Discover the Exciting Advantages of Hearth Cooking

The concept of hearth cooking is a timeless tradition, a culinary technique practiced by our forefathers centuries ago. But while traditional hearth cooking is rare in this present time, many eager cooks are eagerly learning about the old ways of hearth cooking and discovering the advantages it has over the more common oven cooking.

Traditional hearth cooking has the advantage of maintaining a steady heat throughout the cooking process, utilizing three forms of heat conduction. Before the use of ovens, fireplaces and similarly built areas for cooking food were used as a hearth. Using a combination of wood and coals, the fire would maintain an intense heat throughout the day. This heat that would come into direct contact with the pot of food is referred as conductive heat. The heat that then filled the space of the hearth was known as ambient heat, and radiant heat was the heat emanating from the walls of the hearth.

Cooking food in a dutch oven uses a similar method of retaining heat evenly throughout the pot. Ovens today can produce only ambient and radiant heat. Of course, food cooked in a regular oven often comes out just fine, but if you’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting similar food roasted or baked in an hearth oven, then you will notice a difference almost immediately.

Additionally, hearth cooking connects us with our past, and adds a bit of enhancement to our food in terms of both taste and history.

With the proper utensils and pots, you might be able to simulate a hearth cooking environment with your own fireplace, or you could have one built if you so desired. For an easier alternative, you might want to check out the Hearth Kitchen Company at http://www.hearthkitchen.com. The Hearth Kitchen Company sells equipment that will enable you to replicate a hearth oven within your own oven. Using special materials formed into a chamber-like design, the HearthKit helps conduct heat throughout and within the food in much the same way as a traditional hearth oven would.

Be sure to visit The Hearth Kitchen Company for more information on the HearthKit and a batch of tempting recipes.

At http://www.spitjack.com, you’ll also find a large wealth of information on fireplace cooking, history and techniques, as well as a large variety of kitchen tools and cookware available for sale, to help you begin a tasty and exciting adventure in hearth cooking. You’ll also find some delicious sounding recipes.

Hearth cooking is an excellent way to prepare traditional holiday feasts, or aromatic, warm winter soups and meals.