regulate the heat; and another pan is used to store coals. The third is a spare that serves to cover the oven and protect it from rain or snow while cooking.
– 1 – Cap Lifter: In a pinch, a pair of channel lock pliers will do the trick.
– 1 – trivet or tripod: This is a wire or metal rack that supports the lid while you stir the contents of the oven or adjust the seasonings. Keeps lid dirt free and clean.
– 1 – knife. You probably don’t need a tactical or survival knife (although, in an emergency, the knife you do have is a “survival knife”), but you will need something that works for food preparation.
– 1- nylon spatula: It is used to cook and clean the oven.
– 1 – large nylon spoon
Lid lifter, trivet, “survival knife”, spatula and spoon all fit inside the oven. All of these items fit on a commercial nylon dutch oven stand. Another great way to carry everything is in a square milk carton. Put the metal trays on the bottom and the oven will not tip over. The loaded box stacks very well.
Cleaning a dutch oven is easy. Take the spatula, scrape up any food residue and fill it with water. (Never put cold water in a hot oven. It could cause it to crack.) Return the oven to the coals and bring the water to a boil. This will usually be enough to clean the oven, and all that’s left is to scrape up any softened food scraps and dry them off. Hit cast iron with a light film of oil to protect against rust.
Obviously, there are other “nice to have” kitchen items that could be included. But this basic dutch oven survival kit will help.