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10 Favorite Vegetarian Camping Recipes

“Why don't you give us more vegetarian recipes?” is one of the most common questions from 50 Campfires curious culinary crowd.

Our answer is, “We do!” But we have to admit that they get spread out in the magazine and on the website, mixed by theme with recipes that include meat, fish, and poultry – and their byproducts.

So, to make things more convenient, we offer this compilation of some of our favorite recent vegetarian recipe posts for breakfasts, salads, snacks, main dishes, and deserts.

If you're in the mood to share, send us your favorite vegetarian camping recipes. We'll cook them up, take photos, and post them up to the website – with full credit of course!

Dean's Dip Tater Tot Campfire Casserole

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

Tater Tot® Hot Dish is the official Minnesota state casserole, but you don't have to be camping in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to enjoy this one. It's campfire ready, and has the zesty boost of Dean's French Onion Dip. Make this recipe!

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 32 oz. package of Tater Tots®

1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 16 oz. carton Dean's French Onion Dip

½ cup roughly chopped onion

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

cooking oil or spray

Instructions

Heat a 12-inch covered Dutch oven by placing it on top of 10 gray charcoal briquettes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine Tater Tots®, soup, and Dean's French Onion Dip.

Once Dutch oven is hot, remove lid and spray inside with cooking oil spray.

Add chopped onions and cook for two minutes, stirring until translucent, but not starting to brown.

Pour mixture into Dutch oven, and sprinkle the top evenly with grated cheddar cheese.

Replace lid, and evenly distribute 14 gray charcoal briquettes on top.

Cook for about 45 minutes until tots are brown and crisp on top. Begin checking for doneness at about 30 minutes.

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Fancy Mac and Cheese Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

What's not to love about this vegetarian campfire recipe? Everyone's a fan of mac and cheese … including the kiddies. And on top of it all, the roasted cherry tomatoes add just the right savory zing for the adult palate. You better make a double batch because this one won't last long when your campmates catch wind of it. Roast the cherry tomatoes at home before the trip and bring them along in a zip lock back with just a little olive oil – or sub in reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes if you wish.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Coarse Sea Salt, to taste

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. salted butter

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

6 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup dry macaroni elbows

1 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

½ tsp. white pepper

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on backing sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes for 10-15 minutes, then remove them from the oven cool to room temp

In 10- or 12-inch Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for one minute.

Whisk in flour, then slowly whisk in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf.

Increase to high heat and bring the broth to a boil. Add the macaroni and boil until al dente … about 8 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Stir in cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and pepper.

Add the cheese and continue to stir until it's completely melted.]

Slowly bring the soup to a boil again for two minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove it from the heat.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with the roasted tomatoes.

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Campfire Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

It definitely doesn't get any easier than this, and few things are tastier! Roasting pumpkin seeds over a campfire is so simple, and because you're doing them yourself, you can choose to flavor them any way that suits you!

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: varies

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds (cleaned, rinsed, dried)

1-3 Tbsp. cooking oil

Salt (to taste)

Other flavorings (to taste)

Large cast iron skillet

Instructions

Start a nice campfire with hardwood logs like oak, hickory, hard maple, etc. Let it burn for at least half an hour before cooking over it. If it's in a fire pit with a grate over it, so much the better. You'll see why.

Clean the seeds thoroughly immediately after they come out of pumpkins. Remove all strings and pieces of “pumpkin guts.” It works great to rinse them under cool water in a colander. Spread out to dry in a well-ventilated area. Best to put them on cooking mats or other non-stick surface. Don't use paper towels – the seeds will stick to them. It's really important the seeds are dry so the oil will adhere to them.

Warm skillet over fire. (With the grate, you won't have to hold the heavy skillet all the time.)

Pour in enough cooking oil to evenly coat bottom of fry pan.

Warm a little more, then add seeds.

With the pan over the heat, move nearly constantly jostling the seeds around to toast evenly. (This is where the grate is really nice because it will hold the weight of the skillet as you slide it back and forth.)

As the seeds begin to toast and start to turn golden brown, add the salt and any other flavoring you might want like chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or whatever you like.

Continue toasting until seeds are golden on both sides. For additional motion and flipping you can stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Just don't let the heat sit one place too long or the seeds will quickly scorch and ruin the whole batch.

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Watermelon Jerky

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 hours

Total time

12 hours 10 mins

You'll need a food dehydrator for this recipe. Cook time can be greatly influenced by the climate you are in. For example, in Florida during summer season the time will be three to four times greater than needed in a northern, drier climate.

Author: The Watermelon Council

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: varies

Ingredients

Fair amount of watermelon cut into 6"-8" strips about ½" thick (think Hershey bar or men's belt).

Instructions

Place watermelon strips in dehydrator for 8 hours. Can take 8-12 hours, or up to 24 hours depending on climate. The watermelon crisps after cooling. Make thicker slices for a fruit leather roll up type snack. Make thinner for crisped watermelon chips.

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Vegetarian Colorado Chili Verde

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

Wherever you go in Colorado you'll see Chile Verde or Green Chile offered as a side dish or sauce. It goes well as either. For the campsite we cut some corners, but this is still a dish that needs some simmer time to turn out really delicious. You always have the option of making a batch ahead of time and bringing it to camp to reheat. It even freezes very well. Here's the deal, though. If you plan to make it ahead, do it when you can be alone in the kitchen. The smell of the roasting peppers will gather a crowd who will eat the chili and leave you without any to take to camp. Oh … and one more thing. Authentic Colorado Green Chile is made with Hatch Peppers from New Mexico. The only kind of Hatch Peppers we can get “back East” are canned and you can't do a good job of roasting anything but fresh peppers. So we substituted a combination of Poblano, Anaheim, and jalapeno. It came out really well.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. Poblano peppers

3 large Anaheim peppers

2 large jalapeno peppers

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with chiles (ours had cilantro, too)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

5 cups vegetable broth or stock

2 tsps. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsps. chili powder (or to taste)

1 tsp. salt

Instructions

Roast all peppers over campfire or gas flame until skins are blacken and blistered.

Place hot peppers in large bowl and cover tightly with aluminum foil

Chop onions and gather the rest of your ingredients.

Once peppers are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove charred skin and the seeds inside. Then roughly chop the peppers.

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven.

Add chopped onions. Fry for about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add minced garlic. Stir constantly for 2 minutes.

Stir in diced tomatoes (undrained) and chopped peppers.

Sprinkle in flour and stir.

Add broth, cinnamon, chili powder and salt.

Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better. You're looking for the chili to thicken a bit.

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Door County Cherry and Cucumber Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

This is a light, quick salad that makes the most of the late-July to mid-August harvest of sweet cherries in Door County, Wisconsin. You can cut things up ahead of time and just keep them in the cooler to toss together when you're ready or make the whole thing up in camp. Once mixed, it will keep well in the cooler for about four hours.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

½ lb. sweet cherries, pitted and halved

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

In large bowl, toss together cucumber chunks, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.

Add cherries and cilantro leaves and toss lightly.

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Vegetarian Campfire Beans

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours 30 mins

This is a great “sit and simmer dish.” Put it together at lunchtime or before, and let it sit on the edge of the campfire coals. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors come together and build. This recipe is wide open for interpretation with your favorites. Mix whatever kind of beans you'd like. And it certainly doesn't have to be vegetarian if you don't want – start with some browned sausage or burger to turn it from a side dish into a main course. Or start out with bacon grease to fry the onions and garlic.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: lots and lots

Ingredients

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 15-ounce can black beans

1 15-ounce can pinto beans

1 15-ounce can great northern beans

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

1 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 small to medium can of your favorite vegetarian baked beans

½ - ¾ bottle of BBQ sauce (buy whatever you like, but it doesn't have to be expensive.)

Hot sauce to taste.

Instructions

Heat oil in 10- or 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven.

Stir in chopped onions and cook until they become translucent.

Add minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Open all the beans and drain off liquid (except baked beans). Refill the cans with fresh water, then pour it off the beans. This rinses the beans to help reduce their gastronomic effects.

Add the beans (including the baked beans with sauce) to the onions and garlic.

Add the can of diced tomatoes with the juice.

Add the BBQ sauce and hot sauce to taste.

Stir to mix well.

Cover Dutch oven and place in the coals at the edge of the campfire.

Allow to simmer for at least several hours; add water as necessary to keep from burning.

Stir occasionally, but not too often so as not to break down the beans. They're best if they're still a little el dente when eaten.

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Curried Chickpeas & Tomatoes

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

Curry lovers listen up! This is a good, fast one. It's also another vegetarian dish that will satisfy any hungry camper as a side dish or on its own served over rice or couscous.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 Tbps. olive oil

1-inch piece of ginger peeled and grated or finely chopped

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 small can of mild, chopped green peppers

2 Tbsp. Indian curry powder or garam masala (start light and add more to taste)

salt to taste

hot sauce to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

black pepper to taste

Instructions

In 10-inch or 12-inch Dutch oven, heat oil.

Add onion, ginger, and half of curry powder.

Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent.

Add tomatoes and green peppers with juice and stir well.

Add remaining curry powder and salt.

Bring to boil, then turn down heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add drained chickpeas and return to simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Adjust seasoning to your liking with more salt, black pepper, hot sauce and/or crushed red pepper flakes.

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New England Brown Bread

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour 35 mins

Total time

2 hours 5 mins

You can make brown bread pretty easily yourself and, oddly enough, you make it in a can, too! The biggest things that set brown bread apart from “regular” bread are it has no yeast and it is steamed instead of baked in an oven. Here's a recipe to try with your Dutch Oven right at your campfire. This is a fun "bread making" project for the whole family at the campsite. The kids will get a kick out of making bread in a can.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 12 slices

Ingredients

½ cup graham or whole-wheat flour

½ cup rye flour½ cup yellow corn meal

¾ tsp. baking soda

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

3 Tbs. butter melted, slightly browned

1 tsp. salt

½ cup black strap molasses

½ cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

½ cup raisins (optional)

¼ cup brown sugar (optional)

unsalted butter

empty, clean one-pound metal coffee can

Instructions

In large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients (and raisins, if you're using), and stir into a smooth batter.

Thoroughly butter the inside of the coffee can.

Spoon the batter into the can, leaving at least 1½ inches at the top to allow for the bread to rise.

Cover the can securely with greased aluminum foil.

Place the can in a Dutch Oven deep enough that the lid fits tightly with the can upright inside.

Add enough water to come halfway up the can. Bring the water to a simmer, then cover the Dutch Oven, and steam for 90 to 105 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the top of the bread comes out clean (remove foil to test.) Replenish the water if needed while steaming.

Cool bread in the can on a baking rack for at least 10 minutes, then remove from the can. If the bread won't come out from the top, use a can opener to remove the other end of the can and push the "loaf" on through.

Slice and serve with butter, and honey if you like.

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Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

These banana pancakes can be made with just two ingredients – bananas and eggs – or you can up the game with some vanilla if you like. They are delicious as is or with butter, maple syrup, blueberries, and/or Nutella on top. Dig in!

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian Camp Cooking

Serves: 2-3 pancakes per banana

Ingredients

Ripe bananas (the riper the better)

Fresh eggs

Vanilla (optional)

Your favorite pancake toppers

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together bananas and eggs at a 1-to-1 ratio (one egg for every banana). Mash this up and mix until no lumps remain. A potato masher works great for this.

Add ½ tsp. vanilla extract per banana (if using).

Heat greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Pour out “batter” to the size you want our pancake.

Cook for about one minute until bubbles appear.

Flip pancake and cook until golden brown – about a minute more.

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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50 Campfires Weekly Giveway : Gear Ties!

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Limited Edition 50 Campfires T-Shirt Giveaway!

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Door County Cherry and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

½ lb. sweet cherries, pitted and halved

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

In large bowl, toss together cucumber chunks, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.

Add cherries and cilantro leaves and toss lightly.

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TIP: Pitting Fresh Cherries Pitting cherries can be a tedious task, but it's one you can make fun for the kids to help you out. Use the curved end of a hairpin to push into the center of a whole cherry. Get it behind the pit and just pop it out. It goes really fast once you get the hang of it. Make it a competition for the kids – who can pit the most cherries in a minute? Who can pit the most cherries without sneaking one or two to eat?

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Under Armor Tuned Shoreline Polarized Shock Sunglasses

If you would've told us a month ago that we needed specialized sunglasses to go fishing – we would've walked away from the conversation. It was our opinion that any polarized glasses worked just fine – and as long as they protected us from UV rays, we were in business. Everything changed last month when we discovered the Under Armor Tuned Shoreline sunglasses.

When we arrived at the lake, it was already a blue sky day, and the grumbling had started that we should wait for the sun to start setting before casting our lines in the water. Unfortunately, this was our only day to fish – and we weren't going to let it slip away. Fortunately for us, it was also our first day experiencing the Under Armor Tuned Shoreline sunglasses. Spoiler: they rocked!

First off, a “traditional” pair of polarized sunglasses aren't designed specifically for shallow water…they're designed for EVERYTHING – meaning they aren't tuned for specific conditions. The Under Armor Tuned Shoreline lenses are tuned specifically to provide contrast enhancement for shallow water – which is exactly where we're fishing most of the time.

Our crew loves to bring along our fishing equipment whenever we head out to camp near a lake or river…and we're rarely in a boat. The Under Armor Tuned sunglasses are made for us. We found ourselves calling out structure and fish in the water that the others couldn't see. It was a common occurance to take off our sunglasses and hand them over to the others on our trip, just so they could understand what we saw below the surface.

The glasses are comfortable, and we had no problem wearing them all day without fatigue. Sure, they block out UVA/B/C rays, but the polarization is truly what sets these glasses apart from the pack.

If you enjoy fishing shallow water, from the shoreline, docks or even a boat – the Under Armor Tuned Shoreline Polarized Sunglasses are for you.

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Altra Lone Peak 4 Review

I wish that I could say that I was an early adopter to Altra shoes. That I was there at the beginning. About three years ago I met the folks from Altra while attending a media summit, and I have been wearing them ever since. While I've tested many of their shoes, I keep coming back to their Lone Peak series. I have to admit it, I'm a bit of a fanboy. When they announced the release of the Lone Peak 4 at this year's Outdoor Retailer show, I knew that I was in for trouble. My assumptions were correct. I put them on about three weeks ago, and haven't taken them off since. What follows is my review of the Altra lone Peak 4 trail running shoe, and more so my love affair with them.

First things first – if you've never tried on a pair of Zero Drop shoes, there'll be a learning curve. The Altra Lone Peak 4 feature a Zero Drop, meaning your heel and toes are the same distance from the ground. We've found that transitioning back and forth between a zero drop and a more traditional hiking shoe leads to the feeling of walking in high heels…and an extremely unnatural foot position. Speaking of foot feel, the Altra Lone Peak 4 boasts Altra's Footshape Toe Box….wait, what? Looking down onto your toes, the shoe is noticeably wider in the toes. This allows your toes to relax in a more natural position, rather than being squeezed into a point. We've found that this shape makes hiking and trail running a more stable exercise, and a feeling that you aren't being jammed up.

Next, let's step outside of the shoe – to where the rubber meets the road. The material and makeup of the sole are built for the trail. Large lugs exactly where we need them, and Maxtrac grip provide stability and traction even on wet and slippery surfaces. In the past, we've taken earlier iterations of the Lone Peak on week-long adventures, and they have continued to perform time after time. We can honestly say that they've only improved the functionality of the sole in the new Lone Peak 4.

Next – styling. I wish that I was in a position to buy a pair of shoes for every activity that I participate in…but that's simply not the case. The Lone Peak 4's look great. I wore them for a week tromping around on the Ice Age Trail, and followed it up with a trip to the office and happy hour the next. Altra continues to reach outside of the box with their colors, and the selections that are available in the Lone Peak 4 are fantastic. Sure, they're bold – but they're also great looking.

Lastly, don't be intimidated. Altra is sold through many running retailers around the country. Whether you're a runner or not – the Altra Lone Peak 4 is a solid shoe that deserves your consideration. At the very least, you need to go and try a pair on. For us, we're sold.

The post Altra Lone Peak 4 Review appeared first on 50 Campfires.

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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The Grip6 Conservation Series : A Great Belt Gives Back

I've been wearing a Grip6 belt for two years now, and I'm convinced that it's the best belt on the market. I'm a big fan of minimalist functionality, and that's exactly what this belt excels at. The buckles weigh less than an ounce, and the way they “lock” is brilliant. It's just a simple tuck under the buckle and it stays put all day. The straps are all made from high strength, lightweight nylon webbing that retains its shape throughout years of use. I honestly can't imagine how this design could be improved.

Ok, that's what I love about them. Let's talk about the Grip6 Conservation Series now, and how cool that is. The Conservation Series includes three buckles that are designed after three different conservation groups. A salmon for the Wild Salmon Center, a bison for the American Prairie Reserve, and honeycomb for the Xerces Project. 10% of all proceeds will be donated to those three conservation groups. When you throw in the lifetime warranty you end up with an offer that's hard to pass up. Upgrade your bulky old leather belt with three sleek new options and kick a little cash to conservation in the process. You can't go wrong.

$134 for all 3 belts and the nifty hanger

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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6 Great Ways To Make Camping Coffee

For most of us, coffee is an essential starter in the morning on any camping adventure. Even those who don't drink coffee usually love its smell wafting across a campsite. Combined with frying bacon and wood smoke, it's an aroma that can't be replicated anywhere else.

What's the best way to make camping coffee? Well, that's the source of prolonged debate among experienced campers. Everyone has a favorite recipe or technique, but if you have an open mind here are some you might want to try yourself.

Cowboy Coffee

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

17 mins

Cowboy Coffee combines four basic elements of all coffee making: ground coffee, water, a pot in which to heat the water, and heat – that might come from a campfire, a grill, or a camp stove. While the components are simple, making Cowboy Coffee the right way is a little bit more complicated – at least if you're not a fan of a mouthful of gritty grounds with each sip. Fussy? Yes … especially considering this is supposed to be a “cowboy” thing, but the result is delicious coffee every time … that you don't have to it pick from your teeth when you're done.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Coffee

Cuisine: Camp Cooking

Ingredients

Large coffee pot or kettle

2 Tbsp. finely ground coffee per 8 oz. of water

Water (fresh spring water if you've got it)

Heat source

Instructions

Measure the amount of pure, fresh water you put into the pot. (You're going to need to know the amount later.) Unfiltered spring water is best. If you're not sure of your water supply, use the bottled stuff you brought along in your cooler.

Bring the water to a boil over the campfire or whatever heat source you have available.

Remove the pot from the heat, and allow it to sit for 30 seconds to a minute to make sure it's off the boil. The best temperature for making coffee is right at 200 degrees. (Remember if you're camping at elevation, water boils at lower temps, so to make sure you're at that temp, let it take on a long, rolling boil before removing it from the heat.)

Add two tablespoons of finely ground coffee to the pot FOR EACH 8 OUNCES OF WATER.

Stir the grounds into the water. (Real cowboy chuck wagon cooks kept a separate wooden spoon for this purpose only – and never washed it.)

Let the pot and contents sit – off the fire – for two minutes.

Stir again, and let it sit for another two minutes.

After the four minutes of brewing sprinkle half a cup of cold water on the grounds. Because “heat rises and cold sinks” it pulls the grounds, which are now mostly floating on the surface, down to the bottom of the pot.

Carefully, gently pour out the coffee so the grounds remain near the bottom of the pot and what you get in your cup is rich, delicious coffee.

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Minnesota North Woods Egg Coffee

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Often confused with Cowboy Coffee is Egg Coffee, but the practice of mixing an egg – including shells -- with the coffee grounds appears to be more of a north woods tradition with a Scandinavian heritage. The process for making egg coffee is kind of gross. What you pour into the pot of boiling water is a slurry of beaten egg, pulverized egg shells, and the clumpy grounds of medium to course grind coffee. What eventually pours out is some of the best tasting coffee you'll ever drink. Egg coffee was born of necessity. The miners in northern Minnesota were working with irony water and old weak coffee. But some how the addition of the eggs makes it all come together. To this day, you can find coffee made this way in country church basements across Minnesota. Egg coffee works great for camping, too. It's slower than a drip cone or French press, but the taste is worth the wait. Besides camping is supposed to be about slowing down anyway.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Coffee

Cuisine: Camp Cooking

Serves: 8 cups of coffee

Ingredients

1 large egg, beaten (reserve eggshell)

large coffee pot or sauce pan

8-9 cups of water, plus ¼ cup water, plus 1 cup cold water

¾ cup medium grind coffee (Pre-ground, grocery store coffee works just fine.)

Instructions

Crack an egg. Reserve shell. Place yolk and white in bowl. Beat thoroughly.

Crush the eggshell into small pieces.

Add the crushed shell, ¼ cup of water and ¾ cup of medium grind coffee to the beaten egg.

Stir together well. (Yech!)

Bring 8-9 cups of water to boil in a saucepan or coffee pot.

Carefully pour/spoon in the slurry and boil gently for three minutes. The grounds and egg will create a mass floating on top of the pot.

Remove from heat and gently pour in a cup of cold water.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Carefully pour into cups and drink. Chances are it will be lighter color than the coffee you're used to drinking, but all the rich flavor is there without any bitterness.

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Percolated Coffee

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

22 mins

Drip and press coffee making systems have taken over the world, but for a long time percolating coffee was the most common way to make it – especially when camping. It takes longer than drip coffee making, and you don't have the grounds all bound up in a paper filter for easy disposal. Yet there is an appeal to tradition. Few moments of a camping day are as enjoyable as zipping back into your sleeping bag and listening to the perk of coffee on the cook stove or campfire. Just like an old-fashioned, corded countertop telephone, it's entirely possible there are people who have never seen or experienced a percolating coffee pot. Basically, it's a tall pot, usually with a glass bulb atop the metal lid. Inside there's a strainer basket suspended on the top of a hollow metal stem. It's held upright by a slightly domed metal base. You put the ground coffee in the strainer basket and cover it with the strainer top. This whole contraption fits in the pot you've partially filled with water. Then you snap the coffee pot lid in place, and put the pot on the stove to come to a boil. When the water begins to boil, you'll see it bubble into that glass bulb on top and you'll begin to hear the “perking” sound. You then turn down the heat to just keep the percolation going at a slow rate. Inside the pot, boiling water and steam is forced up the center stem and out its top. It splashes on to the strainer and filters down through the coffee grounds and back into the water. The repeated process makes stronger and stronger coffee the longer it percolates. When you go to REI or Cabela's to buy a camping coffee pot, along side the French presses and collapsible drip cones, you'll find old-fashioned percolator pots. They are nostalgic and make some darn good coffee – especially if you like it strong. Percolating perfect coffee is a learned skill. It takes some practice, but once you get it down, you'll love the caffeinated results!

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Coffee

Cuisine: Camp Cooking

Ingredients

Percolating coffee pot with strainer, stem and bulb.

Fresh water

2 Tbsp. regular grind coffee for each 8 oz. water in the pot

Instructions

Fill pot with enough water so it's just below the level of the bottom of the strainer basket.

Place the strainer on its stem into the pot.

Place two heaping tablespoons of regular grind coffee into the strainer basket for each cup of water in the pot.

Put the top on the strainer basket, and then the lid on the pot.

Set on the heat and wait for it to boil. Watch and listen carefully, because it can boil over easily.

When it's boiling, move the pot to the edge of the fire or turn down the heat to low.

Allow the coffee to percolate slowly for at least 5-10 minutes. Remember the longer you percolate it, the stronger the coffee will be.

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Drip Cone Coffee / Kuju Coffee Pour Overs

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

Drip coffee is the most common way to make coffee at home or at the coffee shop (We're not talking espresso drinks – we're talking plain old cup o' joe.) Hot water is poured or dripped over finely ground coffee beans held in a filter. It passes through the grounds grabbing flavor and color as it goes. It drips out the bottom of the filter (and the cone holding it) into a pot or directly into a cup. Coffee making doesn't get much simpler or delicious than that. And the beauty is it's so easily adaptable for camping. In fact, KUJU Coffee takes the process to a new level with its Pocket Pourovers. They individually packaged, one-cup filter cones you simply open, support on the sides of the cup, and pour hot water through. Available in a wide range of blends, all KUJU Coffee is ethically sourced, and one percent of each purchased is donated to the National Parks

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Coffee

Cuisine: Camp Cooking

Ingredients

1 KUJU Coffee Pourover packet per 8-12 oz. of water

Water, just below boiling point

Instructions

Open the packet and pull the filter out of the pouch. Tear along the perforation at the top of filter.

With the wings that pull out from the sides of the filter, secure to any size mug.

Pour water that's just below a boil into the coffee grounds, allow it to drip into the cup. Repeat until 8 ounces is brewed.

In smaller mugs, it's okay if the filter rests in the brewed coffee, and this can actually boost the flavor.

Remove and dispose of filter/coffee – ENJOY!

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Camping French Press Coffee

Prep time

7 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

17 mins

The French Press method of coffee brewing is renowned for making rich, full-bodied, delicious coffee. It may seem a little fru-fru for a camping trip, but that's not the case any more. GSI Outdoor created the JavaPress especially for rugged use in the great outdoors, but it serves as well at home to make your coffee for the morning commute. Actually, French Pressing is another take on Cowboy Coffee. But instead of using cold water to pull the grounds to the bottom, in French Pressing the grounds are collected and held against the bottom by a filter disc you press through the coffee with a plunger. Then you pour out the grounds-free coffee from above the filter.

Author: 50 Campfires

Recipe type: Coffee

Cuisine: Camp Cooking

Serves: Up to 30 oz.

Ingredients

GSI Outdoors 30 oz. JavaPress

Up to 30 oz. water, just below boiling (200F is perfect)

2 Tbsp. of coarsely ground coffee per 6 oz. of water

Instructions

Begin by boiling some water in a separate pot.

Pour a couple of ounces into the JavaPress cylinder and swirl to warm the container. Return water to boiling pot.

Measure 2 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffer per six ounces of water into the cylinder. If you're making the full 30-ounce capacity of the JavaPress, that would be 10 tablespoons.

Add water that's cooled just below boiling to the cylinder.

Place the lid/press in position on top of the cylinder and make sure it's seated well.

Allow coffee to steep for 4-5 minutes.

Slowly press down plunger to the bottom of the pot.

Turn the arrow on the lid to align with the pour spout and pour the coffee into your waiting mug.

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Homemade Camping Coffee Bags

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Coffee bags take the concept of Cowboy Coffee, and just make it a lot easier to ensure you don't end up with a mouthful of grounds to spoil a delicious cup of java. You can make up as many of these as you'd like at home ahead of your camping trip and have them ready for quick coffee brewing any time. FYI – if you really want to take the easy way out, companies like Folgers and others make single-serving coffee bags that are just like tea bags. So, buy a box and submerge two bags in near boiling water to make 16 ounces of coffee.

Serves: 16 oz. coffee per bag

Ingredients

Dental floss or cotton twine

#4 paper coffee filters

4 Tbsp. of drip ground coffee for each bag you want to make up for a 16 oz. cup of coffee

Instructions

Cut some 8-inch lengths of cotton twine or dental floss. You'll need one for each bag you're going to make.

Flatten out a drip coffee filter on the table in front of you.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of coffee into the center of the filter for each 8-ounces you want the back to brew. We like to make 16-ounce batches, so that's 4 heaping tablespoons of fine ground coffee.

Carefully gather up the sides of the filter and pull them together to form a pouch.

Give this top a good twist so the packet resembles an onion just pulled from the ground.

Use the pre-cut string to tightly tie off the top of the pouch.

When it's time to make coffee, heat water to boiling, then remove from the heat for 30 seconds to a minute.

Pour into the cup and plop in a pre-tied bag.

Wait about five minutes, jostling the cup occasionally.

Remove the coffee bag and enjoy.

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Tips for Making “Perfect” Camp Coffee

Water Temperature

The only method in which you'll actually boil the coffee in the water for any length of time is percolating. That's why the resulting coffee is stronger and called “bitter” by some compared to the other methods. The coffee is briefly boiled in the egg coffee method, but the time is short and part of the purpose of adding the egg is to eliminate bitterness. The optimal temperature at which to brew coffee by all the other methods is 200 F. Since water boils at 212 F at sea level, taking a kettle of boiling water off the heat for 30 seconds to a minute, brings the temp down to exactly the right point. However, remember that as you go up in elevation water begins boiling at lower temperatures. So if you're in a high elevation mountain camp, continue heating your water well above the boiling point to get the water to 200 degrees for the “perfect” cup of coffee.

Coffee to Water Ratio & Brewing Time

The strength of coffee is determined by two factors – the amount of coffee grounds to which the water is exposed and the length of time which it is exposed. How strong and dark you like your coffee is a matter of personal taste, so the “perfect” cup of coffee is highly subjective. A good starting point for most brewing methods is 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6-8 ounces of water. Experimentation and lots of tasting are really the only way to develop the skills to brew the perfect cup.

The Right Grind

Consistency of the grind is important, too. The finer the grind the more surface area of the grounds is exposed to the water to make the coffee stronger and darker. However, if you use too fine a grind in some methods, coffee grounds could escape into the water. Few things are as “imperfect” as taking a swig of coffee and ending up with a mouth full of grounds! Yech! Basically, you can go with finer grinds for methods that use a paper filter or collect them like egg coffee. Coarser grounds work better in systems that use strainers or mechanical devices like percolating or French Pressing.

Fresh Ground vs. Preground

If you're really a coffee snob, you'll want fresh ground beans even when camping and several companies make battery-operated grinders that make this perfectly doable. However, grinding your beans at home and bringing them to camp – or buying pre-ground coffee at the grocery store or campground convenience store is what most people do for camping. It will be just fine, and if you try egg coffee, it will be downright delicious!

Brand/Type of Coffee

Again, this is totally subjective and entirely up to you. Buy and use whatever you like and whatever your budget will bear. However, if you want to try something special and truly authentic when it comes to brewing Cowboy Coffee, go online and splurge on a pound of Arbuckles' Ariosa Coffee. They lay claim to being the “Coffee That Won The West.” Just after the Civil War the Arbuckle brothers came up with the idea of selling pre-roasted coffee beans in 1 –pound packages. Before then, the only way to get coffee was green which required roasting in a skillet over a fire or woodstove – which made things horribly inconsistent. Arbuckles' Ariosa Blend became so popular in the Old West, most cowboys didn't even know there was anything else.

The post 6 Great Ways To Make Camping Coffee appeared first on 50 Campfires.

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Campfire Defender Giveaway

You never want to look back and say to yourself, “Man, I wish I had a Campfire Defender.” When that moment comes, it's too late. Something terrible and irreversible has already happened. The Campfire Defender is great insurance for any serious camper or lover of backyard bonfires.

Can't see the entry form below? Click here for a mobile-friendly version

Put Your Campfire To Bed!

We really like the Campfire Defender because of the added level of safety it brings to any campsite. Of course it reduces the possibility of starting a forest fire. And with the fire covered, you don't have to worry about a child – or a maybe a friend who imbibed a bit too much the night before – stepping into the fire during a 3 a.m. bathroom run.

The post Campfire Defender Giveaway appeared first on 50 Campfires.

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richardhevans21-blog · 6 years

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Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory – Ghost Town : Gothic, Colorado

Laboratory in a Colorado Ghost Town

Gothic, Colorado was a boomtown in the 1880s. The search for fortunes in silver is what brought people to this town just down the road from what today is Crested Butte. But 10 years of mining proved Gothic was not home to the famed “mother lode.” Things died down. In fact, the town died out creating a true Old West ghost town.

During the 50 Campfires Field Trip: Heart of the Rockies, the team took the opportunity to explore Gothic at 12,631 feet elevation. What they discovered, and what any visitors will discover today, is anything but a ghost town. Today, Gothic is home to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL).

While the silver played out, the unique and diverse ecosystem around Gothic most certainly did not. In 1919 a visiting natural scientist, Dr. John Johnson, came to Gothic and immediately recognized the area's potential for research and started bringing students there to study. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory was officially founded in 1928, and still includes several of the boomtown buildings from the late 1800s.

On arriving in Gothic, one of the first things you will notice is the silence. In the modern world, you often have to go out of your way to escape the hum of tires on a nearby highway. Not up in Gothic. It was the most sublime silence the 50 Campfires team experienced the entire time they traveled through the Rocky Mountains. It is in fact so quiet you feel a certain reverence when you step out of your car. It's a calm, beautiful place, and it's obvious why people come from all over the world to study there.

So what actually happens at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory?

Well, since 1928 more than 9,000 people have conducted research in the tiny town of Gothic. They study things like pollination, high-altitude ecosystems, wildflowers, invasive plants, and the unique geological features that surround Gothic and Crested Butte.

One of the most exciting things happening there is the youth program. Among the many missions of the RMBL, one of them is to get kids excited about the sciences. The programs are very hands-on and quite popular, and they work with kids as young as preschool age. Those who aren't interested in a full summer camp still have many options to learn.

One hour Gothic town site tours are available for people who want to learn more about the RMBL and Gothic's history. Also, if you're planning to spend the day there, you're welcome to eat at the dining hall for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Just make sure you call ahead so they can adjust the quantities accordingly.

There are special events held at the RMBL throughout the summer including things like bird counts, butterfly census, wildflower festival, geology tours, and an historic preservation dinner in which the general public are invited to participate. Just check the RMBL website for the schedule and details.

If you find yourself hanging out in Crested Butte, and you have an interest in the sciences, consider driving 8 miles up the road to Gothic to visit the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. It's worth the trip.

The post Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory – Ghost Town : Gothic, Colorado appeared first on 50 Campfires.

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