Winter Cooking, KP Duty Styles & Techniques

[Pete_Hickey]

Don't forget that in winter, you are living in the refrigerator.

More frequently the freezer. As well as being tough to cut, a frozen onion doesn't have quite the same 'bite' as non-frozen. And eggs.... Fresh basil leaves freeze very quickly.

Warm winter days are best.

 

[blacklab2020]

Don't forget that in winter, you are living in the refrigerator. You can bring a variety of frozen and/or fresh food.....

One of my fav parts about winter... any type of meat...butter even keeps well to add a little bit of tasty fat to the dish. I have never eaten a freeze dried meal in the winter because of this fact. Even @ -28 degrees F (I just ignored cleanup then, let everything freeze). However, more experience in demanding winter conditions has persuaded me to rethink my cooking style when the temps dip below 0.

A lot of good thoughts turned up in the many responses. Thanks. As always I am impressed by the value & usefulness of the responses and discussions generated on VFTT. Happy cooking this winter.

Regards,
Justin

 

[Lawn Sale]

I borrowed my older brother's Fair Share mug, and while it was nice to use, I found it a bit heavy at 7.0 ounces, but it is lexan with a screw on cover. Now I use a Rubbermaid (1.5 ounces) bowl with cover or a Ziploc (1.2 ounces) bowl with a cover. If they get too trashed, which usually won't happen for a week or so, I can just toss it when I'm done. The Fair Share is indestructable, and awesome when hiking with others, just a little too much solo.

Eggs, basil, and onion? Man, I gotta hook up with you guys. I'm usually an oatmeal with powdered milk and instant breakfast guy, which may be great for nutrition but leaves a lot to be desired in the taste department.

I also try to bring more freeze dried foods in the winter, for ease of cleanup and cooking, and to save on weight, which is used for more clothing. Last summer I did make up some homemade freeze dried meals with stuffing, TVP, and freeze dried veggies thrown in, all bought from my local organic/all-natural foods store. I put them in a Ziploc Stand-N-Zip, which can handle the boiling water. I'll zip it closed and let it steep, which works well. I don't think they sell the Stand-N-Zip's anymore, but my brother bought a couple of thousand (no exaggeration) on Ebay for just that purpose. I also hate the cleanup in the winter, but I'm not sure of why, I don't mind it in the summer.

 

[DougPaul]

More frequently the freezer. As well as being tough to cut, a frozen onion doesn't have quite the same 'bite' as non-frozen. And eggs.... Fresh basil leaves freeze very quickly.

Can't have everything. At least they won't spoil.

Yes--usually the freezer. The good news is that the bugs still won't grow in your pots.

We always prepared the food at home to the point that it just had to be dumped into boiling water. This includes cutting items that will freeze into unmanagable lumps into small pieces and single-meal bagging. The meal is intended to be eaten with a bowl and spoon---forks and knives need not apply...

BTW, there is also a very nice stainless steel bathtub drain strainer (shaped like a small top hat) that sits on the top of a nalgene bottle. Great for straining the pine needles out of your drinking water. A hardware store item.

Doug

 

[sli74]

BTW, there is also a very nice stainless steel bathtub drain strainer (shaped like a small top hat) that sits on the top of a nalgene bottle. Great for straining the pine needles out of your drinking water. A hardware store item.

Doug

THAT is a GREAT idea. Thanks.

sli74

 

[DougPaul]

THAT is a GREAT idea. Thanks.

Yep--I got it from a friend. Removes the "tickle" from your drink...

Doug

 

[dug]

Go with the vacuum bags and seal a home-cooked meal! No pots to clean up, lick the spork clean. No mess. No waiting!!!

 

[the starchild]

I borrowed my older brother's Fair Share mug, and while it was nice to use, I found it a bit heavy at 7.0 ounces, but it is lexan with a screw on cover. Now I use a Rubbermaid (1.5 ounces) bowl with cover or a Ziploc (1.2 ounces) bowl with a cover. If they get too trashed, which usually won't happen for a week or so, I can just toss it when I'm done. The Fair Share is indestructable, and awesome when hiking with others, just a little too much solo.

the fairshare is heavier....alot! but, i justify that by it's 2ed use as another way to carry water, should a camelback or water bottle be damaged beyond use. and although i cut off most of the handle, i left the top part with a hole for a biner. now i can cook something up, clip it to my pants and run/climb/skip somewhere with 2 hands free and enjoy a great view and a meal!



mmmmm.......

 

[Neil]

I don't do much winter camping in the Northeast USA but have gone out nearly every year in Canada for the last 30 odd years. I know our mode of winter camping isn't possible in most areas in the WMNF or the ADK's and is not particularly compatible with peakbagging but some folks may find this interesting.

In our early days we tried breakfast in bed. From his sleeping bag one of us would get the stove going and make boiling water from the stuff sac of snow placed just outside the tent while the other luxuriated deep in his own down bag. Then it was instant oatmeal with powdered milk, brown sugar and nuts eaten from inside our bags.

Then we got a little "softcore" and now we opt for morning fires around which we like to laze and repose while the coffee, bacon and sausage cooks on a grill placed over top of hot coals raked out from the fire. Our day's hiking plans get finalized at this time.

Supper has pretty well always been preceded by a large pot with one envelope of creamy Knorr Swiss Soup and another envelope of scalloped potatoes made fairly watery to avoid sticking (add extra powdered chicken bouillon). This simmers while we cut an evening's worth of wood. The main courses are composed of 1 lb. meat per person per day and is usually some sort of mix of lamb and pork chops, sausage and steak. We rake hot coals out from the fire and place a grill on them.

The soup pot is always easy to wash out and does double duty as a coffee pot in the morning. So our only kitchenware is a pot, a grill, a coffee cup and a plastic bowl each plus a knife. No stove.

 

[DougPaul]

In our early days we tried breakfast in bed. From his sleeping bag one of us would get the stove going and make boiling water from the stuff sac of snow placed just outside the tent while the other luxuriated deep in his own down bag. Then it was instant oatmeal with powdered milk, brown sugar and nuts eaten from inside our bags.

We once did breakfast in bed after a -30F night by eating something that could be eaten cold (Logan bread in this case) and water from our water bottles. Don't recall if the Logan bread had been kept warm in a sleeping bag or not. As we got out of our toasty sleeping bags, someone offered us some "hot" tang--orange liquid surrounded by 1/2in of orange ice. There was an open stream nearby so we didn't even have to fire up the stove.

Our normal protocol is a "hot-water breakfast": the group provides hot water and each individual adds it to whatever they want.

Doug

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Our normal protocol is a "hot-water breakfast": the group provides hot water and each individual adds it to whatever they want.

A quick way to do this, is to fill a thermous (extra weight) with boiling water the night before. Sleep with it in your sleeping bag, and in the morning, make yourself a tea, oatmeal, and hot jello. No stove messing! Quick and easy.

 

[Rick]

A quick way to do this, is to fill a thermous (extra weight) with boiling water the night before. Sleep with it in your sleeping bag, and in the morning, make yourself a tea, oatmeal, and hot jello. No stove messing! Quick and easy.

Hey Pete, No fair, I already said that in post #3 !!!!! You are going to owe me a fancy homecooked ramen noodle dinner now (and do the dishes yourself afterward!!!)

I usually bring a 2 qt Vacuum thermos so I have hot water right away in the AM....

 

[Lawn Sale]

But with the Canadian conversion on the thread order he really posted first, so you may owe him a Ramn dinner...

 

[Rick]

Rattttsssss........ (Hello. Nnnnewman....)