Aluminum foil is a wonderful and versatile product. It is produced in rolls but can be folded and flattened. I keep a few feet of flattened foil in my emergency kit when hunting and fishing. The Heavy-Duty type is best.
There is a shiny and dull side to foil. The less shiny side helps to absorb heat while the shiny side can reflect heat. Black aluminum foil cooks faster since it absorbs heat faster.
Keeping a section of foil in your fishing vest or gear box makes for a quick shore lunch. Cleaned fish can be placed into a foil pouch with a little butter and spices for a tasty meal. If you keep the foil from getting torn or holed, you can even boil water in it. The shiny side also makes for a great way to reflect campfire heat into a shelter, or for a rustic oven.
Years ago, I was hunting and came across a great morel mushroom hotspot. I picked a sack full along with some dandelion greens. When I got back to camp, I placed my harvest into a foil packet along with some butter, salt, and pepper. After some time on the fire, we enjoyed fresh shrooms and greens without dirtying the pot or pan. Foil packets also make perfect individual serving platforms.
Foil does not decompose and is not a recyclable product yet. It is best to dispose of used foil properly. When camping, bury it or transport it to a proper trash can. In a hot fire, foil will melt and burn away.
The key to cooking with foil is to keep it hole and tear free. If you spring a leak, the juices will leak out and your meal will get dry, burned, or the fire will be dampened. Find gentle ways to move, pick up, flip, and poke the foil packs. A shovel, long handled spatula, flat boards, and tongs are some good examples.
Foil packs can be prepared and placed on your truck’s engine block. Your meals can be cooked as you travel. Place foil in your fry pans and Dutch ovens for an easier cleanup. Foil packed sandwiches can be quickly warmed over a wood stove.
When cooking a can of stew or soup/beans, you can make a foil lid to keep the fire ash out of your meal. Foil can be fashioned into cooking cups, pots, and pans, using a wire frame, such as metal coat hangers.
Baked apples or fruit is a perfect job for foil. Core out the center and fill with butter, sugar, and spices. Close the foil around the apple and let it bake until soft and sweet. Foil wrapped potatoes. Corn, cabbage, bananas, onions, meats, eggplants, and squash also make delicious meals with minimal mess and cleanup.
Shiny foil can make an emergency fishing lure! The foil can add weight and be shaped into a jig or streamer. Folding foil into a flap may be helpful when signaling for help.
Foil tapes can repair waders, boat leaks, or clothing tears. Shoving foil into a crack or leak can stop water from entering a hole. Holes in logs and walls allow rodents in until filled with foil. Eating the foil can kill the critters like steel wool does.
Carrying a roll of aluminum foil is way lighter than pots and pans and allows for creative cooking and so many other uses.
Enjoy Foil Fun!
Montana Grant
