Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Pouch food….mmmmm….nothin’ says lovin’ like something almost-fresh from the pouch. Military field rations (MRE’s) as well as Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR’s) are packaged in heavy foil and vinyl envelopes that are usually called ‘retort pouches’. The food is already cooked…simply heat n’ eat. Pouches can be heated by leaving them on a hot engine, in a pot of boiling water, or even left on some hot sunny road surface. If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you have a more than passing familiarity with such foods. Retort pouch technology, such as it is, like all military technology, eventually trickles up/down into the civilian sector. Prime examples – Chicken McNuggets. Originally a military food idea that went nowhere until McDonalds picked up the ball and ran with it. Or, for a civilian to military example, CamelBak.

Anyway, when I shop at the local Albertsons or Costco I usually keep an eye open for ready-to-eat, no-cooking-required, single-serving, long-shelf-life products to try out and to add to my stockpiles. Foods packaged this way are more expensive but their convenience is worth it, in my opinion. These are the foods that get thrown into a five-gallon bucket with a half-dozen bottles of water, and then squirreled away somewhere. In a hurry, I could simply grab the bucket by the handle and know I’ve got a week of food ready to eat and ready to go.

So, todays experiments:
StarKist Tuna in 3 oz. Foil package
Zatarains New Orleans Style Long Grain & Wild Rice in 8.8 oz. Heavy plastic package
DelMonte Sliced Pears in pull-top 8.5 oz. Can (yeah, can….not a pouch)

The Zatarains was a disappointment. Smelled good but the texture of the rice was what youd expect from a food like rice that has been left to sit sealed in its own moisture for a long time. It was just too mushy to be appetizing. A little salty, but not bad in the flavor department but the texture made it just too unappealing. Rice and spaghetti are two foods that simply cannot store well in their cooked state. Thumbs down.

StarKist tuna was a winner. The packaging removes the need for the tuna to be drained like when its packed in a can. Consequently you get the same amount of tuna but without the heavy can and liquid. Tuna was tasty and seemed a bit more flavorful than the canned variety. A bit dry though, but not enough to be objectionable..make sure to knead and shake the package so that the liquid that is packed with it can be distributed evenly. Packaging is opaque and as heavy as any MRE entrée…big nod of approval for the packaging. I need to decode the date codes to find the anticipated shelf life, but this stuff is a winner. Its also available in ‘flavored’ varieties like lemon pepper and peppered.

Canned fruit, regardless of manufacturer, is usually a safe bet. What appealed to me here was the packaging. Most canned fruit comes in either the usual 15 oz or so ‘normal size’ cans or in the tiny pull-top cans that don’t really offer much in terms of portion. This particular can was a pull top style in the 8.5 oz. Size. Convenient pull-tab can and a reasonable size – good combo. Canned pears are canned pears….these were tender, well fleshed and good. Although cans are much heavier and bulkier than the pouches, when it comes to canned fruit I usually don’t mind the weight. However, these are a good size for keeping a case or two around for quick snacks and desserts during minimal-cooking-time events such as power outages and the like.

My focus in the particular products isn’t so much making them a central part of my food planning (larger packaging with less ‘easy-open-single-serving’ness fills those needs). Rather its for putting a package so that if I get stranded at work or somewhere, I’ll be able to function normally without the effects, both moral and physical, from lack of familiar food.