Hot water corn bread made for many years by natives, long before European colonization. It was often dipped or covered with fresh honey. Hot water corn bread Hot water cornbread is a Native American food item and is unique to the South. European explorers learned to make cornmeal into cornbread from the indigenous people. Hot water cornbread is a mixture of cornmeal and water cooked in a skillet with cooking oil (traditionally animal fat, such as lard, was used). The cornmeal is mixed with boiling water to make a batter. It is then placed in small portions in the hot oil, in the skillet
Outdoor cooking alternative is the use of a metal thread or mesh fire basket. This allows continued airflow through the fire while providing optimal heat. The one down side to this form of cooking is that the pots will become blackened with soot and ash, which can be difficult to scrub off. The ash and soot build up can be easily avoided by applying a thin layer of dish soap (preferably biodegradable) to the outside of the pot before cooking. The ash and soot will stick to the soap which is then easily rinsed off later. Steaming is possible with plants such