One of the problems with bunkerfood is that it either tastes lousy or requires reconstituion using perishables (milk, butter, etc). In a perfect world you’d have a food that tastes great and requires nothing except water.
Now, Idahoan potatoes are pretty much a staple of any well-stocked bunker. Big drawback is that they require milk and butter to reconstitute. Sure, you can use instant milk and dehydrated butter but it aint gonna taste the same. Well, as it turns out they have several products that do NOT require butter or milk. Simply pour a pouch of potato granules into a bowl, add two cups of boiling water, stir, wait one minute and *presto*.
How good could this be?
Damn good. I mean, really good. Like, eat it every day even if theres no apocalypse good. Thats right – bunkerfood you’ll wanna eat every day.
kitiara mentioned this product to me and I found some in my local Albertsons. $1.20 for a four ounce sealed package that makes 4 servings. (Really, two servings…after a day of rebuilding society and manning a security point you get hungry.) So I tried the ‘Buttery homestyle’ flavor last night. Literally, it was as simple as the directions said – two cups boiling water to a bowl of this stuff, wait one minute and eat. And it was delicious! A little creamier and smoother than I prefer but thats easily taken care of with using a bit less water. Great buttery taste and no need for additional salt.
I was extremely impressed. I mean, really impressed. So impressed that these suckers are going into the bunker as soon as I locate a #10 can of them. I called Idahoan to ask about this product. My questions:
Q: How di I read the product date code? (In this case: 3246YDM4) Seemed it would be Year/Date/Month [YDM, get it?])
A: Julian code – year first, then date, then month.
Q: Whats the shelf life of the product?
A: We recommend using it within one year of that date.
Q: Okay, I understand thats the official line..between you and me, what? Two years? Four years? Im trying to stock a bunker here.
A: Well, I’ve had some a year and a half old and they tasted fine. It depends on the ingredients..the flavored ones use ingredients for flavoring that may not last as long. On the regular unflavored mashed potatoes its [indefinite].
Q: The normal Idahoan requires milk and butter. These flavored ones dont. Do you have the regular Idahoan that doesnt require milk or butter?
A: Yes, thats product #00142, ‘Real Premium Mashed’
Q: Outstanding. Is that available in the #10 cans?
A: You’d have to contact our food service division at Nestle.
Seriously, kids…this is some good stuff. I tried the Buttery homestyle and loved em. Gonna try the herbed ones tonight and try frying them as potato patties/latkes. Current packaging is a cardboard box with wax paper bag (like breakfast cereal) or a 4 oz. paper package. Neither one lends itself to the rough-n-tumble lifestyle of your average LMI but Im going to see if I cant hunt down some #10 cans (I love #10 cans!!!!). Worst case, I could simply store/transport them in 5-gal buckets.
Man, that was yummy. And can be made using an alcohol burner and a canteen cup. Perfect!!!
You never had instant mashed potatoes before?
LOL!
A number of years ago I got several #10 cans of “Freeze-dried Cooked Potato Patty Pieces”. They’re crumbled, and the directions say to “Use enough hot water to cover potatoes. Let soak until soft (2-5 minutes). Drain and use.” I never bothered with that. I just ate them by the handful. They’re as addictive as chips. Most excellent!
However I don’t remember where I got them, and they were specially packed for a defunct brand.
I didn’t discover them ’til I was 25 or so. My mom never made ’em — Poindexter introduced me to them. They are really surprisingly good, so much so that I won’t bother to make real ones in my own house.
My mom was talking about skipping mashed potatoes (from scratch) altogether this Thanksgiving and I’m all, “I’LL MAKE ‘EM FROM A BOX!!!!!!!!!!” I think she really doesn’t believe me when I tell her they’re really a decent substitute.
You’re absolutely right about the serving size – it’s three servings for my portion sizes, more like two for yours. I did not like the ‘loaded baked potato’ flavor, but I liked the ‘better and herb.’ I’d rather have them completely plain though. I also saw a ‘cheddar cheese’ flavor, but that didn’t sound appealing so I didn’t bother to pick any up. Still no sign of the cans around here.
I’m sorry, I read that again and started cracking up. I love it!
I refuse to do mashed potatos, but Pooka stayed true to her Irish roots and has tried the vast majority of them. The Idahoan variety is very high on her list, and she has tried I think every variety, finding none of them to be distasteful. Her favorites are cheese varieties.
They are tasty, aren’t they? They’re one of my staple camping foods.
The paper pouches are actually pretty tough, and they pack down nicely. There’s actually a lot of long-shelf-life stuff on the consumer market these days. And it’s mighty tasty.
Don’t forget to stock up on Snacky Cake!
My ex-boyfriend lived on that stuff. He ate it every day and he was the pickiest eater I’ve ever come across.
yes, those 4 cheese instant mashed potatoes are good, in fact, i’ve made a crude casserole type dish out of them by slicing a 1 lb pkg of Hillshire Farm Cheddarwurst links into them, i ate well on it for 2 suppers ( or whatever the evening meal is called where you happen to live)
forgot to add that i covered it and then baked it in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes