Pre-prepared and preserved Food

Submitted: Friday, Nov 30, 2018 at 18:46
ThreadID: 137506 Views:2988 Replies:5 FollowUps:8
This Thread has been Archived
Quick and easy meals can be readily on hand while on the road by preparing much of it at home to save lots of time and money.
Vacuum sealers, freezing and dehydrating allow for pre-cooked meals to be stored for relatively long periods, then quickly cooked on the road.
Ideas for vacuumed food include lasagna, stroganoff, pasta sauces, stews as well as fresh meats which can all be frozen. Sealing them stops the dreaded freezer burn and retains the flavour. Heating up is easy by just simmering in the pack until thawed and heated through. Reduces washing up pans, etc..
Dried food and vegetables can be bought or prepared in a dehydrator. Try dried mashed potato for e.g. and then seal it or preserve your own fruits/veg in jars (pack carefully!).
Rice, legumes, pasta, flour, cereal, etc, keep almost indefinitely but can be added to prepared meals.
I'm sure others have some recipes and methods that would be of help to us, also!
Back Expand Un-Read 0

Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Friday, Nov 30, 2018 at 19:43

Friday, Nov 30, 2018 at 19:43
Hi Gary W3, some great tips there, my only problem is that my wife doesn’t like Pasta, casseroles or stews. We generally vacuum seal all our meat into meals size packs and then freeze.

Macca.
Macca.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 622354

Follow Up By: Gary W3 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:40

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:40
Yep! It's all horses for courses. You can prepare whatever you want and cryovac it.
1
FollowupID: 895239

Reply By: Member - shane r1 - Friday, Nov 30, 2018 at 23:56

Friday, Nov 30, 2018 at 23:56
My wife and I can’t really work out why so many people seem to think cooking as we do normally at home is such a problem.
To cook up normal old meat and veg isn’t that hard or time consuming. We also chuck together stir fries etc.
A few years ago a mate and I went up to the Finke desert race, we camped alongside another group of guys. They had precooked cryovaced meals to heat and cook pasta or rice to go with it. We were cooking steak and veg , and had it ready to eat quicker than them, and they were drooling at the aroma coming from our tucker, and couldn’t believe we ate before them.
Just my thoughts , works for us.
AnswerID: 622358

Follow Up By: Baz - The Landy - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 07:28

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 07:28
I'm with you Shane...

We always prepare meals in the "normal" way when travelling as it makes it more social. I suppose it could still be social cooking up a pre-cooked meal, but we prefer the old fashioned way.

Though we do take pre-packaged food when hiking...

Each to their own, as long as you enjoy the experience.

Cheers, Baz - The Landy
2
FollowupID: 895221

Follow Up By: Gary W3 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:42

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:42
Like I said above, it's horses for courses. Some people just like the convenience of nice prepared meal that they can heat quickly; more particularly when time or circumstance doesn't allow something else. You can live on meat and 3 veg for only so long, I guess.
1
FollowupID: 895240

Reply By: Ron N - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:08

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:08
Hey, c'mon fellas! - what's with all this arty-farty, meal prep??

What's wrong with the good ol' can of Tom Piper Steak and Onions, heated up on the exhaust manifold, as you barrel along??

You blokes have been watching too many of those TV cookery shows! [;-)

Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID: 622360

Follow Up By: Member - shane r1 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:14

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:14
Yeah Ron
We do the tin meals when we can’t be stuffed, especially when camping off the motorcycle/s. And it aint that bad , Hey!
Always got a cupola tins stashed somewhere.
1
FollowupID: 895217

Follow Up By: Member - shane r1 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:17

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 00:17
Cupola is flash culinary talk for couple of!
2
FollowupID: 895218

Follow Up By: The Explorer - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 18:40

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 18:40
Tinned BBQ bake beans were my favourite on the drill rig.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message
Moderator

1
FollowupID: 895237

Follow Up By: Gary W3 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:46

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 20:46
Don't get the impression that cryovacing prepared meals is the only way to go. It is just another option and can be very convenient. I enjoy cooking and do most it at home. Love lasagne, but very messy in a small cooking environment, so I prepack it for the road. Delish with salad and a nice cask red (I think they exist!) Not a huge fan of tinned food or its preservative, but will use it when the occasion arises. I like eating too much to be food snob!
2
FollowupID: 895241

Reply By: Keith B2 - Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 16:24

Saturday, Dec 01, 2018 at 16:24
Meals that take a lot of time and are cooked at home in batches are great on the road vacuum sealed. Moussaka, cottage pie, lasagne etc are a great quick and easy feed with just a billy of boiling water and very little washing up.
Keith
AnswerID: 622375

Reply By: Member - John and Lynne - Tuesday, Dec 04, 2018 at 22:27

Tuesday, Dec 04, 2018 at 22:27
I am fascinated to know how people find the time and energy to do all that cooking before they leave on a trip! Yes we usually have a bit in the freezer at home because we seldom eat all of a large stew or lasagne at one sitting. A couple of those may go into the van for the first night out or an emergency but it can also be good to come home to a meal in the freezer. I would never spend the time pre preparing a lot of meals to take camping! We like to just pack and go! There are places to get supplies along the way and we support local communities while we are about it. Cooking simple fresh meals while camping is no big deal and we can easily carry a few staples like eggs, rice, tinned tomatoes, dried beans, onions, dried herbs and spices for the places where there are no shops along the way.
We do however spend a little time loading up our e-readers before we leave! That's a priority for us! So we are all different! Lynne
AnswerID: 622457

Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Wednesday, Dec 05, 2018 at 20:49

Wednesday, Dec 05, 2018 at 20:49
.
"e-readers"?? ......YUK, they taste awful.

Cheers
Allan

Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

2
FollowupID: 895369

Sponsored Links