BWCA Winter Eats Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities
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Kawishiwashy
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11/27/2012 09:12AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I am planning a two night, three day trip. We will be hot tenting. I have the equipment covered pretty well and I'm comfortable with our plan. One area I'm challenged in is food. With everything being frozen, is it mostly just reheating things? I was going to make a stew ahead of time, freeze it in the pot I'm going to cook it in, then pop it out of the pot and into a ziploc for transport, then back into the pot on the stove to reheat. Then probably the same with spaghetti sauce. What about eggs and bacon? Should I individually wrap each piece of bacon and freeze them? So many questions, but I guess it boils down to (pun intended) to what are your favorite meals and cooking tricks?
 
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TuscaroraBorealis
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11/27/2012 09:36AM  
One great advantage to winter is that you can bring fresh meat with little concern for it going bad. As with camping in any season there are a multitude of menu options.

It sounds like you already have a pretty good idea about how to go about it. But, I'll tell you what we've done for breakfasts.

At home, combine all uncooked ingredients (for example: eggs, sausage, onions, peppers or whatever you like) in a large ziplock bag. Then freeze. Once at camp you can drop the whole frozen "block" into your pot or pan & proceed to cook. For bacon strips, you might consider cooking it at home, then reheating it at camp. Also, oatmeal should be a no brainer.

Of course soups are an easy option, as are linked meats such as polish which can just be boiled. Obviously the biggest thing to consider is how your proposed food is to handle & prepare from a frozen state.

billconner
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11/27/2012 12:51PM  
When I go with Scout troop - and our January camp is the only one where we eat together and I have been doing food planning for several years - we put liquids and such in a cooler to keep it from freezing. A few things sometimes frost up a bit - 10-15 below is not uncommon - but all works.
SevenofNine
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11/27/2012 06:58PM  
We have done boil in a bag meals such as precooked breakfast sandwiches that are boiled in a bag. Sometimes they partially fall apart but those were good.

We also did stew in a bag as well. In the past we find it too easy to burn frozen stew when reheating and boiling it does away with that problem.

Don't forget that you could do dehydrated food (preferably homemade) meals as well. Light weight and to your liking.
Papinator
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11/27/2012 07:06PM  
If you choose to bring cheese or snacks that might freeze that you'd like to eat during the day, put it in your sleeping bag with you (or between a layer) the night before, and then keep it in an outer layer of your coat pocket, so that it doesn't refreeze. It'll be much easier to grab a hunk when you want it :)
catfish72
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11/27/2012 09:51PM  
I have always been a big fan of fresh food whatever the season. winter seems to be the easiest time for me of the year for cooking. I bring frozen deer steaks, burger, pork bacon, (both cooked and raw frozen) breakfast sausage, veggies. all that sort of stuff. I vacuumed seal everything in portions for a single meal. I bring 2 soft coolers 1 for frozen stuff and 1 for fresh food that needs to be kept cool. the frozen cooler is a no brainier I just leave it out side. the fresh food cooler is a bit more difficult depending on temps it is either in the tent or out. In the morning of each day I take what I am having for dinner out of the frozen cooler and put it in the fresh cooler. this lets it thaw slowly through the day and keeps the fresh food cool. I do the same before bed with what I am having for break fast. On most trips this seems to work out real nice. on trips where it's in the minus 20's or below it becomes very difficult to keep every thing from freezing. At those temps I use a different system. I camp right on the ice so if I have food that needs to be thawed or kept from freezing I use the hole I drilled for water and sink the vacuumed sealed food in a mesh bag with some weight in it a foot or so beneath the ice. This lets things thaw and keeps things from freezing. keep in mind that this only works with vacuum sealed food. Also Plus 1 on the keeping snacks in your sleeping bag or on your person.
McVacek
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11/28/2012 10:05PM  
Last year our first night was Filet Mignon seared over the top of the stove and then baked on the reflector under the stove. While it was baking we made a prepackaged wild mushroom risotto (this year I am doing a traditional risotto because we have lots of time to sit by the fire and stir!) we also had fresh veggies the first night that we packed on the sled in a cooler next to room temperature water. For dessert we had panna cotta that we made early in the week and put in tupperware in the cooler. Don't forget the camp toddy!

Bacon works well in the morning because it thaws so quickly being salted. We normally have it with pancakes. We have decided lunch is snacks like jerky(less moist the better), cheese curds, and trail mix - none of which freeze.

Dinner the second night was dehydrated jambalaya with fresh fish for good measure. And don't forget the camp toddy!

We always say you need lots of calories winter camping - might just as well make them enjoyable.
11/29/2012 07:54PM  
I'm one who loves to savor hot soups and drinks whilst winter camping. I'm a hot tenter. I'm also a lazy cook, so I bring a lot of dehydrated soups. Stuff that will contain a lot of broth. Chicken noodle soups, which I add a can of shredded chicken to, creamy soups like potatoe and cream of broccolli which I'll add bacon into, any type of bean soups to add ham and/or bacon into. Chowders of almost any type, and I love chili, which I will add dehydrated ground beef into.

I like food that I can eat in a bowl (or out of the pot when by myself). I like to lean over the bowl and savor the steam while warming my hands at the same time.

In addition, I try to take in more liquids then I normally do, winter camping and travelling can really dehydrated you if you are not careful.

Furthermore, nothing smells better then bacon sizzling and coffee perking!! Mountain House makes some great dehydrated scrambled egg dishes which I supplement with bacon and toast or English muffins in the morning.

Last thing at night to go into the old pie hole is a warm cup of herb tea just before bedtime.

I may be a lazy cook, but I think half the fun of hot tenting is lounging around a cozy tent and enjoying your grub.
Tigers10
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11/29/2012 09:47PM  
Your original plan is a good one but I am going to offer a twist that will help you avoid some clean up. Instead freezing it in the pan, then dumping it back into the pan to cook it....try this.......put it directly into the zip lock bag and freeze. When time to cook, boil water and put the zip lock directly into the water. It will cook similar to a microwave. It works really well with eggs too.

Some tips to consider

1. Make sure you use heavy duty freezer bags. If not it will melt...very important...can't stress this enough. The good ones almost look blue and are stiff.
2. Make sure you get all the air out of the bag before freezing....to avoid floating int he water.
3. Try the eggs at home to get the timing down....it is hard to tell when they are done. Kind of fun to have the whole family do it.....build your own omelets type deal.
4. Eat right out of the bag......less clean up.
5. When done, use the hot water to clean face/hands/silverware. Put hot water in a spare water bottle, put a sock around it and put it in the bottom of your sleeping bag....heater for feet.

My menu is always oatmeal or eggs in the morning, snacks during middle of day, beef stew/pasta and meatballs/tator tot hot dish (all boil in the bag).

have fun
12/03/2012 09:32PM  
Lots of hot Lipton Chicken noodle soup. One thing that may surprise people,it is easy to get dehydrated in the winter.
Arlo Pankook
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12/04/2012 08:37AM  
A lot of soups, they are realy light weight.

Bangers and mash is always a hit (instant mashed potatoes).
12/06/2012 03:03PM  
Good tip by Catfish, but make sure that hole is nowhere near where your shelter is. Most years, the weight of the snowpack will cause the immediate area to flood.

ppine
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12/27/2012 01:46PM  
Don't over think your plan. It is convenient to be able to just heat up some snow and boil prepared food from home on those days when you are tired. When time allows it is no big deal to cook a normal camp meal like you would in summer. Just add a little more fat and carbos and a hot drink.
12/27/2012 05:06PM  
What has kept me going so many times is a good gorp. MM peanuts,regular peanuts and raisons. Lots of energy and protein. Can't leave home without it.
Papinator
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12/28/2012 02:33AM  
quote Arceneaux: "Another dinner option that I've found works well are basically any type of stir fry or fajita dish - just be sure to cut up and bag the meat (season or marinate if you like) and veggies and put them in seperate bags at home to save you the trouble of prepping at the site. Basically all you have to do then is throw it all in the fry pan over the fire, and in the case of fajitas, simply warm up the tortillas - little or no clean up with merely the fry pan to clean."


My tummy is grumbling :) I think MAtt and I are going out in a couple of weeks again :D
 
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