Cooking On A Stick

Before there were kitchens, refrigerators, or stoves, people cooked their food over open fires — and one of the very first tools they used was a long stick. Cooking on a stick is one of the oldest survival skills in the world, and it is still one of the most useful things to know if you are ever out in the wilderness. In this lesson you will learn how to choose the right stick, which foods work best, and how to stay safe near a fire.

In this lesson you will: • Find out WHY cooking on a stick is a great wilderness skill. • Learn how to pick the safest and best stick for cooking. • Discover which foods taste great cooked over a fire. • Practice important fire safety rules.

When you are out in the wilderness and you need to eat, a campfire is your stove, your microwave, and your oven all at once! Fire does something amazing to food: it makes it safer to eat by killing tiny invisible germs called bacteria. It also makes food taste wonderful — that smoky, slightly crispy flavor happens because heat transforms the sugars and proteins in food. Scientists call it the Maillard reaction, and it is why grilled food smells so good. Even before humans learned to farm, our ancestors cooked meat and vegetables over fire every single day. Some scientists think learning to cook is what allowed our brains to grow bigger — cooked food gives us more energy than raw food!

Not just any stick will do! Here is what to look for: Green wood, not dead wood: A green stick (freshly cut from a living tree) holds moisture inside and will not catch fire or snap easily while your food is on it. Dead, dry sticks will burn, break, or drop your food into the flames — disaster! Length matters: Your stick should be at least 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) long so your hand stays far away from the heat. Longer is safer. Thickness: About as thick as your thumb is perfect. Too thin and it will break under the food's weight; too thick and it is tiring to hold. Smooth tip: Whittle or rub the pointed end smooth so your food slides on easily and does not split apart. Safe wood choices: willow, green oak, and maple are excellent. AVOID elderberry, yew, or any wood you do not recognize — some plants contain toxins that can be dangerous when heated.

Some foods are natural stars for stick cooking: Marshmallows: The classic! Hold them just ABOVE the flame (not in it) for a golden-brown outside and gooey inside. Too close to the flame = burnt outside, cold inside. Hot dogs and sausages: Push the stick lengthwise through the center. Rotate slowly over orange-red coals (not tall flames) for about 3 to 5 minutes until they sizzle. Twist bread: Wrap a strip of biscuit or bread dough in a spiral around the end of your stick. Cook slowly over coals until golden all around. People have been making twist bread this way for hundreds of years. Fruit and vegetables: Apple slices, zucchini rounds, and mushrooms all cook beautifully on a stick. They caramelize slightly and taste wonderful. Bananas: Leave partly in the peel, poke the stick through, and cook gently over low heat. The peel turns black but the inside becomes warm and deliciously sweet.