Cooking on a wood stove is an art and a science, but it's not hard to learn with some basic guidance.
Who can resist the honest goodness a stew simmering on the back of the stove, or the smell of fresh homemade bread floating from the oven? A warm, savory kitchen with the promise of comfort for body and soul is easy to create with the use of a wood cookstove!
Cooking on a wood stove takes longer than an electric or gas range. It takes a while to get the fire hot enough to cook on, especially the oven.
All stoves have the same basics, although they may be in different areas on the stove.
The Firebox: this is usually on the left upper corner, under the cooktop.
Most, are loaded from the front, others may be loaded from the left side. To light a fire, place crumpled newspaper in the fire box with kindling over that. Fill the box tightly, but don't compact it so much that air can’t circulate.
Dampers: There are 2 dampers that you use. They are in different spots on different stoves. The one you're concerned with now, opens the chimney.Some are on the cooktop, others are a dial or slide on the left side of the stove, and others may be a handle that's turned in the chimney itself. No matter where it is, that must be opened to let the smoke out of the stove. Then somewhere in bottom -front or the bottom- left side of the stove will be an air intake. This can be adjusted to let air into the stove. The less air in, the cooler and slower the fire. Open all the way to start your fire.
The other damper is to open the oven damper. Keep this closed while lighting your fire. Once the fire is going well, you can open this damper.
Once you have your kindling burning well, you can add your log(s).
Before starting a fire, be sure you know the size logs that fit inside your stove, and make sure that they are well seasoned.
If you want a quick, hot fire that won't heat the house too much, leave all the dampers open and do your cooking quickly. If, however, you want the heat from the stove and intend to do more serious cooking, close the damper to the oven and partially close the main damper to keep the heat from all going up the chimney once the fire is going strong.
Cooking area: This is the top of the stove. Those round lids are not burners, like on a conventional stove. Those circles are lids that can be lifted off so that you have access to the inside if the stove enabling you to brush away the accumulation of ash. You cook on the entire stovetop. The hottest area is over the fire (left side) to the coolest (right side). So instead of turning a dial to "lower the heat", you move your pots and pans around.
On many stoves, you can now close or partially close the chimney damper and/or air intake, once your fire is going good. You have to play around with them to see which works best for your stove. You want a slow, steady fire.
The Oven: Some ovens have a temperature gauge on them. Some models may not, so you may want to use an oven thermometer, bought from a store. Open the oven damper, and close the chimney damper (if you do that on your stove). It will more than likely take about 1 hour for the oven to heat up to proper temperature. You may also need to open the air intake, and/or add more wood or kindling. The oven is used like any other oven, although I find that baking or roasting may take a little longer.
Now you are ready to cook.
Use cast iron pans, but steel works well also. Thinner materials will work also, but if the fire is too hot, your food can scorch. Keep the pan more to the right side of the cook top. Again, knowing where to place your pans requires practice, because, obviously, there is no high, medium, and low settings. Also use a metal trivet on the right back corner so you can raise a pan off the stove completely if I want to just keep something warm.
Remember that the oven is a box (the oven) within a box (the stove). The principal is to get the smoke to circle around the inner box. To keep things working properly, take off those lids on the cooktop. (WHEN NOT IN USE) and brush and scrape around the sides of the oven. Any accumulation of ash will act as insulation to the oven. Under the oven there should be a little door that you scrape and put out the loose ash.
There will also be a door or drawer under the firebox. This too, will need to be emptied periodically of ash. How often will depend on how much you use the stove, but empty it at least weekly.
It is not normal for smoke to come out of the stove. If it does smoke, then something is wrong with the draft in the chimney or a crack somewhere in the stove, or if it's around a door, the stove could be warped. You need to watch for this in buying a used stove.
Everything needs to be watched carefully, as the heat can drop or flare in a very short time. Don't be discouraged. Once you get used to the heat always being there (it doesn't shut off with the twist of a knob), cooking on a wood stove is easy.
Those are the basics of cooking on a wood cookstove. It just takes practice, trial and error. Cook something really simple the first time. Get that down pat before using the oven.
As I mentioned, cooking this way slows you down, and the warmth in the area draws people to the stove. Have chairs round the stove so you can be with friends and family while cooking, and always keep a teakettle is on the back of the stove. A heavy, flat bottomed teakettle is perfect for replacing the humidity that a fire takes from the air and you'll always have hot water for tea! Just watch it that it doesn't go dry, as it will more quickly than you think. If you keep it full, you can use it to replace water in stews, soups, beans, etc, as needed, or to start a pan of potatoes or pasta.
If you're impatient and your family wants instant meals, a wood cookstove may not be for you.
To appreciate cooking with wood, you need to slow down and enjoy. Grab a chair and have some tea.
How will we cook in the summer without turning our homes into ovens?
Have one on a screened back porch right off the kitchen.
Adapted from Karen L. Zlattner
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