TURKEY ROASTING BAG COOKING PROCESS
The concept of using the turkey roasting bag for cooking is based on the double boiler cooking process. This process of cooking is basically allowing steam and boiling water to cook your food instead of the heat from your stove against the bottom of the pot. The first benefit of this process is never burning food to the bottom of your pot. This is a common problem using the backpacking stoves since adjusting the heat from the stove is not easy. The second benefit is reduction of clean up after the meal. Since your food was cooked in the bag, it then becomes your yummy bag (yummy bag is a plastic bag that Philmont will give you to put food waste in that will not go down the sump). The third benefit in my opinion is a better prepared meal that the Scouts will eat.
This process will only work with turkey roasting bags (yes, these are the bags you buy at the grocery store to roast turkeys in). Only turkey roasting bags are treated to withstand high heat. REGULAR PLASTIC BAGS WILL MELT!
Cooking Process:
1. Pour 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of the 8 qt pot.
2. Place one turkey bag in pot, rolling down the edge of the bag
around the rim of the pot (You may choose to cut this excess off
the bag).
3. Place pot on lighted stove.
4. Add cooking ingredients & spices into the turkey roasting bag
and then stir.
5. Place top on pot (can use a frying pan without handle).
6. Cooking time - I have found from my experience that the stated
cooking time is not always long enough. I always start our timing
from the minute we put the pot on the stove. Many of the Philmont
food items cooking instructions will state "add boiling water to
ingredients"; however, we add water to the ingredients and then
bring it all up to a boil.
7. We use two 8 qt pots and two stoves. Our process for meals is
to use one stove for the soup while the other stove is being used to
cook the entree. As soon as we serve the soup we then will use
that pot & stove for the dessert.
8. After the meal you can then use the water in one pot for
washing personal dishes and the hot water in the other pot for your
rinse.
9. Your turkey roasting bag is then used after the meal as your
yummy bag. Let me add that this process puts almost no food
waste on the sump's screen.
10. Safety issue- since you are cooking with steam it will be
escaping around the bag and at times you will have to adjust the
bag due to steam bubbles forming under the bag. Steam will burn. I
always do the bag adjusting to prevent the Scout cooks/chefs from
burning themselves. Also the cooks should always use the pot
tongs to hold the pot while they are stirring the food in the bag to
prevent it from falling off the stove.
Now some personal suggestions and comments on this process.
Our crews have used this process for two Philmont treks and eleven backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail. Our crews enjoy their dinners and I have never had a Scout complain about the dinners. (Spreadables for lunch-yes!) However, this is a process that needs to be taught to a crew prior to their Philmont trek. I am a strong advocate that as Scout leaders it is our role to teach backpacking skills to our crews before we arrive at Philmont and once at Philmont our crews should then practice those skills on their trek. Teaching backpacking skills at Philmont is too late! I have seen too many crews arrive at Philmont who have not prepared themselves for this great adventure. Their trek then becomes something to survive and not the adventure of a lifetime that it should be. Remember, Philmont will sell their food to you for your pre-trek backpacking trips. Learn how to prepare your food before arriving at Philmont. This is also a great way to determine what spices you need to bring.
Dinner time should be a crew's social gathering time for sharing about the day and having a dining experience. Our cooks always wear chef's hats while they cook (I carry the hats - it is worth the extra weight to me). So, in '98 or '00 if you saw a crew with chef's hats on at dinner time that was my crew. And if you are on the trail in 2002 and you see a crew with chef's hats on, it will be us. Come on over and say hi!
This information is also available on Selden's Philmont page at http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/philmont.html#2.4.6
Department Head
Food Service Administration
University Food Services
University of Georgia
Here are some additional tips for using turkey roasting bags and rehydrating food:
The simplest way to prepare meals at Philmont is not by cooking your food, but rather by rehydrating it.
Boil water in one pot. Put a turkey roasting bag with your meal in a dry, unheated pot. Pour the boiling water into the bag in the dry pot. Seal it up and wait 5-10 minutes depending on the recipe instructions. Food will hydrate and be hot to eat without having to cook. Any extra hot water can be used for hot chocolate or cleaning.
Also, you can do the same thing with small servings for individuals. Put a one person portion of something like mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc., into a bowl. Add boiling water, mix, and eat. This totally eliminates having a pot to clean and there is no roasting bag to dispose of.
since April 13, 2001