New here and food projects

[Talinor of the North]

Hello, fello rangers! I'm new on this forum and this is my first posting so I just wanted to introduce myself. That being said, I've seen quite a few posts of people talking about certain cooking equipment and what they eat on treks. I'm going on a backpacking trip (sadly of the modern kind) and a couple of the things I am going to try that I have seen on here are hardtack and salt pork. As I type this my first batch of hard tack is finishing in the oven and I go to the store for salt pork tomorrow, the day before the trip. I've heard that salt pork isn't as good for this kind of thing when bought at a store and that it is best to cure it yourself which I want to try, but this will have to do. Anyways, just wanted to introduce myself and kind of talk about new things I'm trying! I am also working on slowly building up my setup for a traditional ranger's equipment set, which is currently just about nothing, haha.

Any tips, ideas, or cool things to look out for would be awesome! I'm excited to be apart of this forum.

[wulfgar]

You really don't need much more than a small pot/boiler, a spoon, and a cup. Some like to carry a small frying pan also.

Here is a picture of myself cooking some bannock at the reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans a couple of years ago. The small copper pot in the foreground is mine, as is the frying pan. I usually just use my belt knife and a spoon, although I do carry a two tined fork.

[Cinead]

Welcome to our merry band of misfit toys!

If I may...

Instead of store bought salt pork.....buy a piece of air cured bacon from turkey foot trading....

[Cinead]

Correction: salt cured bacon....same place though...

[Talinor of the North]

Wulfgar, great picture! Thanks for the tip also, that's about what I carry as well.

Cinead, I will definitely have to check that out! Sounds great. Do they sell it in blocks where you can slice it off to your liking?

[Elleth]

Talinor - yup -

http://www.turkeyfootllc.com/driededibles.html

Another option - if you're in the southeast US where you can find it - might be cooking up some country ham and dehydrating it.

Has anyone tried the parched corn technique with wheat or groats? I'm curious to try it, just haven't taken the time to do it yet.


Sausage and apples -

[RikJohnson]

I find a pot into which I toss everything as in a 'mulligan casarrole-stew' to be a decent meal. But then I can eat anything. A belt-knife is easier than a dagger for eating and cooking. Spoon and fork are valuable.

I have found that a small frying pan to be worth the weight as the advertized 'pot lid that doubles as a frying pan' is not true.
I managed to find a couple 8" frying pans, one steel and one aluminium, both need the handles replaced as soon as I am able to redesign them.

And I normally eat from the pot. Use the dog to assist in cleaning up afterwards.

I gues this means that all we really need is a cooking/eating pot & lid, small frying pan, drinking cup, knife-fork-spoon.

[Cinead]

Yes-It is sold in 2-3lb. pieces usually.....it keeps a LONG, LONG, LONG time......my piece is something like 6 years old and still fine.....if it gets mold...and it probably will.....scrub it down real well with white vinegar....just make sure it can BREATH though....or it will go rancid!

Now, I like to boil mine for a bit THEN fry it....it improves it my my opinion.....then you can use the pre-salted water for a stew or summit'....trust my...it is SALTY!

[Talinor of the North]

Elleth that website is great! I'll have to order some when I get the chance! That shredded beef looks quite tasty and looks like some good pipe tobacco haha. Country ham sounds good as well, except I am up in Michigan, but I may be able to find some. I have several butchers in the area that I will look into.

I like your list RikJohnson. Short and sweet. Sounds like just about everything can fit in your pot too! I don't know why I haven't thought of eating straight from the pot or pan haha, my plate looks worthless now. I also use a belt knife and spoon to eat my meals.

Cinead, that sounds brilliant! How could you keep it from getting mold in the first place, though? Do you just store it in an air-tight container?

[Talinor of the North]

I just finished my first try at bannock as well! I didn't have any, or couldn't find any, baking soda/powder in my house so I just went on without it. This stuff was delicious! I added a little sugar and cinnamon to add flavor and put honey on it for even more. It was pretty damn dense due to the absence of baking soda which would have made it rise and make it fluffier etc but it was still good! Very scone-like. Anyways, I will definitely be taking this mix out on the trail!

[Gondian]

Hail and well met Talinor! Glad to see a few north men joining the ranger ranks(I'm from southeastern Mi)! And this thread is making me VVVEEERRRYYY hungry!

[Cinead]

It's going to eventually mold. Period.

If you put it in an air tight container, it WILL rot!

I store mine in loosely wrapped brown paper and stored in a burlap bag....

[Straelbora]

Welcome. Even if it's a 'modern' camping trip, post some photos!

[Greg]

Hail, and well met!

Find some dried dates at your local health food store. That's my go-to pocket snack for on-the-move.

[Mirimaran]

Welcome to the group!

Ken