Nourished Living: Some simple tips for keeping campers happy and safe

by Dietician Kelly Hamlin MA, RD, CDN

Camping…love it! The boys and I just got back from a great tenting weekend and thought it would be helpful to share a few food safety tips and meal ideas with those of you who are new to the experience.

And for you veteran campers, maybe you’ll pick up something new!

Of course, there are differnt levels of camping. When we had our travel trailer, I had access to a refrigerator, freezer, microwave, etc.

But now that we’re tenters it’s a whole different mind-set.

No matter what your idea of camping is, I think you will find the following tips to be useful.

1. Plan, plan, plan! Think about your meals ahead of time. Gather all the needed ingredients, including spices, condiments, etc.

To save space, measure your ingredients in advance and put them in baggies/plastic containers.

2. If you’re storing food in coolers, make sure you have enough ice to last for the trip. You can purchase freezer packs, or make your own by using the bladders from boxed wine.

When the wine is gone, fill the bladder with water and freeze.

The 3-liter size fits better. They are kind of a pain to fill, but it’s great way to recycle.

Also, there is less of a watery mess left in your cooler.

3. Another way to keep things cold is to place meat with a marinade in a freezer bag and freeze it.

As the meat slowly thaws, it gets marinated and ready to cook.

Note: Don’t plan on cooking the meat your first night as it will still be hard as a rock. (Yes, I learned that the hard way!)

4. To cut down on grilling time and to save fuel, consider par boiling chicken before putting it on the grill.

Meat should be cooked to the following internal temperatures to assure food safety:

Whole poultry – 165° F; Poultry breasts – 165° F; ground poultry – 165° F; hamburgers, beef – 160°F; Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks, roasts and chops) Medium rare – 145 °F; Medium – 160 °F; All cuts of pork – 160 °F.

5. Rubbing the bottoms of pots and pans with dishwashing soap before cooking makes for easier cleanup later.

6. Bring along plenty of heavy duty aluminum foil and a couple of ziplock bags which have a variety of uses.

7. Hook a hanging closet organizer on your canopy to hold paper towels, plastic-ware, cups, etc. to keep things handy.

Use colored bins to color-code storage of such items as food, propane and cookware so you can easily direct your camping buddies to them.

8. Before you head to your camping destination, find out if there is a farmers’ market nearby so you can enjoy the local, farm fresh goodness while you’re camping.

I get several emails per week from people planning a visit to the area who want information about our Farmers’ Market.

(Which, in case I haven’t mentioned previously, is on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m. on Park Ave., behind the Old Forge Hardware.)

There are many websites where you can find great camping recipes. I’m definitely going to try the one for scrambled eggs in a bag. No dishes…how can you go wrong?!

Besides food safety, remember to be safe with your food as most critters aren’t shy about getting into coolers, tents or even cars.

Ask your campsite ranger or attendant about the best way to store your food.

You don’t need a bear or a raccoon tearing your tent apart for a snack.

Hope everyone is having a great summer, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Market.

Herkimer County Cornell Cooperative Extension will be here this week to offer samples, literature and advice. Stop by our booth and check it out.

Meanwhile… Happy Camping!

 

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