Packit Gourmet

Deluxe Meal Sampler Giveaway from Women's Adventure Magazine

2011-03-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Want a little extra Packit Gourmet in your pack? Sign up for the Women's Adventure Magazine meal sampler giveaway and score 22 of our most popular meals AND a Cook-In-Cozy! Oh, yeah!

Click here to enter the Packit Gourmet Giveaway and win a Deluxe Meal Sampler!

Our Meal Labels Get a New Look

2011-03-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, we try to step back and take a fresh look at our labels to make sure they're delivering all of the info our wonderful customers need. Usually the updates are minimal, but this time we've changed things up a little more than usual by placing the emphasis on Cook-In-Bag prep in our meal instructions. Alternate instructions that focus on traditional Cook-In-Pot prep at camp or at home are also included.

Why? Well, it turns out that a large number of our customers are going the cook-in-bag route, for a number of reasons: fuel conservation, just-add-water ease, minimizing the need for camp pots and pans and easy clean up... just to name a few.

But that's not to say that Cook-In-Bag prep is for everyone or for every meal. Cook-In-Pot prep at camp or at home may require a little more effort and clean-up than its Cook-In-Bag counterparts but this more traditional method will deliver a more robust flavor that, according to backcountry chefs, translates quite well to the 'at home' dinner table.

We've had reports of people using Packit Gourmet at home for a quick lunch or dinner, in emergency situations when the power has been cut off, when stuck working late at the office and keeping on hand as an easy meal that the kids can prepare. Who knew?

Auction Alert! Win a Basic Meal Sampler for Two

2011-03-04T09:16:00.001-06:00

The amazing people at Wilderness Volunteers is auctioning off a Basic Meal Sampler for Two! All proceeds go to Wilderness Volunteers - a nonprofit organization created in 1997 to organize and promote volunteer service to America's wild lands.

The Wilderness Volunteers organization connects service volunteers with public land agencies including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Go check it out and bid HIGH!

The Auction will run until March 15th.

New Donation Recipients

2011-02-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

We get hundreds of requests from organizations and individuals for sponsorship or donation for events, and while we can't accept them all, we are happy to accept 2-3 requests per year. To date for 2011, we have selected two fantastic organizations to receive donations from Packit Gourmet - the Alabama Hiking Trail Society and Wilderness Volunteers!

Alabama Hiking Trail Society

The Alabama Hiking Trail Society and its members strive to plan, build, and maintain safe hiking trails for all to enjoy throughout the state of Alabama and educate the public in the careful use and enjoyment of Alabama's great outdoors.

Wilderness Volunteers

Wilderness Volunteers is a nonprofit organization created in 1997 to organize and promote volunteer service to America's wild lands. The Wilderness Volunteers organization connects service volunteers with public land agencies including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Read about all of our donations and sponsorships and find out how you can apply to receive a sponsorship or donation for your favorite effort or organization!

Pasta Puttanesca Earns a Great Review from Backpacker

2011-02-10T09:46:00.004-06:00

Pasta Puttanesca was the romantic meal of choice by Backpacker Magazine for their Valentine's Wine & Dine selection least month! Is it any wonder this saucy little entree made the grade?

Market Pasta Puttanesca

Packit Gourmet's Market Pasta Puttanesca is sumptuous enough to have made Backpacker Magazine's Valentine's Gift Guide!

Check out the review of this satisfying, rich meal that tastes great and is a snap to prepare!

A Tasty Valentine's in the Outdoors

2011-02-07T14:41:00.003-06:00

February brings with it thoughts of melting snow, upcoming Spring weather (and hiking!) and Valentine's Day celebrations. We've put together a few ideas on how to enjoy the best of both worlds with a LOVEly outing in the backcountry.

Trailside Gourmet Set Menu

Fixe Prix menus often pop up around Valentine's Day - a set price menu offering a delectable selection of options for a three or four course meal. Our Trailside Gourmet menu is much the same, guaranteeing a full day of indulgence! Choose from a selection of our most popular and mouth-watering meals sure to make your romantic weekend in the outdoors one to remember.

Deluxe Camp Kitchen Pack

For chefs who enjoy creating their own lovingly prepared recipes, our camp kitchen packs may be just the ticket! Choose from the wide selection of ingredients included in this kit and turn your own menu ideas into a tasty creation sure to sweep your sweetheart off of their feet.

Choose Your Favorites

Weather you and your significant other go for traditional strawberries and chocolate or find nothing more romantic than a hot-n-spicy gumbo under the stars - you can make it happen with a side trip to Packit Gourmet. Choose from a wide selection of delectable meals and a bounty of chef-inspiring grocery items and make this a memorable month in the camp kitchen!

Pondering Serving Sizes

2011-01-31T13:23:00.001-06:00

Are single serving or two-serving portions the way to go?

We've gotten some very strong reactions from hikers on the topic of whether we should stock one or two serving sizes. Some advocate for more Single Serving meals while others prefer a Double.

This is your chance to weigh in! We're considering phasing out some of our two-serving meals in favor of a solo pack - what are your thoughts?

Participate in a quick poll (pictured on right) and let us know your preference. Have more to say? Email us at quickpoll@packitgourmet.com and let us know what you REALLY think!

Trail Delivery Schedules

2011-01-19T11:09:00.000-06:00

We understand that all of the preparation involved in getting ready for a long trek can take the fun right out of planning for a great adventure. There is just so much to consider: the right equipment, the number of miles per day, the right clothing, the food....

So let us make one thing easier (well two if you count the food)! For those thinking ahead to those much anticipated mail drops, have we got a list for you!

Check out our Trail Delivery Schedule for a long list of mail drop locations!

We've listed hundreds of mail drop locations for both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails so you can receive all of your favorite items and quench trail cravings while on your trek!

But it doesn't end here - we plan to continue sharing the love! Keep checking back as we add more mail drop locations along hiking trails, paddling trails and more. And if you have a specific trail request or a mail drop location you can't wait to share, let us know!

Beverages for Cold Winter Days

2011-01-04T19:10:00.000-06:00

When cold weather descends and snow and ice blanket the land, nothing quite hits the spot like a steaming hot beverage.

With just a bit of hot water, you can easily enjoy a high quality coffee - take your pick of the basic cream and sugar, a frothy cappuccino or a rich mocha.

For a caffeine-free treat, try a decadent, all-natural hot chocolate made with milk and real milk chocolate.

Tea drinkers may choose to enjoy our Himalayan Blend Chai Tea for a treat in the wilderness or indulge in a refreshing cup of green tea - both guaranteed to warm chilled hikers!

Meal Sampler Packs

2010-12-22T19:07:00.000-06:00

We've put together a selection of our most popular meals in several different Meal Sampler packs! Choose the Basic or Deluxe in a single or two person serving.

Perfect for those looking to sample the flavors or plan a quick trip - several of each type of meal are included (breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert) plus a couple of sides and cocktails!

Available Sampler Packs:

Soups for the Slopes

2010-12-16T18:58:00.000-06:00

Ski season is upon us! After spending the day on the slopes, nothing quite hits the spot like a steaming hot soup packed full of tasty goodness. Whether you've been skiing, snowboarding, hiking or building snow caves, these just-add-water, cold-weather meals are our picks for the season:

'The Big Easy' Gumbo

Packed with chicken, okra, tomatoes and rice and more, this hearty gumbo needs just a little hot water and less than 15 minutes 'till chow time. At 16oz per serving, you'll have your choice between a single or two-serving pack. Includes tabasco packets and optional cornbread toastees.

Austintacious Tortilla Soup

The TexMex version of Chicken Noodle Soup, this southwest comfort food is full of chicken breast, corn, sweet bell peppers and spices. Topped with tortilla chips, real Monterrey Jack cheese and Cholula hot sauce - it's no wonder this soup is an award winner!

Tuscan Beef Stew

This traditional beef stew is loaded with chunks of beef, carrots, corn and potatoes and served up Italian-style over a bed of creamy polenta. Fit for an Italian restaurant but ready in a few with just a little hot water!

Holiday Gift Suggestions

2010-12-01T13:07:00.002-06:00

The holidays are coming up and for those of us who love nothing more than spending our days and nights in the outdoors, finding a little backcountry grub in our stocking might just be the ticket!

Camp Kitchen Packs

Give the gift of being able to recreate your favorite recipes in the outdoors with our Camp Kitchen Packs! Kitchen Packs include a wide variety of veggies, beans and other delicious camp-friendly grocery items perfect for backcountry chefs.

Bean & Veggie Pack | Basic Pack | Deluxe Pack

Set Menus

Have a friend who enjoys a specific camping style or is headed off to an area with a particular challenge? Then a gift selected from our Set Menus may be in order. Just choose the menu that suits your friend's need best and and he/she will be good to go since all set menus include a breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Burn Ban | Calorie Packed | Drought Conditions
Featherweight | Quick & Easy | Trailside Gourmet

Don't have any idea what the ideal backcountry kitchen gift may be? Go with a Packit Gourmet Gift Certificate and allow the recipient to choose from over 80 award winning meals, 200 adventure-friendly grocery items and our unique selection of outdoor cooking gear - all suited for eating well on the trail!

Backpacker Magazine Reviews our 'The Big Easy' Gumbo

2010-11-25T13:56:00.001-06:00

Packit Gourmet makes it as the only meal reviewed in Backpacker's Fall/Winter Gear guide! Of our 'The Big Easy' Gumbo, Backpacker says:

"Take the chill out of a winter evening with this hearty delicious stew-like entree. Packed with white-meat chicken, long-grain rice, tons of veggies and topped with crunchy croutons, this savory gumbo had our staff fighting over the last ladle one cold night while camped on a glacier in Norway. "I'd never guess it was dehydrated" says one tester."

-Backpacker Magazine Fall Gear Guide
November 2010

Stainless Steel Serving Tongs

2010-11-23T14:51:00.000-06:00

These 6½ inch stainless steel serving tongs are great for adjusting the contents of your pot or acting as a serving utensil. Thanks to the wide gripping area, these tongs allow more flexibility when serving or picking up pieces of food. These small tongs can be nested in most standard sized camping pots making transport easy.

Backcountry Magazine Reviews our Zydeco Red Beans & Rice

2010-11-17T11:33:00.001-06:00

Backcountry Magazine recently the chance to sample our Zydeco Red Beans & Rice - check out what they had to say about it!

"Complete with sticks of real spicy sausage, this zesty, two-serving meal might just change your attitude regarding just-add-water meals. Try the equally satisfying Dottie's Chicken & Dumplings or Pumpkin Cheesecake."

-Backcountry Magazine
November 2010

Texas Pete Hot Sauce

2010-11-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

There's a new hot sauce in town!

Texas Pete's famous blend of 3 different types of peppers is aged to perfection to bring out the natural, bold flavor. The result is a rich, delicious sauce with strong cayenne overtones. Great on eggs, pizza, chicken, veggies, and just about everything else!

Ingredients: Peppers, Vinegar, Salt, Xanthan Gum, and Benzoate of Soda (to preserve freshness and flavor).

Backcountry Birthday Cake

2010-11-01T11:56:00.003-05:00

Backpacker reviewed several birthday worthy desserts to find out how to spend your special day in style. One top pick - Packit Gourmet's Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes!

If you're looking for an authentic, mouth-watering cake experience, look no further. Preparation is more complex than most, but it's worth it.

You'll want this baking kit which includes a whisk, scraper, reusable food-grade silicone cupcake holders, & a steaming tray which lifts the cakes off the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. The package makes 4 cakes which fit neatly into my 1.6L pot

The hardest part is keeping the lid on the pot for 10 minutes to lock in the steam, but the final product will prompt your friends to say: "Oh good Lord that is amazing...Can I please lick the bag?"

-Backpacker Magazine
November 2010

Social Interactions

2010-10-20T14:02:00.005-05:00

We love interacting with our customers through email, phone and online forums. Two of our favorites are Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook is a great way to stay on top of all the latest Packit Gourmet news!

We'll let you know about new meals and grocery items, articles, sales, newsletter releases and more!

Plus you'll be able to check out comments from other customers and pst your own!

Get all of the same updates and information on twitter - online, on your your phone, anywhere!

Scout Discounts Just Got Bigger

2010-10-07T10:11:00.000-05:00

We're strong supporters of getting kids into the great outdoors! We've always given scout troops a discount on PackitGourmet.com but we're growing... so we've been able to increase that discount another 5%!

Scouts can now sign up to get 15% off of everything on the site - meals, groceries and gear! Just have your troop leader send in a partnership form and we'll set up a discount code made just for your troop.

Your troop's discount code can be used to supply your troop on group camping trips or it can be used by individual troop members to supply their own meals on trips or when working to earn badges and patches.

Scouting Resources

2010-10-04T13:53:00.002-05:00

We've been working on a special new section just for scouts! Our Scouting Resources area is packed with information for scouts! It's still a work in progress but we've already added several great pages - check them out!

Troop Discounts

Learn how to sign your troop up

Scout Partnerships

Check out troops that have already partnered with us

Earning Merit Badges & Patches

Suggestions on how to meet cooking requirements

Scouting Sites & Resources

A collection of helpful scout specific websites

New Meal - Wrap Rescue

2010-09-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

Wraps are an easy and filling meal to prepare while on the move - - but with only meat and condiments they can be a bit lackluster. Our Wrap Rescue is a cheese & veggie booster pack, which includes three types of cheese PLUS tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms and onions - not to mention all the basic condiments! Add to your favorite wrap base for an easy and satisfying lunch on the go. BYOB - Tortillas.

Weighs	Serves	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
4.1 oz	1	None	0.5 oz	None	5<	Super EZ

Pairing Suggestions:

Details:

Makes enough filling for one large wrap or two small wraps
BYOB – Tortillas & Meat
Gluten Free
Included Condiment Packets:

Amore Concentrated Pesto Paste

2010-09-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

This super-concentrated pesto paste is packed in a convenient tube with a screw-top lid for easy storage. Made with all natural, fresh basil, sunflower and olive oils, salt, pine nuts, and garlic, this pesto paste concentrate is great in pasta, pizza and spread on bread.

Ingredients: Basil, Sunflower Oil, Olive Oil, Salt, Pine Nuts, Garlic, Citric Acid.

Contains a backpacking superfood - olive oil!
Olive oil is loaded with good fats that provide long-lasting energy and antioxidants. Olive oil is also great for aching muscles and joints because it acts as an anti-inflammatory.

More Superfoods

New Meal - Big'un Burrito

2010-09-02T11:26:00.004-05:00

This mega burrito is packed with black beans, brown rice and corn PLUS a delicious blend of veggies, cheese and spices! Enjoy as a vegetarian entrée or add on chicken fajita meat for a protein packed meal. BYOB-Tortilla.

Weighs	Serves	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
7.5 oz	2	1	12 oz	Boil	20<	Super EZ

Details:

Cook-In Bag Meal

This meal requires boiling water when cooked in the bag
Rehydration time is about 10 minutes

Serving Size

Makes two big burritos or four normal size burritos

Makes 16 oz of filling

Vegetarian Option
Gluten Free
This is a BYOBread meal. We recommend tortillas.
Included Condiment Packets:

Cholula Hot Sauce

New Backcountry Cheese Options

2010-08-27T11:02:00.003-05:00

Cheese, glorious cheese!

One of the most difficult foods to pack in for a long trip in the backcountry - but who can stand to go without? If you're not up to hiking with fresh cheese, there are two new shelf-stable options available to you:

Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese with Onions & Chives

This shelf stable white cheddar cheese is blended onions & chives, making it a tasty option for a trailside snack or melted into an entrée. Perfect with crackers - even better when paired with a nice salami!

Wisconsin Chipotle Cheddar Cheese

This shelf stable chipotle cheddar cheese boasts the subtle smoky flavors of chipotle without being overly spicy. Melt into refried beans or slice on your tacos for a tasty treat in the backcountry.

Contains a backpacking superfood - milk!
We all know that calcium is good for building strong bones on a daily basis but it’s even more important when bones have been stressed by a day of hiking or climbing. Milk is also a good source of protein, zinc and vitamin B which all work to keep you going strong.

More Superfoods

Amore Concentrated Tomato Paste

2010-08-18T12:07:00.001-05:00

This super-concentrated tomato paste is packed in a convenient tube with a screw-top lid for easy storage. Made with ripe tomatoes, this tomato paste concentrate is great for pasta, pizza, soups, sauces and more.

Ingredients: Tomato Paste, Salt

Contains a backpacking superfood - tomatoes!
Tomatoes, fresh, powdered or dried, are a good source of vitamin C which helps in iron absorption and helps to rebuild tissue broken down on the trail. Surprisingly, sun-dried tomatoes pack up to 12 times the nutrients of fresh tomatoes at a fraction of the weight!

More Superfoods

Seasonings - Add a Punch of Flavor to Trail Food

2010-08-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

When cooking in your home kitchen, your spice rack and pantry are in easy reach to season your creations. But when cooking at camp, your options are much more limited.

We have a wide variety of seasonings available for the wilderness chef - everything from powdered wine, honey and soy sauce to freeze-dried sauteed onions and herbs.

We've recently added a few new seasonings to our pantry:

Understanding Dried Foods - Backcountry Ingredients Explained

2010-08-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

Backcountry chefs work with backcounty versions of their favorite ingredients all of the time - but there can be some challenges to dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. We've put together a few articles to help explain the unique attributes of your trail ingredients:

Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Explained

Curious about the difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated? Let us explain.

Storage & Shelf-Life of Dried Foods

Read up on storing and prolonging the shelf-life of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods.

Rehydration Ratios

Compare multiple ingredients based on the amount of water needed for rehydration and the length of time needed for each ingredient to 'come back' to a fresh state.

Fresh/Dry Equivalencies

Trying to wrap your head around just how much one ounce of freeze-dried or dehydrated food is? Find out how much fresh food was needed to make that ounce.

Nutrition per Ounce - Groceries

Concerned about the number of calories or amount of protein on your menu? Compare your ingredients based on nutritional content and build the menu that works best for you.

Freeze Dried Sausage Crumbles

2010-07-29T11:29:00.005-05:00

Create your favorite recipes in the wilderness with the same real, high quality meat that you would use at home. Our premium freeze-dried sausage crumbles cooks quickly and is packed with flavor so that you can enjoy everything from eggs with sausage to sausage with pasta to pizza while you’re on the trail.

Ingredients: Cooked Pork, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Water, Sodium Phosphate

Did You Know?
* 2oz of freeze dried sausage crumbles is approximately equivalent to 4.3oz (1/3 lbs) of fresh sausage.

View more Fresh/Dry Equivalencies

New Meal - 'The Big Easy' Gumbo

2010-07-21T14:37:00.005-05:00

We've gotten rave reviews about our Nawlins YaYa Gumbo - it's packed with okra, tomatoes, rice and features local smoked sausage links for an authentic and tasty backcountry treat.

You've been so enthusiastic about our gumbo that we just couldn't resist coming up with 'The Big Easy' Gumbo!

Packed with New Orleans soul, 'The Big Easy' Gumbo is an easy just-add-water version of our popular Nawlins YaYa Gumbo! We've doubled the amount of chicken, increased the veggies and nixed the sausage for a gumbo that's just as large, tasty and filling without the work or the weight! Swimming with celery, okra, tomatoes and rice – it’s a rich and flavorful meal in the wilderness. Jazz it up with Louisiana's own Tabasco Sauce!

Serves	Weighs	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
1	4.2 oz	1	16 oz	Boil	15<	Easy
2	8.5 oz	1	32 oz	Boil	15<	Easy

Details:

Cook-In Bag Meal

This meal requires boiling water when cooked in the bag
Rehydration time is about 15 minutes

Serving Size

Single serving meal makes one large (16 oz) serving or two small (8 oz) servings
Two person meal makes two large (16 oz) servings or three small (10.5 oz) servings

Included Condiment Packets:

Tabasco

We Love Packit Gourmet!

2010-07-13T12:25:00.002-05:00

Want to spread the love around? Request a few of our postcards to pass around to your scout troop, backpacking club or friends! Send an email to trailfood@packitgourmet.com and let us know that you'd like a few cards. We'll be happy to send them to you!

Bonus: postcard recipients get a complementary Austintacious Tortilla Soup!

Please include the following information in your request:

Your organization's information

The name of your association
The type of organization you're supporting
The number of people in your group

The number of cards you'd like to pass out to your group
The address and contact information of the place where you'd like the cards sent

If at all possible, please request that cards be included with your order.
If not placing an order at the time of request, we will be happy to send the cards to you free of charge.

Chopped Green Onions

2010-07-08T12:16:00.004-05:00

We just got in a shipment of dehydrated green onions - fresh and flavorful, we're excited to add these onions to our grocery lineup!

Toss a few chopped green onions into sauces, soups, stews and other dishes for a punch of flavor and a splash of color. Made with fresh, green onions, this is a great addition to any menu.

Did you know?
1 oz of dehydrated green onions is approximately equivalent to 4oz (¼ lbs) of fresh green onions.

View more Fresh/Dry Equivalencies

Easy Summer Salads & Soups

2010-07-06T10:28:00.003-05:00

Hot summer days make cool-prep meals all the more appealing. We've introduced three delicious summertime meals this month that can be made with just cool water and a few minutes rehydration time - it doesn't get any easier than this!

Want even more cool-prep options? Check out all of our Just-Add-Cool-Water meals.

New Meal - Cool Garden Gazpacho

2010-07-02T12:34:00.004-05:00

Chill out after a long day of hiking with our Cool Garden Gazpacho. This classic Mediterranean dish is a refreshing blend of a veritable garden of vegetables, including tomatoes, celery, garlic and lemon. Perfect on a hot summer day!

Serves	Weighs	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
2	2.8 oz	1	24 oz	None	10<	Super EZ

Details:

Cook-In Bag Meal

This meal requires cool water when cooked in the bag
Rehydration time is about 10 minutes

Serving Size

Two person meal makes two large (12 oz) servings or three small (8 oz) servings

Vegan/Vegetarian
Gluten Free
Dairy Free

Meyenberg Goat Milk Powder

2010-07-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

Goat milk is a great alternative for people sensitive to cow's milk. Delicious and unique in flavor - this will provide a new take on your standard 'granola with powdered milk' breakfast.

Made with 100% real milk
Mixes easily in water
No BGH
No Antibiotics
No Preservatives
Higher in calcium, vitamins A & B, and potassium than cow’s milk

Details:

4 oz (113g)
1 oz powder = 1 cup milk
Makes one quart (4 cups) of whole milk.

Ingredients: Goat Milk, Vitamin D, Folic Acid Directions: Place contents of one packet into a 1-quart container. Gradually mix in warm water to measure one quart. Tom make one cup: Use 4 rounded tablespoons of powder to 8oz warm water.

We all know that calcium is good for building strong bones on a daily basis but it’s even more important when bones have been stressed by a day of hiking or climbing. Milk is also a good source of protein, zinc and vitamin B which all work to keep you going strong.

More Superfoods

Rehydration Ratios

2010-06-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

When creating your own backcountry recipes, it's important to know just how much water it's going to take to rehydrate your dried and powdered foods. Too much and you'll end up with soupy vegetables; too little and your dehydrated meal won't fully rehydrate.

We've put together a comprehensive Rehydration Ratios chart of all of our freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients to help you determine just how much water you'll need!

This should help you in considering the cooking method that works best with your dish:

Cool-Water Cooking
Cook-In Bag Meals
One-Pot Meals

Here's a preview of what you'll find in our chart:

Dehydrated Vegetables

Vegetable	Water Ratio	Rehydration Time
Cabbage Shreds	2 parts cabbage : 1 part water	Cool Water: 10-12 minutes Hot Water: 3-5 minutes
Carrot Flakes	2 parts carrots : 1 part water	Cool Water: 5-7 minutes Hot Water: 2-3 minutes
Green Onions, Chopped	2 parts green onion : 1 part water	Cool Water: 3-5 minutes Hot Water: Instant

View full Rehydration Ratio Chart

New Meal - Picnic Potato Salad

2010-06-28T16:54:00.004-05:00

This homestyle potato salad is the perfect complement to a trailside wrap or sandwich (and fabulous with the All-American Burger Wrap!). Diced potatoes, chopped green onion, pickle relish and a creamy mayonnaise dressing – spread the checkered tablecloth!

Weighs	Serves	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
6.1 oz	1	None	5 oz	None	15<	Super EZ

Details:

Cook-In Bag Meal

This meal can be 'cooked' in the bag with hot or cool water

Rehydration time is about 20-30 minutes with cool water
Rehydration time is about 10-15 minutes with hot water

Makes one large (14 oz) lunch serving or two (7 oz) side servings
Vegetarian
Gluten Free

Sunbutter Sunflower Seed Spread

2010-06-24T11:13:00.002-05:00

These 1.1oz packets of all-natural sunflower seed butter make a great nut-free alternative for those sensitive to nuts. A unique and tasty alternative to peanut butter, this is a great way to enjoy sunflower seeds without the bothersome shells! Spread on a cracker or squeeze on a BYOB-Tortilla!

All-Natural
Peanut Free
Gluten Free
Tree-Nut Free
Cholesterol and trans fat free
A great high protein, low carbohydrate food

Ingredients: Sunflower Seed, Dehydrated Cane Juice, Salt, and Natural Mixed Tocopherols to preserve freshness.

Single-Serve Cheesecakes

2010-06-21T10:27:00.002-05:00

We've been getting quite a few requests to offer our cheesecakes in a one-person serving . . . and we've listened to your feedback!

Our lemon cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake are now all available as single-serves!

Seasons All-Natural Tuna Pouch

2010-06-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

Vacuum packed tuna is a lightweight way to enjoy fresh fish on the trail. In addition to being tasty, tuna is an excellent source of lean protein and is high in omega-3s which will help repair tired muscles after a day of strenuous exercise.

Packed In Water
No Draining Necessary
Hand Filleted
Wild Caught
Dolphin Safe

New Meal - Apple Waldorf Salad

2010-06-10T14:46:00.003-05:00

A refreshing and tasty treat in the wilderness, our Apple Waldorf Salad serves up a medley of tart apples and crunchy pecans over a bed of savoy cabbage - topped off with a tangy herb dressing, this satisfies when veggie cravings hit! Great as a side dish or a "make ahead" lite lunch.

Weighs	Serves	# Pots	Water Need	Heat Need	Cook Time	Prep Ease
6.4 oz	1	None	6 oz	None	15<	Super EZ

Details:

Cook-In Bag Meal

This meal requires cool water when 'cooked' in the bag
Rehydration time is about 10-15 minutes

Makes one large (14 oz) lunch serving or two (7 oz) side servings
Gluten Free

Sponsorship Profile - Loyal Mehnert

2010-06-07T10:55:00.001-05:00

Packit Gourmet is sponsoring Loyal Mehnert on his latest travelanthropic journey! Loyal departed on June 1st to hike the Camino de Santiago through France and Spain - an ancient pilgrimage route covering nearly 500 miles and varied terrain.

He will immediately follow this hike with a 500 mile bike ride through the Midwest United States - 1000 miles total! Loyal is engaging in this travelanthropic journey to raise funds and awareness for post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Wild Garden Hummus Dip

2010-06-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

This smooth and creamy hummus makes a great snack or take a long a couple for a protein packed lunch. Spread on pita bread, crackers or chips, much with veggie sticks or enjoy with falafel.

All Natural
No Preservatives
No Trans-Fats
Vegan
Gluten Free

Ingredients: chick peas, sesame paste, water, sea salt, natural spices, citric acid.

No Mess Eggs

2010-06-01T10:14:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves eggs in the morning but scrubbing a frying pan after breakfast is no fun at all. We weren't willing to compromise on the flavor of our egg dishes by moving to lackluster just-add-water pre-cooked eggs but we found something just as good - boilable bags!

Mix your migas or breakfast tacos in a boilable bag, submerge it in a pot of boiling water and, voilà - perfectly cooked eggs without the mess! Bonus - you can use the leftover hot water to make your morning cuppa joe.

Boilable bags are sold separately, but we have included instructions on each label for preparing eggs in a boilable bag.

Sponsorship Profile - Philip Werner

2010-05-11T11:58:00.005-05:00

Packit Gourmet is excited to sponsor Philip Werner as he embarks on a 175 mile hike across the Scottish Highlands!

This 14 day coast-to-coast hike is an annual, international, non-competitive hiking event called the TGO Challenge. While the TGO Challenge is open to everyone, very few Americans participate with the majority of hikers hailing from Europe.

Philip is striving to open the doors to more American hikers, by participating in and blogging about his experiences hiking across Scotland.

BACKPACKER Reviews Our Cheesecakes

2010-05-07T11:41:00.004-05:00

And the Verdict is... Instant Deliciousness

"As a general rule, I don't believe in dessert, but I do believe in cheesecake and my mom's apple pie; they're both delicious enough to warrant their own food groups. Since the latter of the two isn't available in trail-ready form, and I had never met a portable cheesecake I was impressed with, my backpacking nightcaps had traditionally been limited to picking the M&Ms out of my GORP. All that changed with the Packit Gourmet Cheesecakes.

Packit describes the prep as “Super EZ,” and that’s exactly right. All you need to add is a cup of cold water, ten minutes, and - voila - instant deliciousness. When sampling the flavors at Torrey Pines State Reserve, we were consistently confounded by the comparable consistency and flavor to cheesecake made at home. Packit wouldn’t disclose their secret sauce because they’d “have to kill me,” but they did say they focus on ensuring the taste and texture are the same as what they’re used to in the kitchen.

Suffice it to say, whatever they did, they did it right. All attempts to decide on a favorite flavor failed; in the end, we agreed that the Lemon Cheesecake is best for sunny days, whereas the Pumpkin Cheesecake is best for nights by the campfire. Although Strawberry got the bronze, it was still pretty delicious in its own right.

The pouches are marked as having servings for two, but we found splitting it three ways provided just enough for everyone. You can prepare it in the bag if necessary, but I would recommend bringing a couple of dishes like Guyot Designs Squishy Bowls (pictured above and recipient of an Editor’s Choice Award in 2007). Aside from guaranteeing an even ration, licking the cheesecake off the bottom makes clean up fun and easy. Packit gets bonus points for using recyclable plastic for its pouches, organic ingredients whenever possible, and having a 100% wind powered facility.

Bottom line: Some backpackers might eschew spending more than half a pound of pack weight on a single dessert, but when your palette is starved for something refreshing on the fifth consecutive day of oatmeal, this is worth every ounce.

View Review

Camp Kitchen Packs

2010-05-04T11:26:00.002-05:00

We've put together three different grocery kits based on the items you need most! Each kit contains both freeze-dried and dehydrated items carefully selected to give you the fastest rehydration time and lightest pack weight possible.

Bean & Veggie Pack

A great kit for veggie-loving campers! We've put together a wide variety of our favorite freeze-dried and dehydrated veggies along with a selection of dehydrated, pre-cooked beans. All this, and enjoy over $15 in savings!

Basic Camp Kitchen Pack

The perfect combo for the new backpacking chef or a great way to replenish a dwindling supply. Our Basic Camp Kitchen Pack includes two types of meat along with a nice assortment of the most popular beans and vegetables. Plus, use your $20 in savings to throw in a few extras!

Deluxe Camp Kitchen Pack

The ideal pack for a camper who wants it all! Get everything that's included in our Basic Pack PLUS freeze-dried fruit, freeze-dried cheese, powdered dairy and the Cook-In Bags you'll need to easily prepare your dish in the outdoors. Stock your pantry and enjoy over $30 in savings!

New Single-Serving Meals

2010-04-30T12:08:00.001-05:00

We've been converting more of our two-serving meals to single-serving portions and we're excited to announce three new additions!

Nawlins YaYa Gumbo

Okra, chicken, sausage, tomatoes and more come together in this hearty, tasty dish!

Zydeco Red Beans & Rice

Texas smoked sausage combines with classic red beans and rice for authentic New Orleans flavor. Top it off with Louisiana's own Tabasco and a side of cornbread toastees.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Classic New York style cheesecake combined with organic strawberries make for the ideal backcountry dessert! Super EZ to make and topped off with a gingersnap crust - it doesn't get any better than this.

Adventure Update

2010-04-26T08:04:00.007-05:00

Packit Gourmet is sponsoring Jordan Romero in his quest to climb the seven summits of the world!

Jordan set off for Everest in early April! The team in now in Tibet and making their way toward the mountain. Catch up with Jordan at JordanRomero.com and view exactly where the team is now via their live map.

"We trust our lives with this food. AMAZING stuff. Thanks Packit Gourmet!"

-Team Jordan Romero

Single-Serve Set Menus

2010-04-21T09:58:00.001-05:00

We've had our set menus for two-people available for quite awhile but we thought it was high time for some single-serving options! Check out our menus based on real camping needs - whether you'll be camping with limited water, no stove or all of the amenities!

Burn Ban

A great selection of meals for campers looking to conserve fuel and wash a limited number of dishes!

Calorie Packed

We've put together a selection of our highest calorie meals for long distance hikers looking to pack on the calories!

Drought Conditions

Camping in the desert? Check out this selection of meals for campers looking to conserve water and wash a minimum number of dishes.

Featherweight

A meal set designed with ultralight hikers in mind.

Quick & Easy

A little more work than our 'Burn Ban' menu, our 'Quick & Easy' menu combines great tasting meals with minimal workload.

Trailside Gourmet

Discover the camp-chef in you! Our Trailside Gourmet menu offers a great selection of our more gourmet meals - don't worry, you can choose the menu that best fits your cooking style by checking the 'prep ease' column.

Sponsorship Profile - Team Jordan Romero

2010-04-06T11:40:00.001-05:00

Packit Gourmet is sponsoring Jordan Romero - a 13 year old boy on a quest to climb the highest mountains on each continent (the seven summits of the world). He's already succeeded in reaching the peak of five of the mountains - Mt. Everest is next! If he succeeds, he will be the youngest person in the world to have summited Mt. Everest.

Jordan is also working hard to teach kids about the importance of eating well and getting outdoors. In support of these goals Packit Gourmet will be providing all of the food for the trip for Jordan and his parents as they embark on their adventure!

April Newsletter

2010-04-01T09:54:00.002-05:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our April news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the April newsletter:

Single-Serving Set Menus

Sponsorship Profile

Team Jordan Romero

Packit Gourmet's Organic T-Shirts
Canadian & Australian Shipping

Shipping to Canada & Australia now available
Other Countries available by request

April Sale Items

Basic Camp Kitchen Pack

2010-03-23T07:32:00.000-05:00

The perfect starter kit for the new backpacking chef or a great way to replenish a dwindling supply! Our Basic Camp Kitchen Pack includes all of the basic vegetables, beans and meats necessary for eating well on the trail. We’ve included a mix of our favorite dehydrated and freeze-dried items so that you can enjoy maximum flavor, quickest rehydration and lightest pack weight possible.

$20 in Savings!
Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Vegetables
Dehydrated, Pre-Cooked Beans
Freeze-Dried Meat

Included Packets:

Dehydrated Carrots (3 oz)
Dehydrated Mixed Bell Peppers (2 oz)
Dehydrated Mixed Leeks (1 oz)
Dehydrated Tomatoes (2 oz)
Dehydrated Vegetable Blend with Tomatoes (3.0 oz)
Tomato Powder (2 oz)
Freeze-Dried Broccoli (0.8 oz)
Freeze-Dried Celery (0.5 oz)
Freeze-Dried Corn (2 oz)
Freeze-Dried Green Beans (1 oz)
Freeze-Dried Onions (1 oz)
Freeze-Dried Peas (2 oz)
Freeze-Dried Potatoes (2 oz)
Dehydrated Black Beans (4 oz)
Dehydrated Pinto Beans (4 oz)
Dehydrated Lentils (4 oz)
Freeze-Dried Chicken (2 oz)
Freeze-Dried Ground Beef (2 oz)

Boar's Head Bacon Strips

2010-03-19T11:36:00.000-05:00

Two convenient pouches of shelf-stable bacon are included in each box making it easy to enjoy bacon wraps or a side of bacon with your breakfast while you’re in the wilderness. One pouch of this premium bacon is just about the right amount for one person so they’re no need to repack and the attractive odor of bacon is sealed away from curious animals.

Gluten Free
Naturally Smoked

Cutlery from a Renewable Resource

2010-03-08T07:17:00.002-06:00

Backpacker's "The Green Scene" recognized our Bamboo Mini Utensil Sets as a great piece of green gear:

Metal utensils scratch non-stick pots, and I find plastic melts around the fourth piece of french toast I'm flipping. But bamboo won't rip up non-stick pots, and unless you actually light it on fire, it'll flip your french toast, stir your spaghetti, and spoon cereal into your mouth for as many days on the trail as you can muster.

Those are just some of the reasons that I love Packit Gourmet's Bamboo Mini Utensil Set. This knife, fork and spoon set is made from bamboo, which is stronger than wood. Though bamboo has been getting a bad rap lately when it's processed into polyester, in its raw form (which this set is), it's from a quick-growing renewable resource with relatively low environmental impact. Bonus: it's small enough to nest in most cook sets (six inches long), a mere 0.7 ounces for the set, and a reasonable $6 at your local outfitter or online. packitgourmet.com

Gourmet Condiments & Green Utensils

2010-03-05T10:21:00.001-06:00

Those of you that enjoy inventing your own recipes will be happy to hear that our extensive condiment selection got a mention in the BACKPACKER 2010 Gear Guide too! And don't forget the cooking gear - our Mini Bamboo Utensil Set is a great green alternative to teh standard eating utensils.

Condiments

Stop filching them from convenience stores on the way to the trailhead. They don't stock the good stuff anyway. For real gourmet add-ons, go to PackitGourmet.com, where you'll find balsamic vinegar, French fruit jam, Justin's nut butters, chocolate fudge sauce and more - all sold in individual packages made for the trail.

B amboo Mini Utensil Set

This three-piece Bamboo Mini Utensil Set is safe for nonstick cookware, lighter than Lexan, plenty durable - and greener, since fast-growing bamboo is a renewable resource.

Five Essential Meals from BACKPACKER

2010-03-05T09:22:00.002-06:00

Backpacker Magazine released their top Backpacking Essentials this month - a variety of products that make hiking and camping easier, safer and more comfortable. Included: "the best dehydrated dinner we've ever tasted" and four other meals from the Packit Gourmet line-up!

Tuscan Beef Stew

"The best meal I've ever had on the trail," says one tester. "If I was served this at a restaurant, I would have complimented the chef." Unlike so many camp stews, this one actually looks good - full of colorful vegetables like corn and carrots and tomatoes - and it's served atop creamy polenta. With the protein punch of the beef, it's also satisfyingly hearty after a long trail day. Serves 2, with bigger-than-average portions.

Cheddar Jack Cheese Spread

"Real cheese flavor, blended with spices and veggies, make this spread way more appetizing than I expected," says a tester whose family scarfed it in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bring your own crackers, tortilla pr extras to dip. Prep: Just add cold water.

Jump-Start Fruit Smoothies

"Exactly what I want in a breakfast," says one tester, "fast, no mess, great taste. It's like a creamy yogurt drink without a strong yogurt flavor, and you can really taste the fruit." And with 420 calories, 42 grams of carbs, and 35 grams of protein, this really can serve as breakfast. Testers' only wish: even more fruit chunks. Prep couldn't be easier: add cold water and stir. Comes in four flavors: Berry Berry (our fave), Tropic Fusion, Kiwi Berry and Eat a Peach.

All-American Burger Wrap

Why wait until after the trip to get that burger you're craving? "This actually tastes like it came off the grill," says one tester. The meat is a little crumbly but not dry; wrap it in a tortilla (BYO) with ketchup, mayo, mustard and relish (included in separate packets, so yes, you can have it your way). Testers also liked this company's deli-style Roast Beef Wrap.

TexMex Breakfast Taco

"The best dehydrated breakfast I've ever tasted," says a self-proclaimed food snob with more than 15 years of experience testing camp meals. "It has real-egg texture and flavor, and the tangy salsa has chunks of tomatoes and just the right amount of kick." The egg-potato-cheese combo has long lasting fuel, so we didn't need an energy bar an hour after leaving camp.

March Newsletter

2010-03-03T07:52:00.000-06:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our March news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the March newsletter:

Five Essential Meals from Backpacker Magazine

Grocery & Gear Get Nods Too!

Cheesecake Extravangaza!

March Sale Items

Portable Bananas

2010-02-24T07:47:00.005-06:00

Our Banana Puddin' popped up in a recent blog entry by Backpacker's Trail Chef:

I'm about to invest in bubble wrap for my bananas. Regardless of how I package them, or how gently I transport them, they arrive at their final destination bruised and battered.

At home they are my go-to pre- and post-workout snack because of the promise of a little potassium, welcome sugar, a good dose of carbs and Vitamin B6 in a low-fat, low-calorie package. Not to mention they are low maintenance and tasty, in my opinion.

But every time I place a banana in my CamelBak, daypack, or messenger bag I inevitably (in no particular order) a) stuff my jacket and gloves into the same compartment as said banana b) lose an edge on my snowboard and fall on my back rendering said banana unrecognizable or c) forget about said banana in my pack of choice until the smell becomes unbearable.

This year I'm going to (try to) leave the whole, raw bananas behind with the help of these stable banana alternatives.

Packit Gourmet Banana Puddin'
www.packitgourmet.com
Classified as "Super EZ" this banana pudding features real bananas {it actually says "Banana" on the ingredient list}, coconut, and vanilla custard. It is a little higher in salt then I'd like, but all you have to do is add cool water to the bag and wait 10 minutes.

Check out the entry for other non-bruisable banana alternatives or invent a few of your own using our freeze-dried banana dices. There are endless possibilities: banana pancakes, banana smoothies, bananas dipped in fudge, bananas mixed into your trail mix....

Cheesecake Extravaganza!

2010-02-20T20:33:00.009-06:00

We must have had a serious cheesecake craving this month (who doesn't?) because we came up with three amazingly delicious cheesecake flavors! We've paired each with a tasty gingersnap and pecan crust for three creamy, satisfying desserts.

We developed a delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake some time ago but just when we had it perfected, one of our main ingredients was discontinued (drats - we hate when that happens!) and we had to find the perfect substitute. We had all but given up hope when we happened across a replacement for our missing ingredient - and this one is even better than the original! Yum, yum, yum! Our reinvented creation threw us into a cheesecake frenzy and inspired two more mouthwatering flavors...

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake isn't just for the holidays anymore! The two amazing flavors of pumpkin pie and New York style cheesecake come together in one delicious, easy-to-make backcountry dessert. Top that off with a crunchy gingersnap crust and you've got one tasty dessert!

Strawberry Cheesecake

This classic and unbelievably delicious combination of strawberries (organic!) and cheesecake is sure to be a hit around the campfire. A summery, rich dessert our strawberry cheesecake is a perfect ending to a long day on the trail.

Lemon Cheesecake

A tangy and refreshing dessert - tart lemons and sweet cheesecake come together in perfect mouth-puckering harmony in this zesty treat!

February Newsletter

2010-02-02T13:05:00.006-06:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our February news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the February newsletter:

Cook-In Cozy
Leightweight Instant Meal Packets

New Meal Alert!

Southwest Black Bean & Corn Salad

February Sale Items

Thanks Jetboil!

2010-01-28T17:52:00.002-06:00

The Jetboil team served up samples of our Austintacious Tortilla Soup at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and we'd like to give them a big THANK YOU!

The Jetboil Personal Cooking System holds the perfect amount of water for our 2-serving Austintacious Tortilla Soup and brings it to a boil in just minutes!

The Jetboil team was able to boil up many a package of tortilla soup and handed out samples to convention goers. A delicious treat on a chilly January day!

Introducing the Cook-In Cozy

2010-01-11T19:39:00.013-06:00

Our insulated Cook-In Cozies are the perfect complement to our Trail Meals, Cook-In Bags and your own backcountry menu creations! These cozies retain about 10% more heat than an uninsulated bag resulting in the perfect steep-cooking environment; faster rehydrating and a better serving temperature meal. PLUS they squash down nicely in your pack for storage and the bright color makes them easy to spot. Their insulating properties also makes them good for keeping lunches cool or protecting "bruisable" items.

Lightweight
Easily fits our largest Cook-In Bag
Vinyl fabric wipes clean inside and out
Secure velcro closure
Standup-gusseted design helps stabilize meal pouches while steep-cooking
Front pouch can store cooking/eating utensils
Convenient carrying handle
Bright color helps to find cozy in backpacks and low-light situations

Minutes Passed	With Cook-In Cozie	Without Cook-In Cozie
1	195°	195°
2	195°	192°
3	195°	191°
4	194°	190°
5	192°	190°
6	192°	189°
7	190°	188°
8	190°	184°
9	190°	183°
10	190°	181°
11	190°	180°
12	188°	180°
13	188°	180°
14	188°	179°
15	188°	178°
16	188°	175°
17	188°	173°
18	188°	171°
19	187°	170°
20*	187°	170°

*Heat loss is three times greater without the Cook-In Cozy

Best Gear of 2009: Calipidder’s Top Ten

2010-01-06T16:33:00.002-06:00

Yes, we're on the list! Here's what Calipidder has to say about us:

3. Packit Gourmet Foods

I discovered Packit Gourmet sometime last spring and put in an order for my summer food supply after reading some very positive reviews of their meals. Last year’s list included Enertia Trailfoods which I still do like, but I found myself getting a bit burned out on their stuff even though I still enjoy it far more than other backpacking food. Packit Gourmet offered some variety and interesting options that I hadn’t seen before so I eagerly tried it out, ordering several different types of meals. The first thing I tried was their Austintacious Tortilla Soup, and it was so good upon arriving home from that trip I immediately ordered more. I’ve gone through many other of their offerings and I have yet to find something that isn’t yummy. I can’t believe I’d say this about any kind of backpacking food, but I swear I could eat their meals at home for regular dinner and be perfectly happy and satisfied.

*Calipidder.com offers trip reports, photographs, and gear advice for exploring California’s parks and remote backcountry on foot. Based in Silicon Valley, Calipidder.com is owned and written by me, Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd, a technology geek and backpacking addict. This site focuses primarily on backpacking, with a healthy dose of dayhiking, peak bagging, geocaching, photography, and miscellaneous other outdoor sports.

January Newsletter

2010-01-04T20:22:00.002-06:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our January news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the January newsletter:

Field Guide - Resources for the Trail-Chef

Charts, Tables & Spreadsheets

New Meal: TexMex Breakfast Taco

2009-12-29T08:14:00.002-06:00

Breakfast tacos are found all over Texas, from street corners to high-end restaurants - and they are loved by one and all! We've brought this tasty dish to the trail with our newest addition - the TexMex Breakfast Taco!

Not only do these tacos taste great for breakfast, any leftovers can easily be rolled in a tortilla and packed away for a quick snack later down the trail.

Meal Stats:

2 Tacos per Person
Weight: 8.3 oz
Water Need: 10 oz
Cook Time: >10 minutes
Vegetarian and Sausage Options Available
Gluten Free

Two New Charts!

2009-12-13T20:31:00.006-06:00

We put together two new charts to help make planning your next backcountry trip as easy as possible!

Our Nutrition per Ounce chart lists every item available in our General Grocery (nearly 200 items!) by the amount of nutrition contained in one ounce of that food item! Plan your total pack weight to get the greatest amount of calories, fat, carbohydrates or protein and/or least amount of cholesterol or sodium.

Our second new chart is designed to help you get a much better understanding of your freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients. Did you know that it takes 24oz of fresh celery to make just 1 oz of freeze-dried celery? View this and other equivalencies in our Fresh/Dry Equivalencies Chart.

December Newsletter

2009-12-04T10:08:00.004-06:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our December news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the December newsletter:

Holiday Shipping Delay

2009-11-11T13:56:00.009-06:00

Packages will not be shipped November 20-December 2

Our office will be closed November 20 - December 2 to allow everyone at Packit Gourmet to spend time with their families and get a little hiking in.

Orders placed during this timeframe will begin being shipped December 3rd in the order in which they were received. If you would like your order shipped before the holiday break, please be sure to place your order no later than November 19th.

We thank you for your understanding and apologize for the inconvenience!

Cookset Contest

2009-11-09T09:44:00.005-06:00

Have you heard?! We're giving away a GSI Pinnacle Dualist Cook System!

Send us your best recipe, food story, cooking tip or trick! We'll pick the best of the best and the winner will get a new cookset just in time for the holidays!

Set Includes:

1.8 L Pot
Strainer Lid
2 20 fl. oz. insulated mugs
2 20 fl. oz. bowls
2 Sip-It tops
2 Telescoping Foons
Stove Bag
Welded Sink

Read more about the contest and enter now for your chance to win!

November Newsletter

2009-11-03T11:14:00.006-06:00

Did you receive a copy of our newsletter? Catch up on all of our November news here.

Don't miss out on contests, new meals and grocery items, sales and other Packit Gourmet news! Sign up for our newsletter.

Featured in the November newsletter:

Cookset Contest
Backcountry Bake Sale
How to make Skillet Bread
Steam Baking in the Outdoors
November Sale Items

Tasty Trail Treats

2009-11-02T08:18:00.002-06:00

Baked goods are always a big treat on the trail - especially when they've been drenched in caramel or doused with chocolate! Check out our new favorites:

Ginger's Sticky Toffee Pudding-Cakes

A backcountry twist on the traditional British “pudding”, our cakes are made with gingerbread and topped with a creamy caramel sauce for a decadent wilderness treat! Perfect on cool evenings, warm gingerbread and hot caramel come together to make a sweet ending to a day in the outdoors.

Your Mom's Classic Yellow Cake

Straight from the heartland - these little cakes are a must for backcountry celebrations - birthdays, anniversary's, top-of-summit, end-of-trail or just end-of-day! Topped with rich chocolate fudge frosting - you won't have any problem finding someone to lick the silicone cup clean!

Leave No Trace Video

2009-10-27T12:59:00.006-05:00

We all know how important it is to Leave No Trace when we're in the backcountry, especially when we're in a more heavily-used area. The National Park Service has developed a very well done video complete with beautiful images and useful tips, reminding all outdoor enthusiasts of the importance of Leave No Trace ethics.

Take a minute to watch the video and pass it along to your favorite scout troop, hiking club or other outdoor organization.

And don't forget! All Leave No Trace members get 10% off all Packit Gourmet products as a part of your membership benefits!

BackpackGearTest reviews Packit Gourmet

2009-10-20T09:34:00.001-05:00

BackpackGearTest.org has posted three comprehensive reviews of Packit Gourmet meals done by independent testers. Check them out and let us know what you think!

Review #1 : Bob Sanders, 51. Meals tested in Colorado
Review #2: Carol Crooker, 50. Meals tested in Arizona & New Mexico
Review #3: Thomas Vickers, 41. Meals tested in Southeast Texas

The Lowly Lentil

2009-10-15T08:20:00.004-05:00

Looking for ways to use our pre-cooked lentils on the trail? Read up on a few recipes and learn about the nutritional content of lentils as it applies to active people.

For the Love of Lentils

Our lentils are pre-cooked, so these recipes (and others) can be prepared even more quickly than directed!

The Everlasting Tortilla

2009-10-01T11:47:00.005-05:00

Tortillas are an incredibly versatile and easy-to-pack bread. They hold up well in your pack and can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ve dined on tortillas with everything from breakfast tacos to ‘sandwich’ wraps to quesadillas – not to mention the more traditional tacos and burritos. But which tortilla holds up best on the trail?

We tested out three types of flour tortillas to find out which one would make the grade: freshly made tortillas (made the same day that we purchased them), Mission Brand tortillas and Tia Rosa Brand tortillas.

We placed two sets of tortillas from each package in a freezer bag. We then placed one set outside in 100° weather, and left the other set inside where the temperature was about 75°.

Here is what we learned...

	Fresh Tortillas	Mission Brand Tortillas	Tia Rosa Brand Tortillas
Purchase Date	08/20/2009	08/20/2009	08/20/2009
Sell By Date	08/26/2009	09/06/2009	09/03/2009
Mold Date
90° - 100° weather	8/23/2009	09/25/2009*	09/25/2009*
75° - 80° weather	8/23/2009	09/25/2009*	09/25/2009*
Manufacturer Stated Shelf-Life		Flour tortillas: 14 - 35 days Tortilla Wraps: 60 days Low Carb tortillas: 25 - 35 days Corn tortillas: 8 - 35 days
Website	N/A	www.missionmenus.com	www.tiarosa.com

*Neither the Mission nor the Tia Rosa brand tortillas showed any signs of mold after more than one month! After 35 days we discarded the tortillas and ended the test.

These tortillas lasted a surprisingly long time! Over a month on the pre-packaged varieties. A few things that we learned during our test:

Make sure that your package of tortillas stays out of the sun at all times. If you leave package out in the sunlight, condensation will form inside the plastic packaging and speed the molding process.

Keep your tortillas inside of their bag at all times. As long as they stay away from the air, your tortillas will remain soft and pliable otherwise, if left outside it won't take long before they become hard and brittle.

For more extended trips, we've also tested out a second type of storage - vacuum packing! We vacuum-sealed several tortillas using a FoodSaver for extended trips.

We packed ten tortillas to a vacuum-pack with pieces of parchment paper between each tortilla to prevent them from sticking together. Although this creates a super hard package in your backpack; it also prevents the tortillas from bending and breaking apart. Using this method, we were able to open a couple of days worth of tortillas at a time, and feel confident that our remaining stash was well-kept.

When vacuum-sealing tortillas, remember to always place a layer of wax paper or bakery paper between each tortilla. This will prevent them from sticking together and forming one large 'tortilla cake'.

'So-Long Summer' Sale!

2009-09-07T08:23:00.006-05:00

Save 15% on meals, grocery & gear until September 10th

Goodbye Summer, hello fall!

Crisp days and cool nights - one of the best times of the year to get outside! Start planning your next trip now and get 15% off of everything on our site.

Ready for the coupon code? Here it is:

SOLONG

Just enter the coupon code, SOLONG, as you checkout to have 15% taken off of your order total!

Sale Dates: September 1 - September 10

September Features

2009-09-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

Get an additional 15% off of all of our sale items through September 10th by using our coupon code: SOLONG

Freeze-Dried Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Cheese is one of the foods that campers find most difficult to pack into backcountry – especially when the days are warm and sunny. While many campers opt to pack in fresh cheese, those in the outdoors for an extended period of time or those wanting to cut down on weight, might consider freeze-dried cheese. This freeze-dried Monterey Jack requires no refrigeration, tastes just like fresh cheese, and melts easily! Delicious in pasta, sprinkled atop soups, folded into scrambled eggs, baked into skillet breads or eaten as a complement to a sandwich wrap.

Mesquite Smoked Peppered Beef Jerky

These fabulous Texas jerkies are made locally and are sure to be some of the freshest and tastiest you've encountered. In fact, they're made fresh when we order them, so they're never more than a few weeks old when we put them in the store! Made with thick slices of beef and smoked with Texas mesquite wood and peppered just enough to give it a very nice flavor. Great eaten on it's own or simmered in a stir-fry or other entrees.

Freeze-Dried Celery Pieces

An easy way to add additional flavor to soups, wraps, stir-fry and salad spreads, freeze-dried celery can be used just as you would use fresh celery. It rehydrates almost instantly, so toss a little into your entree or mix directly into spreads.

Instant Hakka Pestle Cereal

An extremely quick and easy way to enjoy a highly nutritious meal! Packed with beans, oats, rice and more, these small, lightweight packets make a great 'emergency meal' or a quick-start to the day as they take up very little space and boast a great ingredient list.

The Perfect Backpacking Kracker

2009-08-16T17:43:00.007-05:00

Dr. Kracker's crackers are hands-down our favorite for backpacking! They're the only cracker we've found that really does stand up to the trials of being carried along in a backpack for days at a time without breaking into bits. This is one tough cracker! We've tried many, many other types of crackers and none make the grade - for this, we give Dr. Kracker top marks.

In addition to their sturdy nature, Dr. Kracker's crackers are delicious! They offer fantastic ingredients (simple and organic) and great flavor combinations. The available flavors include:

The crackers come in large 'flatbread' crackers and regular-sized 'snacker' crackers. We carry the snacker crackers as we find them much easier to carry along. They come in chip bags which give them a nice air-cushion to help prevent any possible breakage.

Pair them with nut butters (peanut, almond, etc.), salami, summer sausage, tuna, shelf-stable cheese, hummus, bean dips.... the possibilities are endless!

August Features

2009-08-01T20:12:00.001-05:00

Splendore Sliced Pepperoni

Pepperoni is often only thought of when a pizza is on the menu but there are plenty of ways to use this shelf-stable meat. Perfect for the backcountry, this compact package contains 17 slices of pepperoni - enough for a couple of wraps, or my favorite, a pepperoni quesadilla. Just layer slices of pepperoni between two tortillas along with a generous helping of freeze-dried cheese and enjoy a melty treat in the backwoods!

Wisconsin Swiss Cheese

These little triangles of shelf-stable cheese are perfect for backcountry trips. Use just as you would use fresh cheese without worrying about spoilage or mold. Slice and use on wraps, melt into pasta or just eat as a quick snack with crackers.

Quick Tofu Mix

Enjoy fresh tofu without the weight. This mix cooks up in just 5 minutes and cools into real tofu in just 25 minutes. Cook it up in a stir-fry or enjoy on its own for a protein packed dish!

Dehydrated Vegetable Blend with Tomatoes

A tasty vegetable medley without spending any time with your dehydrator! Perfect in soups, stir-fry on just about any menu where a variety of vegetables is needed.

Single Serving Additions

2009-07-24T16:02:00.000-05:00

You asked and we’ve listened!

We sent out a single serving meal-call this month and we’ve gotten a great response. The single serving requests have included almost every meal that we carry but there are a few that stand out.

Dottie’s Chicken & Dumplings

This meal was just added to our lineup last month but it’s quickly become one of our most popular.

Maybe it’s because it’s a cook-in-bag meal; making it extremely easy to prepare.
Maybe it’s because it’s packed with a ton of veggies and a generous serving of chicken.
Maybe it’s because it comes with our addictive cornbread toastees.
Maybe it’s because it’s just so GOOD!

Whatever the reason, it’s gotten enough votes to become the latest meal added to our single serving lineup!

Banana Puddin'

Desserts have been a popular single serving request with Banana Puddin' taking the number one spot! This is our first single serving dessert offering but there will definitely be more to follow.

Plenty of bananas are folded into a creamy custard pudding; then paired with our yummy vanilla cake toastees. We top it off with a little toasted coconut making it deliciously satisfying in the backcountry.

Birthday Celebration

2009-07-17T07:29:00.007-05:00

We'd like to toast all of our wonderful customers on Packit Gourmet's 1st birthday!

You have made this a wonderful first year for our small business and we'd like to thank y'all with a complementary cocktail. So raise your glasses and toast yourselves!

A tasty twist on our popular Moonshine Margarita, our Mango Margarita is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Oh-so-popular in Texas, sweet mango blends perfectly with tangy lime making this a great summer cocktail choice. Cool, refreshing and delicious with or without alcohol.

Help us make BACKPACKER's Gear Hall of Fame

2009-07-09T21:02:00.004-05:00

We need your help!

We're hoping to be listed as a Readers' Choice favorite in BACKPACKER this year. If you enjoy our food, please give us your nod and help our dreams come true!

BACKPACKER is asking readers for their favorite gear, photos and stories - and we'd love to make the grade!

If you've enjoyed one of our meals on the trail, or have had fun shopping in our grocery store - nominate us!! We've tried our best to bring high quality meals and grocery items to the backcountry and we hope our hard work has helped to improve your wilderness experience!

How to Nominate?
Submit a Favorite Gear Form
Deadline: August 1, 2009

July Features

2009-07-01T21:14:00.002-05:00

Dehydrated Mixed Leeks

Add color and flavor to almost any dish with a handful of leeks! Delicious in soups, stews and salads, leeks bring a mild onion flavor to the table. Our dehydrated leeks are made from fresh, mature leeks and include cuts from both the sweet white bulb and the tender green leaf portion.

Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves

These little packets are super convenient and make the perfect complement to one of our Justin's Nut Butters! The simple, natural ingredient list would make anyone feel good about tucking a few of the packets into their pack for a quick and easy lunch.

Freeze-Dried Roast Turkey Dices

An incredibly lightweight and tasty solution to meat in the backcountry, freeze-dried meat packs all of the nutritional punch of fresh meat without any of the weight. Use freeze-dried turkey as you would use fresh - make turkey and rice, turkey soup, add to pasta . . . or substitute in any dish calling for chicken . . . the possibilities are endless!

Dine Out with Lexan

Everything you need to dine in the outdoors! Get this great little set at a discounted price. Set includes: plate, cup, bowl, spoon fork & knife.

New Single Serving Meal - Creamy Italian Polenta

2009-06-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

We added another option to our single serving meals this week - our Creamy Italian Polenta with Sausage!

This is an extremely easy meal to make - it's a cook-in-bag meal, so all you have to do is pour 9 oz (a little more than a 1 cup) of boiling water over the polenta – stir – let it sit for about 5 minutes and dig in!

Although we designed it as a breakfast, the Creamy Italian Polenta with Sausage also makes a great dinner. Savory and full of sausage, we think it makes a great, filling meal any time of day!

Each serving makes a serving large enough to feed a hungry man-sized hiker after a long day in the outdoors.

Backcountry Comfort Food

2009-06-07T15:12:00.005-05:00

We introduced two new meals to the site this month both showcasing our version of comfort food.

All-American Burger Wrap

We were talking about the food that we crave the most when we've been in the backcountry for several days...and we pretty much all agreed on the hamburger! And so the All-American Burger Wrap was born. Although we admit that it doesn't look like a traditional hamburger - sure does taste like one! Lightweight, super low water requirement and delicious, this is a great meal for kids and burger-cravers alike.

Dottie's Chicken & Dumplings

My grandmother was famous for her chicken and dumplings and they've been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. Packed with a variety of vegetables, chicken, traditional-style Southern dumplings and a rich broth, this is a meal that really hits the spot after a long hike. And to top it all off? Some of our delicious Cornbread Toastees!

June Features

2009-06-01T10:34:00.001-05:00

Dixie Grits

A favorite found throughout the South, grits are a quick, easy and delicious way to start the morning. Traditionally, eaten on their own, or served on the side with eggs, they are almost always accompanied with a crispy piece of toast and our grits are no exception: we serve them up with a package of our Artisan Bread Toastees. Yum!

Freeze-Dried Super Sweet Corn

Freeze-dried corn is restored to its sweet corny goodness instantly when added to water and can even be eaten on it’s own as a crunchy snack! Use in soup, chowder, mixed into refried beans or rice or served as a simple side dish.

Dehydrated Carrots

Delicious and nutritious, carrots make a great addition to stir-fry, pasta sauce, stews or made into a "fresh" carrot salad. Now available in a penny-saving bulk bag size for more carrot crunch for your buck!

Silicone Steamer

We discovered this small steamer some time ago and thought that it would be perfect for steam-baking with silicone muffin cups. The steamer keeps the muffin cups elevated off of the bottom of the pan – so just put a little water in the bottom of your pan, plop in the steamer and baked goods and voila! You’re baking in the backcountry!

Iced Tea in the Wilderness (Sun Tea)

2009-05-27T10:12:00.001-05:00

Here in Texas, iced tea is always available – there’s a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator at all times and tall icey glasses are served at every restaurant. And yes, we also drink tea in the backcountry!

For years people in the South have been making sun tea. It’s an easy way to make tea of any variety without the need to turn on the stove and this same no-heat method works well in the wilderness too. Plus it makes for a refreshing change from Tang and Gatorade!

Here’s how you do it:

Fill a Nalgene with cool filtered water.
Use 2-3 tea bags per quart (32 oz) of water.
Remove the paper tags from the tea bags and place the bags into the water-filled Nalgene. Give it a gentle shake to hasten the bags in becoming saturated with water.
Place the Nalgene in the sun to brew for at least 2 hours or until water is infused with the color of "tea.".
Remove tea bags. Stir in a little honey or sugar if you like your tea sweetened. Chill in a cool stream or enjoy as is!

You can do this with traditional black tea bags, herbal teas - or a mixture of each. One of our favorite blends is Black Tea + Earl Grey + Red Zinger. Sprinkle with a bit of True Lemon or Lime for an additional punch. We usually prep sun tea while we’re setting up camp so that by the time dinner is ready, we have a lovely glass of tea to go with!

Summer Photo Contest!

2009-05-13T12:11:00.005-05:00

Packit Gourmet is having a summer photo contest and rewarding the best pics with some great prizes!

1st Place: $100 Packit Gourmet Gift Certificate
2nd Place: $50 Packit Gourmet Gift Certificate
3rd Place: Three Packit Gourmet free shipping coupons

In order to win, you do have to include a few things in your photo:

The photo must contain a Packit Gourmet meal
The photo must be shot in a wilderness area
Not required, but it will help your chances of winning if YOU are in the photo
Not required, but we'd love to see your photo added to our interactive map

To submit your photos for the contest, email your photos to trailfood@packitgourmet.com by August 31, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. Please include the following information in your email:

Your first and last name
When and where the photo was taken
Which meal is featured in the photo

Bulk Savings

2009-05-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

We’ve noticed that many of you like to buy multiple packages of our freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits, veggies, beans and meats. This is a great way to make sure that your foods stay fresh until you’re ready to use them since while they’re unopened they remain protected from exposure to the air, light and moisture that can lead to spoilage.

But, for those of you that would like to save a few dollars (and who doesn't?), we’ve added the option to buy these popular items in bulk. Add we’ve added the tools you’ll need to keep them at their peak after opening – food storage containers and desiccants.

Exposure to light and oxygen are two of the main factors that contribute to the spoilage of dried food. Our new food storage containers are opaque which helps to prevent light from damaging your food and they include a snap-on lid, which will keep the air out. Add a few desiccants to absorb the oxygen and moisture trapped in your storage container and you’re good to go!

Don’t forget that heat is the forth enemy of dried foods so keep your bulk food stored in a cool location. The optimal temperature for freeze-dried food storage is between 32°F and 75°F. Typically, room temperature is fine, but if you have space in your refrigerator that would be even better.

We'll eventually offer all of our beans, veggies, fruits & meats in bulk but for now, here's what's currently available:

DH Carrot Flakes
DH Mixed Bell Peppers
DH Mixed Leeks
DH Spinach Flakes
DH Tomato Dices
FD Bell Peppers
FD Black Olives
FD Broccoli Florets
FD Celery Pieces
FD Chopped Spinach
FD Garden Peas
FD White Onion Flakes

Black Bean Flakes, Organic
Pinto Bean Flakes, Organic
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Great Northern Beans
Lentils
Navy Beans

May Features

2009-05-01T16:42:00.007-05:00

Tomato Dices

Tomatoes are an amazingly versatile vegetable (or fruit?) and can be used in practically any dish from Italian pastas to Asian stir-frys. And don’t forget stews, soups, vegetable gravy, scrambled eggs and omelets! The possibilities are endless…

Great Northern Beans

Pre-cooked, dehydrated beans are a handy item to have around camp and can make a great lunch or dinner. They spring back to life in fifteen minutes or less when simmered, but also work well when left to ‘steep-cook’ in the bag in hot or cold water. If you're going the "cold water route" be sure to plan ahead as they may take up to two hours to fully rehydrate – pour water over your beans, seal up the bag and throw them in your pack for an easy protein and fiber rich meal later on down the trail.

Cheese Sauce Powder

A quick and easy way to enjoy pasta on the trail! Just add a little hot or cool water to this cheese sauce powder and dig into a cheesy meal in no time!

Black Bean Flaquities

A notched up version of a traditional burrito, our Flaquities are packed with beans, rice, corn, cheese and a delicious veggie blend! Fry them up to make a flaquitie or fill a tortilla for a delicious ‘camp grande’ burrito.

Keep up with Packit Gourmet on Google, twitter & Facebook

2009-04-27T11:47:00.002-05:00

I just discovered a new feature from Google that we’ve now added to the blog – ‘Follow’ with Google Friend Connect. This is an easy way to keep track of blog updates from your favorite blogs without needing to visit each and every blog.

You can also get timely updates from Packit Gourmet by following us on twitter or joining our Facebook page.

By joining us on twitter or FaceBook you’ll get daily updates on new blog entries, giveaways, interesting outdoor events, wilderness news, useful products that we’ve come across, coupon codes, etc.

Backpacker's 2009 Gear Guide is now Online!

2009-04-22T12:43:00.003-05:00

We turn to Backpacker’s Gear Guide every year to find out about the newest and best gear on the market – and I’m not just saying that because we’re in it this year!

For all of those who don’t subscribe, you can now get your gear fix online. Straight from the Backpacker website, here’s the scoop:

Look out, gearheads—your source for this year's best packs, tents, boots, bags, and more is here

Beloved gearheads, the day has come: BACKPACKER's 2009 Gear Guide is now free and online. If you're in the market for new packs, bag, boots, tents, or anything else to help your escape into the wilderness, we've got your Bible to the best of this year's crop. Get busy—with over 521 total pieces of gear and skills packed on our pages, this could take a while.

Or you could zoom straight to your favorite items:
PACKS
TENTS
BOOTS
SLEEPING BAGS
THE ESSENTIALS

Our editors winnowed down the best-of-the-best to determine which trail-tested gear gets to walk away with a coveted Editors' Choice Award. This year, staffers took a punishing trip through wet and windy Wales, subjecting gear to a true beating. If something won this year, you can bet it's Ironman-tough. Wanna see it in action? Check out our Editor's Choice 2009: Wales video blowout.

And if you're looking for just one specific piece of gear—now—try out our all-new, revamped GearFinder tool. Search our expanded database by brand, price, weight, size, and more to find the gear that matches your specs and budget. We now have more than 2,000 products, plus photos, reviews, and user ratings.

The Gear is Here...you know what to do.

How to Make Skillet Bread in the Backcountry

2009-04-15T14:58:00.005-05:00

The question of how to make bread when you’re a few days in comes up quite often. Packed-in bread often ends up getting flattened or may mold quickly in warmer weather. I don’t know about you, but after 3-4 days the craving for nice fresh bread really begins to set in!

We’ve tried to combat this need by including Toastees in many of our meals. We use Toastees with most of our egg dishes and a few others that we’d normally serve with a piece of toast or cornbread if we were at home. Although the Toastees go a long way toward quenching “real bread” cravings, nothing really quite does it like a warm fresh baked “loaf.”

Our method of choice is skillet baking. You don’t need to pack in any special equipment – all you need is a frying pan and some sort of domed lid, like your cookpot. If your cookpots came as a set, they probably already fit together nicely. If not, some jerry rigging might be necessary.

Because camp cooksets are often made of lightweight and rather thin metals, we always recommend using a coating of oil (olive or canola/olive packets) topped with a sprinkling of coarse ground cornmeal to “grease” the pan and reduce the likelihood of burning your bread. Combined together the two pretty much insure the bread will “easy release” from the pan; and the cornmeal adds a nice barrier between the dough and the pan as the bread begins to bake. This is an age-old trick used by grandmothers and pizza bakers alike who baked in variable heat conditions, so it’s a great trick to managing camp heat as well.

So here’s what you do:

Step 1: Drizzle some oil (any oil will do) into the bottom of your pan. About ½ tablespoon (½ of an olive oil or canola oil packet) should do it if you’re cooking in a standard 6-9 inch backpacking pan. No need to spread it around - - just give the pan a good hearty shake.

Step 2: Sprinkle a little cornmeal into the pan and over the olive oil. This coarse layer will add a nice texture to the crust of your bread and at the same time help to prevent your bread from burning on the bottom. As an added measure, you may also want to try using a heat diffuser under your pan, which will help distribute the heat more evenly.

Step 3: Pour your bread batter into the pan and place over low heat. If you need to pat the bread down into the pan – we recommend you sprinkle just a small amount of flour over the top of dough to allow your fingers to press down without sticking. Once the dough is all set, cover with a domed lid (aka your cookpot or perhaps a piece of foil that you’ve arranged into a domed cover) – and place it over the heat.

When thinking about how to use your cookpot as a lid, just think of how you use your frying pan as a lid on your cookpot when making a pot of soup. Now just flip that image over, so the pan is on the bottom and the pot is on the top.

Step 4: When the top of your bread is bubbly and has lost it’s ‘wet sheen’, it’s time to flip it! Drizzle another ½ tablespoon or so (the other ½ of your packet of olive oil) over the top of your bread along with a little more cornmeal. Run a knife or spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust from the edges of the pan. Take a deep breath, scoop up your bread with a spatula and flip it over to land back down in the pan. If you miss a little bit, just tuck the edges of the bread back down into the pan. Cover again and allow it to bake on low heat a little bit longer.

Step 5: Once the bread has finished cooking, remove from the heat and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Then sit back and enjoy a lovely warm slice of bread!

This method of skillet baking can be used with cornbread, biscuits, rustic French, bannock or just about any other type of bread you might be able to think of!

Check out our Camping & Cooking Tips for more great information on cooking and eating in the backcountry.

An Entire Ham on the Trail?

2009-04-06T13:14:00.003-05:00

We have just introduced a little 8oz shelf-stable ham to our meats lineup that tastes great and packs easily. It’s about the size of a tennis ball making it a great main dish for two hikers (or one VERY hungry hiker) or several slices for a small group.

We introduced it to the Packit Gourmet tasting team the other day… and ended up eating the entire ham! Aside from great trailside sandwich or wrap possibilities, you could also:

Whip up some instant mashed potatoes and enjoy with a few slices of ham
Fry it up to serve with some fabulous Ova Easy scrambled eggs
Pancakes and ham . . . yum!
Add bits and pieces for a tasty ham and bean soup
The possibilities are endless...

Easter is coming up and I think it would be great fun to have an Easter ham to serve on the trail?! Or any holiday for that matter. I can't wait to pull this ham out of my pack the next time I go camping with friends over a long holiday weekend! Boy will they be surprised and impressed?

We have a sad update... Sparrer's is no longer making the chopped ham. It has been discontinued :(

April Features are Up!

2009-04-01T21:04:00.010-05:00

“I do not like green eggs and ham; I do not like them, Sam-I-am.”
Well, it's a good thing Sam! Cuz if you were looking at this month's Packit Gourmet features, you could make your own roast beef and spinach omelet; and have a little carrot salad on the side. Ok, that’s a reach — a spinach, egg and beef omelet might be a little too “out there” but here at Packit we reach for exotic.☺

Ova Easy Eggs

These are hands down, some of the best tasting powdered eggs that we’ve ever come across. The ingredient list is great (just Whole Eggs, Yolk and Dried Egg Whites) and the taste is fantastic – just like the real thing! In fact, I recently served them to a friend and they didn’t even notice that they weren't the real deal! ☺ Plus they’re lighter weight and easier to mix than most traditional powdered eggs.

Wild Carrot Salad

Enjoy a crunchy carrot salad after days in the backcountry. Easy to make – this meal is a just-add-cool-water dish and needs just 10-15 minutes to rehydrate!

Freeze-Dried Spinach

My Mom always told me that if you ate your spinach you would grow up strong and brave like Popeye; well, I ain’t saying that you’ll have a corn-cob pipe and a squinty eye, but I am saying this spinach is so leafy and delicious you'll want to add it to everything. Freeze-dried spinach makes a lovely fresh addition to wraps, stir-fry, or mixed into an omelet. Missing veggies in the wild? Toss some of this spinach into anything to take the edge off!

Freeze-Dried Roast Beef

For meat eaters only — pot-roast-beefy and juicy (once rehydrated). These little protein nuggets are great in a wrap, added to noodles or a pot of stew; or just about a million other combinations.

The Heat Diffuser: An End to Unevenly Cooked Trail Food

2009-03-21T21:27:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed that several of our meal kits recommend using a heat diffuser to offset an unpredictable level of heat when cooking over a camp stove or open fire to cool: primarily those meals that are most likely to burn quickly on thin-bottomed camp pots. We've had a lot of questions about what that is . . . and how we developed the technique. To give credit where credit is due, the idea was inspired by my own grandmother who often used a heat diffuser (or flame-tamer) on top of the kitchen stove to keep the bottom of the pan from scorching when she was baking skillet-cornbread or simmering a big pot of stew.

We've carried a heat diffuser as a regular cook-set companion for years . . . and its been the saving grace to many a camp meal! The one we carry is the same one that we sell in the Packit Gourmet gear store - an old-fashioned looking lightweight aluminum model with a fold-up removable handle that we stumbled upon in a feed store here in Austin. We also use it as an occasional cookpot lid when duty calls. It's perforated with tiny holes which allows steam to pass through, so it easily doubles as "steamer tray" when we need to keep a plate of something warm while a side dish finishes cooking; or as a "tortilla rejuvenator" when we need to warm or re-moisturize tortillas on the trail. It also works great to help stabilize a pan when the pan bottom is larger than than the stove surface.

Commercially made heat diffusers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and weights - some with perforations / some without. You can fashion a simple make-shift model on your own by folding a piece of heavy weight aluminum foil into a square large enough to cover the bottom of your cookpot - - and punching a few holes in it to allow air to flow through. It may not guarantee a burn-free zone . . . but it will certainly help the intensity of the heat reaching the bottom of your pan.

It might be an old-fashioned technique, but it's been a fabulous addition to our camp kitchen and one of our all-time favorite tip and tricks. Pass it along!

"No-Cook" Gourmet?

2009-03-19T19:21:00.001-05:00

We've been getting quite a few requests lately for meals that don't require cooking in a pot. Many of our meals are designed to be cooked in order to allow the sauce to thicken, the flavors to bloom and generally give you the taste and texture that you would expect from a meal that you made in your home kitchen.

However, we do have several meals that are just-add-water. Some rehydrate beautifully with cool water, making them great for lunch when you don't want to unpack your cookpot, while others require hot water but can then be cooked in the bag, eliminating the need for washing dishes.

In order to make it easy to find our 'no-cook' meals, we've added a special category listing all of the meals that just need water to rehydrate. We've divided these meals into"Just Add HOT Water" meals and "Just Add COOL Water" meals.

Just Add HOT Water
These meals are pretty straightforward. You do need to use your cookpot to boil water but you can 'cook' your meal right in the bag. Simply place the food into the exterior bag, pour boiling water over the meal, wrap it in an extra jacket or cozie to keep it warm and allow it to steep-cook for 5-15 minutes. We've included instructions on the package for both cooking in the pot and cooking in the bag so that you can choose the method that works best for you.

Just Add COOL Water
We've further divided these meals into three categories - instant, short wait and long wait.

The instant meals are just that, instant. A good example is our Jump-Start Fruit Smoothie. You can make the smoothie in the bag (cut the top off to make a great mug/bowl) or in your own camp cup. Add the needed amount of water, give it a quick stir and sit back to enjoy a delicious, filling and nutritious breakfast.

The meals requiring a short wait will need to sit for 10-15 minutes after you've added the cool water in order to fully rehydrate. The Chicken Salad is one of my favorite meals and also falls into this 'short wait' category. In order to make the chicken salad, you add cool water, stir and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This gives the chicken a chance to soften and the result is a chicken salad that I would be happy to be served in any restaurant!

The cool water meals listed under 'long wait' are designed to be prepped in the morning for an easy afternoon lunch. Our Many Beans Salad is one of these types of meals. In order to avoid cooking your meal, or even heating your water, you can pour cool water over your beans and stash them away in your pack for a couple of hours. When you're ready to eat lunch, simply open your pre-prepped beans and enjoy an easy and delicious lunch.

New Shelf-Stable Sliced Salami/Pepperoni

2009-03-15T22:07:00.008-05:00

We got three new types of shelf-stable sliced meats this week – all pocket-sized, very tasty and hiker friendly.

Splendore Hard Salami
This salami is layered together in a compact little package – perfect for slipping in a back pocket for a lunchtime break. Weighing in at only 3.5 oz and packing in about 17 slices per package, this is a great choice for salami wraps or a quick lunch of cheese, salami and crackers.

Sparrer Beef Salami
One of the smallest packs of salami that we’ve ever come across! This salami will slip easily into just about any spare space in your pack and boasts 8 slices, making it a nice little snack or an easy addition to pasta or pizza. We feel the flavor is closer to a summer sausage than a traditional salami but tastes great and the size is unbeatable.

Splendore Sliced Pepperoni
Not just for pizza, pepperoni is delicious sliced into pasta, made into a wrap or enjoyed on it’s own with a piece of shelf-stable cheese. This package of pepperoni is the same size and weight as the Splendore Hard Salami – 3.5oz and 17 slices. Yummy!

Cheddar Cheese Giveaway!

2009-03-11T11:15:00.005-05:00

We have a batch of yummy Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese that's set to expire in a month (does this cheese ever really expire?), so we're giving it away!

If you'd like a free cheese triangle, add it to your cart and enter the coupon code FREECHEESE at checkout. No purchase necessary.

Giveaway ends March 31, 2009.

Packit Gourmet Earns Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice Award!

2009-03-03T20:33:00.003-06:00

We've had the honor of receiving an Editors' Choice award in this month's issue of the magazine! Our Moonshine Margarita and Jamaican Peanut Porridge were also listed as "essentials". Keep on reading to check out the excerpts from the magazine...

Austintacious Tortilla Soup
Put this meal on the menu for any trip: It’s easy-prep trail food that will wow every palate.

Sure, everything tastes better in camp. So we tried this dehydrated meal at home too, just to confirm our field findings. It is delicious. The soup is the perfect appetizer for hungry troops, a satisfying belly warmer in cold weather and substantial enough to pass for dinner when only a light meal is needed. Plus, it takes only 10 minutes to prepare. Ingredients are simple: chicken breast, red peppers, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, spices and rice. But the result is gourmet. “It tastes like it’s been simmering in the kitchen all day,” summed up one satisfied tester. Serving size is legit for two hungry guys, and it comes with toppings that make it easy to customize according to taste: freeze-dried Monterrey Jack, tortilla chips, Tabasco sauce and lime juice. Demerit: The packaging seems excessive, though you can reuse the tough plastic bags and decline the optional (free) Tool Kit, which includes salt and pepper packets, wet wipes and other single use products.

More Essentials from Backpacker Magazine...

Can't stomach another packet of instant oatmeal? Tuck into a yummy bowl of Packit Gourmet's Jamaican Peanut Porridge. It's a creamy breakfast of oats, coconut, ground peanuts and spices.

Nothing beats an amazing day spent in the wild - but a cold margarita sure ends it in style. Packit Gourmet's Moonshine Margarita is our pick: Add tequila (chilled in a snowbank or creek), salt the rim of your GSI Outdoors Lexan Margarita Glass and say salud!