That’s better. Three time’s the charm! I’m using a small bed of
quartz crystals to scrape the char off the bowl so that I can
monitor the fire’s progress. After this scraping is finished, I’ll
put more coals in the depression.
A close-up view of the quartz scraper.
A hollow stick (such as a large grass stem--Rivercane, Bamboo—or
Elderberry stem) can provide you with more control over the
direction and speed which the fire burns.
Applying water to control the burn...
A slower, more controlled burn will result in
a useful product.
A beautiful finished product—it holds a
gallon. I used horsetail (Equisetum
hyemale) and then a coating of olive oil in the final polish.
A good day’s work!
Now to stone-boil some Red Alder seedlings for supper!
But wait! Some rocks crack under such rapid
cooling. Which rocks perform better and which should I avoid?
Luckily, my next article explores this very topic... See
Boiling
With Hot Stones.
