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View Full Version : Tasting plastic w/Freezer Bag cooking



Michele
09-04-2006, 17:38
Has anyone else experienced this? I was out this weekend using my freezerbag cooking for the first time. I'm using the Hefty heavy duty ziplock and my meal had a very icky plastic taste. I poured my boiling water directly into the bag and put it in my cozy.

[Side note....I don't recommend using these bags by the way, because the "seal" will come unzipped behind the zipper after opening/closing them a few times. I think I'm going to stick w/the good old yellow and blue make green style.]

Anyway, do I have overly sensitive tastebuds or should I try a different bag? Thanks!

Smile
09-04-2006, 18:07
I wouldn't trust eating out of a plastic freezer bag.

Some like to, but IMHO it's just not worth it for your health.

speedy
09-04-2006, 18:17
Wow smile, with an avatar like that, I don't think you have much room to talk about eating things that won't hurt you. :D I think I've prettymuch always used wal-mart and maybe occasionally ziplock freezer bags and never had this problem. Did get a plastic taste from not washing out a platypus before first use, but never from my freezer bags. I guess it's possible that it's your tastebuds. You might want to try a different brand and do a test run before you go back out. That way you aren't stuck eating it for a whole trip if you can taste it. Good luck. :D speedy

Oh, and if that doesn't work, just move to NJ for a year. After drinking their water, you won't notice any chemical tastes ever again.

blackbishop351
09-04-2006, 18:55
Michele - Do you have 'city' water where you live? I ask because a friend of mine complained about the same thing, and she has a community well - much less chemical treatment. She also complained about the taste of my Potable Aqua, something that's never bothered me. I guess the high chlorine levels in my everyday drinking water kinda killed my taste buds or something :D

sarbar
09-04-2006, 19:58
Glad and Ziploc bags are better than the others for strength. Having said that, you might just have strong tastebuds (I agree with the comments on water..I can taste the Aquamira I use in my water.)
Anyhoo, what would I recomend? Buy an Oriska dish or bowl from REI. Or use a Rubebrmaid or Glad square or round dish with lid (they weigh little, they are the ones theyy sell as "disposables" but can last for years) You can do any recipe in those items....they are microwavable safe, and handle boiling water being poured in. You can still have convience, and be reasonably light, with minimal cleanup.

Michele
09-04-2006, 20:02
Michele - Do you have 'city' water where you live? I ask because a friend of mine complained about the same thing, and she has a community well - much less chemical treatment. She also complained about the taste of my Potable Aqua, something that's never bothered me. I guess the high chlorine levels in my everyday drinking water kinda killed my taste buds or something :D

Our city water tastes so bad, we use one of those on-faucet water filters. Man..this is scary, if what I'm understanding here is that I can taste the plastic because I filter out the chemicals from our water...makes me think twice about this whole freezer bag cooking. I tend to have an overly sensitive smeller, but didn't realize my taste

blackbishop351
09-04-2006, 20:10
There probably ARE chemicals being leached into your food from the bags. But in that vein, do you really want to stop using any plastic at ALL because of a little chemical contamination?

In general, I assume two things here:

1) The FDA closely regulates anything that's meant to come in contact with food.

2) There's a lot of things WAY more likely to make you sick or kill you than a few extra chemicals.

However, I'm not nearly as health- or environment-conscious as some people on here, so maybe I'm not the one to listen to.

It just seems to me that people are way too concerned about health issues these days, especially considering that our grandparents had more pollution, worse sanitation, more bad habits, and MUCH worse diets than we have now. Referring to people who are at least somewhat conscious of these things, of course. My grandparents are still alive and very active, by the way. And still pursuing all their bad habits.

As always, just my .02 :D

blackbishop351
09-04-2006, 20:12
Our city water tastes so bad, we use one of those on-faucet water filters. Man..this is scary, if what I'm understanding here is that I can taste the plastic because I filter out the chemicals from our water...makes me think twice about this whole freezer bag cooking. I tend to have an overly sensitive smeller, but didn't realize my taste

I think it's more of a process of getting used to a PARTICULAR taste. I can't stand drinking my friend's wellwater either - tastes like crap. I think the chlorine treatments in the city water taste a lot like the iodine in the Potable Aqua - and probably a lot like whatever may or may not come from the freezer bags, too. Thus, I'm just more used to that SPECIFIC taste than she is.

Lilred
09-04-2006, 22:56
I'm the same way. Can't stand the taste of plastic and I can taste it in freezer bag cooking and the plastic straw from a platy. YUCK!!

Blue Jay
09-04-2006, 23:09
The FDA closely regulates anything that's meant to come in contact with food.

It just seems to me that people are way too concerned about health issues these days, especially considering that our grandparents had more pollution, worse sanitation, more bad habits, and MUCH worse diets than we have now.

The first statement is funny. A government agency funded by corporations is hardly to be trusted with our health. I have worked for years for commercial food prep companies and have yet to see an inspector. I don't expect to see one. The FDA's own tests show chemicals that are completely untested on humans leach into food. They could care less. You taste chemicals because there is more than a trace level in your food.

The second statement is just plain crazy. In the past people ate mostly whole foods, not the over processed stuff we eat today

blackbishop351
09-04-2006, 23:52
The first statement is funny. A government agency funded by corporations is hardly to be trusted with our health. I have worked for years for commercial food prep companies and have yet to see an inspector. I don't expect to see one. The FDA's own tests show chemicals that are completely untested on humans leach into food. They could care less. You taste chemicals because there is more than a trace level in your food.

The second statement is just plain crazy. In the past people ate mostly whole foods, not the over processed stuff we eat today

Thanks for making my point, BJ - most people on here care about this stuff WAY more than I do. I haven't seen any negative affects from the way I live, and I happen to LIKE the way I live. My grandfather always said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Words to live by.

River Runner
09-05-2006, 01:18
I use Zip-lock brand and have never noticed a plastic taste. It's very important to make sure you get the "Freezer" bags and not the regular ones.

Smile
09-05-2006, 07:14
Speedy: with an avatar like that, I don't think you have much room to talk about eating things that won't hurt you.

Don't be scared, sushi doesn't hurt you! Japanese people are healthier than Americans btw, sad but true :)

LOL! As for the FDA being trustworthy about your food, drugs and anything else they 'monitor', I'm ROFL at that one.

Trust your judgment about an "icky plastic taste", that's what your 'buds are for! Hope you find some bags that work for you on your hike :)

TDale
09-05-2006, 09:13
Our city water tastes so bad, we use one of those on-faucet water filters. Man..this is scary, if what I'm understanding here is that I can taste the plastic because I filter out the chemicals from our water...makes me think twice about this whole freezer bag cooking. I tend to have an overly sensitive smeller, but didn't realize my taste

Your sense of smell is about half of your sense of taste. Try this: smell the inside of a freezerbag right out of the box. Smell plastic? Sometimes I do, depends on the day, brand, etc. "They" aren't poisoning you with heat-released toxic chemicals. It's just the smell of plastic. If it's disagreeable try the other options that Sarbar mentioned.

Michele
09-05-2006, 09:29
I have an overactive smeller as well, so perhaps I'll try some different bags, and if it still doesn't work, then I'll just eat out of my pot...no biggie. Sure is nice to be able to tap into the wealth of knowledge and info from this community. Thanks again.

gumball
09-05-2006, 18:43
I've never tasted the plastic, and its the only way I eat when I'm on the trail. I've also used Hefty zips without a problem, as well as ziplocs and wegman's store brand.

I don't live on the trail--I figure that with all that I breathe in from living in the regular world, versus 10 or so days of freezer bag dinners when I section hike...which is likely to kill me first? If its the freezer bags I choose to eat out of when I'm hiking...what a way to go :)

Shade
09-06-2006, 10:25
A shot of Tobasco will take care of the plastic flavor.

neo
09-06-2006, 18:59
i love freezerbag baking also,never noticed any plastic taste:cool: neo




http://www.bakepacker.com/

TDale
09-06-2006, 21:12
But, neo, a lot of people here have never seen you:

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:kDh9L-dDji6HeM:http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sperrin/photochops/images/steve3eyes.jpg



:D

neo
09-06-2006, 21:58
But, neo, a lot of people here have never seen you:

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:kDh9L-dDji6HeM:http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sperrin/photochops/images/steve3eyes.jpg



:D

:D yeah right lol:cool: neo
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=10791&catid=member&imageuser=3462


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9352&catid=member&imageuser=3462

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9060&catid=member&imageuser=3462