Freezer Bag Cooking

[BuckSnort]

Anyone do this?... I think I'm gonna try it this year, there's a lot of options with a food dehydrator.. Last couple hikes I have noticed that the single serving Mt House meals were not enough and the double servings was too much.. A person can cook some nice meals at home then dehydrate them and have some nice cheap trail food..

 

[Lawnboi]

I'm doing the same thing this year. I eat way too many mtn house meals, and there gettiolng expensive.

I just started experimenting.

Another reason to make a cooking section!!!

 

[bowinhand]

I haven't done the self dehydrated meals yet but have broken up the mountain house meals/mountain house tub into freezer bags and just used an empty MH bag as an insulator.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I don't dehydrate my own, but have a friend who does. It works out pretty well.
There are some good recipes here http://www.trailcooking.com/taxonomy/term/7%2B8

 

[Mike7]

thanks Backpack Hunter, great ideas.

 

[Curtis C]

This book has some good recipes.

http://www.amazon.com/Fork-Trail-Mo...4317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331694060&sr=8-1

Curtis

 

[BuckSnort]

I don't dehydrate my own, but have a friend who does. It works out pretty well.
There are some good recipes here http://www.trailcooking.com/taxonomy/term/7%2B8

I have been looking at that site, there's a few things in there that I think I'll try...

 

[Gman]

I used Hawks Vittles last season. Not as cost effective as DIY but if you're looking for better nutritional value it's a good place to start.

 

[ohhiitznik]

Dehydrating your own food is easy. Cost effective and you can eat whatever you like!

 

[larryschwartz]

FBC is a great technique for backcountry hunters, or backpackers in general, and there are a lot of websites that talk about how to do it. Look for ultralight backpacking sites.

One thing that I like about FBC is that you don't have to buy expensive freeze dried meals to see what you like or what works for you. You can test it out at home before you go any trips. Using the FBC techniques you can use the pre-packaged rice/pasta meals that you find in the grocery store for your dinners and just add some packaged meat of some sort. Soup starter kits can be used to add vegetables or other flavors to your meal as well.

The thing to remember/understand is that it FBC isn't about a kind of food it is a way of preparing any kind of food that requires the addition of hot water to make it a meal. So, you can save the weight of pots and plates and such for everything from oatmeal in the morning, to soups in the afternoon or evening, pudding, rice, pasta, or anything else that needs to be rehydrated.

Just make sure to use the FREEZER bags, and not the plain zip lock bags. Some of the plain bags won't take the heat of the hot water, you want the heavier/stronger freezer bags. Oven roasting bags work too and also come in a variety of sizes.

 

[BuckSnort]

Larry, good info.. Seems the options are endless with the FBC method ..

Do you or anyone else know if items like this will cook with the FBC method or do you have to cook the pasta first and then dehydrate? If it does I may not need to invest in a dehydrator just yet...

http://www.knorr.com/Products/1211/Alfredo-Broccoli.aspx

 

[Backpack Hunter]

The thing to remember/understand is that it FBC isn't about a kind of food it is a way of preparing any kind of food that requires the addition of hot water to make it a meal......
....Just make sure to use the FREEZER bags, and not the plain zip lock bags.

Good advice.
I can definitely vouch for the freezer bags. I was experimenting in my living room with plain ziploc bags, and lets just say the wife was none too happy with the outcome.

 

[larryschwartz]

Backpack Hunter...you aren't the only one who learned that lesson the hard way!

BuckSnort, that should work. One of the nice things about this kind of food prep is that you can use your jetboil or whatever at home and experiment with one of these for dinner one evening. If it doesn't work by following the directions or letting it stand for a few minutes more you just make something else. I have had good luck with these meals or sides though. And they are cheaper than MH and have more variety.

 

[Jake Leibke]

I am going to try this same thing. How bout venison rice and veggies. Little bit of seasoning just the way You like it. The possibilities are endless.

 

[bearguide]

what is the cost of dehydrators that you likr

 

[Evan Williams]

My folks have a dehydrator and I carry dehydrated fruits with me but haven't gotten into doing full meals yet but its coming. I am still running Mtn House. I am a Costco customer and they have 10 meal packs for $39.99. Beef Stroganoff, Beef Stew, Chicken Terr, and I think lasagna are the 4 types that are in the pack. So with tax I am just over $40 for an entire hunt there and then I buy the instant oatmeal packs in 52 count bulk at Sam's for just over $8. Then I can add and tweak those at home as far as portions and adding in some protein and dehydrated fruits of my own.

 

[Rabbit Ranger]

I used Hawks Vittles last season. Not as cost effective as DIY but if you're looking for better nutritional value it's a good place to start.

I'll second the Hawk Vittles...very tasty without all the added crapola (preservatives,etc.)

 

[Hike&Hunt]

I made the switch from mh to fbc a number of years ago. Ill never eat another mh meal on purpose again, now if I remember 1/2 way to elk camp that I didnt grab my meals out of the freezer...long story. The excalibur 9 or 10 tray is the best dehydrator on the market in my opinion. I picked one up for around $180, it has since paid for itself in cost savings.

 

[Lawnboi]

x2 on the excaliber, thats the one i picked up after alot of reading, acually found it for 100$ off.

Hike&Hunt, larry, anyone can you share some of your favorite recipes? Just putting together ideas on what to try experimenting with. Alot of stuff on the FBC site is a little fancy for my taste, im a plain old meat and potatoes kind of guy

 

[larryschwartz]

Lawnboi,

I really don't have any favorite recipes to pass on, like you I don't go in for a lot of prep or cooking steps. I do like some variety in flavors though so I will try different types of the boxed carb meals (rice, pasta, humas, etc.) which gives me a lot of variety. I just this week tried the Idahoan mashed potato mixes and they are super easy to make (mix boiling water with the powder and it's ready in a few seconds...literally a few seconds) and it tastes great; they come in about a half dozen "flavors" to give you lots of variety and calories.

I like to add vegetables to my meals as I am trying to maintain a balanced diet that is more than just meat and carbs, which most backpacking food seems to be. Unfortunately, finding dehydrated/freeze dried vegetables is difficult or you have to get them in large containers over the internet. So, to get my veggies in I am going to try using soup starter kits/mixes.

One other thing to consider, if you want to do more than just add water and eat, is to carry either a small frying pan (which I have for my JetBoil) or a wider/shallower pot and use that with your stove to fry/simmer/sear or in other ways prepare your protein or starches for your meal. FBC meals are good but you can also incorporate grilled chicken or fish with it instead of just boiled/reheated chicken or tuna.

Also, even though the recipes you looked at were more work than you normally want to do, you can always use some of those techniques to give yourself some variety. For example, making pudding or other desserts.

Come to think of it I do have a favorite breakfast using FBC...I like oatmeal or other hot grains (grits, cream of wheat, etc.) and to change it up some I will add fruit and...wait for it...pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits to it. The raisins or dried fruit adds sweatness to it and the bacon adds a savory twist. Together it works well, at least for me, and you get a better mix of nutrients. To do it I mix one or two oatmeal packets, some milk powder, one of those little boxes of raisins, and some bacon bits in a quart freezer bag...add the hot water and set it aside in a cozy to cook/rehydrate.

Larry