My family and friends love to gather together around the fire in the evening and at night. We get together on the beach with blankets and have a cup of hot chocolate or tea with some toasted marshmallows. I usually take my firepit but it is a real pain to transport home afterwards when it is hot!
I recently discovered a solution - the Swedish Torch. Also known as a Canadian candle, a Finn Candle, Swedish fire, Siberian tree torch or Eco Torch, the Ecoblaze Swedish Torch is a 45cm-high whole birch log split into sections and propped upright. The firewood log is split down three quarters of its length into sections so that the pieces are still held together. It has a firelighter wedged in the middle.
It is super convenient with a rope handle attached for portability and burns for hours. it is completely self-sufficient once properly lit. As embers burn at the top, they fall down into the log, burning it from the top down. Air is continually drawn in through the slits on the side. Perfect for family camping adventures!
The Ecoblaze Swedish Torch from White Horse Energy costs just £6. You can read my previous Product Review of the Ecoblaze Swedish Torch here. To get a 5% discount just use this link: www.whitehorseenergy.co.uk/referral/natashasonesblog
Cooking with it
A fun alternative to the traditional barbecue, the Swedish Torch is a great way to cook something up on an open fire. You can use a firelighter to ignite it from the top or start a fire using kindling and the fire will slowly drop down into the log.
It is a quick and easy way to cook food while camping, especially if you have limited wood to burn. It can also be used even when the ground is wet or covered in snow. Even with dry wood, it can be difficult to make a traditional campfire when the ground is very wet or covered in snow. The Swedish Torch keeps the fire up off the ground to start, preventing vaporised water moisture from putting it out.
It is perfect for that controlled burn when you’re camping and cooking outdoors. When lit, the fire is contained within and burns outwards slowly from the inside. It can provide a great way to cook food if kept on a level surface.
Eating on the beach
We tried it out with another family who are our friends in our village. We decided to cook a huge batch of chilli at home and then re-heat it on the log for our first attempt. It was very easy to transport to the beach and we made sure to wedge it tight in the stones so it was flat (hubby even used his spirit level on his phone to see how straight it was!). The flat surface on the top is ideal for cooking.
The surface can easily accommodate a pan, kettle or pot or cast-iron skillet. The pot was fine on the log and we stirred it continuously. Since you’re cooking on a fire that doesn’t have adjustable heat, you need to move things around in the pan so they don’t burn. Served with crusty bread and nachos, it was the perfect supper to have on the beach with the sound of the waves behind us. The children were mesmerised by the Swedish Torch and how it worked.
After eating we got out the marshmallows and sticks and lots of fun was had toasting them in the dark. The perfect ending to the evening. We could also have filled a pot or kettle with water and heated it for coffee.
Cooking this way is quicker than other methods - because the flames of a traditional campfire are hard to control, it is usually best to wait until it burns down to embers before cooking. This can easily take over an hour. The Swedish Torch concentrates the burn of the fire, allowing you to cook over a focused flame within 20 minutes.
Top Tips
Make sure you light it on a non-flammable surface. Clear the area around the log of flammable items, as charred wood can fall from the log after a couple of hours.
To make the log more stable, dig it into the ground a couple of inches.
Make sure that you have tongs and a spatula handy so you can turn the items frequently.
Recipe Ideas
One-pot recipes are a good idea for this type of cooking, such as chilli or casserole, stew, soup. Just add raw ingredients into a small pot and cook them. You could always cook them at home to make it easier then just reheat later.
Alternatively you could boil water on the Swedish Torch to rehydrate dry goods or to cook pasta in. A cast iron griddle pan works well for fish, meat and vegetables.
They’re also a great fuel option for bonfire night.
Get a discount
To get a 5% discount just use this link: www.whitehorseenergy.co.uk/referral/natashasonesblog
You can also get natural firelighters, kiln-dried kindling, firewood and pini-kay briquettes from their EcoBlaze range. White Horse Energy is committed to providing the best value firewood available in the UK - without compromising on quality! You can be assured that you are purchasing wood that is carefully prepared and safe to burn.
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