Gather round the campfire and prepare the perfect summer-night treat with these how-to’s, courtesy of Jill Tipograph, director of the online summer-camp directory Everything Summer www.everythingsummer.com.

Get the right roasting apparatus: a stick. It should be thin enough at the roasting end not to overwhelm the marshmallow and long enough for you to sit a safe, three-foot distance from the fire.

Place one marshmallow at the end of the stick. “Cook one at a time; patience is the key,” says Tipograph. “Quality, not quantity, counts.”

Find the hottest part of the fire, usually a low, blue flame. Hold the marshmallow above the flame and slowly twirl it like a rotisserie, starting with your palm facing up; as it starts to brown, turn it, and repeat until the entire marshmallow is golden brown. The marshmallow must be cooked equally on all sides. Keep it close to the flame, but not too close or it will catch fire, leaving you with a charred, tacky treat (which, in fact, some iconoclasts prefer).

When the marshmallow is dark tan, it is likely roasted. Give it a light squeeze. If the middle no longer feels firm, it’s perfect. Eat and enjoy! Then roast another, and another, and...