How stupid of an idea is this? (Jerky chew)
Posted by AnonFartsALot@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 30 comments
Looking to make some homemade MREs to keep on hand for backpacking/camping and when SHTF. The basic recipe for these meals is shelf stable carbs that are easily rehydrated in boiling water (cous cous, ramen, rice noodles, etc.) + freeze dried vegetables + seasoning + suitable protein in a vacuum seal bag. Store in Rubbermaid tub in cool area and try to circulate out every 2 years by using them for camping meals.
I’ve been struggling with the protein part, because I am horribly picky when it comes to meat and wasting money on freeze dried meat I won’t eat sounds like a bad idea. (Obviously in a survival situation, I’ll buck it up and eat whatever is put in front of me, but I’d like to enjoy my camping meals.) I don’t mind the jerky chews, so I was thinking I could use them. They’re the cans of dried, shredded jerky that look like tobacco chew they sell at gas stations.
The Internet says that in the can they are shelf stable for 6 months… would vacuum sealing increase that? Cured meat should last longer than 6 months, shouldn’t it?
I’d just say screw it and try it for backpacking, but for a survival meal, I want to avoid giving food poisoning to my family lol. Thoughts?
Mission_Credible@reddit
Why not just have a regular jerky on the side of whatever camp food you have? I guess you could toss jerky in a food processor and sprinkle it on whatever you're cooking. Depending on the jerky that might be edible.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
1986 went on my first survival outing with a small group of guys. I was a young teenager.
It got time to break for dinner, I pulled out a ziplock bag with instant soup mix, gatorade mix, small packet of peanuts, little hank of TP, etc. One of the guys noticed I had others like that in my pack and said "you made up little MREs style meals didn't you?" Yeah I said, set them up like what I've seen them have.
It was about all I had in my pack those 3 days, didn't even have a poncho to sleep under. I filled out the Alice pack with socks, so it wouldn't look like I wasn't carrying anything LOL. At one point we had a show and tell type "what are you carrying in your pack" thing. I embarrassingly said I was new and didn't have much gear. They said "oh it's ok, we just want to see what your carrying." I unloaded my ruck, they started laughing at all the socks.
"Why all the socks?" I said I didn't want you guys to think I wasn't carrying anything, I just don't have a lot of gear to carry. They counted them and there was 67 pairs of socks rounding out the pack to make the pack look full. I was 13 years old and that was all the gear I was able to beg/borrow/lay sod and cut lawns for. But we got out there every damn month for years. I remember feeling like I made it when I was able to afford a USGI poncho to sleep under instead of an improvised lean to.
Survivalists back then were 180 degrees different than now- back then we just wanted to get out and learn, meet other like minded folks and train, even if we had no gear. Now a days gear is plentiful and even if it's chinese knockoff stuff, it's available and cheap, but no one wants to get actually get out and train with it. As a movement, we have gone in the wrong direction.
Feeling-Buffalo2914@reddit
Skip the noodles, both ramen and rice noodles. Switch to minute rice and potato flakes.
Protein, make your own jerky. No fat and pound it into your “sawdust” consistency. Then pack it in some airtight containers with an O2 absorber. You can “dip it”, throw it in a cup of water with some freeze dried veggies for an impromptu soup.
You are trying to minimize the water and cooking. Plan accordingly.
To be honest, I made a number of homemade MRE’s and they weren’t bad. Not as long lived as the real ones but for a short term meal or four in the backpack, they work. There are a number of decent videos on YouTube about this.
I will admit that after some time and use, I went back to something that more resembles the old C-rations. A small can of this, a can of that, and so on. And honestly, it doesn’t require heating to eat, it’s better if you can, but not necessary.
Throw in some c-store packets of condiments and salt/pepper, and you can have a much better meal for less than a real MRE.
One box contains spaghettio’s, the next ravioli. Another has chunky soup, the one by it has corned beef hash. Add a can of mixed fruit cocktail, or sliced peaches, or pears, etc. A flavored pouch of chicken or tuna. Some hard candy. Mix it up.
I keep a couple of vacuum bags of minute rice and couscous in some of the boxes. Preseasoned, individual portions, to add to the meal if needed or to keep in the pack for later.
I also made up some protein mixes, a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder, a scoop of PB powder, some creatine and the right amount of dried milk. Just add cold water and shake the heck out of it.
Think outside of the box.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
I have canned meat for my at-home stock, but backpacking with canned food will add unnecessary weight. For backpacking or a SHTF scenario where I’m bugging out on foot, I wouldn’t want cans in my bag. For reference, I’m a 5’4” female who would be carrying rations for myself, 2 dogs, and possibly another person… so weight is a huge issue.
Copy that on the noodles. I just picked up some bulk minute rice and instant potatoes to experiment with. I will try experimenting with drying lean meats. Maybe also try some recipes with protein powder as I have a bunch I don’t use. Thank you for the information!
Feeling-Buffalo2914@reddit
Cans are one of those things that you have to look at carefully.
On one hand, each can is “X” number of ounces. It has a self contained water source. You can even cook in the can, another weight savings.
The dehydrated (freeze dried) package weighs “Y”. And then you have to add water on top of that, to rehydrate and cook. Adding the weight of both together and the savings diminishes.
The majority of us are not going to be hiking the Appalachian Trail. So going to the extreme end of weight reduction is something that needs to be considered.
Over the years I found that a can of Canpbells Chunky soup, poured over a small bed of minute rice made a decent dinner. And unlike many other foods, it didn’t have the unpleasant aftereffects.
I am not 5’4”, but my back has seen better decades. I switched my foodstuffs to a modified backpack that clips to the straps of my normal backpack. The extra rides on the front of my chest, so I can access it if needed, but mostly for balance.
Good luck with your journeys.
legoham@reddit
“Dipping” finely ground meat totally took me back to my childhood. My grandmother would make a roast on Sunday, save a few 3oz chunks for lunch/dinner in the week, and grind the rest into a fine crumble. The crumble could be mixed with mayo to make a sandwich spread or added to noodles. Of course, we would grab a pinch of the crumble while we helped grind it! 😄
Lethalmouse1@reddit
That's not an "MRE", that is just cooking.
Spaghetti and meatballs in a can capable of being eaten cold? Is an "mre" which means....Meal-READY-to-Eat.
Also, why are you reinventing jerky?
Most regular bags of jerky or sausage jerky or bacon jerky are like...more than 6 months unopened. Shit, they have packaged salami and pepperoni with better dates.
So a can of soup, or veggies, etc and any number of jerkey meats. Or canned meats. Or canned stews/beef ravioli... idk.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
Have you ever gone backpacking? Those cans get heavy. MREs are often “just add water.” Ramen requires cooking, but cous cous is literally just add water. The rest are just add HOT water…. Or add cold water and wait a bit lol.
zcleigh@reddit
what you're thinking of are cold weather MREs (white bag). In which case to MAKE your own, you'll need to invest in a freeze drying machine like "Harvest Right." To assemble your own, go on amazon or check local stores for large tubs of freeze dried ingredients and mix/match to caloric and macro needs.
The Brown bag MREs (Traditional MREs) don't require water to be added unless you want to use the heating element. There's also generally a drink mix, but that's more of a add it to your water not the other way around.
Hold an MRE bag and then hold a can of food. There isn't much weight difference. Just find the highest calorie/macro count in a can and you could go with that. That's the realistic option. Other realistic option is is just buying MREs.
If you want to cook in the woods or whatever, put whatever you want in a bag. White rice as an example can have shelf stability up to 20-30 years.
If you've got the money to burn and you enjoy this as a hobby, get a freeze drier and go nuts.
Lethalmouse1@reddit
First off, I literally lived on MREs before... like as part of my job.
Secondly, the weight largely comes from the fact that it already is good to eat....aka, the water.
If you are boiling pasta and rice, you will need to carry that much extra water generally. Unless you're explicitly talking about using procured water? But generally that is not what "MRE" + "Preps" mean simplistically.
You want something totally different: lightweight food for cooking, that you might stomach using so that it isn't just a prep, but the entire design needs to be purpose built for cargo carrying cooking food.
Rice is the best option as pasta and ramen will break up more easily in transit generally. You basically want rice.
Then, logic dictates, that for the weight, regular year + jerky or keep a good rotating stock of salami? If you don't normally eat either, then just bite the bullet and get some freeze dried crap you'll probably throw out every 5-10 years and then die and let you kids throw out the last bit?
Just looking at the dates of random shit in my house, tuna pouches have 2 years from now, bacon bits a year+ and pepperoni a year + (sealed and all). I'm pretty sure you can find plenty of normal jerky to match or beat that.
Horror_Economist7842@reddit
MRE’s are never just add water. Meal ready to eat means open and eat not add water.
73-68-70-78-62-73-73@reddit
OP basically wants camping meals, and is hoping to extend the lifespan of off the shelf jerky shreds by vacuum sealing it. I'm not seeing much of a future in this.
hunta666@reddit
I think if it says 6 months on the jerky chew, I'd approach it with caution. The biggest issue with stored dried meats is that the fat can go rancid, though, admittedly, I've never used jerky chew, so just my thoughts at this point.
I'd maybe have a look at a canned meat alternative with a good shelf life. Im a fan of spam, but I appreciate it's not for everyone.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
Just picked up some spam today! Going to try to add it to something and see if I can tolerate it. It’s good fried, IMO.
hunta666@reddit
Yea, if stored properly, spam can last decades. For me, it's honestly one of the easiest shelf stable meats and edible without cooking.
If it's for survival/ backup food, love it or hate it, if you're hungry, a tin would feel like a banquet. But for normal camp cooking, rice with cubed spam, fried, and seasoned well, is quite a hearty meal.
funnysasquatch@reddit
Overland (aka car ) Camping, backpacking, and survival meals are completely separate levels of preparation.
When camping - you can cook whatever you cook at home as long as you are willing to bring the ingredients. There's absolutely no reason to limit yourself to beef jerky and freeze dried meals. Especially with modern camping stoves and coolers. Not to mention the joy of campfire cooking. Heck, many campsites have electricity. One of the best camping meals I've ever had was chili warmed in a Crockpot. But I would do as much prep as I could at home - simply to save time while camping.
Backpacking - you need to be more mindful of weight and spoilage. But you are not limited to MRE or expensive freeze dried meals like Mountain House. Tuna and chicken come in packets - which are easy to carry. Knorr sides are excellent to bring along. Plus instant oatmeal. Mix some peanut butter, ketchup, siracha and soy sauce at home into a Ziploc - this plus instant ramen becomes backpacking pad thai. Beef Jerky - rehydrated becomes steak on the go.
Survival food - you are preparing for Doomsday. The supermarket supply chain is gone and your pantry is empty. This means "don't starve for a long as possible to give yourself options". A 50 pound bag of rice (frozen first), 50 pound bag of flour, and 25 pounds of beans plus a couple of gallons of cheap vegetable oil (which you need to swap out every year to make sure it's not rancid) stored in a plastic tub in a spare closet -fits the bill. Check it once a month to make sure it's free of pests.
You only need to make jerky chew if it's something you want to do as a hobby.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
The jerky chew I’m talking about is premade. You purchase it at convenience stores.
My objective is to have multipurpose meals for both backpacking (or car camping) and survival. Using them for backpacking and camping serves the function of cycling through to avoid food waste (the packets do expire after a year or two). I’d like them to be things that are not too terrible to eat outside of survival/backpacking to cycle through.
I know that doing this is controversial, but I’ve decided it’s the best use of the resources/space I have. Open to other suggestions though
funnysasquatch@reddit
It’s not controversial. You should start with eating what you normally eat if you find yourself in a disaster. It’s cheaper & easier. Most disasters are not end of the world.
If you are already eating this stuff because you buy it as a snack- then you shouldn’t have any trouble rotating it.
Because it is in your pantry.
If you’re planning for something you want to store without worry if it is perishable this snack you are talking about shouldn’t be in that kit.
Don’t make it harder on yourself trying to figure that out. Keep the rice/flour/instant potatoes/ beans/ oil in that closet. Most likely you’ll never need it.
Buy some extra jerky chew to make sure you have it on hand and the power goes out and you want it for a snack.
kkinnison@reddit
canned meat is an option instead of freeze dried
but there is nothing wrong with taking freeze dried ingredients and making your own ready to cook soups and stews. even with added spices based on your taste. Make some bannock using oil/salt/flour and some water and you can have an amazing filling "camp" meal
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
I use to have much of the same thoughts and concerns. And this was a huge topic between my wife and I especially after moving to northern Minnesota just 45 minutes south of the Canadian border. After running the numbers it became a no brainer to bite the bullet and get a freeze dryer. We use it for tons of stuff including homemade dog food. We’ll buy brisket flats in bulk at Sam’s, we’ll keep two of them to eat in the normal manner then we’ll grind half the remaining flats, that ground meat is then divided into thirds, 1/3 is for making beef snack sticks, 1/3 is used to make freeze dried hamburger patties and the last third is separated into 1 pound blocks and then dried for normal cooking use. The other half of the box of flats is smoked, shredded and freeze dried for whatever we want it for. We also buy veggies in bulk on sale whenever we find them and freeze dry all that too. As for storage, we probably go a bit overboard but buying the supplies in bulk you can afford to go a little overkill, we store our freeze dried stuff in Mylar bags, then toss both an oxygen absorber and a desiccant in the bag, then we vacuum seal the bag.
We hit our personal storage goal a while back, so next we got the cottage food certification. So we’re in that rotate for ourselves and sell the excess we don’t have room for.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
Man, I’ll tell you what. If I had freeze dryer money, I would be freeze drying everything. Those things are so cool! But I’ve got grad student on a single earner income working in social services money. Lol. That’s really cool that you’re able to generate income with it.
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
Totally get it. And congrats on the grad. student.
Harvest right does have a layaway program and they’ve got payment plans now.
paratethys@reddit
Shredded jerky is probably getting lower shelf life estimates than regular jerky in part because it has more surface area of the food in contact with the atmosphere in the container, which would accelerate oxidation.
If you took it out of the original container and vacuum packed it with an oxygen absorber, it'd probably stay good for longer.
But if you're ok with doing a bit of food prep like adding boiling water to your shelf stable carbs, you also might be ok with carrying regular-format jerky and something to shred it up with, to get the result of shredded-jerky-texture combined with regular jerky shelf life.
Judinous@reddit
My go-to for these kind of meals is TVP (textured vegetable protein, basically soybeans with the oil pressed out). It stores basically forever since the fats are already removed and you can make it taste like whatever meat you'd like by just dropping some chicken/beef/pork/etc bouillon in water and letting the TVP soak it up for 5-10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. You can also just get it pre-flavored if you want to skip that step as well, or just toss it directly into whatever broth you're already using and let it taste like the rest of the soup. In something like a soup the taste and texture is basically identical to finely diced meat, or close enough that nobody should mind for something like a camping meal or MRE.
I often use TVP in my soups or stir fry at home simply out of convenience because I don't need to have planned ahead to have meat thawed beforehand. It's also dramatically cheaper than meat (about $0.50/lb rehydrated) and roughly twice the protein density, so that's a nice plus as well. The long shelf life, low cost, and crazy protein density make it pretty ideal for both regular pantry usage as well as long-term stored food prep.
AnonFartsALot@reddit (OP)
This is actually really helpful! Thank you!
Countrylifefoods@reddit
Hey, would you be willing to share about what type of things you look for when making your own long-term food supplies? We are a plant-based company, so we don't have all the ingredients you'd need, but the grains, the beans, and other staples, we definitely have in stock.
I'd love to schedule a call where we can discuss the idea and set up a time to record the conversation to help educate others.
Let me know what you think!
ScumBunny@reddit
Those foil packs of tuna, salmon, and chicken are great. They pack down small, last a while, and can be added to anything to complete a meal.
Beast_Man_1334@reddit
There's a major difference between freeze dried and dehydrated. Freeze dried removes all moisture as dehydrated keeps some. I have learned unfortunately the difference when I went to consume a dehydrated meal after expiration.
thescatterling@reddit
If you want shelf stable protein you want beans. Beans and rice are nutritionally a very good combination. The “complete protein” thing is misunderstood, but broadly accurate. Rice and beans my friend.
Eredani@reddit
Jerry is probably not going to meet your needs. For two+ years you will need canned or freeze dried meat.