What is your best provisioning tip?

[Normanby]

In like Flynn there D&D!

I haven't checked out the recipes yet, but I will ASAP.
I have high hopes for the Thermal Cooker, soon as I buy one...

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Normanby

In like Flynn there D&D!

I haven't checked out the recipes yet, but I will ASAP.
I have high hopes for the Thermal Cooker, soon as I buy one...

We'll look forward to hearing from you Normanby...and looking after you as well!

Last night the thermal cooker complemented our fish with spicy baked potatoes, followed by banana cake...and we served it all after sunset cocktails and 5 mins on the BBQ for the fish...

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Amnesia II

If I'm reading this right it's a bizare statement! I boil my kettle on the stove, cook every meal on the stove and make bread in the oven. I also have a pressure cooker which is wonderful for soups and stews in a fraction of the time....turned down to low heat too!

If you want to do silly things with pressure cookers, areosol sprays, guns, motor cars or dare I say boats then yes these things can be dangerous!

I agree. It's absurd to limit yourself to cold food "for safety." Learn how to use the equipment on your sailboat safely or don't have one.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by D&D

...and if you really want to save fuel when cooking, use a thermal cooker. Thermally cooked meals require a small fraction of the time (and fuel!) of any stove top or oven cooked process...and, with a bit of planning, they're hot and ready-to-eat over a long 'window', i.e. whenever you arrive; or when it suits your guests; or when it suits the weather; or when you feel hungry!

Thermal cookers are brilliant units. Simple. Safe. Easy to use. They prepare a huge variety of foods. We love ours and use it all the time, including this yummy carrot cake...

Attachment 66476

Thermal Cookware, Floating Impressions

It sounds brilliant and I would like know more about it, but the link you provided shows only cooking ware, unless I'm missing something -- and since I don't know what I'm looking for, I may well be.

[Crimea Cruiser]

I premix all ingredients for bean,dried lentil or pea type soups and include all dry spices. You can add all sorts of dried ingredients in these mixes including mushrooms, jerky and such. I then store mixture for each complete meal in a canning jar until need. It is quick and simple. Just empty complete jar into pot of water or broth and soup's on!

I agree with bringing peanut butter if you like it. My wife insists I bring my allotted 2 kilos customs limit with me anytime I return to Crimea from states, as PB is non existent there also as in many other places throughout world.. I also stock plenty of wasabi peas onboard as they are hard to find, seemingly rot resistant, and a pleasant diversion from normal snacks. Plus they are darn addictive little buggers!

[zeehag]

when you cruise to tropics , do not bring foods that take a lot of cooking or heat to cook..
donot bring foods you donot know how to cook thinking you will learn to cook it there..lol

i saw folks do the above.--i over provison, but that has been a goood thing.

[CatGirl]

I just provisioned for 6 months so it's pretty fresh in my mind. Yes you can buy food everywhere you go but we are heading off the beaten track, from Fiji to remote Vanuatu, Solomons and PNG, so options at most of the local food stores (except a few of the big towns) are selections like tinned fish and bully beef...yuck! Plus Fiji is cheap compared to those countries down the road.
I suppose my best tip is to note what you have in each cabinet. On the inside door of each food cabinet I tape up a list of what is in there with hash marks next to each item. For example: pesto sauce III, then each time I take out a jar I mark off one of the hash marks. It helps me figure out what I've got, gives me meals ideas at a glance and great for figuring out what I need to replace.
I really haven't bought any meat here, since we catch a lot of fish, make lentils quite a bit (for our protein fix) besides I don't really like the meat here. But I plan to can a bunch of beef when we get to Vanuatu, where the beef is excellent, grass fed and cheap.
So I suggest a pressure canner (I use a pressure cooker nearly everyday so combo unit can be quite handy) to can meats, fish etc... which saves heaps of fridge/freezer space and make great quick meals with just a little heating up.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by CatGirl

I just provisioned for 6 months so it's pretty fresh in my mind. .............

6 months - wow

Any chance of a copy of that list?

I have both a pressure cooker (which I use a lot), and a thermal cooker which has yet to be used.

Cooking in the home, I tend to get a lot of mileage from my slow cooker, so I guess the thermal cooker will get a good workout once I get away.

[ShaktiGurl]

Originally Posted by CatGirl

So I suggest a pressure canner (I use a pressure cooker nearly everyday so combo unit can be quite handy) to can meats, fish etc... which saves heaps of fridge/freezer space and make great quick meals with just a little heating up.

This is really interesting to me. I used to do some canning a long time ago but just in a boiler. I have not used a pressure cooker. Do you have a suggestion for a good size/brand? I assume you keep a set of glass jars on hand?
Thanks! - Mari

[Crimea Cruiser]

Originally Posted by ShaktiGurl

This is really interesting to me. I used to do some canning a long time ago but just in a boiler. I have not used a pressure cooker. Do you have a suggestion for a good size/brand? I assume you keep a set of glass jars on hand?
Thanks! - Mari

Hi Shakti,

We used the the boiler method growing up too, and is fine for pickles and jams, but any canned meats and certain vegetables must be vacuum sealed in pressure cooker for safety from contamination. We use Ball or Mason jars that can be reused multiple times and come in varying sizes.
There are prior threads that address lists of foods and sites devoted to canning using pressure cookers.

[geankopa]

My experience with vacuum sealed plastic bags is that they loose the seal over time.
Does anyone have a solution for this?

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by ShaktiGurl

This is really interesting to me. I used to do some canning a long time ago but just in a boiler. I have not used a pressure cooker. Do you have a suggestion for a good size/brand? I assume you keep a set of glass jars on hand?
Thanks! - Mari

Look into a Fagor Futuro. I bought this set from the same site or $189. (Prices change a lot if you watch!)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B001BVYG52

If you want to can I'd suggest a 10 qt. I like this specific model because it is stainless steel and has a small handle that fits into storage well. The pressure valve is also very easy to use compared to the old 'jiggler’ models which are still made oddly. For an example look at the All American pressure cookers. They are huge usually.

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[ShaktiGurl]

Originally Posted by sailcruiser

Look into a Fagor Futuro. I bought this set from the same site or $189. (Prices change a lot if you watch!)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B001BVYG52

If you want to can I'd suggest a 10 qt. I like this specific model because it is stainless steel and has a small handle that fits into storage well. The pressure valve is also very easy to use compared to the old 'jiggler’ models which are still made oddly. For an example look at the All American pressure cookers. They are huge usually.

SC

Thank you for the suggestion! I was doing some searching yesterday and ran across the Futuor. Looks very nice and I like the compact size. I will have to learn some new cooking and canning techniques.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by geankopa

My experience with vacuum sealed plastic bags is that they loose the seal over time.
Does anyone have a solution for this?

use the food sooner, they don't last forever

but I have never had one lose its' seal unless a hole got poked in it

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by ShaktiGurl

Thank you for the suggestion! I was doing some searching yesterday and ran across the Futuor. Looks very nice and I like the compact size. I will have to learn some new cooking and canning techniques.

Some of my favorite sources:
Books:
http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Vickies-R.../dp/0470873426
http://www.amazon.com/The-Boat-Galle.../dp/0071782362

Websites:
http://missvickie.com/
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/le...pressure-cook/

I'm looking into a thermal cooker myself since I love a crockpot. I found pressure cooking quite similar oddly.
SC