zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,886
|
Post by zeke on Jun 29, 2015 14:04:11 GMT -8
Many references will be made to FBC. It stands for Freezer Bag Cooking. It mostly involves putting freeze-dried or dehydrated meals into a ziplock style freezer bag while at home. Then, on the trail, all you need to do is add boiling water in the appropriate amount, and wait 10 minutes for it to re-constitute. P.S.-- It must be freezer bag quality, or the water will burst the seams. Test your brand in the kitchen sink before heading out. I had a buddy lose a couple of dinners to cheap, store brand bags.
We have many excellent references among our posters, including Trail Cooking www.trailcooking.com, One Pan Wonders www.onepanwonders.com, and others I cannot recall off the top of my head. Many wondrous recipes can be found there.
P.S.-- I will add another reference for recipes, and the videos are entertaining.MrBabelfish5
|
|
johnnyray
Trail Wise!
Argle-Bargle, Jiggery-Pokery, and Applesauce
Posts: 2,050
|
FBC
Jun 30, 2015 17:36:20 GMT -8
Post by johnnyray on Jun 30, 2015 17:36:20 GMT -8
Are you just transferring one or two serving freeze dried meals into freezer bags to cut the bulk of excessive packaging, or purchasing bulk freeze dried and making correct portions? Can freeze dried food be purchased in bulk, once it's open...may have answered my own question.
|
|
schlanky
Trail Wise!
Lead singer, driver of the Winnebago
Posts: 452
|
Post by schlanky on Jul 1, 2015 6:21:11 GMT -8
It doesn't necessarily have to be freeze dried food. Here's one of my regulars. I'm still tinkering a little with the measurements. All this goes into the ziptop freezer bag:
Half cup or 2/3 cup uncooked plain couscous 1 TBS dried onion 1 tsp dried cilantro 1 tsp homemade taco seasoning mix 1 tsp powdered veggie broth Sprinkle of smoked paprika
At camp, add hot water to the ziptop freezer bag (guessing half to 2/3 cup, but that's a guess---I just know what looks right in my cooking mug). Stir it up and let it sit in the cozy until couscous absorbs the water. Dump in a couple of tablespoons of chopped smoked sundried tomato. If it's cool enough to take cheese, it's great with cheddar. Also works with shelf stable parmesan. If it's a little watery, the cheese will help soak up excess water.
|
|
|
FBC
Jul 1, 2015 8:34:32 GMT -8
Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 1, 2015 8:34:32 GMT -8
Can freeze dried food be purchased in bulk Yes, any number of FD manufacturers offer bulk meals as they often offer that sort of thing for people who are looking for emergency supplies etc. rather than hiking meals. MountainHouse is one. I'd probably use the food within maybe six months of opening, the main enemy , aside from the obvious moisture, would be oxygen so once a bulk container is opened I'd lean to repacking all if it into FB that you then removed all the excess air from. I've brought home extras from trips and not noticed any deterioration in the time it took to use them, around that six month or so timeframe IIRC.
|
|
|
Post by red dog on Jul 1, 2015 8:50:14 GMT -8
Here is a source for dehydrated and freeze dried bulk items. They also have some tasty meals ready to go. www.packitgourmet.com/
|
|
johnnyray
Trail Wise!
Argle-Bargle, Jiggery-Pokery, and Applesauce
Posts: 2,050
|
FBC
Jul 1, 2015 9:27:26 GMT -8
Post by johnnyray on Jul 1, 2015 9:27:26 GMT -8
I was thinking about getting a "Food Saver" anyone have any experience. I buy some staples in bulk oats, rice, beans...and would like to preserve them better. Also with food for back country travel.
|
|
schlanky
Trail Wise!
Lead singer, driver of the Winnebago
Posts: 452
|
Post by schlanky on Jul 1, 2015 10:27:52 GMT -8
I highly recommend getting a Food Saver. I use mine all the time. If you're already buying stuff in bulk, it'll be a great purchase both for trail food and house food.
|
|
zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,886
|
FBC
Jul 1, 2015 11:44:49 GMT -8
red dog likes this
Post by zeke on Jul 1, 2015 11:44:49 GMT -8
When I buy bulk, I repackage it into a food saver bag and freeze what is not used immediately. I have kept bulk foods like this and used them over 2 bp'ing seasons with no problems.
If doing pasta in a food saver bag, use a paper towel to line the bag. Prevents the sharp edges of the pasta from poking holes in the bag.
|
|
sarbar
Trail Wise!
After being here since 2001...I couldn't say goodbye yet!
Posts: 988
|
FBC
Jul 1, 2015 22:03:31 GMT -8
Post by sarbar on Jul 1, 2015 22:03:31 GMT -8
Thanks Zeke!
|
|
talus
Trail Wise!
Posts: 560
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 3:50:10 GMT -8
Post by talus on Jul 5, 2015 3:50:10 GMT -8
So, what is your process in handling the bulk freeze-dried stuff? We bought some MH chicken and breakfast stuff a couple of months ago. We divided each can into 3 separate food saver bags and put them in the freezer. We had borrowed a friend's fancy vacuum sealer for that. We now have one of the cheap hand-held Food Savers. We'll be on our next trip for a week and a half. Will the freeze dried chicken and eggs and stuff be okay in plain freezer bags, or should we use the Freshsaver bags and make up each meal and re-vacuum seal? Anyone have experience using the Freshsaver bags for FBC? Will they stand up to the heat and not leak? This is the vacuum sealer we have: FreshsaverThese are the bags: Bags
|
|
zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,886
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 4:09:06 GMT -8
Post by zeke on Jul 5, 2015 4:09:06 GMT -8
Take one bag and pour boiling water into it, in your kitchen sink. Leave it there for 10-30 minutes to see if it leaks.
I have done both, putting the portions in a foodsaver bag and in a ziplock. Yes, the food will be fine in Freezer style zips for the duration of your trip. I have bagged up my meals a couple of days ahead of a trip, then been out for 2 weeks and all of the meals were fine. Think about the long distance hikers and their resupply that gets bagged up, boxed up, and mailed out months in advance of their eating it.
|
|
talus
Trail Wise!
Posts: 560
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 5:48:54 GMT -8
Post by talus on Jul 5, 2015 5:48:54 GMT -8
I won't even bother checking the Freshsaver bags then, they are pricey compared to freezer bags. Now to figure out portion size. I've seen people use anywhere from a 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup as a serving.
|
|
zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,886
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 6:53:28 GMT -8
Post by zeke on Jul 5, 2015 6:53:28 GMT -8
This is where it is handy to do a dinner at home using your trail food. It allows you to dial in the portion size, while also knowing you may need to augment dinner with extras in case you are really hungry that day. Some people lose their appetite on the trail for the first few days, then they eat everything in sight. If out for a week or more, I try to eat more on the first several nights so I don't bonk out on any climb. In the last couple of nights, I may be a bit hungry if I cut the food too close, but at that point I can wait until town and then top off the belly.
Serving size can depend on many variables. 3/4 cup of rice is my serving for just adding salmon or tuna. Freeze-dried stuff I tend to weigh. I use a kitchen scale and put about 3 oz in each bag. Used to eat an entire 2 serving bag, not so much any more. I can take 5 servings and make 3 dinners out of it. To do this, I pour it all out on a cookie sheet and scoop into each bag what seems to be a fair distribution of the various components.
|
|
BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,930
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 10:32:09 GMT -8
Post by BigLoad on Jul 5, 2015 10:32:09 GMT -8
Flexible portion size is one of my favorite things about FBC. I carry larger quantities of staples in larger bags and dole them out as my appetite demands. I can also get variety by mixing some things in different ways.
My most favorite thing about FBC is that I can eat things the way that I cook them, without the other ingredients that manufacturers think everyone wants.
|
|
rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684
|
FBC
Jul 5, 2015 20:11:25 GMT -8
Post by rebeccad on Jul 5, 2015 20:11:25 GMT -8
For some perspective, even my rather light-eating Eldest Son happily ate 1 1/2 "servings" of Mountain House meat lasagne on our recent trip. For myself, when using commercial meals, I have typically found I eat 2 servings.
Here's a super-easy FBC meal, if you have a food dehydrator (oven will work in a pinch): about 1 cup rice, cooked and dried (I use brown rice, though I think white will rehydrate a little faster) about 3/4 cup of dehydrated taco filling (I make mine using ground beef, black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, veggies, and corn with appropriate seasonings).
In camp, add about 1 3/4 cups boiling water, let stand for 15-20 minutes (the brown rice is stubborn, though less time is needed at lower elevations). Top with a packet or two of taco sauce, or dry and rehydrate your own (bottled salsa works well, but I've found that fresh salsa doesn't come out well at all). Add some cheese if you want.
That's a big serving--I think for the next trip, I'll cut mine down a little.
|
|