For Sale Best Selling Mountain house cans+Pouches on Discount (New Flavors)

OK, a preliminary note --

I’ve whined, complained, pissed, bitched and moaned about Mountain House quantities for years. I cannot, would not and still balk at the idea of a “55 gallon drum” full of whatever, with no hope of a small sample to find out if whatever it might be is palatable.

Well, Mountain House has come out with small quantity packages of a number of relatively small quantities that won’t break the bank nor require an army to eat if you don’t have a three car garage to store the excess for your heirs.

So, without a whole lot of further ado –
I bought a carton of chicken teriyaki and of beef stroganoff.
I also admit to having no great love for teriyaki anything, maybe excepting my own teriyaki jerky, which I admit is NOT an authentic recipe.

Here’s my take on the teriyaki barnyard fowl:

Each pouch is supposed to have 2.5 meals in it. OK, each pouch is just a hair over 5 ounces, add two cups of water, and then you get a better picture of what has to be swallowed to MT the pouch. If a meal is one cup, then the 2.5 isn’t too far off, obviously depending on how hungry you might be. Very roughly, a meal will set you back right at 4frns if you buy it on the current sale. Quick and easy is relative, but those boxes are checked.

READ THE DIRECTIONS!! There are worms in the apple.

First caveat, tear off the closure, being careful to not damage the “zipper”. Yes, you can tear the zipper if you aren’t careful. But even candy eaters are aware of that hazard, no?

Second caveat, add the boiling water. FWIW, I put the open pouch in a pot, ‘cause I spill things that are hot. You will too, I betcha.

Third, caveat, stir it up. USE A SPOON, NOT A FORK!! A lot of folks I know, me included, will preferentially use a fork for stirring. This is a foil pouch, not an armored can. (Another reason for putting the pouch in a pot if you ignore this spoon hint.)

Fourth, let it stand. The directions say 8 or 9 minutes. Go longer, the rice is balky, but not a lot, so 10 to 12 minutes might be better. I got in a hurry, went a long 7 minutes, definitely not long enough. “They say” eat it out of the pouch. Folks, the pouch is HOT, be so informed and guided, especially if you are sharing with someone. Again, I just left it in the spill catcher pot.

Now the part that the hungry peeps are interested in. This is NOT haut cuisine, but you’ll eat it without too much fussing. Meeting the teriyaki requirement for a bit of sweetness, check that box. The rice and other stuff, all named in the ads and on the pouch, check that box, you get the calories, I’m sure. I wish there had been more sprouts, onions and chicken bits, but if wishes were fishes --. The chicken is pretty tender, but everything in the pouch tastes the same as has been my experience with dried foods. I suspect the bird was NOT a sprightly young thing when potted and dried for the pouch. You may want to take your own additives, say some salt and pepper, maybe even hot sauce if you lean that way.

In summary, this stuff will keep you alive, but you won’t be asking the chef for a doggie bag. Take your own, you MAY want some a few miles up the path. There are no directions for what to do with leftovers, mine went into the reefer for a possible nuking tomorrow.

 

Add on comment a couple days late:
Following up on the teriyaki bird. Nuking it as a second dinner was successful. Tasted better, but derned if I can tell you why. As a camping or hiking food, it is certainly acceptable, but if you can plan it out, make the second feeding at a well equipped "camp site."

 

OK, the fowl dish is out of the way, and I can say, I would not hesitate to do a re-run. HOWEVER, the bovine strokenoff is now up for comments,

First, start with the caveats on the chicken, the same apply to the beef pouches. The edges can catch you off guard as well as burn ye sensitive finners once the heat goes in.

Again, this is NOT 5 star cuisine, but it ain't at all bad. In fact, my tastebuds were a lot happier with the beef dish than the chicken, but of course that's a matter of taste. I let the mix "cure" (if you will) slightly longer than I did the chicken, tho' I suspect the noodles are more forgiving of a hot soak than the rice was. For me, added pepper was almost a requirement, but even without, not at all bad. A bit short on the peas, but veggies don't matter a lot for short duration camps or hikes. At home, supplementing is easy. The beef bits were easy to find, I can't say the proportion of beef to noodle was out of line, 'bout right for a not home made mix.

To add, it was good enough for me to make the 2.5 servings into just 2. The first "serving" was about one of the two and a half the pouch is supposed to contain. The second go 'round was leftovers heated in the nuke box. I went back for seconds. (Why is it that reheats are some times better than the first time something is cooked? Think pizza for another example.)

YMMV of course, but if you pick one of those two choices, find the beef. (Thus spake me, anyway.)

 

The MH spaghetti with meat sauce is my favorite now, being the most fulfilling in my opinion. It once was one of the cheapest in #10 cans as well. At this point in time, any you can get your hands on will suffice, because starving isn't a nice thing to experience. I also like every main entree they make, as they are all edible and nutritious enough in a serious situation. I personally like to add less water, maybe only an 1/8th of a cup less than recommended, stir before sealing and after, and I also let everything sit a full 20 minutes because I do use boiling water.
I guess all those years purposefully fasting to prove to myself how little I can survive on really paid off in dividends. I also can say that I am glad I switched to 90 percent freeze dried for long term storage long ago. Since this current situation is no longer a test run and it's more of a first phase operation, those who have prepared are far better situated to at least not become a burden on others, and that alone counts for something.