Pre-prep ideas and food safety ???

11 years ago

We are going camping next weekend. Good heavens, I haven't been camping for years!
Can I scramble my eggs, milk, salt, pepper, dry mustard and Tabasco all together and store in a glass jar to just pour what we need into a pan over the campfire for breakfasts in the morning (we are only going to be there for two breakfasts).
And
Can I put my chunks of beef, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and zucchini in a ziplock baggie with marinade (honey, soy sauce and vegetable oil) and let it sit a day or two before we cook them?
Trying save room in our tiny camper fridge and do most of the prep work before I leave home and just cook out of jars and ziplocks. If I'm not going to poison anybody. LOL

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Comments (6)

grainlady_ks
11 years ago
This USDA information should help you out.....

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/food-safety-while-hiking-camping-and-boating/ct_index
plllog
11 years ago
I wouldn't pre-mix the eggs without cooking them, or at least pasteurizing them. Eggs travel pretty well, and you can cut the carton to just the number of eggs for each breakfast. It's just a splash of milk for the eggs, so unless that's all the milk you'll be taking, I'd leave that in the carton too. Put them in a study box, preferably insulated, and they don't have to be refrigerated for the couple of days. Boxed milk is fine for cooking, too, so you could get a single serving pouch or box and not have to put it in the cooler until it was opened, at which time, you'll have taken out something else. You could definitely measure out the spices into their own small jar, or maybe just a baggie with the dry ones and a pocket sized bottle of Tabasco (they do make them). Bring the jar you were thinking of with you as a shaker to make prep easier.

If you marinate the meat that long, it'll get mushy. The flavors of the vegetables will get murky too. Instead, the best way is to prep the veg at home, and put them each in their own sandwich bag, and then all of them in a larger bag. Trim the meat, and use a vacuum bag if you have one, do the water displacement method to press out the air (see below), to help keep it from oxidizing. Make up the marinade and put it in a no-leak bag or jar. You can then dump out all the veg into the larger bag, add and meat and goop, and you're all set to marinate.

To push the air out of a Ziplock, fill a bowl or pot that's just a bit bigger with water, stand the full bag in it and add water enough that all of the bag contents are submerged, then lower the top of the bag until just the zipper is out and press closed. Remove and dry the bag.
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dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Prepare your food stuff, freeze your food stuff, then put them in a vacuum type of thermos bottle. They will still be freezing cold after a couple of days.

You can also make a thick foam board (1 1/2" thick foam, 15 minutes to make) box. Very cheap from HD. Freeze you food and pack some dry ice. The food will still be frozen after a couple of days.

dcarch
annie1992
11 years ago
I would marinate the beef for a day, but no longer, I agree that 2 days is too long and the meat will get mushy.

As mentioned, eggs don't even need to be refrigerated, they'll be safe for a couple of days, but frankly, I wouldn't hesitate to mix in all the ingredients and just refrigerate the mixture. Since it'll all stay cold in your fridge, and there's nothing like cheese or meat to compromise texture, I think you'd be find doing that.

Have fun!

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
I always prep ahead for travel. But i agree that more than 24hrs for a marinade is too much. We prep in kits. I do all the prep in separate containers and bags and add together at the proper time. Having everything washed and sliced and ready to go saves headaches. I even prep and portion lunch meats and cheeses in foodsaver bags. Veggie snacks like carrots and celery sticks and some snap peas all washed and packed together to have with hummus or goat cheese. We travel with two coolers. One is packed with frozen meals and i freeze water bottles with iced tea and lemon to let thaw for a beverage and freeze gallon water jugs as the ice...freezing water in qrt zip-locks flat frozen is another way to keep frozen foods frozen.

Those little camper fridges are small and when stuffed are not that efficient. I used to pack my unfrozen meats with a frozen water bottle in the bag when we traveled with our camper. We recently did 3 days in the truck and about to do it again. Tailgate chopping is not fun. So i have been prepping all morning. Even a charcuterie plate for the long ferry ride. I've chopped and prepped all the fixings for the tuna salad... olives, celery, apple, nuts, red pepper, artichoke hearts in the marinade...add the tuna on the road. Same mix for a small pasta salad and a potato salad. (feta and sundried tomatoes with the pasta, a bit of mustard in the potato salad).

Zip-locks are great as they double as mixing bowls. And pack flat.

Not sure if i would do the eggs ahead of time. The flavors might meld and not 'taste like home'. Though we just found our old favorite corn cake recipe and it is better if made 24 hrs ahead of time. Some egg batter mixes are best a day or two later.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
11 years ago
FWIW, if you bring whole eggs, you can mix eggs for scrambles & omelettes by shaking them up in a jar - no need for bowls, whisks, etc. we used to do pancakes in skillet over the fire made w/ a mix plus milk & shortening....

Pre-prep ideas and food safety ???

Comments (6)

grainlady_ks

plllog

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