backwoods cooking for cubs/beaver scouts

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dinky_doo

Member
Mar 15, 2009
12
0
preston,lancs
hi has any body got ome simple recipies for some backwoods cooking for my cub pack
we are planning on doing some cooking for the beavers and i have never done any thing like this before,any help would be greatful
 

Pignut

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 9, 2005
4,096
12
44
Lincolnshire
hi has any body got ome simple recipies for some backwoods cooking for my cub pack
we are planning on doing some cooking for the beavers and i have never done any thing like this before,any help would be greatful

Check my webpage thingy.... link at the bottom of this post (freewebs)

The foil cooking bit is what we do for our backwoods badges

If you need anymore info please pm me and will help any way i can

Yours in scouting

Dave
 

JimN

Forager
Feb 7, 2006
134
2
55
The Amber Valley
Funnily enough I'm helping out at a cubs backwoods cooking camping from this evening, I'll try and grab the list of activities. Isn't there an 'official' scouts suggested activities?
 

JohnC

Full Member
Jun 28, 2005
2,624
82
62
Edinburgh
We did a bit last week, we got the bonfire going well in advance, used this as part of the firelighting experience of the weekend. then used tinfoil parcels for the fish, gutted in essentially the same way as Pignut's explaination.
This was a very popular demo and experience, supervision was required for the younger ones as over-enthusuiastic knife use was a danger.

Dampers on peeled sticks were another good activity. Making stands and rests for the stick to rest on was useful and allowed more knife use.

We also cooked eggs in shells, eggs in empty orange peel shell (tasting as you'd expect egg cooked in orange).

With the beavers, a demo and pre-assembly (ie dough, fish) of foods to be cooked is often enough, and don't forget marshmallows and choc sauce for a less backwoods thing.
 

brancho

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
3,788
714
56
Whitehaven Cumbria
A rather nice Trout wrapped in newspaper (remember to soak the newspapaer first) done in the embers is a favourite it is usually done when the paper starts to burn through about six sheets is a bout right.

In foil the following though you can use cabbage leaves.

chicken breast wrapped with bacon
Baked potatoes egg cooked in aorange peel
bananas with choclate buttons
make a willow rack to cook bacon
Dampers wrapped round a stick but make it tasty by adding dried fruit chocolate buutons smarties drizzle with honey etc etc

I have a recipe for chocolate muufins in orange skins I have yet to try.
 

Vickyjs

Tenderfoot
Sep 18, 2008
60
4
Devon
Hi,
Begin with sweet stuff (then no one gets food poisining!!)
Start with toasting marshmallows - really obvious I know but everyone loves this and they learn to appreciate the heat and that stuff can burn. Careful with the pointy sticks or whatever you use - it gets a bit hectic with lots of kids waving them around.
Move on to dampers. Easiest mix is 2 parts self raising flour to 1 part powdered milk and mix with a bit of cold water. Add raisins for the healthy or choc chips - lovely, wrap dough around the end of a stick not too thick and then hold over hot embers to cook, you can work out a way of propping up sticks if you are lazy or have ADHD Beavers. You can do savory eg add cheese or even ransoms and chopped nettle leaves (but why when you can have choc chip!!)
Choc bananas are always a good one. Slit banana (I guess you'd have to do this for Beavers) stuff with 3 or 4 pieces of choc - value stuff will do or choc chips or buttons. Wrap banana in foil an place in hot embers. You need a spoon or fork to eat as it is messy.
Chocolate cake mix in empty orange peel 'cups' (you slice off the top of a nice thick skinned orange, eat out the flesh with a spoon) leave room for the mix to rise. It's less messy if you wrap the whole thing in foil. Cooking times vary - just experiment. Use commercial BBQ charcoal if you are struggling to keep embers hot for a big group. There's loads you can do but you wouldn't want to get too complicated with Beavers? I'm a Guide leader by the way. Always have a bucket of cold water by each fire. Burnshield dressings are good, and teach kids what to do if they get burnt right from the start. Get some thick gloves or welding gloves to deal with hot stuff. Tie back long hair etc etc (I'm sure you know all this stuff) Hope this helps.
 

stevesteve

Nomad
Dec 11, 2006
460
0
57
UK
My son (8yrs) had his first Cubs meeting a couple of weeks ago. Luckily for him it coincided with a cook-out.

They did the classics:
- Damper wrapped around a stick.
- Bananas in foil with choc drops.

All came home smelling of wood smoke and very happy.

Cheers,
Steve
 

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
65
50
Saudi Arabia
I'm just back from a scout camp, we did sausages on sticks, potatoes in foil and eggs in the embers.
banana and chocolate and marshmallows as well of course.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
We also cooked eggs in shells, eggs in empty orange peel shell (tasting as you'd expect egg cooked in orange).

QUOTE]

Try eggs in onions!
Buy BIG onions, slice off the tops and remove all but a couple of the outer layers (fry up the removed bits as per normal).
Break the eggs into the hollow onions and replace the tops with a tooth pick fastening.
Bake in the ashes.
With the Orange eggs, add a bit of orange juice and milk and sugar to taste and beat it all up and you get orange custard/cheesecake!
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
Not really backwoods, but fun anyway.

  • Buy a ready made cake mix. Tesco's own brand work well.
  • Make up according to instructions, then pour into a roasting bag ( you can add a dollop of jam at this point)
  • Seal the bag well, then put it in a billy of boiling water.
  • Leave for about 1 hour, remove and enjoy.
  • Boil in the bag jam sponge - done!:D

Simon
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,446
1,284
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Not really backwoods, but fun anyway.

  • Buy a ready made cake mix. Tesco's own brand work well.
  • Make up according to instructions, then pour into a roasting bag ( you can add a dollop of jam at this point)
  • Seal the bag well, then put it in a billy of boiling water.
  • Leave for about 1 hour, remove and enjoy.
  • Boil in the bag jam sponge - done!:D

Simon

That's sounds proper nice!! :D


You lot are winding me up - while planning the current terms programme, I suggested we did some fire lighting and basic cooking. I was told that it would be too much clearing up to do afterwards!!!!!!! :banghead: :banghead:
 

JimN

Forager
Feb 7, 2006
134
2
55
The Amber Valley
As far as I can recall we did:
* boiling water in a paper bag
* then using that to make mint tea & dandelion coffee
* dampers
* Bananas and chocolate (plus the leaders version ;) )
* nettle soup (very nice, some kids really went for it)
* oranges with plums
* cookies
* apples with sultanas
and some other stuff I can't remember

Totally knackered now
 

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