It sounds too easy - tell me why this won't work

[skimomma]

We go camping frequently. I don't like to spend my whole vacation cooking and cleaning so we typically rely on very simple foods. Sandwiches, pasta, chips, etc..... This deviates far from our normal diet and as a result we often feel kind of "yucky" at the end of camping trips. So, I have started experimenting with different salad recipes to supplement our normal camp fare. Some examples include tabouleh, rice salad, lentil salad, black bean salad, roasted veggie salad, etc..... All can be made ahead of time but will help keep the digestive systems a little happier.

 

Now I need to figure out how to keep them from spoiling. We have coolers, of course. Rigid containers, be it tupperware or mason jars, are not great because they are awkward to fit in the cooler and then I have to wash and bring back the containers. I am thinking of packing the salads in zip-lock freezer bags....or better yet, borrow a friend's food sealer. I could put the salads in roughly meal-sized portions so that we could just grab one or two, cut them open, eat the food, then toss the bags. Not only will this be easier for me but will also make it possible to pack the cooler nicely.

 

I have never heard of anyone doing this, which makes me suspicious that it won't work. If anyone knows, please fill me in!

[regentrude]

How long are you going to be gone? I could see eating a salad made a day ahead - but three days old salad, even if in the cooler ? Yuck. I would not prepare salads ahead and store them in the fridge for several days before serving them at home, either. (they probably won't go actually bad, but the texture will become soggy and unappetizing.)

 

As tabuleh really only takes two minutes to prepare, I'd take the dry tabuleh and the ingredients and throw it together on the spot, fresh. Or roast the veggies there on the fire. (I'd forgo lentils for this purpose because of the long cooking time)

[Alte Veste Academy]

We have a regular size cooler that plugs in, like a little fridge (great at campgrounds with outlets, obviously). It was not terribly expensive and would be a great investment for you since you are frequent campers.

[unsinkable]

I think it would work with the type of salads you mentioned. Eat them from the most fragile to the least fragile.

 

Bean salads and roasted veggie salads taste fine and would hold up a few days.

[skimomma]

How long are you going to be gone? I could see eating a salad made a day ahead - but three days old salad, even if in the cooler ? Yuck. I would not prepare salads ahead and store them in the fridge for several days before serving them at home, either. (they probably won't go actually bad, but the texture will become soggy and unappetizing.)

 

As tabuleh really only takes two minutes to prepare, I'd take the dry tabuleh and the ingredients and throw it together on the spot, fresh. Or roast the veggies there on the fire. (I'd forgo lentils for this purpose because of the long cooking time)

 

This is why I have been experimenting ahead of time. I have been making them for our regular meals but saving a small portion in the back of the fridge for a few days. Then we "test" it. Many recipes have been fails for this reason. But others, like the lentil and bean salads actually get better with time. We will be gone for up to a week at a time and often in places with no access to a grocery store. I am more concerned that the the fresh veggies in some of the recipes might not hold up as well when in direct contact with ice.

[skimomma]

We have a regular size cooler that plugs in, like a little fridge (great at campgrounds with outlets, obviously). It was not terribly expensive and would be a great investment for you since you are frequent campers.

 

This would be a dream come true for me. But as you guessed, most of the places we go have no electrical hook-up.

[skimomma]

I think it would work with the type of salads you mentioned. Eat them from the most fragile to the least fragile.

 

Bean salads and roasted veggie salads taste fine and would hold up a few days.

 

That is what I am thinking. I just wonder if there will be a difference between these salads stored in jars/tupperware where at least the plastic/glass is between the food and the ice whereas with the bags there is less barrier between the food and ice.

[Momof3littles]

We do marinated cold salads a lot in the summer. They keep well for a few days. We don't do many grains so I do a tomato, parsley, red or green onion and lemon juice with EVOO salad that kind of reminds me of tabouleh, and then things like cucumbers, chick peas, and lemon juice. Those can sit for 1-3 days and are often better if they sit a day or two. I've thrown together feta, tomatoes, good olives, pepperocini, red onions, sometimes pepperoni into one container, and then when I'm ready to serve I'll put that over greens. That would be easy to throw together, and if you want really easy, you can even combine a lot of that from a supermarket salad bar that has Mediterranean items, and then just put it over greens when you are ready to serve. Add some lemon juice and olive oil and you have dressing.

[carriede]

Try it! Put some salad in a quart bag, stick it and some ice in a gallon bag, maybe rotate it from fridge to freezer to get a more cooler like temperature? Then test it!

[joannqn]

Another possibility would be to pack prepared ingredients ahead of time to be assembled at the campground.

[unsinkable]

 

 

That is what I am thinking. I just wonder if there will be a difference between these salads stored in jars/tupperware where at least the plastic/glass is between the food and the ice whereas with the bags there is less barrier between the food and ice.

 

 

I don't think it'd be significant. Probably it would be best to have more than one cooler. That is waht we'd do. One cooler for drinks that was opened frequently. One for stuff to be eaten at the beginning of the trip and one for the later end of the trip.

[Acorn]

We need to share some recipes. We typically leave produce whole and chop at mealtimes. I need help with new entrees.

[Coco_Clark]

Why not just pack the lettuce, tomato, carrot, ect and then chop and assemble at the camp site? It doesn't take much time. I can't see lettuce staying crisp very long in a Baggie.

 

That being said I cook ahead a LOT when camping. Bean and corn salads keep wonderfully. I also prepare things ahead of time, bagged in freezer bags, that only need to be reheated. Because we are leaving for a camping trip in a few days, I can share our (moderately healthy) menu.

 

Hamburgers, hot dogs, and chips that first night, because its easiest.

Tacos/taco salad. (Taco meat prepared ahead and reheated over the fire, veggies chopped on site)

Spaghetti and salad (noodles boiled over the fire, sauce made ahead and reheated)

Chicken, roasting veggies, and a bean salad (frozen chicken chopped and bagged in marinade to thaw over the trip, veggies for roasting chopped on site. Everyone assembles their own chicken and favorite veggies in foil and throws into the coals)

Steak, potatoes, and corn (frozen steak bagged in marinade, and potatoes wrapped in foil to throw into the coals)

 

Breakfast is nearly always eggs. Sometimes hash browns. Sometimes veggies mixed with the eggs. Lunch is cold bean salad, sandwiches, hot dogs, and fruit. It's not as healthy as we eat at home but its not processed stuff that will make us sick either.

[skimomma]

We need to share some recipes. We typically leave produce whole and chop at mealtimes. I need help with new entrees.

 

 

I'll let you know what works:)

[skimomma]

Why not just pack the lettuce, tomato, carrot, ect and then chop and assemble at the camp site? It doesn't take much time. I can't see lettuce staying crisp very long in a Baggie.

 

 

 

 

Because I am THAT lazy:) I used to do a lot of cooking while camping and I got sick of being the only one not swimming, biking, and hiking while I was making the food. I have also spent far too many chilly nights trying to chop stuff in the the dark. Chopping veggies is actually the thing I hate doing most while camping. I don't mind frying up eggs or making pasta. But when it starts getting more involved, I get cranky. I already spend far too much time washing dishes.....often in the dark....and cold.....

 

I have had great luck with lettuce-based salads in the cooler as long as the dressing is left off. The trick is to make sure it does not get immersed into the ice. I just make a point to keep it on the top every time I go into the cooler. We usually eat a lettuce salad within the first day or two as it is fragile, but I have had sandwich lettuce make it up to five days with crunch left.

 

We also maintain two coolers, one for snacks/drinks and the other for food. That way the food cooler stays cold, the food does not get beat up, and I give the whole family a "tour" of what to watch for (no lettuce getting buried) whenever they need to go into the food cooler. It works well but space is always a problem. It seems like I can never get it all in there well so I am hoping the bag system will help with that.

[skimomma]

Another possibility would be to pack prepared ingredients ahead of time to be assembled at the campground.

 

 

I do a lot of that too. I like to have a mason jar of pre-chopped onions or veggies to fry up into eggs or quesedillas or whatever. It has always worked well. I do not recommend this with chopped fresh broccoli. I do not know why, but it seems to build up a lot of glass in the jar/bag and get really stinky. It still tastes fine but it squicks me out.

[Berta]

I rely on frozen veggies when we go camping. They thaw out slowly in the cooler by the time I'm ready to use them. I also make foil dinner packs and throw them on top of the fire. Put some pre-seasoned cubed meat or chicken and veggies in a foil pouch with a bit of EVOO and it all cooks together. You can make them up at home and freeze them. I don't normally do salads because no one would eat them, at least not ones similar to what have been mentioned here. My family will eat a garden salad, but that is it.

[happi duck]

We go camping frequently. I don't like to spend my whole vacation cooking and cleaning so we typically rely on very simple foods. Sandwiches, pasta, chips, etc..... This deviates far from our normal diet and as a result we often feel kind of "yucky" at the end of camping trips. So, I have started experimenting with different salad recipes to supplement our normal camp fare. Some examples include tabouleh, rice salad, lentil salad, black bean salad, roasted veggie salad, etc..... All can be made ahead of time but will help keep the digestive systems a little happier.

 

Now I need to figure out how to keep them from spoiling. We have coolers, of course. Rigid containers, be it tupperware or mason jars, are not great because they are awkward to fit in the cooler and then I have to wash and bring back the containers. I am thinking of packing the salads in zip-lock freezer bags....or better yet, borrow a friend's food sealer. I could put the salads in roughly meal-sized portions so that we could just grab one or two, cut them open, eat the food, then toss the bags. Not only will this be easier for me but will also make it possible to pack the cooler nicely.

 

I have never heard of anyone doing this, which makes me suspicious that it won't work. If anyone knows, please fill me in!

 

I might be wrong but I think with a vacuum sealer food must be hard or frozen to be sealed in a bag. Soft foods like salad get sealed in a jar. (I think there's an attachment for mason jars)

[skimomma]

I might be wrong but I think with a vacuum sealer food must be hard or frozen to be sealed in a bag. Soft foods like salad get sealed in a jar. (I think there's an attachment for mason jars)

 

Good point!

[ElizabethB]

I have a lot of food allergies and take some of my food with me when we travel.

 

I cook it ahead of time and put it in food saver bags. I would freeze through as many as you can (freeze the entire bag of stuff.) Then, it acts as ice as well. I have not tried lettuce, I buy that fresh. I have successfully frozen teff flour "pancakes," veal, pizza (sheep cheese pizza LOL), rice and chicken, quail, cooked squash, buffalo, pulled pork, fried taro root, and duck. The bulkier the bags, the longer the things stay good. After a day, small amounts of food in a smaller bag start to migrate towards the temperature of the melted ice.

 

Some of my allergy meat gets sent to me in "cool shield bubble mailers" like this, they help things stay cold longer when I travel:

 

http://www.beepackag...oil-bubble.html

 

I'm not sure where you buy it in small quantities, but I'm sure you can.

[skimomma]

I have a lot of food allergies and take some of my food with me when we travel.

 

I cook it ahead of time and put it in food saver bags.

 

 

How do those food saver bags work? Would it vacuum-squish softer things like a bean salad? Or will I mess up the sealer if I am trying to seal something squishy like hummus?

 

I always throw at least one meal of pre-made and frozen soup in the bottom of the cooler. Acts as ice and saves us on nights that are rainy or otherwise difficult to cook.

[elinnea]

I do a lot of prep beforehand as it's usually just me and the kids camping. Instead of salad we take veggies that travel well and eat those with dip (baby carrots, peppers, cucumber, pea pods). Last summer I made a three bean salad (garbanzos, green beans, kidney beans) and packed it into a few mason jars in the cooler. I made it the night before we left and we we had it a few days later it was perfect as that sort of salad tastes better after it's marinated a while anyway. Stews or chili travel well and can be made beforehand. Foil packets are also quick and easy and you can cut the veggies for those ahead of time as well.

[JudoMom]

I make green salads (lettuce, carrots, sweet peppers, broccoli, grape tomatoes, etc.--I've even done boiled egg in) and seal them in mason jars. They keep for 7-10 days in the fridge. I use this ziploc pump and this jar sealer. Ziploc sells bags to go with the pump, too. It might work better for softer foods since you're manually controlling the pump instead of using a machine.

[skimomma]

I make green salads (lettuce, carrots, sweet peppers, broccoli, grape tomatoes, etc.--I've even done boiled egg in) and seal them in mason jars. They keep for 7-10 days in the fridge. I use this ziploc pump and this jar sealer. Ziploc sells bags to go with the pump, too. It might work better for softer foods since you're manually controlling the pump instead of using a machine.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I was just browsing Amazon to see what is out there in the food sealer world. It looks like some can seal without the vacuum. I'll have to see what features my friend's machine has. I can always use ziplock bags, of course, but we have had more than one incident of a not-quite-zipped-all-the-way bag and soggy food. Yuck.

[Coco_Clark]

How old are your kids? It may be time for some "survival skills". Sounds like you are the only one doing any work and that's never fun! Even very small children can wash dishes and rip up some lettuce. I'd suggest enforcing some camping chores. Listening in for other ideas too, easy camping meals are always an idea I'm listening for.

[skimomma]

How old are your kids? It may be time for some "survival skills". Sounds like you are the only one doing any work and that's never fun! Even very small children can wash dishes and rip up some lettuce. I'd suggest enforcing some camping chores. Listening in for other ideas too, easy camping meals are always an idea I'm listening for.

 

Just one kiddo and she does help with camp chores. But if the choice is between having her help me or letting her go off to chase bugs, I hate to ask her to help. Dh is always on fire/water/wood duty. I am really just looking to reduce the work required all around so we all have more time to play. I would much rather put the time in when I am home and have a full and CLEAN kitchen to work in. When camping, if there is extra time, I prefer to spend it in my camp chair, by the fire, with a beer in hand:)

[elfgivas]

dh does most of the cooking while we are camping. we take heads of lettuce, and fresh veggies in a cooler bag. it lasts four days unless its super hot. we cut and chop and cook or combine at the campsite. and we pick up extras at local shops if possible/necessary.

 

but since the four dc were babies, everyone who can cooks/chops/washes up. and no one does anything until it is all done. dh takes the lead and i'm support :). our current approach is that dh and one dc starts campfire while other dc and I prepare food. then dh cooks, we all eat, and then he takes another dc hunting for wood while the others and i do dishes. then we sit around the campfire, or play bridge in a tent or ???

 

happy tummies are worth the extra effort :)

ann

[LifeLovePassion]

I'd love your salad recipes. I have a couple of trips to menu plan for.

[Coco_Clark]

 

 

Just one kiddo and she does help with camp chores. But if the choice is between having her help me or letting her go off to chase bugs, I hate to ask her to help. Dh is always on fire/water/wood duty. I am really just looking to reduce the work required all around so we all have more time to play. I would much rather put the time in when I am home and have a full and CLEAN kitchen to work in. When camping, if there is extra time, I prefer to spend it in my camp chair, by the fire, with a beer in hand:)

 

One kid makes it hard :(. I come from BIG families so that wasn't even on my radar. Of course she should have time to play! As should you all! Hope you get lots of tips!

[skimomma]

I'd love your salad recipes. I have a couple of trips to menu plan for.

 

I went to the Vegetarian Times website and searched "picnic salads" and just regular salads. I put a few links below, but you can seriously lose half a day looking at the recipes on that sire. We have found that the recipes that involve broccoli taste fine when first made but the leftovers are no good. Tomatoes also don't do great in the fridge/cooler. I have been focussing on the legume and grain salads so they could be stand-alone meals if needed but will also work as side salads. I got the roasted veggie salad recipe from that site too and we especially like it because it held up well to storage and my mind can think of a million ways we could use it.....on top of brown rice or lettuce, in a wrap with goat cheese, even toss it into a box of mac-n-cheese. So often, what sounded good at home does not appeal once we are camping so the more flexible, the better. We fall into a trap of too many simple carbs and our bodies are not used to the abuse. We have brought the black bean salad recipe many times in the past and it holds up very well.

 

Roasted veggie:

 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/roasted-vegetable-salad-with-tabil-vinaigrette/

 

Rice salad

 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/tunisia-meets-provence-salad/

 

Black Bean salad

 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/picnic-caviar/

[Joyofsixreboot]

Me, me! I have done this with hearty salads-bean, pasta, rice. No problems for up to 3 days. I also precook taco meat, chili and the like and take in ziplocks. We eat the simple stuff like sandwiches and pudgy pies the last day. I've never had access to a food sealer but it should work better than ziplock I would think.

[skimomma]

Me, me! I have done this with hearty salads-bean, pasta, rice. No problems for up to 3 days. I also precook taco meat, chili and the like and take in ziplocks. We eat the simple stuff like sandwiches and pudgy pies the last day. I've never had access to a food sealer but it should work better than ziplock I would think.

 

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Was your bags touching the ice directly in the cooler? I am planning to try it out ahead of time like someone upstream suggested, but I did not want to waste any food. I have always used jars or tupperware so wasn't sure if the direct contact....or full immersion in icy water would mess things up.

[ElizabethB]

The food saver squishes things down a lot, but they have two settings, moist and dry. Moist squishes less and should leave beans and rice, etc. intact. They do not let a single drop of water in, they totally seal out air and water. I keep the food right next to the ice, or in the metallic cooling bags and then ice if I need to keep things cool for more than 8 hours.

 

You can also pump fake the food saver and just suck a bit of air out and then manually seal the food, that will seal water out with hardly any squishing at all. I have done that with things before, they stay fine if you are freezing them for just a week or two, much more than that and they will freezer burn.

[Joyofsixreboot]

 

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Was your bags touching the ice directly in the cooler? I am planning to try it out ahead of time like someone upstream suggested, but I did not want to waste any food. I have always used jars or tupperware so wasn't sure if the direct contact....or full immersion in icy water would mess things up.

 

Um, I'm kinda a pitch it in there and go girl. I don't think they are laying right on the ice because I usually have the milk, juice and meats closest since I'm most afraid of them spoiling. I have double bagged in freezer type zips so I think the two layers add protection too.