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HERBS USED FOR INCENSE
Historically, sick rooms were once cleansed using the smoke from burning sage and rosemary. A fragrant wood, Cedar is known to have expectorant, antifungal, antiviral and lymphatic cleansing properties. The needles from Pine, Spruce and Fir trees contain the main ingredient in Tamiflu (a medicine used to treat the bird flu) called shikimic acid. Respiratory ailments have been helped with the application of incense made with Frankincense. Other similarly beneficial herbs are Eucalyptus leaves and Mullein.
The slow burning of plant materials release essential oils into the smoke which – when inhaled – are then carried into the lungs. Bronchial inflammation can be relieved by beneficial herbal properties that are directly applied to the tissue using this method.
I know of one instance of a woman that was left struggling for air, choking and vomiting from a strong cytokine response during the flu. The man of the house closed the damper on the wood stove and placed cedar in the fire box, which produced a cleansing smoke. The cytokine storm stopped right away. Twenty minutes later, she had no more mucus and was relieved of her flu symptoms. Since that time, they have used this same remedy on other family members to good effect (of course, they air the house out afterwards).
Native Americans often used the smoke of Cedar to cleanse their homes. Smoke can be used in rustic conditions as a cleanser to rid a person, bedding, clothing or shelter of vermin, viruses and harmful bacteria. The last part of Leviticus 14 records that priests were instructed to cleanse a house of the plague using Cedar.
HOW TO USE HERBS FOR INCENSE
Carefully place a hot ember or coal from a hardwood fire (use tongs) onto a heat resistant surface. Assemble the herbs around and onto the ember and watch for smoke. Allow the smoke to waft over you and inhale. Be careful that the plant material does not burst into flames but only smokes. The smoldering is accomplished by using hot coals rather than an open fire; you can also tie your herbs or wood into tight bundles.
Herbs tightly bundled for incense are called smudge sticks. In some cases, leaves and stems can be tightly braided. If you only have dry leaves, these can be tightly wrapped in unbleached paper and tied with cotton thread. To use smudge sticks, light one of the ends. Extinguish the flame by gently blowing on it, leaving the smudge stick to smoking. These smudge sticks make it easier to direct the smoke and they tend to smoke longer than loose plant material.
WARNING
Never inhale or come near the smoke of a plant to which you are allergic. The purpose of this article is for information only. Persons utilizing these methods assume all liability and are encouraged to use safety guidelines. This article is not a substitute for the care of a trained health professional.
SODA CAN FIRE STARTER
The value of a can of soda might be more in the packaging than the contents in a survival scenario. The empty can is useful as a fire starter. Should you find yourself in need of a camp fire, a carelessly tossed soda can could be a lifesaver.
The curved bottom of the can lends strength to the container. This surface can be polished in such a way to help make fire. The curve of the can collect’s the sun’s rays and focuses them such that tinder placed on that point will smolder and ignite.
Use materials you have on hand to polish the can to a glossy finish. The finest grade steel wool is 0000 and can be used to achieve the finish with a few minutes of polishing. Other products that could work include a paste made out of baking soda or scouring powder or even toothpaste.
Once this is done, select a material to polish the surface. MANY materials can be used for this application including chocolate, soap, chap stick, crayons, candles, Vaseline or any other wax-like material. Smear the bottom of the can with your ‘polish’ and then rub with a cloth; repeat until there is a mirrored finish. Be careful that no one eats any food used for this purpose as it will have absorbed the toxic aluminum.
Once polished, point the can’s bottom towards the sun. Locate the focal point by moving a bit of paper closer and farther away from the can until a focused dot of light is seen. Make a mental note of this point and hold your flammable material in that spot until it begins to smolder and then catch fire.
The polishing can takes about an hour. The tinder will likely ignite in less time if you have good materials.
This article is offered for information purposes. It is the responsibility of the reader to use sound judgment and common sense when utilizing this information, assuming all risks and liability.
COOKING WITH A DUTCH OVEN
You needn’t forsake your favorite roasted or baked foods when cooking over an open fire. It is possible that your favorite recipes are given an enhanced flavor when using this method. For open fire cooking use a Dutch oven with feet and a lid with a rim.
STIR WITH A WOODEN SPOON
Metal spoons shouldn’t be used on the inside of a seasoned cast iron pot. Metal will damage the seasoned coating, so use wood instead.
A COOK’S FIRE
Build a hot fire using hard wood at least an hour prior to the time you wish to begin cooking. Avoid commercial charcoal or resinous (soft) wood as a fuel. Pine is an example of resinous, cool-burning, soft wood that produces a quantity of black soot when burned. This residue makes a mess of your cookware, builds up a hazardous film inside your chimney, and isn’t very pleasant for the cook. I don’t use charcoal briquettes for my cook fire because of the chemical additives and binders used to manufacture the product. Learning how to build a hardwood fire will keep you from dealing with either of these difficulties. Check to be sure you’ve gotten a good bed of red hot coals laid. An oven mitt or heat resistant cloth can serve to protect your hands from the heat while a curved piece of iron can serve as your lid-lifter.
HOW TO PREHEAT
Use a clean cloth or paper towel to coat the inside of your pot and lid with olive oil. Set the lid onto the pot and set it near the fire to warm while you prepare your ingredients. This is pre-heating your Dutch oven just as you would a modern standard oven. The oil penetrates the iron as the pot is warmed, making the vessel ready to cook. Securing the lid will keep ash out of the interior of the pot. If onions or peppers are part of the recipe, add them to the oven while it warms so that they may simmer and create a barrier between the rest of the food when it is added and the bottom of the pot.
PLACING FOOD INTO YOUR OVEN
Assemble the ingredients for your recipe. Remember the seasonings. The pre-heated oven should be moved away from the heat of the fire. A curved metal rod is useful as a tool to carefully remove the hot lid.
The remaining ingredients should be layered into your oven at this point. If rice is part of your recipe, add it and the water or broth at this point. Vegetables are next to be added. The meat rests on top of any vegetables, rice or potatoes so that it may flavor them as it cooks. Take care that the pot is not overfilled so that the food touches the underside of the lid. If cooking a bread or desert, layer the ingredients in the same way you would if using a conventional oven. Place the lid back onto the pot.
PLACING THE OVEN TO THE COALS
Shovel a small pile of hot coals to the edge of the fire. This method is less hazardous than attempting to set the pot over leaping flames or into the middle of the fire pit. Rest the Dutch oven on this small pile and then shovel more hot coals onto the lid. After you’ve gotten a good even coating of hot coals beneath and on top of your oven shovel some ash around the base and sprinkle it over the top. This procedure is known as banking the fire. The coals will retain their heat and burn slowly as they aren’t exposed to the air.
Your cooking time should be similar to the time used in a modern kitchen oven or a little longer if your coals are cool. When finished, remove the live coals from the lid of your pot using a shovel. Use a fire-resistant brush to remove any remaining debris. Remove the pot from the hot coals and move it back from the fire. Raise the lid and set it aside using a heavy piece of curved metal. Examine your food for doneness. Serve with a wooden spoon if the food has finished cooking. If more time is needed, recover the pot with the lid and replace it onto the small bed of coals scooping more coals back onto the top. After a few minutes, check the food.
It’s okay if your first effort results in a few burnt edges. With practice you’ll learn how to avoid this. A few burnt edges will quickly be overlooked by those that have been enjoying the aroma of your food during cooking. Seldom are there any leftovers. Your guests will be more than ready to eat.
CLEANING AND STORING
After removing the food from your Dutch oven, wipe residue from the inside using a soft sided scrub pad, paper towel or wooden spoon. As your pot becomes better seasoned, you’ll find that a paper towel will likely be enough to remove any bits of food. In the event you find that you have some food that has become glued to the pot, set the oven next to the fire to reheat and cook those to ash. Dutch ovens should not be run through dishwashers or submerged in dishwater. Heating the metal in hot water and detergents will strip it of its protective seasoning. Wipe your cleaned pot with oil to recoat it between uses. You will know you’ve done a nice job when you can see your reflection in the bottom of the pot. Seat the lid on the pot for storage.
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The following video is a demonstration of bread-making using a Dutch oven. While the footage shows use in a conventional oven, the technique is the same -- except for the fact that you'd be using fire as your heat source as described above:
