Wood Cook Stoves For Self-Sufficiency

The Princess Jewel Steel Range

Many more people are now getting interested in using wood cook stoves. People who don't heat with wood should consider putting one in, just in case of emergencies. In light of all the people without power, in the recent floods and storms, if they had a wood cook stove then they would have had heat, the ability to cook and heat hot water. They are decorative and adds to the look of your home. It is always what a new visitor to our homestead always notices first. It is a good item to have if you have thoughts of self-sufficiency. A wood heating stove is just as good. But the wood cook stove is special.

Moving pans around to cook!

My husband swears that food cooked on the wood cook stove always tastes better than what is cooked on the propane range. I think he's right. One of the keys to cooking on it is to move your pans around so the pan doesn't get too hot. If you are cooking something like eggs, you do not want to cook them at a hot temperature. Once you see they are cooking, move them to another burn and they will cook slower. I find it easier to cook a whole meal on it than any other type of stove. Maybe because the pans just need some moving around depending on the temperature.

Hot water!

We have hot water sitting on both of our wood stoves all day long. I like to have hot water available at all times. In summer, that is another story since the wood stoves are not fired up all the time. Our stove heats our kitchen, but due to the design of our house, the rest of the house doesn't get the heat. In the fall when it is not cold enough for the big heating stove, the cook stove provides just enough heat for us to get by. In the future, our house design will be more open and heat will be able to reach the other rooms.

Emptying the ash box!

We try to empty our ash box daily or almost daily. If you try to start your fire and have trouble getting it started, there is a good chance that the ash box is full. Emptying that always helps. It is the first thing I think of when someone is having trouble getting a fire going. Some types of wood will fill the ash box faster than others, so it is wise to check it often. Keeping your wood box filled with the type of wood you need to use while cooking is another thing to remember. It is a pain if you have to go outside to bring in more wood in the middle of cooking.

Jewel Stoves, Ranges, And Furnaces

Here is a recipe I found, Shrimp and Broccoli Alfredo with photos showing you how you can make an awesome meal on your wood cook stove. It is not limited to old fashioned foods, but can be newer more modern type recipes. I plan on trying this recipe soon. Looks like I will be developing some more recipes like this and post them here to share with my readers. You do not have to be a homesteader to use a wood stove for cooking. Anyone can do it and if you do, you will love it. I do!

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole