Homemade Trail Food

[Maurice]

Trying a new post to see how many suggestions come about.
What have you carried or tiried on the trail for a good meal?

Maurice

[MariaD]

Pretty much anything that comes in a dried or easily transportable form.

Jaffa Cakes, malt loaf, dried fruit, cereal bars, chocolate, sweets, biscuits, crisps, sandwiches, cornish pasties, apples, oatcakes, squeezy cheese, salami, pasta, Smash, Beanfeast, instant soup...

[Maurice]

Opps, guess I worded it wrong. How many make their own trail foods? Dry it yourself, bake logan bars, make your own jerky, salami, etc.?

[clunk]

we had a discussion on this subject a while ago , personaly i think life is too short to go drying your own food ect , i prefere to just get the stuff from a shop lol

[MariaD]

Ah, in that case I've made cakes (carrot, chocolate & banana & fruit loaf), homemade malt loaf, and biscuits for eating on the trail. I've also carried cold homemade pizza & pasties, which are yummy but don't keep so you have to eat them on the first day.

Never tried making my own meat products though.

[David]

cold homemade pizza

This is brilliant. I tried to copy this idea off a girl who lent me some pizza on a hike once (which was the best trail food ever) but it got super soggy. Could be that I wrapped it in cling film. How do you keep it crispy?

[Maurice]

Fruit leather:
Easy to make, nutritional and energy value high.
Spread applesauce out in a pan or tray of a dehydrator. If using an oven, the setting should be low. Well under 200 degrees F or 100 degrees C. For me I found around 125 to 150 degrees F works right. A dehydrator works even better
Allow the sauce to dry till it looks like leather and you can peel the entire work off in one sheet.
You can play with this a lot. Try adding your favorite jams, spices, or what ever. The apple sauce provides the base and your taste buds provide the rest.
Enjoy.
Maurice

[Maurice]

David, try wrapping the pizza in waxed paper or even regular paper. An airtight seal tends to turn the bread soggy.

[kyle-mcc]

David, try wrapping the pizza in waxed paper or even regular paper. An airtight seal tends to turn the bread soggy.
Nice tip:)

[Maurice]

Maria,
What is Malt loaf?

[David]

Maria,
What is Malt loaf?

oh, wow... just the best food ever! I'll let Maria answer as it was addressed to her though. :)

[Maurice]

David, I'll sit back and wait for her reply. Cause, I'm wondering how many of you have had grits (homeny) for breakfast.

Two countries seperated by the same langage

[clunk]

iv'e heard of grits , but i havent a clue what they are

[Maurice]

Well Clunk, you made me think on how to describe something. Grits for here maybe like oats for Scotland. They are corn. Coursely ground, often there are two types, yellow grits, just ground corn or white grits, made from Hominy (the good stuff).
Prepared, they could be either sweet or savory. A trail food for me often involves some grits (come to think of it rice could do too), a tablespoon or two of instant gravy, some bacon or dried meat. Or the other option would be adding what ever sweets you would want.
The instant type are very quick to cook and how I use them, is into the pot and start soaking while camp is being set. Once camp is up start cooking.

[MariaD]

This is brilliant. I tried to copy this idea off a girl who lent me some pizza on a hike once (which was the best trail food ever) but it got super soggy. Could be that I wrapped it in cling film. How do you keep it crispy?

The trick is to let it cool in the fridge before you wrap it in cling film. Otherwise the condensation makes it damp. It has to be properly cold though.

Malt loaf is a kind of malty, fruity cake/bread. It's got raisins, cinnamon, other dried fruit etc. in it & it's very high energy. It can be eaten plain, or with a spread of butter (my personal favourite) and it's gorgeous!

[Maurice]

Ah fruit cake! not the stuff passed around but the REAL stuff. Receipe per chance?
If so, Thank you
Maurice

Two country's sperated by langauge

[David]

The trick is to let it cool in the fridge before you wrap it in cling film. Otherwise the condensation makes it damp. It has to be properly cold though.

Malt loaf is a kind of malty, fruity cake/bread. It's got raisins, cinnamon, other dried fruit etc. in it & it's very high energy. It can be eaten plain, or with a spread of butter (my personal favourite) and it's gorgeous!

Oh, I was told putting warm/hot things in the fridge was a bad idea, also by a kind of similar condensation argument if I remember correctly. You forgot to mention that malt loaf is a lot squishy/chewy/sticky-er than normal bread or cake, and that it's super rich. With plenty of cool butter is definitely the best way!

[Ollie]

I personally enjoy malt loaf smothered with crunchy peanut butter! So healthy too... :p

Ollie

[David]

Oh, you can buy it in the supermarkets over here, I don't know a recipe I'm afraid, sorry!

Peanut butter on malt loaf?! Yuch!

[clunk]

Well Clunk, you made me think on how to describe something. Grits for here maybe like oats for Scotland. They are corn. Coursely ground, often there are two types, yellow grits, just ground corn or white grits, made from Hominy (the good stuff).
Prepared, they could be either sweet or savory. A trail food for me often involves some grits (come to think of it rice could do too), a tablespoon or two of instant gravy, some bacon or dried meat. Or the other option would be adding what ever sweets you would want.
The instant type are very quick to cook and how I use them, is into the pot and start soaking while camp is being set. Once camp is up start cooking.
so grits is like a rice dish , just add sweet or savoury to taste ?:)

[Maurice]

Polenta could be another way to describe. I know I'm going to have food purests after me for that description:)

[David]

Polenta could be another way to describe. I know I'm going to have food purests after me for that description:)

Actually, looks like you did well - wikipedia agrees with you (clearly the definitive source!)

[clunk]

thanks , and here is me thinking it was a biscuit :confused::)

[Maurice]

How common is beef jerky there? Lots of good recipes here.

[clunk]

How common is beef jerky there? Lots of good recipes here.
about as common as unicorn sh*t ,
iv'e had biltong in africa , that was nice , i think thats the same as jerky ( sun dried salted meat strips )

[MariaD]

Oh, I was told putting warm/hot things in the fridge was a bad idea, also by a kind of similar condensation argument if I remember correctly.

I forgot to say that you let it get to room temperature first!


The usual order of things is:

Cook pizza
Eat most of pizza
Realise that eyes are bigger than belly and there's some left over
Push it around on the plate for a bit, while drinking beer
Put it in fridge eventually
Clingfilm it & take it out in my rucksack in the morning
Not very organised or planned really...

I don't have time to type the maltloaf recipe, as I'm meant to be packing tonight, but I'll PM you it when I get back if you remind me.

[Maurice]

Clunk,
I did a little research on Biltong (hey, we speak two different but common languages) and there are differences.
One Biltong is cut and dried much thicker than jerky, and a lot more vinegar used. Homemade jerky is much better than what can be found in truck stops and gas stations. Home made reciepes abound here and after deer seasons, the successful hunters like to show off their prize by bringing in bags of their own creations. Some are great, soome, well you get the picture. A cheap but lean cut of meat is used, cut thin (about like a slice of bacon), marinated, then either spiced again, and dried. Ovens, dehydrators, or smokers are used. The end product comes out to be a thin, dry, great strip of protien that keeps almost forever. Added to stews, just eaten as is, or even laughing, just a pinch between the cheek and gum can keep you going on.

[clunk]

maurice , have you got any specific reciepes , and ( say ) a type of meat you can get from a supermarket , i have mates who go shooting , but its only pheasant / partridge or geese they shoot , the deer are for the rich im'e afraid ,
could you do it with beef or pork ?

[clunk]

by the way your right about biltong , it's more like a small stick than a sliver of meat

[Maurice]

Clunk, I would stick with beef or mutton (which is rare here and I refuse to waste good lamb, also rare), pork even though the growing has changed there is still the possibility of trichinosis. The cut which you want to use has lots of fiber, very little fat. Flank steak is rather cheap here and my favorite cut to use. The best way to cut it thin is to have it semi-frozen or have the butcher run it through the meat slicer. That does save time! Or ask your butcher about a cheap lean roast. You want no fat so it must be trimed off to allow good keeping qualities.
As for receipes: you may want to try www.bowhunting.net/susieq/jerky.htm (http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/jerky.htm). That would give a great start. And if you want, I could send some of my receipes later.

[clunk]

:) thanks maurice , il'e try one of those at the weekend mate

[Maurice]

Clunk, Curiosity got me going. Did you try any jerkey? Also how is the fishing there?Maurice

[clunk]

hello maurice , yes i did try making my own jerkey , it was ok but i think a little more practice is needed on the ingredients front ( a bit strong tasting lol ).
as for the fishing , i went to blackpool last week and only had bites off the crabs , all this rain is keeping the fish away from the shore at the moment , although my mates are catching plenty off the privatley run pier ( dead mans shoes to join im'e afraid ), im'e going again this sunday to see if things have improved ( hopefully a bass :dD )

[Gemma]

Hey just though you might like to try my bran loaf recipe? really easy and always goes down well, same kinda thing as malt loaf but homemade I supose and I think its better...yum with butter too.

1 cup of all bran cereal
1 cup milk
1 and 1/2 cup mixed friut (or just rasins)
1 cup of sugar ( I personally put 1/2 a cup in as I think its enough)

Put in a bowl and allow to soak for as long as possible, over a few hours at least, then add 1 cup self raising flour and mix if you think its alittle thick add a splash of milk.
Put into greased 2lb loaf tin and bake in fan oven on 160 degrees c I think, may have to check that?? bake for 1 hour
leave to cool in tin and eat mmmmmmmmm

[MariaD]

Sounds nice!

[Maurice]

Sounds good Gemma, I'll have to give it a shot. The bread maker and oven are in use right now but a new batch can be made after. Any type of all bran cereal?