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Food for the camp - Handling and Storage

It is important even at your leisure time to prepare healthy foods. Vegetables and fruit should always be your number one priority. For example, apples, cabbage, potatoes and carrots keep well even without a cooling facility. It also makes sense to bring rice and pasta, as these only have to be stored dry and also have a long shelf life. If you have packed meat as well, make sure there is a freezer or at least a fridge. Oil, on the other hand, does not need more than dry storage.

Another good point to remember would be, that fruit and veggies tend to spoil rather quickly. Those foods should always be processed first. So, if you take peppers, grapes, bananas or tomatoes to the camp, you should use them as quickly as possible. The alternative to fresh veggies would be canned vegetable. They are preserved differently and therefore have a very long shelf life. There is no question, however, that fresh vegetables substantially contain more vitamins. However, if you plan on a longer camp trip, it is advisable to resort to canned vegetables. If you also carry bread, remember that gets stale and mouldy quickly. Particularly so in humid climates. Alternatives are crisp bread and biscuits. However, it is reasonable to have a look for a good bakery on site. Toast, on the other hand, can be kept fresh for a longer time. If bread starts to look off, you better throw it out for safety reasons. Moulds can build up in the bread, and you might not even see that.

If you think of taking milk and eggs as well with you, make sure you have the facilities to store them accordingly. Salmonella is an important issue with those groceries. Long-life milk, on the other hand, does not need anything else but a cool room to store them for a long time. Jam and spreads which you brought with you can easily be stored in a dry place. However, once the jars are opened they should be stored in the fridge. Particularly sweet spread attract mould easily. When serving, jam make sure you put it in small bowls with their own teaspoon, which will prevent foreign matter to get into the jam. Cold cuts and meat you can only take with you, if you have the right facilities to keep them cool as well.

When preparing food and this goes in particularly with desserts, you should avoid the use of raw eggs, especially in the hot season. Eggs are a breeding ground for Salmonella. This can quickly lead to a serious food poisoning. Leftovers from cooked food must either go in the fridge and if that is not an option, then throw it out. However, if you get your calculations right, handle the food appropriately, you can create great dishes and which you not just can enjoy, there also will be nothing left to throw out.

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