Hiker Tip #4 - What's for dinner - Freezer Bag Cooking
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- čas přidán 14. 09. 2017
- If you want to save fuel but still want to have a warm meal at the end of a long hiking day, consider freezer bag cooking. Not only is it easy but it makes clean up easier and keeps food borne illness at bay. I pot cooked and used a pot cosy on my 2016 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike attempt (931 miles) then decided to use an envelope type cosy and use freezer bags. This allowed me to decrease my base weight by switching from my GSI Boiler (1.1L) to a Titanium 550ml pot.
Oh, I forgot cheese as being a great source of protein and fat!!
What I used to do is get the precooked meals and use them. I forget the braqnd name, but now the same product is the Hormel "Completes". Precooked, sealed, works very well. Not THE answer, but great in combination with other foods. Furthermore, get a vacuum sealer. Rival makes a good one. Instead of using the ziplock bags, which even the freezer bags are temperature sensitive, you have a more heavy duty plastic bag. Put the meal in it, vacuum seal it, and when you're ready you cut the end off and add water. Stir well & then, using a binder clip, close it somewhat and put it upright in a pan of water. Bring the water to a boil, and you're now heating your meal. You can fix an entire dinner this water and not waste drinking water as regular creek water can be used to boil as you're not consuming the creek water.
best vid i’ve seen yet on knorr for backpacking. excellent.
Thanks for the compliment
You make the best instructional videos. Love them. Thanks!
Great job! There is a lot of useful info here. Thanks. I love to always see how different people come up with eating solutions. JT. from Oregon
Thanks
CJ T hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
So much great information, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Great thoughts, clear and simple. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching
Great tips!! Thank-you!
Good video, nice to find one that actually talks about the amount of water to reduce. I also was having problems with hydrating the pasta and rice using the type of cosy you have so I made one out of reflectics for my pot and lid. Now I put my freezer bag inside the hot pot inside its cosy and I'm no longer having hydrating problems, everything is cooking. Still experimenting with the water amount though.
Hiker Biker hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, i stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
Thanks for the video. Food videos are great for those of us looking to try new things. Thanks for the heads up on these items what works and what doesn't and how to make it work! Much appreciated, great, relevent content
Thanks
Very intuitive and educational. Knorr is so delicious I’ll make it a side even at home with a full kitchen and I’ll still cook it in the packet. Less mess.
Thanks
You addressed many of the questions, and uncertainties that many of us have. Thank you for a concise tutorial... Cheers.
Thank you for watching
Hiker Biker hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, i stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
Big Bird, I also carry zip locks of powdered milk and powdered peanut butter to add to meals. The milk is good for the Knorr sides calling for milk and the peanut butter is great for ramen. Creamy chicken ramen + peanut butter powder + Tyson chicken + to-go pkg of hot sauce = awesome chicken pad Thai! I got that idea from Early Riser. I’m glad to see the smaller pouch of chicken. I hope that becomes widely available.
Great video
Top video,Steve.
Really informative..
Thanks
Thanks! Very helpful.
That's, Steve, a huge help..Thanks!
Thanks
Great video!
I saw your comments about the pasta not re-hydrating and experienced the same thing. But left it in the bag & pouch for about 40-45 minutes and it was perfect.
Thanks for the feedback!!
You get a gold star for your forehead! One of the few people who get the name right the first time.
Very useful; thanks so much.
Thanks for watching
You left the best part out
nice tips Bigbird thank you.
Thanks
Awesome video! Excellent info. Thanks Big Bird, great job. 👍Lamplighter 2019 out! 😉
Thanks
Excellent information! Could save a good bit of $$$ over readymade, MREs, Mountain House etc. Don't get me wrong, I like MH fine has a solid place and convenient but it is about 4x the cost.
Great info! Thanks. You got a sub.
Thanks for watching
Great video with some good tips. Problem we have here in the UK is actually getting the Knorr 4 cheese risotto, small packets of Spam etc!
consider the minute rice with bullion and some cured meat like some genoa salami
There is a video on here somewhere where you take refried dyhydrated beans (about 2/3 cup), minute rice (about same measure), part of a pkg of some seasoning (chili or something and I usually use all of it). When water is just about to boil throw in the beans and rice and stir let boil for about a minute and shut off. Add cheese of your choice to it (I buy it in blocks and shave off pieces. One can use grated of course). Cover and let it reconstitute. Before you eat add corn chips to surface. Pretty good!
Great video Steve. While I am a big proponent of Knoors I have never thought of repackaging. I also recently saw someone using dehydrated refried beans. It may have been Darwin On The Trail. I am going to have to try a cozi again, I used a homemade one once and made a mess. I am going to make another just a little bit larger. Take Care
Consider buying one from Antigravity Gear. Good quality and not too expensive
Warren Davidson Hiker Biker hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, i stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
I was wondering how the rehydration of food worked out,thanks for the tips big bird.
Thanks for watching
Thanks great information.
The info way all new to me.
Great Job!!!
Leo wolf
Any damage at your house?
We escaped the worst of it. Being on the left side of the rotation saved us from heavy winds and rain. In fact, we only got about an inch of rain
Have you ever tried Stovetop Stuffing? I've never tried it myself, but have seen a "recipe" where you add the packaged chicken and dried cranberries for a Thanksgiving style backpacking dish.
I never have but many do
Is it. Safe to cook soup in a shop right freezerbag by putting it in the sink with boiling water on because I just did that and idk if it was safe
Great video. Regarding issue with pasta sticking together - have tried adding a teaspoon of olive oil to help prevent sticking together?
Yes, but it just doesn't seem to help when freezer bag cooking. If cooking in the pot, it will work. For some reason, the pasta just needs more heat to work properly
Had the same problem with the knorrs sides. Have to try the knorrs selects or stick with rice one.
missed this comment - sorry - the rice sides are better doing this technique. I recently tried the pasta again and it was a big fail
Thank you for sharing. Would you not consider washing and reusing the ziplocs? Love the idea of freezer bag cooking but hate the idea of adding to plastic waste.
I found that using this method was safer for food borne illnesses than washing out my pot (I got sick and had to come of the Appalachian trail in 2016 from intestinal issues so I used this method the next year. I have seen a lot of people who will use a mountain house meal on the first night, and wash out the pouch and then use it to do this method for the next three meals before discarding it while resupplying. The mountain house pouch will hold up better than a freezer bag for reusing.
Thank you for your helpful reply. Your illness must have been horrible. I like the idea of reusing the commercial packs. Keep up your good work, sir.
Best wishes
Muhammad from the UK.
My first thought about at these meals is the sodium content is of the chain!!!
Yes, but it doesn't seem to be an issue once the long miles begin and the perspiration starts. The spam is especially salty but eventually your body starts craving it
Colonel, Have you ever watched any of Bablefish5's youtube presentations? He has some great meals you dehydrate yourself and package for the trail! I've never had a bad one yet. I've also found that Kraft Microwavable Mac & Cheese works well on the trail with hot water and the cozy, and add spam. I recommended using 1/2 the amount of water for a creamier recipe.
I have not watched his youtube channel, thanks for sharing. I will have to try the microwaveable Kraft Mac & Cheese. Tried the standard kind and it was way too much and took way to much fuel.
Regarding the pasta sides in particular, you said you could never get them to soften up. Did you try prepping it at lunch time and letting it "cook" for a few hours or anything like that? Thanks for the good rundown on freezer bag cooking.
It is just the flat noodles that seem to not want to cooperate. Common complaint among those how rehydrate (cold or hot).
Steve Walker The package says to boil them for about 10 minutes. They are not dehydrated they are uncooked. You can’t rehydrate what is raw.
tvtoms Hiker Biker hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, i stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
Great video! Question, are you using the antigravity 1.0 or 2.0 for the quart size freezer bags? I just want to make sure I get the right size
I am using the 1.0 but if I had to do it again, I would get the larger one.
@@soaringeagleoutdoors thank you! I’ll go with that one
Does anybody know about the availability of the freezer bags along the PCT?
Koen De Belie if you’re sending resupply boxes just prepare your meals in them or mail them to yourself
do you "stir" the pasta at all? I tried to use my insulated mug and found the knorr pasta get very starchy and stuck together at the bottom of the mug. I'll have to try it with a freezer bag.
The Knorr pasta wants to be cooked and then it sticks. Trying to hot hydrate in any kind of cosy seems to leave it watery. I have given up on the past and am sticking with the rice (that usually have small spaghetti pieces in it that do well) or the Rice Selects (4 cheese is my favorite. It calls for 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 cup but using a cosy, I heat 3/4 cup of water to boiling and only sire it once in the baggie and it works out perfectly.
Tony and Gina Strauss Hiker Biker hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, i stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
Where did you get the cozy?
Antigravitygear.com
Bacon jerky pairs deliciously with the instant potatoes!!
You are right about the bacon jerky, it does go well. I have also picked up some oscar meyer bacon bits for the potatoes as well. I know they say refrigerate after opening but I use 1/2 one meal and then 1/2 the next and up until late Jun it stayed cool enough in the mountains I didn't worry about it (plus they have so much nitrite in them for preservation I wasn't worried about spoilage until the next meal
Steve- you should reserve these items for trail only - daily eating of these at home will pack on the pounds and aggravate the T2D in no time!
Yes, trail only!!
Those Idahoan potatoes take like 4 cups of water. Try pouring 4 cups into the package and see how that works out.
Check out the prep on the package that is not the family size, it is 2 cups and in my experience, it doesn't work well to use the existing package. Those doing that on the trail tended to short change the water and the potatoes tended to be dry and not hydrate will. I tried it once with 2 cups and made more of a mess. Just use the quart size freezer bags and it works well and clean up is so much easier. in 2016 I used my pot and it was like cleaning out cement after each meal. had to put a little water in the pot and boil it again to steam the sides clean - real pain and may have contributed to my intestinal distress that eventually led to Colitis and ey having to leave the trail after 931 miles. Thanks for watching and commenting
Use the empty mt house bag!
Tossing an extra freezer bag away with each meal while out admiring nature seems strange to me
If your just out admiring nature, I agree it doesn't make sense. This technique is for the long distance experience where every 5 grams of fuel saved is another day in between resupply
reuse those bags!
These types of foods are so high in sodium to where I have to make my own meals. Even though you burn through these processed meals, they’re hardly any nutritional value to them which kills your energy on the trail.
On a long distance hike it all comes down to availability or hitchhiking into town for post office resupply
I have been eating spam since 1967
Get over it
hi. sorry to be a party pooper, but the ziploc's polyethylene plastic starts softening around 195F (mainly depending on elevation) and boiling water is around 212F. the diff btwn a freezer bag and a regular ziploc is a better seal and thicker plastic BUT softening point is the same...remember, it's a freezer bag, not an "oven bag". if you are ok with potential chemical leakage in your food, then i will shut up :) stay healthy!
btw, stay away from ramen and knorr bcuz of the MSG or MSG-like additives which is unhealthy ...and ramen noodles were fried before drying, also unhealthy :(
What about oven bags?
Are freezer dry food ok?
Thanks for sharing.
E I personally avoid eating anything out of plastic that comes in contact with hot water. Maybe the leaching doesnt exceed a certain threshold set by who knows who, but I dont want to digest ANY leaching (which can consist of solvents as well). Even "microwave safe" plastics may leach
I also do not use any disposable cups with hot water....unless i know exactly what the cup is lined with. many disposable cups are infused with a solvent or coating....
Plastic over food poisoning ALL DAYY!!!
don't waste money on s cozy. put the bag back in the pot or a hat. just more product.