Cooking With Wood

The process of cooking with wood has been around for centuries. 

Using wood gathered from local forests to either cook or flavor our food is something that most people find interesting and exciting.

Cooking with wood offers us the opportunity to get creative with our cooking.  

The natural flavors found within the smoke or sap can give you a taste that no over the counter spice can offer.

It can be as simple or as involved as you want to make it and you don't have to be a master chef to enjoy the benefits.  

Using a grill or cooking over a hot bed of campfire coals is an experience everyone should enjoy.  

Not quite sure if you're ready? 

Don't worry......we'll walk you through some of the basic steps to get you outside and enjoying a great tasting meal or snack in no time.

Cooking With Wood - Popular Types

Okay, so you're ready to try this whole cooking with wood experience but maybe you're not quite sure what type of wood to use?  

Well, the good news is you have a lot of options.

Many types of wood have become poplar because of the unique flavor they add to the food.  

Here are a few poplar choices.  

Click on the link to learn more about the wood and what it has to offer:

Almond Firewood

Apple Firewood

Mesquite Firewood

Pecan Firewood

Cooking Around The Campfire

If you've ever been camping before you know that no camping trip is complete without a campfire.  

The sights, sounds and smell of a campfire are almost a necessity to any camping experience.

Campfire Cooking can be a great way to enhance your camping experience and give you a great tasting meal or snack in the process.

Looking for a few ideas?  

Click on one of the links for more information. 

Cooking With Skewers - These long metal objects allow you to cook hotdogs, marshmallows and many other items over the campfire. We'll give you some tips and tricks to create a tasty snack or meal.

Smores Recipes -  An old fashioned favorite with a new twist. You can get pretty creative with a smore.  Here are a few recipes you need to try!

Looking for a new way to make smores? Read here to learn about a smores grill.

Dutch Oven Cooking - Dutch ovens are becoming very popular.  Learn what they are and how to use them to create a great meal.

Campfire Pie Iron - No camping experience is complete without having a cherry or apple pie cooked in a pie iron.  If you haven't tried it yet......you should.  

Do you have a new pie iron or need to season a piece of cast iron cookware?  Read here to learn about seasoning a pie iron.

Campfire Foil Cooking - From baked potatoes to lemon pepper fish, using foil can allow you to cook almost anything.  

Campfire Popcorn - Popcorn might just be the perfect late night snack when your sitting around the fire.  Read here to learn how to pop a perfect batch of popcorn.

Campfire Grill - If you're looking to grill hamburgers or cook something over the open coals, a campfire grill will work great.  Find out what they are and how to use them.

Cooking Fish Over A Campfire - Learn how to create the perfect campfire meal......fried fish.  We'll explain how to fry up a batch of tasty fish filets!

Cooking With A Wood Stove

If you heat your home with firewood, you have a great cooking appliance right in front of you....your wood stove!

Wood stove cooking is both fun and convenient because you can use the seasoned firewood you already have set aside for the winter, and typically the wood stove is already hot because you're using it to heat your home so you don't have to worry about lighting a fire just to make dinner.

It does take a little bit of practice but after you warm up a few meals and create some easy snacks on top of your wood burning stove, you'll be creating delicious full meals in no time.

I recommend using cast iron pots or skillets because they retain their heat really well and they cook evenly.  

A thin pan just doesn't cook as even and it's harder to find the "sweet spot" on top of your stove.

Also, use a trivet which is basically a flat oval cast iron disk that sits on top of your wood stove.  

You can place your skillet or pot on top of the hot trivet which helps to evenly displace the heat, making the whole process easier.

Cooking With Wood - Overall

Whether you're making a fun snack around the campfire, cooking an awesome dinner with freshly caught fish, or you are frying some morning eggs on the top of your wood stove, cooking with wood is a tasty and enjoyable experience.

There's just so much you can do with firewood!  Go ahead....give it a try.  I think you'll love it!

About the Author

Nick Greenway

Obsessed with firewood, Nick is behind over 350+ of Firewood For Life's articles, as well as countless reviews, guides and YouTube videos to help readers like you reduce heating costs and create the perfect fire.