MacGregorSailors.com

Hi kmclemore!

If it’s the same Parmalat we have in Canada I think you’ll find that they get the extended shelf life mostly from ultra pasteurization, which is flash-heating, then instantly flash-cooling the milk. The temperatures are higher and for a shorter time (seconds) than for regular pasteurization, and it further degrades some of the qualities of the milk, which is why you would only use it when storage life is a priority.

They might irradiate some of the packaging itself (although sometimes simply with UV) to sterilize it and the volume of air (sometimes argon, sometimes nitrogen in packages, not sure specifically about milk) contained within the package. You will find a green circular logo on the package of food that has, in fact, been irradiated. I haven’t seen it here on Parmalat milk, but yours might have it? (Different regulations).

The package is also opaque, and sometimes metalized, which makes it less permeable to oxygen, and keeps light out; all things that inhibit the growth of microorganisms which would spoil the milk.

Also, the higher the fat content of milk the longer its storage life (table cream lasts months in the fridge).

*Trivia* It might seem strange to people from other countries to find out that Canadian milk is sold, and has been for decades, in plastic bags. In case you care.

Happy New Year!
- Brian.

We use the UHT milk but mine is Soy but the problem here is disposing of the packets as they don't burn completely, so have to fish them and any cans out and package them up till we get somewhere with rubbish facilities.
A mate who came with me to the Kimberlies last year was great at minimising garbage, there was absolutely no smell as it was either washed and crushed or just crushed, after three weeks out we had two small bags of rubbish to shunt around.

I don't cook (unless a bar-b-q is involved).

'cept when onboard and I serve scrambled eggs for breakfast.

but my recipe requires real butter, prosciutto, freshly grated Parmesan and a lot of eggs.

C ya
Clemo.

p.s. eggs n butter aint on my cholesterol diet, but then, my doctor aint on my boat!

p.p.s. 'n Boblee, is the boat really for sale?

Like most of us, I wrestled with the on board menu for years. Along with my fellow Mac sailors I purchased the 5 day cooler to aid in storage of perishable items. Often enough we'd go shopping for the extended cruise and still found ourselves eating at site off boat anyway, leaving me with plenty of food at the end of the cruise anyway. Long ago on this site I remember someone saying that simplifying the art of eating aboard was the key to successful trips longer than a weekend, of course when you couldn't afford "Marina" food every night. His secret was to limit the menu to what you can make with boiling water. Oatmeal, rice etc.....

For several years the term "MRE" kept popping into my head. Freeze dries meals that I can store on board and use when necessary. This summer I purchased a case of Mountain House Freeze Dried Food that Hunters, Hikers and Campers use. We found out they're not half bad! All you need is water, they cook in the pouch, easily cleanup, and you can either use the exclusively or to help extend your normal menu. They store better than most food items, AND CAN LAST 7 years! I found if I purchase a box or two a year to just keep on board, I'm not going to have to fixate on the provisioning. They're always ready if I need them. I'm not saying they should replace your favorite foods, but they are a viable resource and they do make those extended trips easier.

Drinks are easy, I keep two 2.5 gal water cows that you can by at the market, as well as Folgers Instant Coffee, flavored powdered creamers, Ice Tea Mixes, etc. I also have a coffee press. I also keep a case or two of Lime Flavored Seltzer, which can be drank warm, they sit under the Dinette table were they remain cool enough anyway. I keep ginger ale aboard too for the Mal de Mer. Wraps are a good alternative to bread as they store easily and don't "crush".

I hope this fills the original post regarding what we eat aboard that we normally don't eat at home!

"Sub" Ed Tordahl
S/V LAIKA
USCG Auxiliary
Qualified Crew
Qualified Aids (Nav) Verifier
Qualified Public Education Instructor
NYS Qualified Safe Boating Instructor

Folgers Instant Coffee

I always carry the highest quality most expensive coffee available on the boat.

I use a electric melita type coffee maker combination toaster (makes coffee and toast for 2 in 3 minutes) and a simple melita cone for non electric days (with filters) .

Being a seasoned camper I realized long ago that waking up to a tremendous cup of coffee when camping ...and now boating may be the highlight of the day!

Q1

Personally I don't eat a lot differently on the boat to on land except for the stew/chunky soups mixed with pasta or rice as I still have porridge for brekky and usually a ham and salad sandwich for lunch (ham/salads kept in fridge) and for the first few days may have red meat but after that snacks soups or fresh fish sometimes twice daily especially if nice varieties are available (Mangrove Jacks, Threadfin Salmon or Jewfish and Barramundi) don't eat much shellfish or Mudcrabs as they are a bit rich, at the end of three weeks the variety is limited though.
Yeah Clemo the boat is for sale as the wife is not keen on sailing or rough water but wanted to do the Kimberlies and the Roper again otherwise it would have been sold earlier, there are still some fantastic spots to see but will use a smaller dinghy ( 5M/16') to see them and camp on land in a van/bus/truck, it won't be anywhere near as enjoyable or easy to access but more flexible with accessing desert country etc as also have a 4wd Subaru for off road.
Despite her fears she has seen some amazing sights that are just not available by any other method or boat than a Mac so it has been a great five years which is two years longer than we planned although with the prices at present it may still be here for a while yet.
Could get to the Hawksbury and Sydney Harbour yet and would love to get over to Tasmania ($2000 ferry?).

Québec 1 wrote:Folgers Instant Coffee

I always carry the highest quality most expensive coffee available on the boat.

I use a electric melita type coffee maker combination toaster (makes coffee and toast for 2 in 3 minutes) and a simple melita cone for non electric days (with filters) .

Being a seasoned camper I realized long ago that waking up to a tremendous cup of coffee when camping ...and now boating may be the highlight of the day!

Q1

I luv you guys

French press coffee ground the week of travel. Tradition on our boat is the kids have hot chocolate every morning, with whipped cream.....

Catigale wrote:French press coffee ground the week of travel. Tradition on our boat is the kids have hot chocolate every morning, with whipped cream.....

Ha Ha, Yes our kids get those little packets of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. 2 packets per cup made with half water and half milk
Q1

We keep a lot of hot chocolate onboard for those chilly evenings and rainy days , but nothing beats
Spiced Rum and coffee !

Another thing we keep on board is spices ! We keep a good selection for any occasion .
End of the season I bring them in as they will start clotting up from the moisture.

When we take our extended cruises , we pack a Coleman 5dayer with hard frozen meats, hardfrozen ice , and then limit going in this cooler to once a day . Its stored in with lifejackets around it for insulation .
We will have meat still semifrozen a week later .

The best eating we ever did , was in Steinhatchees Sea Hag marina , Florida . We were in a slip next to a boat that had been in a fishing touranment that day.
The boat had three young boys 12 -15 years old aboard , whose Fathers had gone up to the bar for a celebatory drink.
We had cooked a whole chicken on the grill , got a little off of it and passed it onto the boys.
THEY DEVOURED IT !

After they finished the chicken , a pizza showed up for them , the fathers had ordered from the bar , for them . They devoured that to !

It turned out one of the boys had won the tournament . He gave us a huge slab/filet of grouper off the winning fish ! A huge grouper filet for a silly chicken !
Next night we cooked the filet on the grill with a little lemon pepper , it had to be the best eating of our lives !

Actually, there is a bit of art to making hot chocolate on a boat with limited water and propane...

I mix half a cup of boiling water with the powder, and then make up the rest with Parmalat. You get a nice hot milky cup of chocolate and I can do six on a kettle full of water.


on edit - and Q pointed this out in his post above, or course.....

Have to chime in on the coffee routines. When I was young I used to hunt a lot with my dad, uncles and grandfather, they would always set up a semi campsite and always make boiled coffee Grounds go right into the water in an old enamel coffee pot ( the original blue pot baked to a dark brown from the heat and yrs of use). U have to raise the water to a rolling boil, take it from the heat and let it set for approx 5 min for the grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot. It comes out strong and hot. And you can never drink the last cup or two in the pot due to all the grounds.

Still love that kind of coffee but never make it at home. At home we get up in the morning and push a button and the old Brewmaster does the rest. But on the boat we always have boiled coffee and the Admiral has taken to it also . It s not fast and not easy, but then the good things in life never are



Allan

Hi

Check our last Croatia Cruise...

http://arianeoveleiro.blogspot.com/2010 ... ising.html





15 days cooking on board...

We even made our own bread

Best Restaurant arround

Wow J.Texeira!

Did you catch the lobster yourself?

Yummy! (lip smacking)

J.Teixeira wrote:

15 days cooking on board...

= 45 bottles of wine! Where do you keep it all?!!