Hello there!  Our last primitive camping event of 2009 was the Eastern Primitive Rendezvous held just outside of Holtwood, PA.  What a wonderful time everyone had!  We shared many cast iron cookware recipes with several of our neighbors and we’ll be posting some of them on our blog site over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.  For now, let me share a couple of pics about what we do in our spare time at rendezvous.

Several musicians, including my husband, Dusty, gathered in the camp and we enjoyed many impromptu jam sessions playing folk music, bluegrass, country, and even some old rock n’roll…not quite primitive music, but everyone had a great time pickin’ and grinnin’.  The cast iron skillets hanging on the fire irons added a few interesting tones while clinking in the wind.

Until next time….

When you’re contemplating what to take on your camping trip, one of the most important items to think about – other than toilet paper – is your cookware.  Knowing exactly what to take along can make all the difference between a successful, easily cooked meal and a major catastrophe. When camping, the best option is cast iron, and this is for the simple reason that it’s so sturdy and can be used to cook anything.  A lighter material like aluminum can easily  warp over the high, intense heat of a camp stove or an open fire, and can also get damaged in transport. 

A cast iron skillet is particularly useful because it can be used for cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, fried eggs, pancakes, crispy home fries, or any other number of common camping entrees.  Cast iron is also great for the outdoors (you know, Go Green), because the use of harsh, non-biodegradable soaps is not recommended for cleaning your cast iron cookware.   Rather, it is best to use the combination of very hot water and a stiff nylon brush or even a simple scraper.  The cast iron should then be towel dried, and I recommend applying a light coat of oil to every surface to ensure that the cast iron pans don’t rust, especially if you’re camping in wet or damp weather.  Enjoy your adventure!

Have you tried a variety of pots, pans, and skillets and still haven’t found the right one that gives you that perfect flavorful experience?

Using cast iron cookware is a healthy, easy, inexpensive, and wholesome way to cook wonderful tasty meals. My husband and I have been using cast iron cookware for over 25 years, and food just seems to taste so much better when prepared in cast iron.

Did you know professional chefs consider cast iron cookware to be precision cooking implements? Cast iron gives you optimal control of cooking temperatures. A cast iron pan retains heat longer and more consistently than any other type of cookware available. Food cooks more evenly because the cast iron maintains an even temperature. Even after you turn the oven off, or take the pan off of the fire, it retains the heat for a long time keeping your food nice and hot until served.

Cooking with cast iron has many advantages. Here are just a few:

• Inexpensive

• Ideal heat conductor

• Allows for even heat distribution and consistent cooking temperature without hot spots

• Extremely durable – will last a lifetime (actually many lifetimes)

• Old fashion way for fat-free cooking

• Non-stick surface when properly cared for

• Can be used on or in any heat source – on top of stove, in oven, over an open fire, or in the coals

• Healthy choice for every day cooking

• Easy to clean

Our passion for getting back to basic healthy cooking is the impetus for wanting to share the experience of using cast iron cookware. Why not try cooking with cast iron and see if it becomes a way of life for you, too?

Cast iron pots and pans made today are the same as those our ancestors used, and there’s a reason so many people still prefer cast iron to the many other types of cookware. Cast iron cookware is safe, and is great for all kinds of cooking in the kitchen, on the grill, and outdoors over an open fire. Modern non-stick cookware that is poorly manufactured can be harmful to your health. The danger occurs when the non-stick surface chips and contaminates the food you are cooking.  This can be due to scraping the surface with a utensil or even from vigorous scrubbing.

The chemical materials used to create the non-stick surface of modern cookware are quite toxic if ingested, and while you would only ingest small amounts over a long period of time, those small amounts can add up. Cast iron cookware is tempered in high heat, will not chip or crack, and if cared for properly has a non-stick surface.  This is why cast iron pots and pans are often handed down to multiple generations; they never wear out.  If you take care of your cast iron cookware, it will look just like new even after many years of use.