Bake kettle

[Gary]

Ever hear of it? Most haven't and I'm no exception - until I read it in a book. We've all seen it and most of us here probably have used or own one.

"The hoe-cake, let it be premised, is not ordinarily baked in the crude, original way - i. e., on a hoe - but in the utensil called a bake kettle, found in every southern kitchen, consisting of a broad, flat-bottomed, iron kettle, which is placed over a bed of coals, and which has a cover so constructed as to hold a good bed of coals on top, thus securing the baking of the bread or cake on both sides, at the same time, and very quickly."

The observation was made by a "sucker" (Illinois soldier). So, when you're down south during a Rendezvous, call it a bake kettle and not a dutch oven.

 

[Swampman]

I've lived in the south all my life and I've never heard of a bake kettle. I've never seen a hoe cake made in one either, and I've probably eaten 10,000 of them. It is an interesting observation though.

I wonder if dutch oven was originally deutch oven?

 

[Trina]

Now Gary, here you got me all excited that there was another pot that Mr. Cookie could go buy for me, and it was just another name for a dutch oven... Ive never heard them referred to as bake kettles either.. :haha:

 

[Gary]

My source: is George H. Woodruff's, "The Civil War Years in Wills County, Illinois," pages 103-104. It's reprinted from a 19th century (1876) book that I couldn't resist buying.

BTW, what's the origin of the name, Dutch Oven? I'm ashamed to say I don't know. :redface:

 

[Claude Mathis]

BTW, what's the origin of the name, Dutch Oven? I'm ashamed to say I don't know. :redface:

I have this, but I can't vouch for it's accuracy.

The oven was then widely manufactured in the New England states, but after traders from Holland bought large numbers for barter with the Indians and frontier settlers, the name "Dutch oven" stuck.

The origin of the Dutch oven has been the cause of much discussion and debate. It is sufficient to say that Dutch ovens first came to this continent from Europe before the United States of America was a country. Some claim the name comes from Dutch peddlers they imported the ovens from Holland and sold them door to door from their wagons. Paul Revere is reported to have been one of the early manufacturers of Dutch ovens in this country.

 

[marmot]

Swampman, you'd be on the money as far as deutsch ovens go... same way we ended up with the Pennsylvania Dutch... Hey - who can blame the neighbors for this little misunderstanding? If you're English, it sounds like "Dutch", and they speak a language you don't... and voila, the Dutch appear everywhere... much to the surprise of the Deutsch settlers... :grin:

M

ps I grew up in the South also... Never heard it called a bake oven... always just heard it called a "camp oven"... maybe it's a regional thing?

 

[Gary]

"...got back to our camp in Martinsburg about 11 a.m. I was sent out on guard at Mr. Kilmer's on the Romney Road. I got there in time for dinner to help his girls put the bread in the oven and take it out when it was done. In explanation of this I would state that the people of the Valley have what they call Dutch ovens. This is made of brick and is made like an arched top of a spring. It has a door at one end and a chimney at the other. They make a fire in it and when all the wood is burned up, they clean out the ashes and put in the dough to cook. The dough stays in the oven an hour and then they take it out..."

The Valley is the Shenandoah Valley in the Old Dominion State and the passage was written by a Confederate soldier. Didn't know that they called those type of ovens Dutch Ovens.

 

[Slamfire]

We make our hoe cakes in a little fryin' pan. Cast iron, of course. :thumbsup:

 

[Tamora Rademacher]

There you go Slamfire, it was just called that cast iron skillet, kettle or that great big cast iron pot. Never heard of a Dutch oven till I moved from TN to KY about 13 years ago.

 

[Lone Carabiner]

DO it is, but there's 2 sorts. One has flat bottom and handle (designed to be used on a range or cooking grate), generally more convenient for home use as well. The other is purely camp use, has legs (usually 3) and lid has a rim around the edge to lay coals on.
A real good tip is to heat the lid up over the fire before covering the pot with it, specially when baking cornbread. I've had some great biskets and cornbread out of DO's, I wonder if it is because of the seasoning on the oven and the limited amount of venting of vapors from the bread being baked, particular cornbread. :bull: