There is something incredibly charming about preparing food outdoors. A lot of places are considered outdoors; your backyard, cooking while hiking, grilling out at the beach, and preparing your food.

how to cook outdoors

Outdoor cooking is one of the best ways to enjoy your food and share meals with your friends and family. There are numerous things you can do to enhance this experience, and we have compiled a list of suggestions to make your outdoor cooking an unforgettable memory. 

Why Is Cooking Outside So Special?

Cooking is not only the way to prepare your food and eat it, but it is also a perfect way to spend more time with your favorite people. Cooking is an intimate way to share space and be in sync if you want your food to taste well. However, if you try cooking outside, you can either build your very own outdoor kitchen, or make it more challenging such as trying camping cooking. This is the reason why, while cooking, you can make the most of your time with friends and family. Not to mention that food tastes better when shared and consumed outdoors. 

Choose the Right Location 

One of the initial steps for preparing the best outdoor meals is to choose the right location. If you have decided to grill, then you will want to find a location that is near your house so that you can have easier access to your grill and all of the supplies. On the other hand, if you are cooking over a campfire, then you will need to find a place that is entirely safe and away from the trees and bushes. Once you have chosen the most suitable location, it is the perfect time for you to start cooking. 

Prepare Some Food in Advance 

The key to a good outdoor meal is preparation. Before you get out, you will want to ensure that all of the ingredients are chopped, measured, and ready before you start cooking. This is a perfect way to avoid all of the risky, last-minute disasters. Also, if you are not cooking near your home, you will not want to cook overly complex meals, which will take away too much of your energy. Cooking some simple and inexpensive meals will save you time and effort, and you will have more time to enjoy the outdoors with your favorite people. Furthermore, it would save you from the stress of food burning or being undercooked.

Gather the Supplies 

Before you even start with the cooking, you will need to gather all of the supplies, which include grill or campfire utensils, plates, food, and cups. Don’t forget to get the firewood and kindling in case you are cooking over the campfire. You need to be smart and keep everything organized and within your reach before you even start cooking. In this way, you will have all of your time to focus on the food and not worry about where all of the things are. 

Select Your Cookware 

If you’re going on a hike and your backpack is already overburdened, carrying heavy and bulky cookware is just an added burden. But, when you are spending your time outdoors, your access to shops and the kitchen is limited or impossible, so selecting the right cookware is definitely the thing you will need to do at home. Carrying a couple of extra kilos is worth it. Let us start with the essentials. You should take with you a small pot or a sauce pan for your cooking outdoors, and based on the meals you have decided to prepare, you should decide what to bring. Cutlery, reusable plates, and cups are also essential when it comes to camping trips. We recommend that you bring insulated cups with you, which will keep your drinks hot or cold depending on their temperature.

Keep the Dishwashing Supplies Separated 

If you are bringing your cookware, then this means that you will need to do the dishes. You should keep all of your dishwashing supplies together and separate them from everything else. This is a great hack to have everything in one place and not fumble around while looking for your soap. Just as at home, warm water will make doing dishes more convenient and will help you clean your cookware properly by breaking down all of the food particles. So, popping a pot with water over your heat source while you are cooking or when you finish eating will help you a lot, not to forget about drying your dishes. The best trick for this part is to get an inexpensive mesh laundry bag and hang the dishes on the nearby tree for them to air-dry. Additionally, this will keep all of your cookware away from mud and dirt, which will keep them clean for your next meal. 

Learn How to Build a Campfire 

First and foremost, you must learn how to construct a heat source before you can begin cooking outside. So, if you are going camping outside, you will need to know how to build a roaring campfire regardless of whether you are going to cook on it or not. Before you start building the campfire, you should check the regulations of the park when it comes to collecting firewood. Furthermore, it would be a good idea to pack a lot of coals and long-length sticks so that starting a fire will result in a kitchen-quality fire. Learning how to build a campfire will make your cooking so much easier. 

Cooking outdoors is probably one of the best experiences you can possibly have and will teach you so many things. One of the most important things you will learn is how to survive and how to adjust to new conditions. Cooking outdoors will not only bring you closer to your favorite people but will also make you a better cook. Furthermore, cooking outside may bring you closer to nature, which can benefit both your mental and physical health. We hope this post has inspired you to create some fantastic culinary moments outside.

, Useful Tips for Cooking Enthusiasts: How to Prepare Your Meals Outdoors, Days of a Domestic Dad