fire blackening

[flandersander]

Yes blackening is a scientific term. But in all seriousness is there any way to keep the bottom of pots pans and stainless steel cups from getting black?

[dragonjimm]

ry not use very green woods or pine (the cones or the wood ) unless you can let them burn to coals.

however a little gojo hand cleaner will remove most of this once youre home
not the gritty kinf but the lotion type smear a little on and let it sit for a moment then wipe clean. old military trick

[crashdive123]

Try rubbing a bar of soap on the outside of the pot before cooking. It'll still blacken, but wipes right off. Remeber though, a blackened pot just looks experienced.

[Rick]

I asked the same question a while back. I use stainless steel (canteen cup, mess kit) and get to spend time scrubbing it with steel wool after each trip. Someone then mentioned soap and it does work but I didn't like the mess with that either. I try to keep my fire hot and use the coals to cook over, which lessens the amount of smoke that will wind up as soot on your pot. As Crash says, it just proves experience.

[wareagle69]

yup just like twink says i do not cook on a fire i use coals better heat from them of course i also use cast iron so it doesn't matter, if you smell what the rock is cookin

[KT_Cobra]

I asked my in-laws and they said that they used to use sort of a metal (steel?) saucer-esque disc under their pots. It had different kinds of ridges and holes in it to disperse the heat in order to keep the pot from smoldering.
I understand why you'd want your pots from turning black, but I agree with Crash - black pots are just seasoned better therefore help your food to taste better. It's like using older cooking oil when frying something. Using the same oil for the 30th time just tastes better... of course, I live in south Louisiana, so I'm used to anything fried. lol

[wareagle69]

dude did you just quote bear grylls or as like like to call him vylli grnylli

[KT_Cobra]

I'm really starting to think that most people are just jealous of what Bear has. Many opportunities to get back to nature and use his training to help find his sense of identity that so many of us would love to do by visiting the world's extremes.

Let's not make this another discussion on that, shall we?

[flandersander]

Yeah we are good at staying on topic. So is the seasoned pot idea making your food taste better the same as if you grunt when you throw, you will throw harder and faster? KT combra, could you go into a little more detail about that saucerette disk dealy? Sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of using an old BBQ heat distrubuter. One for propane that goes just under the cooking surface. You know what I am talking about?

[Alpine_Sapper]

I'm really starting to think that most people are just jealous of what Bear has. Many opportunities to get back to nature and use his training to help find his sense of identity that so many of us would love to do by visiting the world's extremes.

Let's not make this another discussion on that, shall we?

Go to youtube.com and search for bear gryllis fake. No body here is jealous, except maybe of the lush life he lives making fake survival videos. I'm not dissing the guy, I'm just saying the general attitude here is what it is because he's a fraud. Well-paid, but still a fraud.

[KT_Cobra]

Let's not make this another discussion on that, shall we?

'nuff said. really don't feel like hearing it, but thanks.

[KT_Cobra]

Flandersander, they said that they're not sold anymore. They haven't seen them in years and I don't believe I've ever seen one either. I would imagine anything like a pizza pan with different ridges or whatever would suffice...? I don't know.

[Alpine_Sapper]

'nuff said. really don't feel like hearing it, but thanks.

lol. Nobody said I play by your rules, homie. You may not like hearing it, but I don't like hearing someone say that I'm jealous of some two-bit wannabe who's only out to make a buck cashing in on what he learned in the SAS. Not that I think the guy doesn't have some skills, but I don't think he's really doing what he says he is on the show, and have seen proof that he's not, and common sense goes even further in that regard.

You seemed to think you could post that derogatory statement and have impunity because you said you didn't want to talk about it. Maybe I do. So if you don't wanna hear it, don't read my post. *shrug* Doesn't make a damn to me.

So go watch your show. Live in your delusions. After all, I'd hate to shatter your sheltered world view with something as awful as truth.

[crashdive123]

KT and FS - the blackening I was talking about was on the outside of the pot, not the inside - so the food quality shouldn't change. Now seasoning a cast iron pot like WE was talking about - yep - carbon build up on the inside is expected.

[dragonjimm]

use bacon to season youre cast iron pots.....on the inside...lol

[KT_Cobra]

lol. Nobody said I play by your rules, homie. You may not like hearing it, but I don't like hearing someone say that I'm jealous of some two-bit wannabe who's only out to make a buck cashing in on what he learned in the SAS. Not that I think the guy doesn't have some skills, but I don't think he's really doing what he says he is on the show, and have seen proof that he's not, and common sense goes even further in that regard.

You seemed to think you could post that derogatory statement and have impunity because you said you didn't want to talk about it. Maybe I do. So if you don't wanna hear it, don't read my post. *shrug* Doesn't make a damn to me.

So go watch your show. Live in your delusions. After all, I'd hate to shatter your sheltered world view with something as awful as truth.

Let's not make this another discussion on that, shall we?

[flandersander]

KT and FS - the blackening I was talking about was on the outside of the pot, not the inside - so the food quality shouldn't change. Now seasoning a cast iron pot like WE was talking about - yep - carbon build up on the inside is expected.

Yeah, I know. That is what I am talking about too. Little mix up there, no big deal.

use bacon to season youre cast iron pots.....on the inside...lol

So we're getting into the bacon discussion again are we? So does anybody know if a BBQ heat distributer thing would work? I mean to deflect the smoke but provide adequite head distrubution?

[KT_Cobra]

Small question here, Flanders. Are you using any kind of grill to put your pots on or are you putting them right on the coals? Not sure if I missed something or not.

[flandersander]

You didn't miss anything I forgot to mention that. I am putting them on a grate about 18 inches off the fire. But I would like to know how to protect my pots from both kinds.

[KT_Cobra]

Here's a suggestion, that is if you can't find anything like that metal or aluminum saucer thing we were discussing earlier. Try tightly layering the pot's underneath with a couple of layers of aluminum foil. Also, 18" is a good distance. Too close to the fire would ruin the underneath.

Just a suggestion, but try this with foil:
Depending on how fine the grating is (how far apart each bar is from the other), try layering two pieces of foil across the underneath and bottom-most side portions of the pot. Puncture approximately 4 - 5mm holes in each of the two layers of aluminum foil. This will allow the heat to rise up through the foil but keep from burning the pot due to direct heat. Make sure to not line up the holes as this would defeat the purpose of the two-layer system. Here's an amateur picture to help explain it.
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I hope this helps. It's worth a try. Let me know.