They may not seem convenient right now, especially since our electric or gas ovens are so handy, but in the not so far off future learning what a Dutch oven has to offer can be liberating! And as a plus, food just taste so darn good coming from Dutch ovens!

A Dutch oven is one of the most versatile cooking implements you’ll ever use. It is made of very heavy cast iron and if used right, can provide a very regulated heat. This makes it perfect for outdoor cooking.

This may or may not come as a surprise, but baking in a dutch oven does not require an open fire. You can use charcoal briquets or wood to keep your fire low and regulated.

Once you’ve got the fire burning, create and maintain the desired temperature you need for your food. If you’re using charcoal briquets, you can estimate 10 degrees per briquet. For example, if you need to achieve 360 degrees, use 36 charcoal briquets.

Our Mother swears by Dutch ovens, telling us how one was regularly used when she was a girl living on her parent's farm. They were not poor people but my Grandmother told her, checking on a pot of whatever, in the backyard that a Dutch oven just made everything taste better!

Grandma was from “the old country” but the techniques she was taught and believed in can go a very long way in training for homesteaders, survivalists, and preppers of 2017 – including the use of a Dutch oven! Learn more about the Dutch oven on Homesteading.