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The Fire   Steaming   Cooking Times   kitchen in a pocket   Meals in a Sealed Foil Packet

Aluminum foil has unlimited uses, but lining pots and pans will relieve the troubles of scrubbing hard-to-clean dishes. Foil can replace some cookware by becoming the container for baked foods.  Meats and vegetables can be wrapped in foil then tossed in the coals for painless cooking and cleanup.

Cover the ice in a picnic cooler with foil to help it last longer


The fire 

The best fire for foil cooking is one where there are plenty of embers and hot ashes. One of the problems is that hot ashes tend to get cool after a while therefore a keyhole fire solves that problem as it allows you to rake hot coals over your foil as it is cooking. A two inch bed of ashes is necessary for foil cooking.


Steaming 

Meat, fruit and vegetables can be cooked in foil using this method and a complete dinner can be put together and cook in one piece of foil. The food being cooked should be placed in the foil and wrapped up carefully sealing the edges by rolling them over. It is important to ensure that your package is airtight so that no air can escape. Turn your package over every few minutes to prevent burning of contains.

Cooking time 

Cooking time will depend on such factors as the size of the package and the heat of the coals; if necessary, peep into the package to see if it is done, but be sure to seal it up airtight again before replacing it in the coals. When cooking several things together, you must, of course, allow enough time for the slowest one to cook.

Some suggested foods and approximate times 
Food Time (minutes)

Mince beef 8 - 12 
Sausage 5 - 10 
Lamb chop 20 - 30 
Fish (whole) 15 - 20 
Fish (fillet) 10 - 15 
Carrots (Sliced) 15 - 20 
Potatoes (whole) 45 - 60 
Potatoes (sliced) 10 - 15 
Apples (whole) 20 - 30 
Corn ear 6 - 10 
Onion (sliced) 10 - 15

kitchen in a pocket

Aluminum foil is the outdoorsman's "kitchen in a pocket."  Using foil allows the camp cook to dispense with carrying and cleaning heavy, bulky cookware.  Stick a flattened roll in your pack or a folded sheet in your pocket and use it to cook a variety of foods, including fresh game and fish.  Fashion it into a container for boiling water or heating condiments.  Make it into a drinking cup or makeshift fry pan, or use it to reflect heat from your fire.  Create a windbreak to start the fire, or line pots and pans to reduce cleanup time.  Foil is inexpensive, readily available, convenient and easy to use.

Meals in a Sealed Foil Packet

Among hunters and fishermen, foil is most often used to prepare sealed packets of food to cook on campfire coals or a campsite grill.  Heavy-duty aluminum foil is preferred, because it is thicker and less likely to be punctured.  If lightweight foil is all that's available, however, it can be used in double or triple thicknesses.  Wrap the food so the duller side of the foil is on the outside.

One of the most important facets of foil cookery is sealing the food packets tightly in order to retain steam and juices, and, at the same time, to exclude dirt and ashes.  This is accomplished by using a "drugstore" wrap.

 
 The classic drugstore wrap is an easy way to get food cooked and cut down on the mess.

Tear off a piece of foil about twice as long as you want the completed food package to be.  Lay the foil flat, place the food on top, and fold the foil in half so the food is between the folded pieces, near the fold.  Then, beginning at the place where the two end edges meet, make a fold of about 1/2 inch and firmly press this, sealing the seam.  Then fold the seam over two more times, 1/2 inch at a time, and press to seal.  The two open ends are then sealed in the same manner, and the packet is ready for the cooking fire.

When cooking meats and fish, seal the packages so there is very little or no air space between the foil and the food.  Close contact between food, foil and fire helps brown the food.  In cooking vegetables or other foods, however, it may be preferable to "tent" the foil over the food.  The extra air space allows the package to act somewhat like a pressure cooker, steaming the food until it is done without browning it.  One or two tablespoons of water or liquid condiments added to each package enhance the flavor and produce a tenderer, moist meal.

When cooking directly in campfire coals, add a second foil wrap over the first.  This creates a package that's less likely to get punctured, letting dirt in and steam and juices out.  Also, when you remove the outer wrap, the inside package will still be clean, and the opened foil can be used as a plate or serving dish.

The manner in which you place the food packets in the fire depends on the heat of the fire and how fast or slow you want the foods to cook.  If the coals are very hot, place the foil packs on top of a few coals, turning when half-cooked; or position them beside the coals and tilt the broad side of the packets toward the fire using sticks or rocks to prop them up.  If the coals aren't too hot, you may want to bury the packets in coals so there's no need to turn them.

Barbecue tongs or a long stick can be used to turn foil packets in the coals so both sides cook evenly, and to remove the packets from the fire when they're done.  The foil cools fairly quickly when removed from the coals, but a pair of cloth gloves may prevent a blister or two when opening the packages.  To open the food, tear or cut off the folded ends or snip the top and pull open.  Use care so that steam escaping from just-opened foil packs doesn't burn your face or hands.

  Wonderful meals of fish are easy and very tasty.

When properly cooked in foil, fresh fish or game is a special treat.  

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