Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CHAPTER XXIIBEVERAGES AND DESSERTSCoffee.— To have coffee in perfection the berrymust be freshly roasted and freshly ground. Thiscan be done with frying-pan and pistol-butt; yetfew but old-timers take the trouble.There are two ways of making good coffee inan ordinary pot. ( i ) Put coffee in pot with coldwater (one heaped tablespoonful freshly groundto one pint, or more coffee if canned ground) andhang over fire. Watch it, and when water firstbegins to bubble, remove pot from fire and let itstand five minutes. Settle grounds with a tablespoonfulof cold water poured down spout. Donot let the coffee boil. Boiling extracts the tannin,and drives off the volatile aroma which is the mostprecious gift of superior berries. (2) Bring waterto hard boil, remove from fire, and quickly putcoffee in. Cover tightly and let steep ten minutes.A better way, when you have a seamless vessel thatwill stand dry heat, is to put coffee in, place overgentle fire to roast until aroma begins to rise, pourboiling water over the coffee, cover tightly, and setaside.Tea is best made in a covered enameled pail.Leave the lid off until the water boils hard, thendrop the tea in (one heaped teaspoonful to thepint is a common rule, but it depends on thestrength of the brand you use), remove from thefire at once, stir it to make tea settle, cover tightly,and steep aiuay from fire four minutes by the watch.Then strain into a separate vessel. A better wayis to use a tea-ball, or put the tea in a small square^78