New products that I have tried recently

[Wandering Daisy]

There you go! Have that avocado handy to throw at that pesky marmot that goes after your dinner.

I used the black rice ramen type noodles this last trip, and they were really great. I added a packet of miso soup, cashews and olive oil. I take a spice kit and they did need a bit more salt and pepper for my taste.

[longri]

Growing up surrounded by orange groves and avocado orchards, we had lots of orange and avocado wars as kids. I don't recall the smaller ones having much of a seed, I think it develops later as the fruit matures.

What about the skin? According to the University of California it averages 75% as much mass as the seed in a Hass avocado. The skin in larger avocados might be thicker -- I'm not sure -- but in any case the thickness probably doesn't increase proportional to the diameter of the avocado. So the percentage of skin weight is likely higher in smaller avocados (ratio of the volume of a spherical shell of a given thickness to the volume of the sphere decreases with increasing diameter).

Similarly, in order to maintain the same ratio of flesh to seed the seed would have to be proportionally smaller in a smaller avocado. So observing that the seed is proportionally smaller by itself doesn't settle the question.

So what are the actual weights of different sizes of (presumably) Hass avocados?

Somebody has taken the time to measure 19 Hass avocados with total weights ranging from about 125g to 290g (roughly 5 to 10oz) and post about it on his blog.

His result? He found essentially no difference in the ratio of edible portion to total weight regardless of size.

[Wandering Daisy]

One reason I do not buy large avacadoes is that I cannot eat all in one setting. Once opened, they do not keep well.

[robow8]

One reason I do not buy large avacadoes is that I cannot eat all in one setting. Once opened, they do not keep well.

Leave the pit in the other half, put it in a ziplok bag and suck the air out of it.

[longri]

That's what I do at home but it doesn't work as well as leaving the avocado untouched, at least in my experience.

That said, I usually buy regular sized avocados because I'm packing for two people and it's easier to pack one larger fragile roundish item than two smaller ones. And the smaller ones aren't available as often.

Another approach would be to take quacamole. I'm not sure how long it would last but it would pack a lot more easily. Of course the tortilla chips would offset that small advantage and then some.


What's the biggest or heaviest or most over the top luxury item you've ever taken, Daisy?
For me it would have to be ice cream on dry ice. I only did that once.

[maverick]

Either spread a thin layer of olive oil onto the cut portion of the avocado and/or use some lemon or lime juice, use a small piece of saran to cover cut portion to prevent oxidation, this will help prevent or at least slow down the discoloring process.

[Wandering Daisy]

I cannot recall ever taking any over-the-top item. In the days of cooking on fires, I would bake regular yeast bread, make berry pies out of Grouse Whortleberries (do not think these tiny berries grow in the Sierra) or wild blueberries (in the PNW). On the old NOLS courses, we sometimes bought a sheep from a shepherd and then roasted it to feed about 20 people, including the shepherd, who then would make us tortillas. Basque sheep grazing in the mountains is no longer allowed as far in the mountains as it used to be. In winter or cooler seasons, real butter is a treat. A flask of port is probably the heaviest luxury item I have ever taken.

[John Harper]

I took some freeze dried pears, peaches, apples, and bananas on a recent trip.

Hands down, the freeze dried pears were the best!! Bananas repeatedly reminded me why I never liked fresh ones either. Peaches and apples were passable.

John

[old and slow]

I just tried a new freeze dried pre-packaged meal from Backpackers Bistro. I had the Risotto Primavera -- it was actually quite delicious and based on the ingredient list probably a healthy, nutritious meal (especially compared to what I usually eat on my backpacking trips -- meals consisting of too much salt and preservatives).

http://www.backpackersbistro.com/

[Wandering Daisy]

I found cubes of dried cilantro (similar to beef bullion cubes) in the Mexican food section of Wallmart. They come in a little square box with several cubes. They weigh little, and two in my beans and rice meal added flavor.

The new red bean and black bean pastas from Trader Joes are great, except the shape of the pasta make it very bulky so I cannot use it if I have to stuff 10 days food in my Bearikade weekender.

Bumble Bee has a hot Asian spice tuna packet. It is really spicey- added it to noodles, dried soy beans, seaweed and sunflower seeds. It was at my upper limit of tolerance for hot. I did not eat the little red pepper that came inside the tuna.

Also tried Walmarts breaded tuna patties. They did not work very well since I only had one pot and not a frying pan.

Have also been using steel cut oats instead of rolled oats. They are not instant so take about 3 minutes of cooking and then 10 minutes steeping in a cozy. But the same weight of steel cut oats packs down a lot smaller than rolled. This is good when I have to really stuff my bear can. Does take a bit more gas, but the gas cannister does not have to fit in the bear can.

Not sure why, but every place I used to buy dried white mushrooms no longer have them. Not sure if this is a temporary shortage or lack of demand. The dried Shataki mushrooms in the Asian section of Safeway now come in packages half the size for the same price. How sneaky!