--Cooking & Food 2--
Useful Utensils
NATURAL CONTAINERS:
Using a stone with a hollow in it, if the stone is small enough built
a fire around it, if big why not preheat it by lighting the fire inside
the hollow.
If you have a container in which you can not put in a fire, then light
a fire in which you have put some stones. Then when it's hot, put a few clean pebbles into your container to serve
as base, then drop those hot stones into your container which was filled
up first with your liquid.
TONGS:
Lash 2 branches so they sprin, apart at the ends - use a tapering piece
of wood between them under the lashings. Grip is improved if one has forked
end. Use, for holding hot pots.
POT ROD:
Drive a sturdy forked stick into ground near fire. Rest a longer stick
across it with one end over fire. Drive bottom of long stick in ground
and weight with rocks. Cut a groove near the tip to prevent pots slipping
off, or tie on a strong hook.
SWINGING POT HOLDER:
Bind 2 forked sticks together so forks fit in opposite directions on a
firm upright. The cantilever action will maintain the height you set it
at,, and a push sideways will swing the pot away from the flames.
VARIABLE POT HOOK:
Cut a strong piece with several branches from a small tree or bush and
trim branches to 10-12 cm (4-5 in). Strip of the bark, which may hide
rotten wood.
BAMBOO
CUP:
Cut a section of bamboo just below a natural joint and then cut just below
the next join up. Smooth the edges to prevent splinters.
SPOON:
Start with a flattish piece of wood and scribe a spoon shape on it with
the point of your knife. Then whittle away to the required shape. Do not
hurry, this will only result in mistakes. NEVER cut towards yourself or
your hand.
BIRCH BARK CONTAINERS:
Use the inner layer of birch bark to make storage boxes or temporary cooking
vessels-which can be used for boiling. Sew or tie them near the top to
prevent unfolding.
An alternative for temporary vessels is to peg the top edges with split
sticks, but you might well spill the contents if the vessels suddenly
unfold.
Make another vessel, but with a larger base, and you will have a lid to
fit over the first. A circle, folded into quarters, will make a cone shaped
cup or a boiling vessel if suspended.
WATER FILTER!:
Water that is very muddy, dirty or stagnant; can be clarified and sterilized
& made quite safe to drink by filtering and boiling with hot stones.
A good filter can be made from a pair of drill trousers with one leg turned inside out and put inside the other leg. The cuff is tied and the upper part held open by 3 stakes driven well into the ground. Fill with dirty water & then drop in the hot stones. The water will be filter through and MUST be caught either in a billy or bark dish and poured back until the dirt has been filtered out and the water is boiling.
BARK DISH OR COOLAMIN:
One method of improvising a cooking utensil is to make a bark dish or Aboriginal
Coolamin. A flat piece of bark of a species that will not split easily. The bark of
many trees has this quality ex: Birch, Fig tree etc.
Test first by stripping a small piece of bark from one of the branches is softened in the hands and then the 2 ends are folded and pinned with a thin sharpened peg or tied to hold them in position.
A Coolamin can be used for all sorts of cooking with hot stones. It is necessary to use the bark of green trees for a Coolamin. If the sap is coloured especially if it is white or whitish and you can not be sure it is "latex or rubber" be EXTREMELY careful not to get it in your eyes. Many saps can burn your skin or blind you temporarily.
COOKING TIPS
MEAT:
Cut into cubes and boil. Venison is prone to worms, pork to worms and liver
fluke. Marinade tough meat in citric juice for 24 hours before cooking.
OFFAL:
Check liver: only if firm, odourless, free from spots and hard lumps can
it be eaten. Boil, then fry if you wish. Hearts: par-boil then bake. Brains:
skin head and boil, simmering for 90 minutes. Strip all flesh from the skull,
including the eyes, tongue and ears. Blood: collect in a container and leave
covered until a clear liquid comes to the top. When separation seems complete
drain it off. Dry the residue by the fire to form a firm cake. Use to enrich
soups and stews.
FISH:
Stew or wrap in leaves and place in hot embers (avoid toxic leaves).
BIRDS:
Boil all carrion. Old birds are tough and best boiled. Stuff young ones
with herbs or fruits and then roast.
REPTILES:
Gut, then cook in their skins. Place in hot embers, turning continually.
When skin splits meat can be removed and boiled. Some snakes have poisonous
secretions on the skin and others have venom glands in their head, so cut
this off before cooking. If you are not sure they are safe, take care in
handling them. Skin frogs (many have poisonous skins) then roast on a stick.
SHARK:
Cut into small cubes, and soak overnight in fresh water. Boil in several
changes of water to get rid of the nmm
SHELLFISH:
Safest boiled. All seafood spoils quickly. Drop into boiling salted water
and boil for 10 minutes.
INSECTS & WORMS:
Best boiled. Cook and mince them by crushing in a can. Or dry on hot rocks
then grind into a powder with which to enrich soups and stews.
EGGS:
Boil, or roast after first using a sharp stick or knifepoint to pierce a
small hole in one end. Place on warm embers to cook slowly. If a boiled
egg contains an embryo chick remove the embryo and roast it.
GREEN VEGETABLES:
Wash and boil until tender. Can be steamed if you are sure they are safe.
Add to stew after the meat is cooked. Eat fresh greens raw as salad.
ROOTS:
Any toxins are destroyed by heat. Try boiling for 5 minutes then
place in a hole dug beneath the fire, cover with ash and embers and leave
until tender.
LICHENS & MOSSES:
Soak overnight. Add to stews.
SAGO:
Fell a sago palm at base of the trunk and trim the tip just below last flowering
line. Divide the trunk into sections cut lengthwise. Using each section
as a trough, pound pith into a mash, then knead in a container of water
and strain through a cloth. A starchy paste will form in the water. Roll
this into sticky balls and cook.
PALM SAP:
Choose a fat stalk carrying a flowering head (at the base of the crown on
trunk). Bruise with a club then cut off head. Sweet juice will flow from
end of stalk. Bruise and cut daily to stimulate flow. Drink raw or boil
then cool to produce lumps of pure sugar.
PRESERVING FOOD
If food is not plentiful or is limited by season, ensure that stores keep safely. Do not store food in direct sunlight, near excessive warmth or moisture, nor where scavengers may ruin it.
Wrap in airtight and waterproof materials - or store in containers with
a good seal. Label stores and separate different foods to avoid cross-flavouring.
Check occasionally to see all is well.
DRYING:Wind and sun can dry food but it is easier to force-dry over a fire. Dried foods are less vulnerable to moulds and maggots. Meat with a high fat content is difficult to preserve. Cut off most of the fat and rub salt into the flesh. Hang the salted meat in a cool airy place.
SMOKING:
This dehydrates meat and coats it with a protective layer. Smoking can be
carried out in a smoke tepee. Get a fire going to produce hot embers. Have
a pile of green leaves ready.
To build a smoke tepee, drive three sticks into the ground to form a triangle and tie the tops together. Build a platform between them and set a fire beneath.
Hardwood leaves are ideal, but avoid holly and other toxic leaves, and conifers
which may burst into flame. Do not use grass. Make sure there are no flames
left, and pile leaves over the embers.
Cut meat into fat-free strips, 2.5 cm (1 in) by 6 mm (1/2 in), gut and fillet fish. Cover the tepee with a cloth to keep in the smoke. If you don't have a cloth, pile boughs and turfs on the frame and seal it. Leave for 18 hours and ensure little or no smoke escapes.
To avoid risk of embers setting tepee alight, build a snake hole fire (see p. 183); erect tepee over chimney.
BILTONG:
Cut strips, as for smoking; hang them in sun, out of reach of animals, 2-3
m (6-10 ft) above ground. They can take 2 weeks to dry. Protect them from
rain and dew. Turn the strips to ensure all surfaces are dried, and keep
flies off so they don't lay eggs.
To dry fish, cut off the head, tail acid gut. Split open, .remove the backbone and score inner flesh. Lay on hot, sun-baked rocks. Fish less than 7.5 cm (3 in) long need not be gutted.
Fish can also be smoked. They will be easier to hang if cleaned and gutted without removing the backbone, head or tail. Suspend by one side of the head.
PEMMICAN:
This is concentrated food made from biltong, ideal for provisions to carry
on treks. Before setting out, take equal quantities, by weight, of biltong
and rendered fat. Shred and pound the meat. Melt the animal fat over the
shredded meat and mix together well. When cold pack in a waterproof bag.
It will keep for a long time, especially in cold climates.
Nuts and cereals
Place on hot rocks from the fire, turning frequently until dried. Store
in damp-proof containers.
Fruit, fungi and lichens
Fruit and berries can be dried whole or cut into slices and dried by sun,
smoke or heat. Fungi also dry easily. Fruit can be eaten dry. Add fungi
to soups or soak in water for several hours to regain their texture.
To store Lichens, soak overnight, boil well and allow to dry. Grind to a powder then boil again to form a thick syrup, which adds body to other foods.
PICKLING AND SALTING
Citric acid from limes and lemons can be used to pickle fish and meat. Dilute
juice and water 2:1-; mix well and soak the flesh for at least 12 hours.
Transfer it to an airtight container with enough solution to cover meat.
Vegetables can be preserved by boiling and then keeping in salt water. To make sure a brine solution is strong enough, add salt until a potato or root vegetable will float in it. Another method of using salt is to tightly pack layers of salt and vegetables. Wash off the salt when you need to use them.
COOKING TIPS 2:
Water boils faster when set above the flames! So you have to hang it using
some kind of tripod otherwise if you set the pot in the fire you might end
up by seeing your pot in the fire which has collapsed while burning, not
counting the risk to burn yourself.
One other way if you have a the pot is to set it as close to the fire as possible even among the burning coals MAKING SURE that the lid is on and not the burning type, being so close will make the water boil real good.
Hot charcoal put under a big vessel will do just as good a job and one need hot water a lot in camps. If water is plentiful as well as wood then MAKE SURE you ALWAYS have some hot water boiling or close to the flame to keep hot.
And REMEMBER that to sterilise water it has to boil for 10 minutes long. No matter what some may say be safe!
MERELY MOISTENING YOUR LIPS WITH POLLUTED WATER CAN DISABLE YOU IF NOT KILL YOU TOO!.
