Camping is one of the most exciting pastimes. After all, you get to immerse yourself in nature and bond with your loved ones. In other words, you make some fond memories when you’re camping, and that’s why so many people love participating in this activity.
However, camping has its own downsides, and one of the most prominent ones is the food. Since you’re not at home or inside a hotel with a kitchen, you can’t properly cook meals when you’re camping. For that reason, you may have to resort to meals-ready-to-eat — or MREs for short.
But how do you make your own MREs? What are the steps you have to take? To help you in this matter, here’s a guide on how to make the best homemade MREs.
Invest in High-Quality Tools
Before you start making your own MREs, you first have to invest in a few tools that can help you in this process. If you don’t have these tools, then you will have a difficult time making your own MREs.
- Food dehydrator: this device takes out the moisture from food. For this reason, it’s typically used when preserving food products like fruit, vegetables, and meats.
- Vacuum sealer: as the name suggests, this device takes out the air from the space around your food and then utilizes a heated seal bar to secure the bag. With no air inside the package, the food inside lasts longer.
- Mylar bags: these are bags made of polyester resin. With its enhanced barrier properties, this is the type of bag that’s ideal for storing MREs. Also, this can be customizable from flexible packaging company. Know more about custom mylar bags : https://pkgmaker.com/custom-
mylar-bags/ - Desiccant: this is a substance that is used to sustain a state of dryness in its vicinity.
All these tools will help in the preservation of your MREs. In other words, they will have a longer shelf life, and you don’t have to worry about them getting spoiled.
Know What Ingredients You Should Include and Not Include in Your MREs
Once you’ve gathered all the necessary tools, it’s time to assemble all the ingredients for your MREs. You can find examples of MREs that you can use as a reference for your own from survival sites, like www.bugoutbill.com/. And when you’ve studied these various examples, you’ll eventually notice that they share similarities in terms of ingredients.
This is because each MRE requires certain ingredients so as to deliver the maximum amount of nutrition for you while still tasting all right. The ingredients you must include in your MRE are carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, and/or fruits.
That said, there are also ingredients you must avoid including in your MREs. These are dry beans, pasta, rice, and dried root vegetables. You have to avoid these ingredients simply because they actually require a lengthy cooking time, which is the exact opposite of what an MRE should be.
Example MRE Combinations
Are you still looking for MRE ideas? Here are a few recipes you can try out:
- Breakfast MRE
- Oats
- Dried fruits
- Dried milk
- Sugar and cinnamon
- Tomato and Chicken Soup MRE
- Dried tomatoes, carrots, and peppers blended into powder
- Dried milk
- Herbs and spices of your choice
- Freeze-dried chicken bits
- Mashed Potatoes and Steak MRE
- Mashed potato flakes
- Freeze-dried steak
- Dehydrated spinach
- Herbs and spices
Conclusion
In order to make your camping trip successful, you need to have meals ready to eat (MREs). This list provides you with a helpful guide on how to make your own MREs, so you should peruse the tips mentioned above carefully. In no time, you’ll be able to whip out delicious MREs for your wild adventures.
