Camp cooking tips - post 'em here

Sounds good, would baking paper work ? Might be healthier in the long run given the stuff they use to bleach normal A4. Though if you are the more intelligent side of 40 I daresay it's not worth worrying about. (ie we're all probably already at some toxic level ...)

Hi Mike
Baking paper is the camp cooks best friend. I use it in the frypans and on the BBQ plate to stop stuff from burning itself silly. This is especially relevent when cooking anything with honey as a marinade ingredient . Two layers on a cutting board is as good as paper anyday. We run a remote catering business as well as working in the real world and often are in situations where there is limited water. Campbells cash and carry carry a product called food grade sanitiser. Most big catering supply houses sell it in 4 lt bottles. We have it in a spray bottle and spray everything prior to putting it away and between uses. Even the eskys, bain marie trays grill plate etc gets a dose. It is safer than bleach as is is virtually drinkable at full strength. It is hell on bacteria though.

After 5 years and over 10,000 meals not one bush belly yet.

The worst problem is campers who keep their cooking weaponry in the camper/ carryvan between uses. If you have been a bit slack doing the wash up on the last day you will invariably create some weird science experiments for the next camping trip.

If you have issues tracking it down let me know where you are and I will source a supplier near you.

We always have antibacterial wipes and wash to use beforehand and then as part of cleaning up.

Touch wood, no problems in the last 10 years.

Michael A

The anti bacterial stuff has its place in any campers tub, but a good boiling water scrub and left in the sun will kill anything, well, the Qld sun (highest rate of skin cancer in the world ...).

For saving water, and keeping clean:

For handwashing, we use Aquium, which is a gel containing 60% alcohol. It comes from the chemist in a pump pack, rub your hands in it and it dries to nothing, so you use no water. One bottle lasts a months camping, and costs about $7. Hospitals use it.

We use a 500ml water spray bottle, for washing up small items.

We use paper plates for lunch and some main meals - just throw them in the fire.

G'day Mike,

("done it once, not again thanks")

so what happened mate?

you've been camping on your'n for a while now mate, probably sometimes providing for a lovely lady too. Surely, when setting camp, one of the first things you do is get a fire ticking, and put the billy on? My point being that a splash of hot water from the billy at hand, can kill the nasties on a (proper size) choppping board, you save the run off for scrub water at dish time if necessary. Bugger the A4 paper crap full of bleep e.

Hi Mike,
As you know food poisoning is caused by some bacteria (and a few other things) and the toxins they produce. Ingesting a few bacteria is not normally an issue. I can guarantee you do it every day. It becomes an issue when they are in numbers or have had time to produce a large amout of toxin. Most issues in this area are contamination related. Either the food is already contaminated or becomes contaminated during preperation. After comtamination the bugs need time and warmth (ie ~37C) to to breed etc. A percentage of the more distressing bugs live on your skin. They are meant to be there and serve a purpose. You just don't want them in your food.

I also produce food from the basic ingredients so we are on the same page there. There are a few basic things that I do to keep things safe:

Keep things refigerated if they need it. Don't leave stuff laying around in the warm.

If you cryovac check for air/gas before you use it. If there are large air pockets chances are something has been busy or there is a hole in the bag. Both bad, bin it.

Keep your tea towel for drying dishes not your hands, what is the point of adding to the bacterial load on things when you dry them. Change wash cloths regularly and try to get them dry at some point.

Wash your hands before food prep and after touching anything outside your food prep area. Most likely place for bacteria to enter is via someones hands. In low water areas anti baterial washes and wipes can be used but they tend to dry the skin leading to cracking etc. Some people are also sensitive to some of the agents so pre try them. I'm in this catagorey so I am wary and read the label.

Use a sharp knife so you don't grind stuff into your board.


Some points of interest in this area:
Heavily contaminated food does not always smell off or feel slimey! It can also taste normal.

Heat kills most bacteria but does not always effect the toxin they produce.

Not all bacteria need air to breed.

On general principle I try to avoid anti bacterial things. In general bacteria are part of the world and ongoing exposure to small numbers bacteria keeps your immune system tuned up. If I was running a resturant, different matter, there is a lot of food, things stay wet and warm for long periods. So they need to keep bug numbers very low.

As for your chicken issue, I usually cut it last with a sharp knife then scrape any residue off straight away with the knife. If I need to I'll wipe with a paper towel. Then you need to wash stuff up as well as possible. We have small scourers if things are not coming off. I try to avoid really messy things until we have adequate water to clean up. The other thing we do is use paper plates etc in low water areas so as much water as posible can be used to wash up things well.

I liked the principle of your paper idea though I think something that is food safe like baking paper as others have suggested may be a better idea. I seem to remember that dioxins can be produced in the bleaching process.

Steve

More a water saving thing than anything else, but we always carry a box of disposable plastic/rubber? gloves in the camp kitchen for wearing when cutting up meat.
I like the idea of using the baking paper on the board though.