making rice/dutch ovens

I go through rice like Cool Doc does soft boiled eggs. Love the stuff! Mmm.



I imagine it would take a lot of fuel to make rice with a traditional camping stove.



Can you make rice with a dutch oven?



If you were camping, how would YOU make rice?

when I camp…
When I camp, I use the boil in bag rice. I know, it isn’t the same as what you get from a rice cooker, but it is easy to do.

Uncle Ben’s?
I was thinking more whole grain rice, germ 'n all

usual way
build a fire then let it burn down to a nice cooking fore/coals



boil water



put in 1/2 the rice volume to water volume



cover



simmer



do not stir or uncover for 22-25 minutes



fluff with fork



enjoy

Success Brown Rice in boiling bags
Takes only 10 minutes to cook after the water has come to a boil (regular brown rice takes 50 minutes plus 10 minutes to sit with cover sealed on).



Your ordinary supermarket sells these. They come packed 4 bags to 1 box. I keep a few at home for when I want some rice really fast. Texture is not as good as regular-cooked rice but better than instant rice or parboiled rice. It’s terrific for camping meals.

I use the thermos method of cooking
regular brown rice. I put rice and boiling water in stainless steel thermos in the morning. By evening the rice is almost (but not quite) cooked. I dump the contents of the thermos in a pan, bring to boil and let simmer about 10 minutes. I use the same thermos method to make steel cut oats overnight for an early hot breakfast, except it’s fully cooked and still warm in the morning. Great with maple syrup.

Interesting method!
Doesn’t the rice get gluey and stuck together after being boiled again?



Sounds like a good way to cook porridge oats, though.



Thanks for the idea. This one’s worth experimenting with at home. There’s nothing like having a hot breakfast all cooked and ready to eat on a cold morning.

Brown Rice
The brown rice also usually takes a larger volume of water (as compared to white)…more volume, bigger pot, longer cooking time, more fuel, etc.

Rice so nice

– Last Updated: Dec-19-06 8:10 AM EST –

We eat rice every day. We buy Jasmine long grain in 50# bags. At home we use a rice cooker. When canoe camping, I want it quick and to save fuel, I use "instant rice". Instant isn't as nice.

For regular rice in a dutch oven you will need a good bank of coals.

Wash rice 3x to remove starch.
Cover rice with water to the first knuckle of your middle finger, approx. 1". (The fingertip method).
Cover with lid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer until water is absorbed, set lid ajar last 3 minutes.
When you can pat the top of the rice and no grains attach to your hand it is done.

AT NO TIME DO YOU STIR THE RICE.

In a Dutch oven I would make rice stews, gumbo, jambalya or paella. Onion, sausage, shrimp, peppers, tomatos, garlic, bay leaf.

White or brown Rice
cooks in about an hour in my 10" dutch oven.

For White Rice , I add the correct amount of water for the quantity of rice and fresh cilantro and simmer with about 12 coals on the bottom and 6 to 8 on top for about an hour or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Try adding chicken broth for extra flavor.

With brown, I substitute beef broth instead of the water occasionally and toss in some onion.

If I am preparing a dish that requires rice in it, (like chicken and rice or some others) I will sometimes substitute Uncle Bens to speed up the cooking time, but I prefer just plain uncooked rice.

Not fuel, but time
"I imagine it would take a lot of fuel to make rice with a traditional camping stove."



Not really.



It’s not much more than what it takes to boil the water. After that, you’ll need to turn down the level and let it simmer. So it wouldn’t take that much fuel. But it does take quite a bit of time.



More problematic with some camp stove that doesn’t have a good control for simmering. You ended up burning the rice.

Dutch Ovens
Dutch Ovens take more space and weight than any gas bottle. One gas bottle will cook plenty of rice.

if I didn’t want a dutch oven
I would backpack or paddle an NDK

very cool idea!
the biggest thermos money can buy?

The Point Is
Why worry about a little gas if you can pack a dutch oven? Unless you’re at high altitudes it doesn’t take much gas at all the cook rice. The charcoal people carry for their ovens is harder to carry.



My question would be is the oven cured? If so I wouldn’t boil anything in it.

Bohemia
Not sure if they still make them, but I have a very cool cast aluminum dutch oven that works really well! It’s about 10" diameter 3" tall with a lip on the lid for coals. Served me well for 15 years or so.

on three legs?
you making an offer, or just tantalizing me?

No feet on this one which is good
Doesn’t seem to need them. If ever in Northern Wa. you are welcome to borrow it. You may search on-line for alloy Dutch Ovens as well. So nice for sea kayaking. Cooked mass fish in mine over the years.

Minute Rice

– Last Updated: Dec-19-06 4:41 PM EST –

I use good ol' Minute Rice. There is also a Brown Rice version.

If you want something else, I'd cook it at home then dehydrate it. Personally I haven't tried it but have talked to others that have. I understand that Minute Rice is esentially dehydrated cooked rice.

I’ve seen them at Andy & Bax
in Portland









But I worry: will cooking with aluminum make me crotchety?