View Full Version : backcountry vegetable steamer
The Will
05-30-2009, 20:49
Has anybody seen or made a steamer basket for backcountry use? I could use one of the old-school metal foldings ones our mothers had but I was hoping for one made of a durable plastic/lexon that could withstand the heat of boiling and not scratch non-stick surfaces.
I have thought of rigging up a soft basket of no-see-um netting and securing it to the rim of a pot, or even some type of platform that goes in the bottom of the pot that you place your vegetables on.
So far these are just thoughts on acted upon. I was wondering is someone may be ahead of me in the R&D and point me to a convenient solution.
not totally sure how much steaming your wanting to do, But using the strainer that come inside the basic grease pot along with the grease pot might do the trick.
CampGirl
05-30-2009, 22:35
I like this silicone steamer (http://www.chefn.com/Product.aspx?id=47) from Chefn.
It has nice high feet on it, about 3/4 inch and it squishes down in the pot nicely. Since it's silicone, I imagine you could trim the feet and any extra material on the edges if you wanted to shed a little weight and fit it perfectly to your pot. The little handles are nice to have though for popping it easily out of your pot when you're finished.
The Will
05-31-2009, 00:22
Thank you, CampGirl. That is exactly the thing I had in mind.
LaurieAnn
05-31-2009, 10:28
That's perfect CampGirl. I'm going to have to pick one up for when we car camp (I don't take fresh veggies much on hiking trips)
58starter
05-31-2009, 10:31
eat them raw they are better for you and you do not have to cook
mister krabs
05-31-2009, 10:40
How long do you want to steam things for? If you're only steaming for a few minutes, the way to go is to just put a quarter inch or so of water in the bottom of your pot and put the lid on, get it boiling and drop the food in. No steamer basket needed, ultralight. Most things that I steam are pretty big like broccoli or edamame, so the food is never immersed, just sitting in a little water. Keep an eye on it though, you wouldn't want it to boil dry. You could also use a foil bowl dropped in a small amount of water nif you absolutely didn't weant water touching the food. In such a small container, if it fits totally into the pot, holes in the steamer aren't necessary.
Snowleopard
05-31-2009, 10:52
Careful with the steamer. I melted a plastic steamer at home by boiling the pan dry. Maybe the silicone melts at a higher temperature.
Careful with the steamer. I melted a plastic steamer at home by boiling the pan dry. Maybe the silicone melts at a higher temperature.
Silicone baking/cooking items usually go to 450* or higher and are rated oven safe in most cases.
PS: Looked and the one Campgirl mentioned goes to 400* :)