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View Full Version : Squeeze Tube Containers: Uses and Refill Steps



MCBushbaby
04-04-2008, 09:41 PM
Ok so of course any long distance hiker will tell you to repackage your items, especially those in bulky, excessive materials (who am I kidding... everything is super-wrapped now a days). The most common way of storing your toothpaste, butter, peanut butter and other jelly-like materials are in squeeze tubes. Luckily you can buy some of these already in the simplest, most effective container... but what about when you run out? And what to do with soft, gooey stick butter?


Pics (http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/563189714tjkPhd)

Steps are really simple.

Take a razor or sharp knife and cut long the flat, folded end opposite the cap side.
Be sure to cut only enough off to open the tube. Too much and you won't be able to reuse it as often.
Create a double boiler by placing a small soup can of water in a pot of boiling water.
Remove the screw cap, or open the snap top, and place the squeeze bottle into the boiler and heat to just below boiling. You can also run it under hot tap water if you prefer.
Once the interior contents have liquefied and drained out (aka, clean), remove from the boiler.
You can now fill with whatever you want (peanut butter in an old toothpaste tube, etc). Scoop and pack into the open end you created in step 1. For peanut butter, you may want to melt it first, that way it pours in like warm honey.
Once about 3/4 full, press the open end shut and tightly fold over and in (essentially sealing the end). Use a butane lighter to slightly melt the plastic and then firmly crimp with a needlenose pliers. Repeat a few times to ensure a seal.
TEST YOUR SEAL!!!! Nothing worse than having peanut butter ooze all over your pack contents


So now you can pull out the ol' Crest tube and squeeze a line of goo on your tortilla shell. Your friends will think you've lost it, but you know you have found the perfect container for your peanut butter.

This also works well for about 6 refills on the travel or "sample"-sized toothpaste tubes if you don't want to buy new minitubes and just want to refill from your home stock.

MCBushbaby
04-04-2008, 09:46 PM
Oh, and be sure to label your new contents. Toothpaste on a sandwich doesn't taste pleasant... minty yes, pleasant no.

crashdive123
04-04-2008, 09:53 PM
Good stuff. If you still want squeeze tubes, but don't want to make your own, here are a few sources.

http://www.amazon.com/Squeeze-Tubes-2Pk/dp/B000FXZXUO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1207359961&sr=8-1

http://outersports.com/squeeze-tubes-p-990.html

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47591411&parent_category_rn=5760752

dilligaf2u2
04-05-2008, 04:12 AM
crashdive123 I was just thinking that. I bought 4 of them some time ago for butter and jelly.

Don

Rick
04-05-2008, 05:34 AM
Good stuff, guys. It sure beats lugging those bigs jars of peanut butter around.

You might also be interested in these guys. They sell single or small serving sizes of everything. Just a word of caution on the peanut butter. The oil tends to leak out of the single serving size so you don't want to mess with it. I learned that the hard way.

http://www.minimus.biz/default.aspx

Alpine_Sapper
04-05-2008, 11:55 AM
I usually carry the shelf-stable squeeze thing of butter that they sell in the grocery store...It's Country Crock in a squeeze bottle. I don't use a lot of butter anyway, but TDW is like a heroin junky when it comes to that and sugar. (Gawd, I wish I had her metabolism).

But I can definitely see the uses for this. Thanks!

bulrush
04-07-2008, 09:52 AM
I put aloe sunburn treatment (real thick stuff) in a flexible round container intended for shampoo. It's not a squeeze tube exactly, but you can still squeeze the thick aloe jelly out.

Alpine, the Indians (from India) have had non-refrigeration butter for 1000 years. I forget the name they call it though.

campnut
04-07-2008, 09:02 PM
I think I will give this a try, If it works I will 2nd the motion

Aurelius95
04-08-2008, 07:33 AM
I guess you'd have to use creamy peanut butter in a toothpast tube. Otherwise, it'd probably clog up. Mitch, thanks for the instructions. I'll have to try it out.

hoosierarcher
04-19-2008, 10:53 PM
Now that you have the squeeze tubes let little ol' chef me(yes I am a certified chef) give you a recipe for something to put in it.
1 pound of cashews(roasted but unsalted)
1/2 cup of your favorite honey(I like buckwheat)
several drops to a tsp and a half of walnut oil.
a pinch or two of kosher salt
In a very good blender or food processor place the cashews and pulse them until they are well chopped then get them going again slowly and drip in the walnut oil until it starts to smooth out then add the honey, and continue to process and add the pinch or two of salt and process until all well blended and fairly smooth. The honey has antibiotic property that will help preserve the cashew butter. You could also process in dried fruit of you'd like but that will increase it's appeal to bacteria and sweetness level. If you try this tell me what you think please.

Rick
04-20-2008, 07:24 AM
I'm certifiable so I'm almost there.:D

Rick
04-20-2008, 09:11 AM
Hey Hoosierarcher - I tried that this morning. I didn't have any cashews on hand so I used walnuts. I didn't have any walnut oil on hand so I used canola oil. And I was out of honey so I used corn syrup. I have to tell you. It didn't taste anything like cashews.

(tap) (tap) Is this thing on? It was actually pretty darn good. Walnuts have a slight bit of bitter aftertaste. I don't mind it, I actually enjoy walnuts a lot and I would have preferred the honey just for the healthy benefit but all in all in came out pretty well.

I used a blender and I think a food processor would work a lot better. It would just give you more control over the blending of the nuts. The blender tended to pulverize the nuts very well but about a half cup stuck in the bottom of the blender and made it all but impossible for the rest to be processed. I had to turn the blender upside down and pound on it to clear the blades so the rest could be processed. A food processor would make that part a lot easier.

You can use it as a spread on apple slices, which was very good, or perhaps add some to your morning cereal.

I'll have to pick up the REAL ingredients and see how it tastes. But I bet it won't taste anything like walnuts.

nell67
04-20-2008, 09:17 AM
mm,wonder if pecans will work???

hoosierarcher
04-20-2008, 11:11 AM
:D:D:D
Rick, I recon your just about half a bubble off plumb, in a good way.

Rick
04-20-2008, 11:31 AM
Rick, I recon your just about half a bubble off plumb, in a good way.

That will work out okay 'cause everyone already tells me I'm half as.....never mind.