Cast Iron Camp Oven

Heat it gently on stove top and put oil in, enough to cover the bottom, when the oil is warmed up wipe it all over with paper towel, should do the trick.

Gaday Glen. Most Cast iron camp ovens come with a protective coating on them to stop it rusting. On your first outing turn it upside down on the fire to burn it out. (including the lid) Let it cool then give it a scrub with soapy water to remove any residue, dry then wipe on some oil.
I wouldn't try to burn it off in the oven at home as it may stink.
Happy cooking :-) Cheers Craig.................

Hi Glenn, [where's your rig pic?]

have been doing a bit of a search myself

"The first step with a new cast iron camp oven is to peel off any labels and then wash the oven and lid in warm water only, rinse and dry completely. Grease the oven and lid inside and out with a good grade of olive or vegetable oil. Do not use lard or other animal products as they will spoil and turn rancid. Do not use a spray in coating the oven but rather use oil soaked in a paper towel.

Place the oven upside down on an oven rack with the lid separate and place aluminium foil underneath to catch any excess oil. Bake at 300-350 degree oven heat for at least an hour."

I shall be interested in reading other responses...

cheers

Lyn

Didnt it come with instructions? Most do wiht as you say get hot on stove, wipe with oil etc.

Glen
These are the instructions that came with my camp oven - similar to Mrs Al's reply

Before initial use, thoroughly wash the inside of you camp oven with very hot soapy water. After washing and drying your camp oven, place it into your kitcken oven with the lid on. When it is hot, pour a tablespoon of fresh cooking oil into itand wipe it over the complete inside of the camp oven using paper towel. Wipe off any excess. Your camp oven is now ready for use or storage. The oiling procedure is essential to prevent the camp oven from rusting.
It is recommended to repeat the oiling process after each use. The camp oven must be hot in order for the oil to penetrate the surface of the cast iron.

Jim

Hi,

I suggest you use peanut oil & get the pot and lid as hot as possible, the peanut oil is a high temperature oil & won't burn under any domestic oven setting....standard Asian method for curing bare steel utensils.

what make oven did you buy, what size, how much??

i'm going to buy one in the next couple of months, thinking of a furphy, just not sure on size

http://www.furphyfoundry.com.au/7_camping/default.htm

Glenn,

Just one other point worth remembering relates to next use of your camp oven.
I cooked a meal in an oven I had not used for quite a while. The remainder of the oil and I think it was peanut oil had turned rancid. I would suggest that this meal was very close to unfit for consumption. The moral of the story is : If you put your camp oven away with a fresh oiling always have a good sniff at it if you don't use it for some time. It is then quite difficult to clean but must be done before use.

Regards,

Slim

OK Glen,

This is what my Grandmother told me when I found an old cast iron pot in the shed of a house I bought back in 1982. I have used the oven without problems since about 1988 so Gran was right.

Wash the thing out thoroughly then put it on the stove top, put about and inch (Gran was old) of your chosen oil in the bottom and heat it on as low a heat as you can get. Using a natural bristle basting brush (a nylon one will melt) brush the oil up the sides and onto the lid every time you walk past. Also brush a bit onto the outside, this will help to stop it rusting and make it easier to get the soot etc. off when you are finished cooking.

The longer you can keep it on the heat the better. The first time I did mine it was on the stove for about 8 hours. I now re-treat mine about once every couple of years, depending on how much use it has had and what I have been cooking. Oh and keep a close eye on it at least until you know it won't burn. I am a firefighter and wory about these things. Like I say mine has now been in regular use for about 16 years with no problems. I keep it in an old hessian sack which doubles as a pot holder when I need to move the hot oven. You also need to carry a shovel, an invaluable cooking utensil for camp cooking.

Hope it all tastes good
Duncs.