Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: BWCA Food and Recipes :: Lard, Crisco vs Oil/ butter
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shock |
quote billconner: "+1 my thoughts exactly !quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically. |
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overthehill |
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FOG51 |
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doubledown |
A lot of folks consider me a health nut most of the year, but this isn't just any vacation. This...is...the...BOUNDARY WATERS! Fresh walleye, pike, trout and even smallmouth cooked over an open fire is a celebration of what this precious land has to offer us! This is not a time to pinch pennies or start a weight loss program. For me, all the paddling & chores ease my mind when debating about what type of fat to cook my fresh fish in. BUTTER - What is there not to love about butter? I guess the only thing is that, unlike ghee, it has a shelf life if left unrefrigerated. Butter is cost effective and flavorful. It is one of many great choices to bring. GHEE - I love the flavor of ghee (clarified butter) and I love that it doesn't need to be refrigerated. It's a little pricier than butter, but stays in liquid form and, if you're able to keep it in a secure part of your pack, you shouldn't have any issues with leakage. BACON GREASE - I am planning on bringing a small jar of bacon grease to add in with the butter/ghee that I use for frying. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way in terms of flavor. Here's an experiment if you've got young children - try serving them eggs cooked with oil and see if they eat them (no cheese added). Then try serving them eggs cooked with just a small amount of bacon grease. It is amazing how little bacon grease is required to total change a simply plate of scrambled eggs. Same works if you've got an older dog that isn't eating as much as he should...bacon grease magic people. LARD - I was raised in a butter, olive oil and bacon grease family. I had 4 great grandparents who lived to be 90/100 and used butter and bacon grease on a cast iron skillet for everything more days than not. I have never really been exposed to or used lard, so I have no opinion or judgement of it. I was on a 14 day trip in WCPP about 8 years ago and there was a 76 year old in my crew. We had experienced 3 days of consistent rain...us young bucks were getting a little downtrodden and he told us to "remember that we are having fun". That's always stuck with me and I think it applies to menu planning. Simple things like a good meal at the end of a day (rain or shine), can make all the difference of how you remember that day/trip. |
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billconner |
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically. In defense of lard: Lard All things in moderation. And a handful of fried fish meals one week a year is not significant in the long term regardless of what you use. |
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butthead |
I use butter and cook accordingly, fish does not need high temp and dries out quickly. Besides butter tastes better than the rest and is more versatile. Does not go bad fast enough and just keep it shaded below 90 degrees. Used ghee but real butter works as well for me. May be a Wisconsin thing! butthead |
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Birdknowsbest |
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically. I have never used Lard. I know my grandparents did and they both made it to their mid-80s but I understand your point. I will probably use Ghee, but I would just buy it. I did watch a couple of YouTube videos on making it, but I dont mind spending the money on some to try. I just wanted some other ppls advice on a cooking substance that will last longer and weighs less than oil. |
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Wetbutt |
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keth0601 |
I've never had an oil bottle leak in the dozens of trips I've taken but last year I brought a liter of olive oil in a platypus on a week-long mountaineering trip in the wind river range to save weight and avoid leaks (food crammed in a pack for trips like this suffers a good deal more abuse than on canoe trips). If you're worried about leaks I would just do that or use a regular nalgene bottle. The only solid fat I bring is the butter for bannock, pancakes, and sometimes in a hot drink when it's cold... |
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muddyfeet |
quote Hub: "I've always used peanut oil. It has one of the highest smoke points of any oil and it keeps indefinitely. I always carry my food in buckets so I don't worry about it spilling in a pack." Hub knows oils: Peanut oil and sesame oil are my favorites for frying just about anything. When I worked at a bakery in high school we used lard in the donut fryer. It came in 50b blocks and anything fried in there was pretty tasty. |
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mjmkjun |
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this. |
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Grandma L |
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Birdknowsbest |
quote Grandma L: "You might check the "burn" temp of each of your options - copuild make a difference when cooking. I like Crisco better on the trail because of the packaging. Or, olive oil in a small nalgene bottle." We currently use Olive oil and store in aluminum bottles with screw tops. Never had one leak, but I'd like another option. Sounds like Crisco butter or Ghee is my best bet. |
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bwcasolo |
quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's. you can make your own ghee, we put ours in a smaller nalgene bottle with an opening i can get a spoon in, last all week, stays solid, and is delicious. |
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FlambeauForest |
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AdamXChicago |
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Frenchy19 |
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Birdknowsbest |
quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's. Thank you. Never heard of Ghee but it seems to just what i am looking for. How much do you need vs oil to fry fish. |
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Birdknowsbest |
quote Unas10: "We use the Crisco sticks and that seems to work well." How long do they last and do they do much to affect the taste? |
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Savage Voyageur |
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johndku |
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jwartman59 |
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AdamXChicago |
quote Birdknowsbest: "quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's. About half the 8-oz jar is good for three meals (about six walleye / twelve filets). That was for a party of three hungry paddlers. The container is pretty durable and packable. |
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Birdknowsbest |
We are planning a longer trip and normally use oil for our cooking needs. We are not planning on dehydrating our meals. I have found that frying fish uses the most oil and it can be heavy to carry. I know butter wont keep with the warmer temps. Has anyone used Lard or Crisco for frying? What are the beneifts vs. trade offs on it versus oil or butter. Thank you. |
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Unas10 |
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Hub |
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shock |
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billconner |
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bobbernumber3 |
quote billconner: "I firmly believe in things in moderation when it comes to food and drink. Follow your own instincts when it comes to ...err...romantic relationships. Im not a big believer in moderating that." I must be not understanding the train of thought on this one? |
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BuckFlicks |
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically. Pure lard isn't any worse for you than butter. In fact, it's probably better ... no trans fats and 50-60% monounsaturated fat vs 45% monounsaturated fat of butter. Half the saturated fat of butter. They have similar cholesterol percentages. Making ghee does even the playing field a bit as it removes some of the saturated fats of butter. The problem is finding lard that hasn't been processed with hydrogenated fats and such. You sacrifice heart health for shelf stability - unsaturated fats go rancid quickly. But if you're that worried about heart health, skip the ghee and use olive oil. |
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ogarza |
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically. This is very outdated information, and not true at all. You can cook in either ghee or lard and they are both fine in moderation, just as they are both bad when used in excess. It could be argued that out of ghee, lard, and tallow, lard and tallow are healthier than ghee, it just comes down to personal taste. Modern day margarine is just refined vegetable oil, when you are portaging every day or every other day you could drop a spoon of any of these on your meals during the trip and not worry about your health. |