Freezer Bag Cooking

imported
#1

Anyone have any success with the freezer bag method of cooking? We tried it for 3 nights last month with little success. We followed the directions from freezerbagcooking.com but our Knorr/Lipton pasta dinners were either too watery, or undercooked, or both. The first night the temp was in the forties and the pasta was cooked but watery. by the 3rd night the temp was in the 20s. Each night the pasta was less cooked than the night before. We reduced the water by half a cup the 2nd and 3rd night. Could it have been too cold, or the type of pasta, or not enough water? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Becky

#2

Be a Pot user.

Ablejack

#3

I switched to the bag cooking method on a hike through southern Maine last fall where temps were regularly in the 20’s. I personaly didn’t find a problem with it. I made up my own bags of noodles, jerky, dried veg etc. It certainly beats washing up with a soiled frozen mini sponge. They can be washed out in town and re-used for the next section which is also a bonus. That leaves the pot as a boiling water only tool which i have to say i prefer. To keep the bag warm and “cooking” after adding boiling water it is good to wrap the bag in some clothes (inside a supermarket plastic bag in case of leaks!).

Anyway, works well fo me.

Cheers

Cheers

#4

Anitgravitygear.com sells an insulated bag to put the freezer bag in while it cooks and it really works well.

Chief

#5

Try cooking your pasta at home and dehydrating it, then all you have to do is add boiling water to cover the top of the food, and wait a few minutes - but the key thing, es[p. in very cold weather is to use a bag cozy. You have to insulate the bag as it rehydrates. you can wrap it in your sleeping bag (carefuly) a sweater, hat or any other insulating type of material.

heartfire

#6

I always carry a small bag of dehydrated potato flakes in case I add to much water to my meals. The flakes will thicken the sauce and not add much flavor. That way you can end up with a stew instead of a soup.

Big B

#7

I had good success with several different rice meals this summer. The key was the bag cozy, keeping it warm while the food cooks and rehydrates. I also found cozy time was different for each recipe. I experimented at home to find the time it took where I liked the meal. I did find eating out of the bag kind of tricky but didn’t experience bear problems with any spilt food.

Scott

#8

I’ve had good luck using this method with Lipton Pasta, ramen, potato flake concoctions, oatmeal and others. I solved the problem of how to handle the hot bag by making a cozy out of pieces of closed cell foam pad held together with duct tape. It seems to be very efficient in maintaining the heat and makes an ideal handle for the bag.
Takes up some space, but weighs next to nothing.

bob

#9

I used freezer bags quite a bit on my hike. My breakfasts were a mixture of 5 grain cerial with extra rolled oats, almonds, a little sugar, dry milk and dry fruit. I had the bags all mixed individually in my food drops. I started out cooking this and hated the tine and cleanng the pot so I started putting enough water in the bag at night to hydrate the mixture. In the morning I would add boiling water wait a few min. and then eat out of the bag. I also dehydrated some meals. I used the same method for these. In Hanover I changed from an alcohol stove to a jet boil. After that I would use the j.b. pot as a pot cozy and a holder for the bag while I ate it.

Some things like instant potatoes and instant oatmeal (which I didn’t eat)can be cooked right in their package bags. I then just added my tuna to the potatoe bag.

Sleeveless '05 www.trailjournals.com/sleeveless

sleeveless

#10

We made a cozy bag from a large thermal plastic-type bag that we bought at the grocery store for under $4. The bag claims to keep food hot or cold for up to 3 hours. I cut it down to be just slightly larger than a 1 quart zip-lock freezer bag and sealed the seams up with duct tape. Maybe we should order the AntiGravity Gear insulated bag or try making one out of a different material. I could probably spare some of my Termarest sleeping pad. It’s a little too long, but I was kinda hoping to save that extra section of padding for more insulation at my feet or head. I like the idea of using instant potatoes as a thickener for the sauce. I also like the idea of using the pot as a cozy/bag holder. Thanks for all your advice.

Becky

#11

Becky-

The closed cell foam pad I cut up to make my cozy was a $5 special from WallyWorld.

bob

#12

We’ve cooked this way exclusively for the past 5 years. I’ve learned not to use the lipton noodles, they just take too long for me. I stick with coucous, instant rice, and tortellins (buy the fresher kind in the refridgerator section, they’ll keep and they cook faster). Quinoa flakes work…lots of things. The extra potato flakes noted above work wonders as well.

gumball

#13

I can honestly say that doing Lipton meals in bags is a chance deal…usually it works, but it isn’t going to taste the same as if you did it in a pan. The reason I put it up on the website was I had a number of people ask how to do it.
Myself? I do it from scratch instead. As another poster noted, precooking and drying pasta gives you “instant” pasta, and you can bring it back to life in a freezer bag. Adding in a Knorr pasta sauce packet is very good (with powdered milk and oil if needed).
As for cozies, if you sew, you can find a product called “Insul-Bright” at fabric stores, and make flexible cozies that weigh nearly nothing! They are my new pet project :slight_smile:
But, if you have any questions, feel free to email me from the website-I never, ever mind answering them!

sarbar

#14

I am Sarah, the one who runs www.freezerbagcooking.com, just in case ya’all are wondering.
I usually hang out on the PCT section here though :wink:

sarbar

#15

I’ve checked out that site and read the above entries. I still don’t know why anyone would cook this way. Creating more garbage, hoping your food gets cooked properly, buying or making a bag cozy that weighs and costs “next to nothing” as opposed to actually nothing, more likely to have a food bag mishap, pre-cooking and dehydrating pasta, carrying around the used dirty wet bag after use, eating out of a hot bag? C’mon people, you have a pot to heat the water in anyway. Cook in the pot! Is it only done so you don’t have to wash your pot out? I don’t get it. If you don’t wanna wash your pot, then don’t wash it. You’ll be able to wash it in a sink within a couple of weeks. Excuse me for ranting, (against useless plastic garbage production) but can anybody give me a reason for preferring freezerbag cooking?

Ablejack

#16

Yes. I can. Because its my hike and my preference, and not necessary for you to rant about. I pack everything out and I mean everything. I can pre-pack meals that are tasty with minimal cooking needs. All spices and ingredients are hand-packed by me, ahead of time, so I know what is in my meal. It’s lighter, it allows me to carry more meal because it is lighter, but most of all–its my preference and my hike. And I’m not hurting anyone with my plastic bags. And I don’t like washing my pot–I spend my regular life washing pots and pans for a family that I cook for daily…so when I get out on the trail, I like to live it up a little.

gumball

#17

Everyone has their own methods and ways when it comes to the outdoors. I myself do bag cooking about 95% of the time, but have been known to pack pans once in awhile.
Why do I do it? Years ago, all I ate was freezedried commercial meals (FBC style isn’t much different in that sense-you eat a Mountain House meal, you are eating out of a bag!) I got sick of freeze dried meals after awhile (not hard if you backpack a lot) and then started cooking. I hated cooking though, because it took time and I had to carry soap and a scrubbie. The whole concept of FBC came to me and a friend a couple years ago, you’d only see a couple meals ideas out there for bag cooking. So we spent a winter dreaming up ideas. My site came out of my desire to give back, and show that a person can eat easily with little thought. And for me? Well, I started doing cross country trips where we often do dry camps. Water has become something to conserve. All I need is 2-3 cups water for dinner, and we are good to go. No cleanup, leaving no food behind to attract animals.
For those who are into the enviroment, most bags can be cleaned at home if desired, and recycled.
I carry a Gallon ziploc bag for garbage in my Ursack bag, and put my used freezer bags into it. You might also consider that you are probably using bags already:to carry your meals in!

You might go back and look at my site, and read the gear section! As I note, you don’t have to use bags-any of the recipes on the site (many of which were contributed by forum members) can be prepared in a pot.

Btw, the other reasons I do bag cooking? I backpack with my son. I am on a severly low sodium diet, and my son has no desire to eat mom’s food. So he gets his own bag of food, as I do, customized to each of us.
And how tightly I can pack many days of food into my Ursack or my Bear Vault. With minimal packaging of the bags, I can roll up each meal and pack it.

sarbar

#18

The beautiful thing about the bags is that they are reuseable. If you want to talk micro ounces then a ziploc weighs less than a liptons packet, which you would pack out anyway.

So, cooking food either way has similar weight issues. I think that the benefits of bag cooking come through in colder weather when washing up is the last thing anyone wants to do.

Cheers

Cheers

#19

Thanks, I didn’t mean to step on anyone’s HYOH sensibilities. I just didn’t get it. Thank-you for helping.:slight_smile:

Ablejack

#20

:slight_smile: I can get a bit overzealous when talking about trail cooking, it is my favorite topic :wink:

sarbar