Lipton Sides and FBC

[Rightfoot]

Might be a silly question but... Will a Lipton Noodle side cook if the contents have been placed in a freezer bag and boiling water added and then placed in a cozy? I use a beer can alcohol stove and generally use couscous with home prepared dehydrated foods. I'm afraid the pasta will not cook. Any first hand experience? If not I'll try it this weekend?

Regards,
Rightfoot

[Wise Old Owl]

Its not silly - but I've never tried it.... So stick the stove on a upside down metal tray (don't burn the table) and try it yourself in the kitchen.



practice....practice....practice... just like sex........

[turtle fast]

Lipton sides is now Knorr sides. Why they switched Lipton to Knorr who knows...probably as Lipton is associated with teas.

[BobTheBuilder]

Based on my experience, yes, it will work. I've tried a few this way and they worked just fine. You might have to let them sit in the cozy a few extra minutes, but it works.

[Spokes]

Yep, it works. Did it all the time, especially when I didn't want to worry about cleaning my pot.

Here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITr1H...e_gdata_player

Lots more. Just search "freezer bag cooking" on YouTube.

Cheers!

[mountain squid]

Concur. It works. I usually used less liquid than what is called for though. The sauce usually doesn't thicken very well. Rices, on the other hand, come out really good. You'll figure out what works for you.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

how to hike
some observations

[Amanita]

They're tolerable, but come out much better if you actually cook them.

[Spokes]

You gotta think like a gourmet chef here- al dente!

[HiKen2011]

They're tolerable, but come out much better if you actually cook them.

I agree, maybe I didn't wait long enough though?

[Creek Dancer]

To save on fuel if I am low, I will soak the side in hot water for about 20 minutes and then cook for a minute or two. Not great, but not too bad.

[peakbagger]

The liptons sides have two basic types, rice and noodles. I find that the rice rehydrates quite quickly (and isnt bad raw) while the noddles need simmering. I used to use the rice based meals if fuel was tight. I expect the same applies to FBC.

[RWheeler]

The rice kinds cook up fine with the plastic bag+boiling water+cozy, maybe a minute more than what's called for.

For the pasta sides, use a bit less water (in the 1 1/2 cup versions, make it a bit more than 1 cup) and let it sit in the water a bit longer (for the 7 minute versions, go ~11 minutes).

That's worked for me testing at home.

[Spokes]

I came to love the "Asian Noodle" side variety. They seemed to cook better. Of course I NEVER had a bad meal on the trail- too darn hungry to be picky.

[BrianLe]

I read someone say on another forum that it doesn't work well at all, but ignorant me, I've eaten a ton of such meals, both rice-based and noodle-based, and been happy with them. My own process is typically to err on the "too much" side with water, and then just drink any remaining liquid after I'm done eating. It might not be as good as cooking it in a more traditional way (?), but it's always been fine for my somewhat uncritical tastes, and my wife doesn't seem to mind FBC Knorr noodle-based sides either.

[ShoelessWanderer]

It'll definitely be on the al-dente side...I've done it many times, especially for long trips...I like not having to clean up the mess...it's not as good as cooking it in a pot, but far from bad as well. And I discover at the end of a long day, a little tougher noodles is a small price to pay for not having to do dishes. (There rice works pretty good too.)

P.s. Also a great method for cooking instant oatmeal.

[flemdawg1]

I came to love the "Asian Noodle" side variety. They seemed to cook better. Of course I NEVER had a bad meal on the trail- too darn hungry to be picky.

Funny, that's the only one that has ever made me sick. Love all the rest of them though. My fave is the Fajita rice and beans (add some chorizo sausage and tabasco).

[Spokes]

Yikes!!!!!

[RWheeler]

I did the same thing, but also shredded up a leftover tortilla that I had and mixed that in with it. Mmmmmmm. A slightly-new flavor. Just what my palate wanted.

[ShoelessWanderer]

TVP (textured veggie protein) is also a great addition to them! Good way to get protein with almost no additional weight.

Hamburger helper also works pretty good with this method...you can add the tvp or just use the pasta.

[skinewmexico]

I can never get TVP to rehydrate properly. Probably just impatient.