Clay Pot Cooking Started Way Back When

Have you tried clay pot cooking?  I had never heard of it until I came upon the Nature’s Oven line of clay bakers.  They offer a healthier way to cook meat dishes since no cooking sprays or oils are needed.

Clay pot cooking got its start way back in ancient times when raw clay was spread directly onto meat.  The messy glob was then placed directly into the fire curing the clay and cooking the meat at the same time.  The end result was a moist, succulent main course in a custom fitted pottery shell.  The clay was then just broken away and the meat served.

Fortunately for us we can duplicate this process with out the mess with clay pot bakers.  These are bake ware made entirely of clay.  They readily duplicate this age old method of cooking with out the mess.  Clay pot cookers come in a variety of sizes and some are made specifically for cooking vegetables and fruit.

Cooking with clay bakers is easy.  Just soak the baker in water for 10-15 minutes, the absorbtion of water before cooking duplicates the wet clay of ages past, then fill the cooker with your favorite meats and vegetables, season them as desired put the lid in place and put it in a COOL oven.  These don’t require the oven to be preheated.

Another advantage to clay pot cookers is their tolerance to high temperature cooking without scorching the food.  Some have reported successfully using them at 500 degrees!

The moisture from the pre-soaking creates a hot steamy environment as the meal is cooked, flavor and moisture stay put making extremely tasty evening meals, prepared without cooking oils in a way that’s also easy on the cook.

As your clay bakeware becomes more seasoned it will also take on a different color and as with cast iron will just get better with age.  The smaller fruit bakers lend the opportunity to experiment with apples and bananas to prepare deserts that are a nice change of pace.