How to Cook Rice When Camping

Marcus Leadley

Rice mixes well with vegetables, beans or lentils for a filling and nutritious backpacking meal. According to Stacy Stukin in her article "Sacred Grains" published in "Yoga Journal," rice sustains more than half the world. Rice is also easy to bag and measure and fairly simple to cook when camping. Instant white rice cooks the fastest and may be best for minimum fuel usage, but there are many varieties of rice that you can cook when camping that will provide a good source of carbohydrates, such as long grain wild rice, brown rice, basmati or jasmine rice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Camping stove and fuel 4- or 2-qt. stainless steel cooking pot Spoon 1 cup rice 2 cups water Salt Margarine Measuring cup or Nalgene
Camping stove and fuel
4- or 2-qt. stainless steel cooking pot
Spoon
1 cup rice
2 cups water
Salt
Margarine
Measuring cup or Nalgene

Step 1

Light your stove and bring the flame to medium heat. Measure 2 cups water with a measuring cup or Nalgene and pour inside your 4-quart or 2-quart stainless steel cooking pot. Throw a pinch of salt into the pot and set it on the stove, bringing it to a boil. You will have to turn the heat up a bit for this.

Step 2

Add 1 cup rice and a ½ tbsp. margarine if you wish to add extra flavor and help keep the rice from sticking to the pot.

Step 3

Cover with your pan lid and reduce the flame of your stove so that the rice stops boiling but continues to simmer.

Step 4

Simmer for 5 minutes for instant rice and 20 to 30 minutes for all other types of rice.

Step 5

Stir occasionally. You don't want to overstir the rice because it can become overly starchy. Use a spoon to push aside the rice from the bottom of the pot to check whether the water on the bottom has been absorbed before serving.

Step 6

Do not keep your flame too hot or the rice will burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. This is a pain to scrape out and wrecks your pot. If you can't seem to get your flame down to a moderate temperature, then use your pot grips and pick up the pot, slowly moving it around over the flame in a circular motion so the rice doesn't burn in any one spot.

Step 7

Turn the flame off when all the water is absorbed and serve hot. This makes two servings.

Resources

Article Written By Naomi Judd

Naomi M. Judd is a naturalist, artist and writer. Her work has been published in various literary journals, newspapers and websites. Judd holds a self-designed Bachelor of Arts in adventure writing from Plymouth State University and is earning a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine.

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