Cooking For Engineers

[CynthiaSue]

Hi. Anyone know a good source for food boiling bags? On a recent backcountry trip, my companions boiled ham and eggs in Ziplocs. I'm looking for a safer alternative. Thanks!

[kgb1001001]

We recently had a discussion on this in our cub scout pack. Someone pointed to a hysterical website that claimed we were all going to die because of the chemicals in the ziploc bags. Our committee chair (Ph.D. in Organic chemistry and a senior scientist for the EPA) then calmly and rationally pointed out that the science on this is not in favor of the hysteria. There are many, many more ways to get more seriously ill from food when camping than the miniscule amounts of chemicals potentially released by a boiled ziploc. Basically, don't worry about it.

[DrBiggles]

[Matt]

I'd be less worried about chemical leaching, and more about bag melting! *LOL*

BTW, does anyone know how much heat a ziplock bag can take?

[GaryProtein]

A ziplock bag can definitely take the heat of boiling water, although thinner bags may lose a lot of their tensile strength. You can certainly cook (boil)camping food in them without a problem, especially omelettes mentioned before. Using larger bags for larger volumes will require a heavier gauge bag. The freezer storage bags are pretty strong.

[CynthiaSue]

"Ziploc® Brand bags are not designed to withstand the extreme heat of boiling"--Ziplock FAQs, http://www.ziploc.com/
Despite Ziploc's warning, the freezer bags have worked well for me, too. Eggs and pre-cooked ham don't take long to boil and are a welcome break from the usual oatmeal. In bear country, especially, the bags are particularly useful in that they present an alternative to frying--which emits food-laden smells and results in food-scented oil. However, I respect the "hysterics". While we might someday be able to detect the presence of toxins in our omelettes, we will never be able to guarantee the absence of toxins... So, nobody knows a source of boil bags--the kind used for lobster? Thanks!

[opqdan]

If you want more ideas of what you can do with boil-in-a-bag meals, check out http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/. This is designed more for a lightweight hikers menu than something that you would make at home though. As a backpacker, I have to say that freezer bag cooking is awesome, it is easy to make, easy to clean, lightweight, and quick. If you are submerging the bag in water rather than adding boiling water to the bag, then this isn't what you are talking about.

If you are very worried about problems with boiling ziploc bags (although there really isn't any reason to), you can always drop the temperature. Very few meals would actually need to be cooked at 212F. You could even drop the temp down as far as 140 or lower depending on what it was. It is just harder to keep the temperature consistent when you don't have a natural barier keeping the water at a certain temp.

Cooking food submerged in water in a plastic bag from which the air has been evacutated is a popular method called Sous Vide. This is normally done with something like a FoodSaver(TM), and an imersion circulator to keep the temperature very constant. It produces wonderfully flaverfull, perfectly cooked foods that would be impossible with any other method of cooking.

[penelopa]

What is the best commuter bag for a male in his 30's commuting to a professional job? Obviously, the messenger bags are popular, but how practical are they? I will be carrying a change of shoes, a planner, my lunch, etc.. I think the plan is to possibly leave a more professional looking bag in the office for meetings and such. Are most commuters using more practical packs to get to the office? I'm new to the train/city culture!
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[Auspicious]

I use Foodsaver bags for lots of dishes. I've had good luck heating the food back up in boiling water, with a folded dish towel in the bottom of the pot to keep the plastic from melting.

[carmenle]

I think this has been suggested before and it was denied, but I still like the suggestion and think it should be implemented.

[natdelvboy]

I've heard boiling plastics release estrogen, which as a guy, you probably don't want

[Bonnie D]

Ziploc bags are not stabile past the temperature of 195*F. Water boils at 212*F.... you do the math. If you decide to boil food in a Ziploc, you will be eating food that is tainted with chemicals from the plastic breaking down OR the plastic can actually melt and cause a burn accident. Still want an omelette? Try the old fashion way and mix it up in a pan. Yeah, you'll have a pan to wash. Big deal. :-/

[tigerhead]

I never heard of boiling food in bags. I guess it would be the same as steaming but still the health implications are... could be really high. I don't think a bag will do whatever a pot cannot do. I'll stick with the pot.

[Gus]

I have had some Ziplok bags fail when cooking sous vide where the zip detached from the wall of the bag, this was after several hours though, I'm not sure if it would be a problem when backpacking where you are only likely to be cooking in them for a few minutes.

[Cheff Wannabee]

I just finished a web search on this and found a web site, bestfoodbags.com, that has bags INTENDED for boiling food safely. The are BPA free and used in commercial kitchens all over the world. Might be worth it to check them out.