3 Things That Can Affect Cooking Time Outdoors

Cooking outdoors is a fantastic way to spend more time outside during any season. Despite the changes in weather and temperature, you can cook outdoors at any time of year with the right tools and experience. For example, you’ll want to know some of these common factors that can affect cooking time outdoors and how to compensate.

Weather and Temperature

One of the biggest factors that affects your cooking time outdoors is the weather. When cooking outdoors, the weather and season cause temperatures to fluctuate, so you must prepare based on the weather and season in which you’re cooking. For example, when it’s raining, windy, or snowy outside, it can be more difficult to heat your grill to the right temperature and keep it stable. Hotter temperatures can even cause your grill to heat and cook faster, so watch out for these as well. When cooking in new climates or at certain times of the year, remember to account for these factors. The weather also controls other factors that can affect your cooking times, such as humidity levels.

Humidity Levels

When humidity levels are high outdoors, they can result in faster cooking times. This can lead to overcooked foods if you’re not careful. High humidity prevents moisture from evaporating off the surface of your food, which keeps the surface heat high. Alternatively, when humidity levels are low, you should compensate for slower cooking times. Moisture evaporates more quickly, which cools the surface of your food.

Altitude

Have you ever heard that water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes? While less common to deal with, changes in altitude can also affect the cooking or grilling times you’re used to. This is also due to the moisture levels of the meat and other foods on your menu. The atmospheric pressure causes water to have a lower boiling point, which means it evaporates off your ingredients during the cooking process more readily. Cook meat and other foods at lower temperatures for longer periods to preserve moisture.

Remember these conditions that can affect cooking time outdoors before you fire up your grill or outdoor oven. If you’re interested in spending more time cooking outdoors, consider investing in a wood-burning pizza oven from Cast Master Elite. Now that you know how outdoor conditions affect your cooking times, you’ll be ready to compensate for them and spend more time cooking out in the fresh air.