Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

[Mike]

What hints do you have for keeping food fresh with only a cooler - or even without a cooler?

Here are some to get started:

1. Coat eggs (shells) with a thin film of vaseline petrolium jelly. This will seal the pores of the eggshell and will help them keep longer.
2. Fresh eggs purchased directly from a farm before being refrigerated can last several weeks without refrigeration. Once refrigerated, however, they must be kept refrigerated.
3. Store your fruits and vegetable in a paper bag and you will not need to keep them in a cooler.
4. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful of fresh ground horseradish to a gallon of milk to keep it fresh longer - especially in the challenging conditions of a simple cooler.

[Mike]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

I hate to send you off to another site but the definitive thread on this is over at Expedition Portal...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ration-needed?

There is a link in that thread about some full time sailboat people and it has some amazing info on keeping fruits and veggies fresh.

Thanks for the link HS. I checked it out. Looks like it is mostly related to "Shelf-stable food items" like Spam and packets of condiments.

I am looking for creative ways to keep food fresh like.... add 1/4 teaspoon of metabisulfate to a gallon of fruit juice to preserve it without refrigeration..... stuff like that.

[Mal the Wolf]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

I had heard to rub eggs down with mineral oil to keep them. And i know this is a simple one but my kids just dont get it " Do not cut fruit until you are ready to eat it."

[tplife]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

I had heard to rub eggs down with mineral oil to keep them. And i know this is a simple one but my kids just dont get it " Do not cut fruit until you are ready to eat it."

That's correct, mineral oil, coconut oil and parrafin coatings are alternative ways to keep eggs fresh without refrigeration. Off the Grid's website suggests that those eggs better be fresh from the farm, because the oiling methods only work if applied within 24 hours of being laid. Keep in mind mineral oil and vaseline are petroleum-based products, and those oil methods will interfere with the white's ability to foam, so cake-making will be out of the question...

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/0...the-long-term/

[Mike]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

That's correct, mineral oil, coconut oil and parrafin coatings are alternative ways to keep eggs fresh without refrigeration. Off the Grid's website suggests that those eggs better be fresh from the farm, because the oiling methods only work if applied within 24 hours of being laid. Keep in mind mineral oil and vaseline are petroleum-based products, and those oil methods will interfere with the white's ability to foam, so cake-making will be out of the question...

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2012/0...the-long-term/

That is an interesting point about the oil interfering with the ability to foam eggs. That makes sense. Even the slightest film would do it. SO.... if you plan on making meringue at camp, you better keep them away from the mineral oil and Vaseline!

[swebob]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

Here a way to keep butter without being kept in cooler..

Using a medium saucepan, heat butter on medium heat.

Allow butter to melt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. You will notice that the oil will separate itself. The top will begin to froth, remove froth.

Allow the butter to become clear. Once clear, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

After cooling, strain butter through a very fine strainer, cheese cloth or coffee filter into container or jar, Allow to to set without cooling for days..

[Joyous56]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

or buy ghee from a mid-eastern market....it's the same thing.

[TheMaineAgenda]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

If there is no cooler, you can try using river water as your cooler. Make sure your stuff is in waterproof containers and put them in a cold river. Make sure to tie it off, so it won't float away.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

Here a way to keep butter without being kept in cooler..

Using a medium saucepan, heat butter on medium heat.

Allow butter to melt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. You will notice that the oil will separate itself. The top will begin to froth, remove froth.

Allow the butter to become clear. Once clear, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

After cooling, strain butter through a very fine strainer, cheese cloth or coffee filter into container or jar, Allow to to set without cooling for days..

Yeehup..that's ghee and millions of SE Asians can't be wrong.

You can freeze certain veggies with little to no deterioration in quality for cooking purposes: peppers and onions, spring to mind.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

I was taught that ghee can go bad if you do it wrong. There are also some conflicting methods shown on Youtube. Hard to see what the exact recipe and procedure is. It probably doesn't matter much for home use but when you're going out in the hot and humid forest you better get it right.

AB got the basic technique right for my sight...you can also add various spices to it but that's not really what this thread is about

Any doubts?

Here ya go:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...ipe/index.html

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

Thanks NYCgrrl. Alton Brown is The Man. I definitely trust a recipe that he wrote. I wonder if there is a Good Eats episode out there that he did on Ghee. That would be worth watching.

Agreed! AB makes me laff and learn. Would that knowledge always be that pleasurable to come by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTb7P23YC_E

He starts the ghee making around 9:00

HTH!

[Joyous56]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

I must confess I buy ghee from my local middle eastern store. It's not more expensive than making it yourself, and at least they know what they're doing, I figure. Of course, you've got to have a 'local middle eastern store'.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

Have a great trip, hogS! I'm feeling rather envious and hope you'll be able to continue posting on your sojourn. I like to live vicariously through others at time.

Yanno joyous...I never even thought to buy the ghee already made and there are so many Mid East stores not that far from me. When I lived near downtown Brooklyn, Atlantic Avenue had a quiet vibrant community of Egyptians, Yemeni and Turks. There's still a fantastic spice shop called Sahadi's down there. I need to stop ordering from them online and walk in the front door. The smell is so reviving.

[Joyous56]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

NYCGrrl....I look forward to reading your recipes for camping...I'm sure actual healthy tasty recipes will inspire me...but that's probably better posted on a different forum thread. Yanno means what?

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Who has Hints for keeping food fresh?

Sorry...I'm typing NewYorkese:D. "Yanno" means....."You know(what) "