easy-pack but good camping food!

[severs]

Anyone remember plastic 35mm film containers? I used to use these for carrying blobs of curry or tom yum paste etc, herbs or spices. Digital cameras have done away with these.

My supply of clear containers in this size is running low.

What would be a good substitute that is still available? At present I am packing curry paste into plastic bags but it becomes a struggle if they get close to empty. I get the stuff all over myself.

[cookingfat]

one tin bully beef, one packet french onion soup, one measure instant mash, add boiling water, stir. Filling, cheap, nutritious and delicious, left overs can be fried up for breakfast. No dirty pans to wash, for variety use different soup or canned fish instead of the Bully Beef conversly cous cous as the bulk agent.

UP THE WORKERS!

[davsato]

Anyone remember plastic 35mm film containers? I used to use these for carrying blobs of curry or tom yum paste etc, herbs or spices. Digital cameras have done away with these.

My supply of clear containers in this size is running low.

What would be a good substitute that is still available? At present I am packing curry paste into plastic bags but it becomes a struggle if they get close to empty. I get the stuff all over myself.

the perfect thing- get down the doctors and ask for some poo sampling tubes. i wont go into details but they are a handy size, airtight (VERY), and even come with a little scoop built into the lid.
before anyone wonders how i know about these and ive got problems, my mother in law is a nurse and got me a load, so there.

[davsato]

If we're discussing instant food (just add to hot water) then don't forget bulgur wheat, ...................... .................................. texturised vegetable protein - "TVP" - also known as dried soya mince - adds instant bulk and protein in the same way the above staples add bulk and carbohydrate. And it is available in "savoury" flavour, or as mrs severs calls it, "brown flavour".

i had wild rice the other day for the 1st time, that was well nice but took forever to cook. never tried bulgar wheat, is that better?

is 'TVP' like beanfeast? that stuffs not too bad actually, much better than the description sounds

[severs]

...wild rice ...took forever to cook. never tried bulgar wheat, is that better?

Bulgur Wheat cooks v. quickly and doesn't produce glutinous white gunge that needs washing off. Unlike rice.
Having said that, I like "sticky rice" (a different species of rice) as you can pick it up with your fingers in clumps.

is 'TVP' like beanfeast? that stuffs not too bad actually, much better than the description sounds

TVP isn't a complete ready-meal, like Beanfeast is. It's an ingredient. The "soya mince" in beanfeast is indeed TVP. If you buy TVP in its "pure" form you can add it to anything you please.

It's cheaper than Quorn "mince" too. And I think Quorn tastes like pencil erasers.

[nomad]

the perfect thing- get down the doctors and ask for some poo sampling tubes. i wont go into details but they are a handy size, airtight (VERY), and even come with a little scoop built into the lid.
before anyone wonders how i know about these and ive got problems, my mother in law is a nurse and got me a load, so there.

i hope you mean new and not...
it don't bear thinking about

[davsato]

yes nomad dont worry, brand spanking new!
they are even designed not to be cleaned, if they try to put them in an autoclave for sterilising they melt, easy to incinerate, you see?
(although i suppose if you were desperate you could put them in with your washing up?)

in fact if you want any pill bottles or medicine jars ask at the chemists/doctors, if you explain what and why you want them they seem quite easy to get and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. you might have to pay a few pence for them but how much is a nalgene pot?

getting back on thread, im just back from a weeks camping around dijon and found a new love in france- Tartiflette! (its sliced potatoes and bacon in a creamy cheesy sauce, absolutely top scran) had it loads of times but i always thought it was a faff to make so never bothered on the road. i suddenly realised that the french wouldnt put up with cheap rubbish in their cans so i bought a big tin of ready made tartiflette, and it was good as homemade! no mess either, i put a hole in the top of the tin and put the tin in a plastic bag in a pan of water to boil. when the water boils the tin is plenty hot and your left with clean boiling water for a coffee and no pan to wash, just a spoon to lick clean

[severs]

... no mess either, i put a hole in the top of the tin and put the tin in a plastic bag in a pan of water to boil. when the water boils the tin is plenty hot and your left with clean boiling water for a coffee and no pan to wash

Boiling tins to avoid mess is a great idea. But since you mention it, I thought I would add this fact:

Contrary to popular opinion, tin cans do not explode if you boil them in water. So you can leave them fully sealed until after they are hot if you want.

DO NOT heat tin cans directly on a stove flame. They will explode if you do that. But a water bath (pan of water) limits the temperature to no more than 100 deg C, and the tin can is safe. And actually you take the can out when it is less than half of 100 deg C.

[miss P]

Contrary to popular opinion, tin cans do not explode if you boil them in water. So you can leave them fully sealed until after they are hot if you want.

I can vouch for this. As a student I regularly made banoffee pie (not when camping) and the creamy toffee filling is made by boiling an unopened can of condensed milk in a water bath for 2-3 hours. I never had a problem with cans exploding. Pressure cookers filled with lentils however......

[davsato]

ah, the old condensed milk trick, is that gorgeous or what? mmmmm.....

no, the tin wont blow up if you dont put a hole in it, it can only get as hot as the boiling water. i do it because when you see the innards bubbling out the top you know its pretty well hot enough and you dont waste gas keeping a pan of water on the go for nowt. the bag is to stop the water getting contaminated.

miss p- pressure cookers can be deadly things, my neighbour lost the sight in one eye when she hard boiled a couple dozen eggs in one. (i asked her why the hell...? she said they cook quicker and the shells dont crack, whick makes a sort of sense i guess).
she used it properly, let off the pressure before taking the lid off etc, but about 20secs later she got a faceful of scalding egg when they all went off like grenades.