Scouting, Volume 31, Number 5, May 1943 Page: 21
32 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Fire Building and Cooking
Second Class Cooking
Have you been in a dither ever
since meat rationing went into
effect, wondering what to tell your
Scouts to cook for Second Class
Requirements? Fish, eggs and
poultry are theoretically still ob-
tainable, and are easily cooked
without utensils. But let's start
with ihe fire.
Show your Scouts how to pick a
dry place, away from trees or
dry grass. Teach them to clear
the spot down to mineral earth,
so that the fire cannot spread.
Dry twigs, fuzz sticks, or small
kindling will get the fire started,
and if the test is being passed in
the rain, show them how to split
large wood, to get the dry inte-
rior. Stack larger pieces over the
kindling, in either a cone or pyra-
mid shape, and add large pieces
from time to time so that when
the flames die down, a good bed
of coals will remain.
A good way to cook potatoes
is to use two fires. Dig a hole,
line it with stones, and build the
first fire. After it has died down,
put in the potatoes and cover
with a thin layer of damp earth.
Build the second fire on top. The
second fire may be used to cook
the balance of the meal.
AND FORK
The fish or poultry may be
cooked by making a grill of green
wood, placing the fish on the grill,
and leaving it over the coals until
done. The grill is made by bend-
ing a thin green stick in the shape
of a tennis racket, and fastening
enough cross sticks to hold the
fish. The fish, poultry or eggs, may
also be cooked right with the po-
tatoes, if first wrapped in wet
leaves such as maple, sassafras,
sweetgum or basswood.
First Class Cooking
Again fish and poultry may be
substituted for the meat require-
ments in First Class Cooking.
Utensils may be used, which
makes cooking somewhat easier.
Eggs may be fried, poached,
scrambled or boiled, and fish in-
stead of being roasted, may be
fried. Small fish, after being
cleaned, may be fried whole,
while larger fish may be cut into
pieces.
Ffre.
Hot stories
Wet leaves
Chicken, or Fish
Wet leaves
Hot stones
PIT COOKER
One-pot meals are ideal under
present conditions. These recipes
use a minimum of meat, and are
wholesome and filling. If meat is
completely unobtainable, fish or
poultry may again be substituted.
Fish chowder, clam chowder, and
chicken stew are all easily pre-
pared. For complete recipes and
methods of preparation, read the
Handbook for Boys and the Hand-
book for Scoutmasters.
Teach your Scouts to cook palat-
able meals in the open. The ra-
tioning of most foods should not
interfere with the regular out-
door program. The First Class
cooking test is designed to pre-
pare the Scout to take care of him-
self under any and all conditions.
Living off the Land
No Scouting skill is of much
value unless it can be applied.
Show your Scouts how to apply
their knowledge. One of the best
ways of putting cooking and out-
door skills into practice is to hold
a starvation hike. Try it first with
a group of your older Scouts, and
your Botany Merit Badge Coun-
selor. Plan to spend a night in
the open, and to "dig up" at least
two meals. Take your cooking
equipment, but no food. Plan to
make it a real Robinson Crusoe
hike. But what about food? What
wild plants are edible, and what
other food is available?
First of all, where there is water
there are fish, and if along the
seashore, shellfish. You shouldn't
have too much trouble catching
enough fish for a meal, or digging
clams enough for a good chowder.
There are a great many edible
wild plants that will balance out
your meal from vegetables and
salad to dessert. In the spring the
shoots of pokeweed and common
milkweed may be cut when they
are a few inches high. Boil them
in enough water to cover. When
almost done, pour off the water,
put in fresh water and boil again
until the shoots are tender. Serve
like asparagus.
The same method of boiling in
two sets of water is used for the
tender tops of lamb's quarters and
stinging nettle; the young stems
of marsh marigold and purslane;
the young leaves of curled dock,
black mustard, chicory and dande-
lion. Watercress may be eaten
raw, or mixed with other cooked
greens.
The roots of arrowhead and cat-
tail can be boiled in two sets of
water and used like potatoes. The
roots of^ Indian cucumber may be
eaten raw. The roots of prairie
apple, groundnut, hog peanut, wild
potatoe, Jerusalem archichoke are
all nourishing and in a pinch can
be eaten raw. It is better though,
to roast them over coals of your
fire.
Tasty hot teas may be made
■HBH
MAY. 1943
21
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 31, Number 5, May 1943, periodical, May 1943; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313093/m1/23/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.