To say I like food is an understatement. But I also enjoy looking for quirky, less common pantry items that most would flat-out ignore or at least throw a raised eyebrow at. Normally I try to eat healthy with as much organic as I can. Problem is I like to save up food for those just-in-case-times and most healthy and organic items don't have a shelf life worth a crap.
What's key here with these foods is that they're at least somewhat nutritional, can last a while as you're waiting for the SHTF scenario and aren't the worst thing you've ever had to eat. Hope my reviews help you decide on what and what not to buy for your backup edibles!
------------------------------------------------
Ocean Queen Smoked Mussels 08/23/13
Don't worry though because it's easy enough to add this to other things to make it a little less boring. Rice or pasta are the traditional choices as well as mixing it with cooked vegetables are all good options.
Seeing as they're already cooked they don't need to be heated up too long otherwise they'll get rubbery. For this review I just sautéed them up with some onions, a pinch of chilli powder and garlic and had them as a side.
Overall they're not bad - especially if you're going hungry because the apocalypse outside is making it difficult to gather food. One can by itself or in combination with say - rice, could feed two. Half the can of mussels contains 9g of protein and 40% of your daily iron, which is very good considering the size of the can.
Price: 9/10 "It's so cheap you can buy it with leftover change."
Shelf Life: 7/10 "2-3 years at least by way of the labeling. You can always go longer than they say, but we don't like to go too far past expiration dates with seafood."
Transportability: 8/10 "Small enough to fit in your back pocket or in a small compartment in your bug out bag and only weighing 3oz."
Nutritional Value: 8/10 "Impressively high sources of protein and iron for such small servings."
Taste: 6/10 "I wonder if they smoked the mussels to mask something else. To be frank they aren't terrible, but the smokiness of them is quite overpowering."
Overall: 7.5/10 "Not bad for the price. These little buggers can sit in your pantry or in your BOB for a couple of years just in case and if you're really desperate you can just crack 'em open whenever. Best when combined with some rice or pasta."
--------------------------------------------
Amy's Organic Chili - Spicy 09/03/13
 |
| Almost everything on this plate is organic |
Chili is one of my favorite pantry items because of its flexibility in a multitude of recipes and its inherent nutritional value. I've been on a chili dog kick lately and this certainly fits the bill.
Price: 7/10 "Very good for the price, usually around $2.99."
Shelf Life: 8/10 "2-3 years, but it could probably last up to 5 years because of its simplicity."
Transportability: 6/10 "More of a pantry item than a BOB carry-on, but a can or two of these couldn't hurt for shorter trips."
Nutritional Value: 9/10 "Like most varieties of chili you're getting an abundance protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C as well as iron."
Taste: 9/10 "Tastes good alone or with anything from hot dogs to corn bread. Probably some of the best canned chili ever made."
Overall: 7.8/10 "One of the best canned chili products ever and there's a whole selection of different styles and flavors. But definitely more of a pantry item."
--------------------------------------------------------
Goya Squid - In Their Own Ink Sauce 09/18/13
Once you get past opening the can to the sight of a rather intimidating and blackened amalgamation of inky, oily goo and pieces of squid this isn't so bad. Don't go expecting fried calamari though when you crack this guy open. Once you start heating it up though you may change your mind a bit. For about $2 to $3 you can buy yourself this little can of Goya's squid (cuttlefish). If you've had some other of Goya's canned-fished products this will most likely look similar. They almost all come in the same small, oval-shaped cans and they almost all look the same inside. Most of the smells are the same too. Hope you don't mind the smell of the sea in your kitchen for a couple of hours after cooking - because my wife certainly minds.
I will say this though - there are a couple good things you can do with this squid - cook it with some onions and garlic and then put it over rice (white or black) isn't a bad way to go. Or even mixed in with a simple pasta dish is pretty good too.
Price: 6/10 "Not bad for what you get, but price depends on where you buy it."Shelf Life: 7/10 "2-3 years, but remember to keep a close lookout on seafood items that are far beyond their expiration."
Transportability: 9/10 "When out of the box this can is small enough to go in pockets or any facet of a backpack. Goya definitely likes their cans small."
Nutritional Value: 6/10 "Protein is the name of the game here with 8g of it for half of a can, but don't expect too much else. 4% of your daily Iron per serving as well."
Taste: 6/10 "Not too bad, but best when combined with starches to even out it's sea-faring ways."
Overall: 6.8/10 "Easily transportable, with protein to keep you going for the long haul, but it is inherently tough and a bit of a challenge for some taste buds."
------------------------------------------------
Feldkamp Pumpernickel Bread 11/05/13
Bread - it's a bit of a departure from the normal pantry items in my mix, which is mostly canned seafood and beans. Spotted this the other day and just had to see what it was all about. Rare to see bread in this form amongst the usual sea of canned and boxed items, even more rare to see something that can last at least a year in its packaging without any preservatives at all. Impressive.
Price: 7/10 "$2 for a loaf of bread? I can buy that (puns intended)."
Shelf Life: 5/10 "1-2 years tops. Not sure how far out you can go with bread without preservatives no matter how well-sealed it is. Probably best to actively store in a cool and dry environment if possible."
Transportability: 5/10 "Unfortunately it's still a small loaf of bread and there really isn't much of a way around it."
Nutritional Value: 6/10 "It's bread - so carbs mostly, but also a bit of your daily Iron and Vitamin A."
Taste: 6/10 "On it's a own it's a bit dry, but if heated up or toasted it gets much better."
Overall: 5.8/10 "Good for sitting in the pantry for a little while and it just needs a little kick-start before you can really enjoy it."
------------------------------------------------
Underwood Buffalo Style Chicken Spread 04/14/14
Well what can I say? It's chicken. It's spreadable. It's chicken spread. Underwood's devilish branding certainly raises the eyebrow at first glance, but it is rather simple product. Mashed chicken into a spread with a TON of ingredients longer than my arm. Not only is the list lengthier than it should be, the product itself breaks one of my most basic cardinal rules: it contains MSG. With all the crap in here I'm actually surprised that chicken breast is the first ingredient.
Price: 6/10 "For about $3 you can have one of these small cans, not terrible, but not great..."
Shelf Life: 7/10 "2-3 years shelf life, but considering the long list of ingredients I bet it could stand to last quite a lot longer."
Transportability: 8/10 "4.25oz is not very big if you think about it so if need be, you could theoretically stash a couple of these in some pockets or your bug out bag."
Nutritional Value: 5/10 "Being that it is essentially just chicken you're getting protein - about 7g per serving, which is not bad, but there is quite a lot of Sodium - 820mg per serving, or 1,640mg in the entire can so you may get thirsty afterward."
Taste: 4/10 "May work for some, but it didn't impress me as it almost tasted sour, with the original intent of being spicy."
Overall: 6/10 "Well it has MSG, high Sodium and a bunch other ingredients you probably don't need, but it is small and decently handy in a pinch and I can't bust it for that."
------------------------------------------------
Geisha Thai Red Curry Tuna (Massaman Tuna) 08/02/14
In terms of easy to make foods I find that a number of Asian cuisines fill the role quite nicely. A while ago I found a can of Thai Red Curry Tuna and decided to try it out. It took quite a few months for me to finally take it out of my pantry though and try to cook with it for a dinner for myself. Inside the can is an interesting mix... sliced potato, thick wads of tuna and even peanuts. All sunk deep in a thick curry sauce. Unlike some of the other canned items I've reviewed prior, the actual opening of the can reveals a good smelling and not totally un-appetizing sight. Either in combination with any form of rice or even rice noodles or by itself it's pretty delicious. Although I will say by itself it is a bit on the salty side, it's a single serve can and the can itself has a whopping 1,200 mg. of sodium. So some starch and grain would definitely counteract that. |
| Combined w/green pepper, lettuce and egg rolls |
Price: 6/10 "$3-$4 a can - a bit expensive."
Shelf Life: 8/10 "About 3 years shelf life like most canned tuna products."
Transportability: 8/10 "5oz is a good portable size for backpacks."
Nutritional Value: 7/10 "For the most part think of it as just a can of tuna with a little extra - you're looking at good protein overall."
Taste: 7/10 "Great overall taste, but a bit much with the sodium, so sometimes a little better with something to counteract that."
Overall: 7.2/10 "Not a bad can of tuna, only issue is you may have some trouble finding them."
------------------------------------------------
Joya Halvah Sesame Chocolate Covered Bar (King Size) 11/19/14
Big departure from my normal reviews this time as I'm basically looking at a candy bar. Halvah (also spelled "Halva") is an old Middle Eastern convection of sugar and honey. The term halva (Arabic: حلاوة ḥalāwah / حلوى ḥalwá), literally means "desserts" or "sweet". These particular bars manufactured by Joya Corp. are made and distributed in Brooklyn, NY. It's an interesting combination of textures and flavors and isn't as sweet as you'd expect it to be. In this iteration it's essentially crushed sesame seed combined with sugar and other sweeteners and then covered in chocolate. There's about 30 different varieties based on the country of origin so it'll be interesting to see what a different culture's take on the old recipe may be.
Price: 7/10 "$2.99 - about what you'd expect for a treat like this."
Shelf Life: 8/10 "There isn't much to go bad in this convection so it can last a while."
Transportability: 8/10 "3.5oz is a great size for both backpacks and pockets."
Nutritional Value: 6/10 "It's a big candy bar, what were you expecting? Some protein, some fiber, but mostly it's calories, carbs and fat."
Taste: 7/10 "Pretty good taste, but a little on the acquired side because it isn't a traditional "sweet" like most Americans would be used to."
Overall: 7.2/10 "Pretty intriguing addition to anybody's bug out bag or pantry. Definitely packs a lot of calories in a small package, which has its uses if you're going hungry."
No comments:
Post a Comment