Cold Weather Foods?

BenchmadeBoy

BenchmadeBoy

Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
1,982
Hey,

I've lived and worked in cold environments for a while now (northern Ontario, Arctic) and I'm always looking for ideas on what to eat when afield in the winter. If I can, I'll have a fire and heat something but that isn't always possible. My biggest issue is food freezing. I once ate a ham sandwich that literally had ice crystals in it after 3-4 hours in my pack. So what do the Beckerheads eat when it gets really cold. I've tried the following:

-peanut butter and honey (not bad, lots of fat and sugar)
-Power bars (pretty bad, freeze solid and taste like window putty)
-suasage/jerky/smoked meat (also freeze solid but at least can be chewed)
-chocolate
-cheese
-dried fruit

Suggestions?
 
I have no idea what it's like to get that cold. I'm from Texas and it rarely gets below 20°F so not much help from me. I was going to suggest chicken & dumplings. If it drops below 40 we all kinda freak out & hole up til the weather breaks. :D
Maybe I'll call my brother Ed. He was a mountaineering instructor when he was in the Army about 25 yrs. ago.
 
Cliff bars,I usually have a thermos with tea or just hot water,if you have some frozen stiff foods you can eat those and wash them down with the hot stuff,I dont work in the conditions you do,but I live in Alberta and it can get chilly too,how do you survive without a fire in those conditions,car/tent?
 
I've never had conditions in which food in my pack would freeze solid.

There are containers similar to thermos bottles that will keep food warm, maybe something like that might help?
 
Yeah, I tried Clif bars and most types of granola bars. They freeze. Most of the work I've done has been surveying, sampling or similar field work. Then there is ice fishing on the weekends. That's just fun. If it's work, you sort of keep moving throughout the day. When we fish we build a fire first thing and eat lots :D Tea, sausages, baked goods, peanut butter. I've thought about a thermos or insulated bag. I know they make them for water bottles. Best part of -25C? No mosquitos:p
 
In my experience, the "Think Thin Creamy Peanutbutter" bars do better in cold than Power Bars and they have a ton of protein.

Otherwise, what I like to do is to make a meal, dehydrate it, then cook it in boiling water while in the field. You get hot food (fast with a jetboil) and it's pretty lightweight.
 
The last place I worked, the camp cook made homemade granola bars that were essentially peanut butter, butter, sultanas, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. I might give them a try. If I can find the recipe, I'll post it.

Found it:

Whitewater granola bars (cookbook version)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 6 cups oats
- 1 cup coconut, toasted
- 1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
- 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 cup raisins and 1 cup chocolate chips)
Directions:
- Toast coconuts and seeds and set aside
- Cream butter and brown sugar
- Mix in PB and corn syrup
- Mix in remaining ingredients
- Bake at 350 F for 20 min until golden around edges
- Make sure to cut while still warm
 
Trail mix and beef jerky most of the time as a snack.
For lunch I will usually cook something on the pocket rocket. The freeze dried meals are foolproof. Also lots of stuff on the shelf at the grocery store that cooks up nicely with boiling water. I will throw jerky in with it sometimes just for a little extra protein. I never bothered with a stove on day hikes, now I wont go on one without it.
 
Peanut butter and honey is a good call. You asked about food, but something like hot lemonaid or Tang (or hot chocolate I guess :p )in a thermos goes a long way toward helping you keep warm as well.

Or you could go all pioneer and whip out your fav Becker to help you build a fire like this...

20120121ac0014.jpg


To cook up some bacon or something.

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Beckerhead #42
 
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