[pct-l] trail cooking

[dicentra]

Since my attatchment apparently didn't go through, I'll cut and paste. Credit 
should also go to Sarah at Freezerbag/Trail Cooking because she allowed me to 
adapt her document. My appologies for the length. This is intended to be a 
hand-out.

~Dicentra



Are freezer bags safe?

Concerns over using plastics? Is it safe to use freezer bags?

My personal opinion is yes, but you really should do the research yourself and 
make your own informed decision. I have provided some discussion points and 
links below to help you make that decision.
Freezer bags are considered food grade plastic. While using them for eating out 
of is not a claimed use on the bag's box, most major manufactures have 
microwaving as a use and temperatures easily exceed boiling point in a 
microwave. For freezer bag style cooking, you use water below the boiling point 
and you do NOT boil the bag in water to prepare meals in this manner. As always, 
the decision to use plastics is YOURS alone. This information and that in my 
books is offered for informational purposes only. I do not take any legal 
responsibility for the use of any materials or methods described her, nor in our 
books, nor of any products mentioned in them.
There are a number of emails that are constantly sent around the internet these 
days, claiming that plastic bags, plastic containers, Saran® wrap, etc are 
cancer causing time bombs - which of course contain often only a tiny bit of 
truth it seems.
If you would like to read excellent researches on plastics and safety, try these 
links: 


http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/99/Microwave-Safe-Containers
http://www.plasticsmythbuster.org/rumors.asp
For more information, visit Ziploc's website, and go to the FAQ page. You will 
see, all Ziploc® brand items are Dioxin free. Ziploc® freezer bags state on 
their box that they are microwavable safe. Microwave temperatures can easily 
exceed the heat of the water you will use for your dinner on the trail. One use 
for the bags that is not recommended is boiling the bags. One of the more 
popular emails floating around concerns the "Zip loc Omelets" where you boil 
eggs in a bag for 12-15 minutes, in a pan of water. It works quite well, but the 
boiling water can weaken the bag, or if the bag touches the hot pan, it can 
melt. Some confusion can occur with this, until the person asking the question 
realizes that to do "FBC Method" cooking you are not boiling food in the bag, 
but rather, adding hot water to the bag! The water cools down below boiling 
pretty quick as the food absorbs that heat and is cooked.
Most major name brand freezer bags are made of 100% polyethylene. Most bags are 
3 mil thick. As with any question, it does come down to your own personal 
feelings. If you do not like plastics, then look above for ways to use our 
recipes and methods using the one pan method. 

 
http://www.onepanwonders.com ~ Backcountry Cooking at its Finest
http://www.freewebs.com/dicentra