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Post by darthmusturd on Mar 15, 2022 12:15:43 GMT -8
I need to get a vacuum sealer, then. So I can "not" live in the woods off of squirrel stew
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 15, 2022 12:19:49 GMT -8
My vacuum sealer pays for itself. I get Costco packs of meat then eat some and vacuum seal/freeze the rest. Costs a lot less than getting fresh meat at the local grocery. When the meat is vacuum sealed you barely notice the effects of freezing/thawing.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 15, 2022 12:38:32 GMT -8
learn the straw rationing method I heard of that maybe a decade ago, and sometimes use the method. I cut the straw into short pieces, so I don't need to reseal it after each use of, say, salt. In fact, I use very few spices in the field. Maybe some Tony's, which already has the salt and pepper.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 15, 2022 12:50:39 GMT -8
Another good thing about the breaking up a #10 can. Like with MH chicken stew I like a little pepper added. I just do that before I seal it up for the field. No need to carry separate spices.
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Post by darthmusturd on Mar 15, 2022 13:25:23 GMT -8
ErnieW what vacuum sealer and/or dehydrator do you use? Not sure what to look for, but something to be able to seal jars sounds great.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 15, 2022 13:41:48 GMT -8
Look for a Foodsaver one that comes with the attachments for sealing jars.
As for a dehydrator, you can spend as much as you like, and sometimes they can be found in garage sales. Nesco, Magic Mill, plenty of other brands. Some are round, some square. Just make sure you get several trays.
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Post by darthmusturd on Mar 15, 2022 13:44:26 GMT -8
That only linked me to the crock pot site. I used it to search for vacuum sealers but nothing popped up.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 15, 2022 14:40:22 GMT -8
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Post by darthmusturd on Mar 15, 2022 14:42:08 GMT -8
all of these links just bring me to crock-pot.com and nothing else.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 15, 2022 14:43:36 GMT -8
Clear your browser cache and then start worrying about malware/unwanted extensions
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 15, 2022 14:43:43 GMT -8
Sorry. That webpage is seriously fouled up. Search for Foodsaver, all one word. You can find them at Costco, if you're already a member. If not, then I fear amazon is your best bet. Even this one has a port for sealing jars.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 16, 2022 7:10:35 GMT -8
I have an Excalibur dehydrator, which is a great dehydrator but huge, without any frills like a timer or programmability. There was a time when I diligently made a lot of my backpacking meals with it but I rarely do these days. The biggest issue for me was managing the smell. It takes many hours to dehydrate food and I just don't have a convenient place to do it. Indoors meant the whole house being inundated and outdoors meant worrying about weather (rain, snow, temps) and critters. I used to run it on stop of the stove with the vent fan on, but it was invariably inconvenient if I wanted to cook. I'm guessing newer ones are much more user-friendly.
At the same time, commercial backpacking meals have gotten so much better. There are so many cottage companies for all tastes. Granted, they're not cheap, but I'm still in the "more money than time" phase of my life.
There are also good resources for buying freeze-dried ingredients, so you can put together your own recipes or augment grocery store instant/"just add water" products. Works really well if you like soupy meals, which I do. I've found that the freeze-dried ingredients hydrate much faster and more consistently. The down side is that they're a lot more fragile; some ingredients are dust by the time I eat it just from being jostled around in my pack. (They do better in a bear canister.)
Pretty sure this is really off-topic now... sorry! I just picked up on the dehydrator line...
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Mar 17, 2022 4:59:23 GMT -8
Rice, tuna, soy sauce. good dinner. Easy to fix with Minute Rice or dehydrated at home rice. I’ve long rung variations on that with various soup mixes added to the rice and a switch to chicken. Using Minute Rice they’re a quick and rather filling meal. Though currently I’m more inclined to select from the wide variety of freeze dried meals offered by various manufacturers. Freeze drying just results in a very different structure than simple dehydration, that’s what allows for better reconstitution as the vaporization of the water ice from the material leaves it “open” so water can easily get back in, with the flexible room temperature drying the food structure collapses and can be difficult or impossible to restore as parts stick to each other. Proteins retain their shape when freeze dried, reliable enough we could easily send fellow researchers freeze dried supplies of our purified monoclonal antibodies that were fully functional when reconstituted, yet without all the hassle of sending frozen material packed in dry ice.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 20, 2022 6:15:03 GMT -8
Speaking of rice-based backpacking meals...
We tried the "Chicken Coconut Curry" meal from Peak Refuel (brand) yesterday. Excellent. I've been on a hunt for meals that my 23 yo picky-eater son would like and this brand has good reviews, good ingredients and a great calories-to-weight ratio. It also has the kind of dishes that he favors, like curries, dal, fried rice. (He's my rice child.) I ordered it from the manufacturer but I saw them at REI yesterday. On the more expensive side for commercial meals BUT both of us agreed that the two-person portion might actually feed two people, unlike the MH ones.
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Post by darthmusturd on Mar 20, 2022 12:21:24 GMT -8
Speaking of rice-based backpacking meals... We tried the "Chicken Coconut Curry" meal from Peak Refuel (brand) yesterday. Excellent. I've been on a hunt for meals that my 23 yo picky-eater son would like and this brand has good reviews, good ingredients and a great calories-to-weight ratio. It also has the kind of dishes that he favors, like curries, dal, fried rice. (He's my rice child.) I ordered it from the manufacturer but I saw them at REI yesterday. On the more expensive side for commercial meals BUT both of us agreed that the two-person portion might actually feed two people, unlike the MH ones. Mountain house meals just aren't that good IMO, unless I am thinking of another brand.
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