OAUSA Net - September 12, 2019 - Food Preparation and Preservation While Camping

[KAP]

My thoughts when I pack for a trip.

What can I Prep at home in the most sanitary conditions.

1. Dice veggies to reduce air space in ice chest.
2. Pre cook meats when possible to prevent spoilage
Or contamination.
3. Re-package meals into one bag to reduce trips to ice chest
If possible.
4. Use the Last in, First out rule to eliminate “digging” for
that nights meal contents.
5. Pre measure and Mix dry ingredients to save time.

These steps also reduce the number of utensils, mixing bowls and other meal prep items needed. This saves time, fuel, water
And reduces the possibility of food borne illness

Ice chests and fridge/freezers work harder when there is airspace. Pre-chill and pack tight and food will stay cooler.

Ingredients for a chicken dish. Pre cooked vacuum packed chicken is great, but can I pre-dice some of the vegetables to reduce the volume and air space in the ice chest?

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[NotAMog]

Please check in

John - KN6VL

Bruce - KD6GCO

[KAP]

Precooked meals, especially meats and eggs reduce food borne contaminates. They can also taste fantastic with the right methods.

Sous Vide cooking method will reduce time and prevent spoilage. It it also a great method to prepare meat and eggs.

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Eggs precooked in water bath for 2 hours at 155 degrees. These will keep for up to two weeks if kept cool.

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Eggs removed from jar, sliced in have and given a quick sear. The inside is like custard.

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Finally,
This brisket was cooked Sous Vide for 48 hours at 134 degrees. It was then chilled in ice water and then mesquite smoked for two hours.

Brisket is fork tender and can be chilled, placed in an ice chest and served days after on the trail.

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Ribeye cooked for 2 hours at 131 degrees, chilled and smoked. Never did make it to any trail.

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[VK2DY]

Hi,

Please check in VK2DY Robert, in Kellyville Ridge NSW (metro Sydney)

[Diesel4x]

Thanks for early check in KF6KOC, Randy.

[KK6DYO]

Arb Fridge Freezer 50qt

I've only had one of these for a few years, but wonder how I survived "the wild" without. Expensive, but a game changer. No more MREs. Freeze dried meals only if time or convenience necessitates.

Two issues are:

• Needs uninterrupted power supply without risk of running down your vehicle battery (go solar!)
• Need to be careful with setting, so your milk doesn't freeze

https://www.amazon.com/ARB-Portable-Fre ... B002Q1INDM

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Insulated Container

These are handy for storing non-perishable food like granola bars, spices, crackers ... whatever you migtht store in your pantry at home. Wish it came in a color that doesn't absorb heat.

https://www.amazon.com/NZ-Insulated-Reu ... 071ZNFVMD/

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Ghee

Clarified butter

• Does not need refrigeration
• High smoke point compared to vegetable oils
• Buttery, nutty taste
• Can be made at home

https://www.organicvalley.coop/products ... hee-13-oz/

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Large Cooler

Hard to beat for transporting game meat home or to the butcher. Pack with ice, then dry ice in trays over ice.

https://www.yeti.com/en_US/hard-coolers ... desert-tan

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Clear Storage Bags

Use these of different brands, sizes, and thicknesses for storing loose items and being able to find them. Small ones are great for storing pre-mixed spices. Write on the bag with permanent marker to identify.

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[Jeff-OAUSA]

Please check me in.

WD6USA

[K6SFU]

K6SFU Aleta - Malibu @ Saddle Peak checking in

[KM6OJB]

This is KM6OJB can you give a check in
Thanks

[justrom]

In 2016 our family took a 2+ month road trip to Alaska, up via the Alaska Ferry system and back down to Montana on the ALCAN highway.

We found a couple of food tips / tricks that were different for long term travel vs. short duration "planned" trips where we could do a lot of meal prep in advance.

Leaving Montana we had 2 days of driving before getting on the ferry in Bellingham, WA. We froze all of our meats, soups, and other food for the first week of the trip and ran our 12v fridge as a Freezer, set as low as it could go while we were driving to the ferry terminal. Once we got on the ferry we unplugged the fridge and relied on the cool temperature in the hold, insulation in the fridge box, and solidly frozen foods to keep it cold for 3 days until we docked in Juneau. Our vehicle doesn't have a dual battery system, so we were concerned about having a dead starter battery if we left the fridge plugged in while were on the ferry. After three days, the contents were still frozen with only slight thawing of the items at the outside. Once off the ferry we set the fridge to our normal "cool" temperature and slowly thawed the food as we ate through our meals over the first week.

The other thing that was critical for us on that trip was the ability to provision from grocery stores along the way and make tasty, healthy meals with no "at home" prep. The fridge was essential in being able to purchase a week worth of meats, dairy, and vegetables in major towns and keep them fresh when we went exploring in the backcountry for the next week. We quickly learned which size of pasta, grains, cereals, etc to purchase to maximize the amount of food that we could store in the pantry box. We used a lot of "just add water" baking mixes to make breads and desserts in the dutch oven or on the cook top. We often bought the "pre made" marinade bags (by Jack Daniels and others), that we could use right away (repacking on the tailgate in the store parking lot) to put the meat into the marinade, then into the bottom of the fridge.

Thanks for all the other great suggestions and tips that have been shared on the Net.

73s,
W7JCS