Canteen cup cooking

Please share your recipes and adventures. I have used a canteen cook set since my first army set when I was 18. Been using them for decades. Still have the first set. Lost the canteen, but still have and use the other bits.

Today, my wife and monkeys are visiting gramma. I decided to stay home and get caught up on stuff after being away.

So since I was getting hungry, I thought why not bust out the canteen cup and make some lunch.

First order of business is to cook up perfect rice. I learned the old village way before there were rice cookers and stuff and it has never failed me, even with a campfire. Campers are usually surprised that the rice comes out perfect and not burned.

After the rice was done, I added lentils and covered to heat up. Then topped with cheese. Yum.



Excuse me while I eat this hot.

 

The last bit of my Kauai coffee.

 

Military canteens are heavy but oh so durable. Have cooked most everything in the cup and untold gallons of water for everything. Still have the older type with the folding handle instead of the dual wire type. Have a thin piece of sheet metal that doubles as a lid and cooking platform for the camp stove on snow or bad ground. The metal keeps the contents from drying out or cooling while other things are cooking. When you finish it is big enough to do the "dishes" in.

 

I have the same cup. This is a new titanium one I am trying to transition to. But the old cup keeps calling to me. My old cup and I have been together about twice as long as my wife and I.

 

I notice that rice sticks a little bit more to titanium than stainless. With stainless, I don't even stir it. But have to with the titanium. I felt the rice starting to stick on the boil. But no burning. And clean up is a breeze either way.

 

Faster heat transfer aka more efficient cooking and use of your fuel.

 

Looks like the one I was issued in the Swedish Army I just carry a stainless cup of sorts I found in the woods now. I keep a mix of rice, lentals (or soy granulate) and spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder ans chili flakes, depends on my mood) in a plastic container and I just boil it soft.

I think the new swedish ones are aluminium or something, some guys had it when I was doing my service but I got an old stainless one that must have been older than me. I would guess that theres a young lad out there, somewere is still eating out of that old cup
Mine was HEAVY but it never molded and such like the alloy-ones. If it was really dirty I just boiled some water in it and cleaned it out with a piece of cloth.

(About cooking rice and sticking.. My mum thought me that you should only boil the rice for two minutes and then pull it of the heat-source and put a lid on it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and it's perfect. Also don't cook rice like pasta, you'll just waste water. Twice the amount of water for the rice and there's no waste, all the water goes into the rice. Never stir rice, you'll just make it sticky. Always works for me, but don't allways them 'ol momma-ways? )

 

I put water up to my first knuckle, boil, then simmer once I get a boil on. Today was my first time cooking rice in titanium. Was always stainless steel before. Today was the only time I stirred because I had the feeling it was sticking to the bottom, and it was. Rice came out great and I like lentils too. Today was madras lentils on the rice. Good lunch.

 

Never thought of that. Thanks Brokor

 

I used to keep a large mouthed plastic bottle in the pack for soaking dried beans or dehydrated goodies. Put them in, add water, and by meal time they only needed heating.

 

I use my steel canteen cup, and cook over either a small propane backpacker stove or a simple folding esbit type with solid fuel tabs when I camp by motorcycle. I can have my meal heated and eaten by the time my riding buddy goes through his ritual with his cranky Whisperlite alcohol stove.