How to Build Your Own Earth Oven, Plus Earth Oven Recipes

By Richard H. Johnson
Published on July 1, 1978
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Choose a brush-free site for your pit.
Choose a brush-free site for your pit.
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Flat stones for cooking line the oven.
Flat stones for cooking line the oven.
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Lay a tinder base to start your fire.
Lay a tinder base to start your fire.
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Keep a small blaze going for an hour.
Keep a small blaze going for an hour.
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Add fresh greens and water to steam.
Add fresh greens and water to steam.
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Coals out, greens in, on with the meal.
Coals out, greens in, on with the meal.
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Shield the vittles from falling dirt.
Shield the vittles from falling dirt.
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and onto the table (but not for too long.)
and onto the table (but not for too long.)
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A finished meal comes out of the pit...
A finished meal comes out of the pit...
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Seal with soil, and await your feast!
Seal with soil, and await your feast!

Have you ever stopped to think what you’d do if — for one reason or another — electricity and natural gas suddenly became unavailable (or intolerably expensive?) Right away, of course, you’d have to learn new, non energy-intensive ways of performing old duties (cooking, washing, and so on.) And in all probability, the “new ways” you’d adopt would actually be ancient, primitive techniques that have served humankind well for thousands of years.

For instance, our family — for many seasons — has been using a “primitive” ovenless baking procedure; a procedure that requires only a few handfuls of kindling to cook an entire meal. I’m talking, of course, about the “steaming pit,” or earth oven method of cookery that Native Americans (and other peoples around the world) have been using successfully for more than 10,000 years.

(Note: Click on Image Gallery link above for more illustrations and details about learning how to build your own earth oven.)

How an Earth Oven Works

The earth oven cooking technique involves little more than the slow, even release of heat (from fire-scorched rocks, or — sometimes — coals) within a sealed (underground) enclosure to cook food. Victuals prepared by this method are cooked slowly and evenly, and — as a result — the food’s natural juices and flavors are sealed in rather than driven out. Also, since no combustion occurs during the actual cooking process, there is no danger of the vittles being burned.

Make Your Own Earth Oven

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