Cooking on the woodburner

Recipes, Cooking tips and maybe some 'Home Made' secrets !
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smallholderwannabe
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Cooking on the woodburner

Post by smallholderwannabe »

We installed a woodburner last winter and it is marvellous. I know it was a milder winter but our gas bills have been cut by almost two thirds in the last year : )

I'd like to cut the bills a bit further so, does anybody else cook on their woodburner? And have you got any suggestions for recipes please?

I did a good line in soda farls last winter and also made soup but haven't yet been any more adventurous with cooking on our woodburner.
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manda
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

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Once you've got the flames down you can foil wrap lots of things and cook them in the fire (makes it easier if you use a foil tray so you can get them out easier)...like baked potatoes, corn on the cob, veggies like courgettes and carrots in a foil pack with a bit of butter and few herbs even a slosh of white wine with carrots, chicken wrapped in foil. Curry on top and chapatis to go with it in a frying pan on the top (depends on what room you have)

Don't know what sort of fire you've got and what room you have on the top but obviously stews if you've got room are great on the top.

I haven't tried it but would like to have a go ...I've read about cooking in coffee cans -make an all in one meal, wrap the can in foil and sit in a hollow of the coals...you could do different meals in different cans.
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tosca100
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

Post by tosca100 »

I suppose it depends on your stove. We have two, one with an oven and a small one without. When we have the big one going it makes sense to do as much as you can on it, but if the weather is really cold (and it does get really cold here) and the fire is high, it is too hot for some things in the oven and you have to watch things on top as they can dry out quickly. But anything you can do on a stove top should be OK. If the fire is low I will bring a pan to the boil on the electric stove and move it over for simmering. I have used the small one upstairs for soups and warming bread on top when the builders were in downstaire.

As I have the oven I don't need too cook in the fire, but the oven on hot is brilliant for roasting veg in very little time and for Yorkshires, roasting chicken etc. Too unpredictable for loaves and cakes, but rolls are OK and pizzas brilliant. We have a lot of roast taters too. They would probably do OK inside on a foil tray, as well as roast veggies as long as the fire is low.
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smallholderwannabe
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

Post by smallholderwannabe »

Thanks for the ideas. )t' We know lots of people who have put in woodburners in the last few years. When I mention cooking on it, I always get funny looks. We have discovered just how much effort it is to acquire, cut and store the wood so to me, it makes sense to get the most use possible out of it.

Last night, we reheated some previously cooked and frozen meat in gravy and cooked the (homegrown) potatoes and the last picking of green beans all on the woodburner. It was all very tasty but I'm sure that the lack of gas used added a bit of something extra : ) Every time we can use the woodburner like this and not cook on gas, I can just feel the bill going down - and that is a good feeling!

I'm not sure how much room there is inside for food and wood but that is another idea. I don't want to overdo the use of foil, though. Do you think the potatoes would cook in washed out tins? Baked bean/tomato/cat food size tins are something that we use several of each week. Perhaps with a tuna tin as a lid?
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manda
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

Post by manda »

smallholderwannabe wrote:Thanks for the ideas. )t' We know lots of people who have put in woodburners in the last few years. When I mention cooking on it, I always get funny looks. We have discovered just how much effort it is to acquire, cut and store the wood so to me, it makes sense to get the most use possible out of it.

Absolutely makes sense )t'

smallholderwannabe wrote:Last night, we reheated some previously cooked and frozen meat in gravy and cooked the (homegrown) potatoes and the last picking of green beans all on the woodburner. It was all very tasty but I'm sure that the lack of gas used added a bit of something extra : ) Every time we can use the woodburner like this and not cook on gas, I can just feel the bill going down - and that is a good feeling!

Good feeling eh?

smallholderwannabe wrote:I'm not sure how much room there is inside for food and wood but that is another idea. I don't want to overdo the use of foil, though. Do you think the potatoes would cook in washed out tins? Baked bean/tomato/cat food size tins are something that we use several of each week. Perhaps with a tuna tin as a lid?

Don't see why not..give it a bash and see how it goes..try it with one and then at least you're only using one spud if it doesn't work.
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Mo
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

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smallholderwannabe wrote: I don't want to overdo the use of foil, though.
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albertajune
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Re: Cooking on the woodburner

Post by albertajune »

We have a small woodburner and have never considered cooking on or in it except for chestnuts on a shovel.
I quite like the idea of Manda's of actually cooking in it. At the moment it isn't being lit until the evening, but once the cold weather is here and it is being lit during the day, I will certainly at least try it. )like(
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