Food: Spelt Bread

[werdigo49]

Does anyone have experience with a dense whole-grain organic bread with "The Baker" brand name? The product I have (purchased at the local Giant) comes in a package about 4"x5"x2", containing 8 slices. Each slice weighs about 58 gm and has 150 calories. Will it mold or spoil if it's packed in a food-drop box that won't be picked up for several weeks? I've made peanut-butter and Nutella sandwiches (total 500c) out of some of this bread but still have time to scrap the idea if the bread won't hold up.

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Hmm. I think several weeks is pretty long to ask bread to hold up. Nothing to do with the spelt. If it's not frozen, it should either mold....or if it doesn't, you shouldn't eat it -- WAY too many preservatives!!

Not sure what your logistics/situation are hike-wise but if you mail the correct amounts of nutella/PB in the boxes and just get relatively fresh bread closer to when you need it, that's probably best...

 

[werdigo49]

Hmm. I think several weeks is pretty long to ask bread to hold up. Nothing to do with the spelt. If it's not frozen, it should either mold....or if it doesn't, you shouldn't eat it -- WAY too many preservatives!!

Not sure what your logistics/situation are hike-wise but if you mail the correct amounts of nutella/PB in the boxes and just get relatively fresh bread closer to when you need it, that's probably best...

Thanks, Harp... you're probably right. My hope was that because this is DIFFERENT bread than the usual everyday kind it might last longer. The manufacturer's web site says 8 days, after opening the package; maybe that should be trusted. This bread has no preservatives, just "organic spelt," water, and salt.

The route is the AT. Resupply stores are plentiful, but not so many within a couple of miles of the trail and I don't like to hitchhike. My plan is to spend a night in a town (a resupply point) about every 2 weeks, and good grocery stores ("long-term resupply") are available there. Still, the certainty of knowing that adequate food is in the box is appealing.

Just checked my trail notes from a couple of long walks 10 years ago --- PB lunch sandwiches were made with WASA crackers. (Never thought I'd forget them!) No doubt less likely to spoil than the bread.

 

[TCD]

Crackers are a good choice. Any kind of crackers (saltines, graham crackers, etc.) keep virtually forever in their sealed packages. For bread, Harp is right - the only thing that makes bread stay good is preservatives. That's actually one of the biggest drawbacks of "organic" bread - it doesn't keep very long. It's the flip side of the advantage of not eating preservatives.

 

[peakbagger]

I find that flour tortillas lasted for a real long time in hot weather conditions especially if kept them sealed or in a ziplock bag after opening. Especially down south the small torillas are available even in many rural towns as there are a lot of immigrant day laborers in the region. Unlike WASA crackers, the tortillas hold up to a lot of abuse and take up less room in the pack . I keep them around the house unrefrigerated and they also seem to last for months but eventually get a bit tough. If you keep them dry, I expect they would work well. They also are pretty good heated up over a fire. I did 5 weeks of sectioning with a weekly resupply out of the trunk of my car (one week backpacks following by a half day moving a car) and the tortillas were never an issue. In this case I would probaly go with national brands as I expect they have additives to keep them shelf stable. The corn tortillas didnt hold up as well.

I usually had either tortillas with PB and nutella or some sort of foil tuna with a squirt of mayo from a single portion Chick Fillet package for lunch most days.

 

[werdigo49]

Thanks, TCD and peakbagger... Crackers sound good. They remind me of Jack London's "Love of Life" in which a fellow stashed hardtack in his clothes after making it to rescue.

I usually had either tortillas with PB and nutella or some sort of foil tuna with a squirt of mayo from a single portion Chick Fillet package for lunch most days.

Cool. In one of the boxes already assembled are 8 flour-tortilla/PB&Nutella "sandwiches"! After a few weeks of experience on the trail maybe I'll switch to grocery-store crackers and jars of spread.

 

[Maineman]

My buddy bought PB & Nutella in bulk and loaded up plastic frosting bags in advance. He then tied the end off and but them in his mail drops - you just snip the end of the bag and squeeze.

 

[Stan]

The bagel is best for longevity and the abuse of being squished in a backpack. Slice it at home because they can get hard and it is easier and safer to slice them with a good bread knife and cutting board. ... otherwise, brush up on your first aid.

Over time they can get hard but it is possible to resuscitate them with a little water and heat.

Bon appetite!

 

[Brambor]

http://d1.stern.de/bilder/gesundhei...artikel_250/vollkornbrot_250_fitwidth_420.jpg
If it is like what i know as german volkornbrot then it will last almost forever. It also is easy to eat if it happens to completely dry out.

Does anyone have experience with a dense whole-grain organic bread with "The Baker" brand name? The product I have (purchased at the local Giant) comes in a package about 4"x5"x2", containing 8 slices. Each slice weighs about 58 gm and has 150 calories. Will it mold or spoil if it's packed in a food-drop box that won't be picked up for several weeks? I've made peanut-butter and Nutella sandwiches (total 500c) out of some of this bread but still have time to scrap the idea if the bread won't hold up.

 

[werdigo49]

http://d1.stern.de/bilder/gesundhei...artikel_250/vollkornbrot_250_fitwidth_420.jpg
If it is like what i know as german volkornbrot then it will last almost forever. It also is easy to eat if it happens to completely dry out.

Very interesting, Brambor. That's exactly what it looks like. My trip is still over a month away so there's plenty of time for empirical testing!

 

[werdigo49]

Final word: They DIDN'T WORK. Checking the little sandwiches after about 2 weeks in zip-lock baggies showed mold on probably half of them. Out they went...

 

[Nessmuk]

I make Logan Bread. I have my own recipe, but this one is pretty close:
http://sectionhiker.com/logan-bread-recipe/

It will keep for weeks without spoiling, but ONLY if you modify the recipe a bit. You must remove as much moisture as possible.

Instead of 1.5 teaspoon of baking powder as in this recipe, I use 0.5 or less teaspoon of baking powder. That will make it very flat and hard, but long lasting and easy to transport. Spread the mixture thin in baking pans. I bake it at 350F for 12 minutes, then turn down the heat to 250F for an hour, then 220F for another 45 minutes. At that time it should feel stiff but still yield a little when pressed with a finger. Cut into pieces before it cools. Once cool it will harden, but be easily chewable (unlike hardtack). Keeps as long as you like in ziplock bags.

 

[wardsgirl]

Final word: They DIDN'T WORK. Checking the little sandwiches after about 2 weeks in zip-lock baggies showed mold on probably half of them. Out they went...

Werdigo, I'm very pleased that you have undertaken this experiment well before your trip. Do I understand correctly that you assembled the 'sandwiches' ahead of time, by applying the peanut butter to the bread itself prior to storage?

I bet you'd have better luck if you stored the components separately and then assembled your sandwich in the field.

Old El Paso makes available a tortilla dinner kit in which the tortillas are sealed in a foil bag. Although they are probably loaded with preservatives, I'm sure they'd keep indefinitely.

If you are on the AT, dining opportunities are around every corner! And it has been my experience that you'll never crave the food that you packaged at home in anticipation of your trip.

Let us know how your food experimentation goes!