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Thread: Packaged goods , buckets ,etc?

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    Senior Member SemperFi's Avatar
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    Default Packaged goods , buckets ,etc?

    I am totally new to this although I did for years keep several cases of MREs handy , but MRE's are expensive and bulky and generally for "on the go" , I see bulk foods in large plastic buckets and other containers now, listed with shelf lives of over 25 years , I assume this means (before the seal is broke) , after the seal is broke what kind of shelf life is left?

    How good is this food ? Does it have any flavor or taste ? I mean living in the trenches eating beef roganoff with no flavor doesnt sound to appealling (I guess I will be alive though?)

    I just want to know what this stuff tastes like , I dont want to buy a big jug of it to taste it ,then realize its nasty and the shelf life went from 25 years , 2 months!

    Can some of you wiser folks give me a lesson?


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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Some of it is very good. Some not so much. There are several places that will provide smaller samples (some are even free except for shipping). I tried some a while back and there was Tortilla Soup as one of the items they sent. I thought it tasted great, but my wife didn't care for it. Of course she has never eaten balut, kimchee or grubs from a sidewalk vender in Korea either. Anyway - make sure it is something you will eat. The shelf life after opening depends on how it is packaged. If the #10 can is opened then generally you need to use it - I'd say within a month. Some cans (Mountain House Blueberry Cheesecake) is divided into packets on the inside of the can. The open packet should be used, but the unopened packets will keep.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    And, like the MRE's, shelf life is dependent to a large degree on what temperature it is stored in. That 25 years shelf life at 65°F drops to 20 years at 70°F and so on. Check the package it should tell you what temps it needs to be stored at.

    Like Crash, I've had good luck with some and I've tasted some that makes death look pretty good. Some stuff my wife didn't like either. I just told her there would be more for me then. The bruise healed in about a week.
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    Senior Member SemperFi's Avatar
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    Wow , thats not very good if the shelf life is 25 years ,but once the seals broken its diminishes to a month , those cans/buckets are huge , I cant imagine eating that much tortilla soup in a month ! , now if they were individual packets that would be better , what if you could suck the air back out of the buckets would that increase the life again?

    Balut , aww yes , nothing like trying to make your **eye twinkle** for the **girls** , but eating half bird half egg is a hard thing to do ( I did it), didnt work though , but then again I was alot younger then and didnt need the help!
    Last edited by Rick; 09-04-2011 at 03:08 PM. Reason: We have kids on here as well and we don't disparge nationalities.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Most (not all) of the larger containers have portions in sealed wrappers. The #10 can entrees aren't really all that big. The can of Mountain House Scrambled Eggs and Bacon that is sitting in the room I'm in is listed as 16 servings. If it took a bit longer than a month to finish it I don't think it would be a big deal. I always try to check out a product (sample) in a single serve package before I buy the #10 cans or larger.
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    Senior Member cowgirlup's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SemperFi View Post
    Wow , thats not very good if the shelf life is 25 years ,but once the seals broken its diminishes to a month , those cans/buckets are huge , I cant imagine eating that much tortilla soup in a month ! , now if they were individual packets that would be better , what if you could suck the air back out of the buckets would that increase the life again?
    It helps to know what you will eat and buy those things. If you hate leftovers then it might be an issue. But then lit's better than going hungry. Also, the serving sizes on those cans are small. I looked at a can of mashed potatos and the serving size was half a cup. Not a realistic serving size for potatos. Now peas on the other hand. I could strech a can of those for a long time.
    Last edited by Rick; 09-05-2011 at 08:07 AM. Reason: fixed quote tags
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I'll swap you my mashed taters for your pees.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Watch out CGU. It's just like him to sneak up on people and take a pea.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    A couple of things to keep in mind on the dehydrated or freeze dried items. They take water to rehydrate and cook and the more you eat the more water you need to digest it. So water storage has to be a priority along with the food. It won't do much good to have a year's supply of food and a one month supply of water.
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    Senior Member cowgirlup's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    I'll swap you my mashed taters for your pees.
    Deal, you can take the middle of the night "pees."

    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    Watch out CGU. It's just like him to sneak up on people and take a pea.
    I'm not surprised at all.
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    Senior Member SemperFi's Avatar
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    @Rick Absolutely! Dead on target , water is essential!
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Dang it! Who is letting out all my secrets?! One more fetish I can't use. Dang it!
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    Best thread I could find for this topic extension, I tried this a few weeks ago while camping, its darn good. If you like buffalo chicken. Its in a creamy sauce but there is a good amount of meaty texture to it, poured it over a pack of plain ramen noodles and it fed two of us nicely. They go for about $6.75 a pack so for about $4 a serving I figure its economical. I bought two more packs today as I happened to pass by the store while working. I think it would work well with rice or any plain noodles although they suggest to make wraps of it.
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    Buffalo Style Chicken
    INGREDIENTS: Ingredients: Cooked Chicken White Meat, Hot Sauce (distilled vinegar, aged cayenne red peppers, salt, canola oil, paprika, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate [as a preservative], natural butter type flavor and garlic powder), Cream Cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt carob bean gum), Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavors (contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil). CONTAINS: Milk, Soy.
    NUTRITION: Allergen Info...click here
    Product code: 53116
    Pkg. Net Wt.(oz): 4.02
    Servings per Pkg: 1
    Serving Size: 1 package
    Total Calories: 390
    From Fat: 130
    Total Fat: 15 grams
    Saturated Fat: 7 grams
    Transfat Acid: .5 grams
    Cholesterol: 200 milligrams
    Sodium: 980 milligrams
    Carbos: 3 grams
    Dietary Fiber: 0 grams
    Sugars: 1 grams
    Protein: 62 grams
    Last edited by Jimmyq; 06-05-2012 at 04:21 PM. Reason: Schpelling

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Mountain House does have some good stuff.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    That's one I have not seen, but will definitely give a try. Thanks.
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    Bear in mind that #10 can of dried food may only have enough food for about 6 days and a bucket a month - at a rather modest 1600calories per day. At least for typical grains and beans. Less for foods with low caloric density. Veggies may have good nutrient density but low caloric density. So it doesn't take that long to go through the contents of a can. What is harder is when you have lots of individual ingredients and you need to open a bunch of them to make meals or if you want to rotate between a lot of different entrees. Not good breaking open a month worth of preps for a situation that lasts a few days. Some dehydrated foods may be good for a year after opening if you minimize exposure to heat, light, humidity, oxygen, and bugs.

    If you are interested in the buckets, then next month, by a bucket instead of groceries. Eat what is in the bucket and only what is in the bucket. See if your body tolerates it. If it works out, then buy similar buckets for preps. Don't wait until you need the preps to find out if they work for you. In some cases, the more economical bulk prep foods are actually cheaper than what people spend on groceries and eating out. So, if it works out, you might save enough on meals to pay for a month of preps. Don't forget to add up the nutritional info on the contents of the bucket and compare to what you actually need. Or eat out of the bucket 1week on 1 week off for two months. Some of the better prep items are worth buying and consuming as a staple in your kitchen, anyway.

    If you really want to just sample out of a bucket of assorted foods, get some oxygen absorbers and a heat sealer and reseal.

    On another forum, a clueless individual thought he could eat for a week for $2 by buying a big container of pancake mix - his idea of preps. Not only did it have zero nutritional value, he almost had to go to the hospital.

    In a thread on another forum, it was reported that bear creek soups were barely edible by their 5 year expiration date, even packed in #10 cans with O2 absorbers, and the tortillia soup was considered inedible (rancid).

    If you have access to an LDS cannery in your area and it is one that is open to non-members, they have a limited selection of can-it-yourself dried food items at considerably less than buying prefilled cans and less than buying bulk at a typical grocery store. 3 types of beans, milk, wheat, apples, carrots, oats, onions, milk, potato flakes. Most of the rest is junk food (sugar, white flour, white rice, pasta, etc.). Take some of your own food with you to can.
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