Cooking in a thermas

[Boyntonstu]

Just my opinion, but that sounds like a lot of extra work.  

When I started out the first time (no stove) I would get some hot water from the truck stop bathroom,  I would add my Ramin, and wait until it was ready.  I had a nice big thermas, two cases of ramin, and I survived until my check came in.  I quikly learned what to buy so I could have variety.  

Gas at the time was about $4 a gallon.

Hot water heaters are not clean drinking water sources.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. ... More information is at www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD). THE BOTTOM LINE.Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking.Jan 29, 2008

Also:

http://grist.org/living/is-it-safe-to-co...tap-water/

[Snikwahjm]

I boil tap or filtered water.

[Ballenxj]

I boil tap or filtered water.

In my opinion that is one of the safest ways to rid water you're unsure of from germs and bacteria.
Wont rid it of particulate matter though.

[Snikwahjm]

Wahoo I found a video on cooking eggs. Now to test it

[Ballenxj]

Wahoo I found a video on cooking eggs. Now to test it

Nice find and instructions.

[fantym1]

Split Pea Soup

Serves 1

    1/3 cup dried split peas
    1/3 - 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
    1 - 2 ounces ham (spam, bacon, etc), diced small
    1/8th onion, diced (or a shallot or 3" piece of leek)
    (1) 3-in piece carrot, sliced
    1 bay leaf
    pepper to taste
    water

    Preheat a 16-ounce Thermos by filling it with boiling water.  Cap it and prepare the other ingredients.
    When everything is ready, pour the water out of the Thermos and save it.  Put the ingredients into the Thermos & fill (Thermos) with the reserved water –  there'll be some left over.
    Dump everything out of the Thermos into a pan, and put the stopper back on the Thermos to keep it from cooling further.  Put a lid on the pan and heat it until boiling.  Boil for 3 minutes, then carefully pour it back into the Thermos using a canning funnel.  Cap the Thermos, shake it well & wrap in a throw blanket. Lay it on its side & let sit for at least four hours – up to 12 is fine.
    After 4 hours, check for doneness by trying to mash up a pea or a piece of carrot – it should easily mash with the back of a spoon.   Also, if it’s not steaming, (or not done) re-heat, by pouring the soup back into a pan and cook it about 5 minutes more on top of the stove, and adjust seasonings. This isn’t really necessary, but sometimes thickening is needed (add 1 - 2 Tbl instant mashed potatoes while reheating).
    Serve with a dollop of sour cream, or on a cold day, a spoonful of sherry over the top.

Enjoy!

I make this on my alcohol stove and it requires less than an ounce of fuel (20 - 25 cc, usually)

If you substitute lentils for the split peas & add some curry powder, it's a twofer recipe

[Gr8ful]

I've cooked on the engine of trucks & airplanes. Foil pouch dinners like made with the scouts. Pre cooked meats like polish sausage, spam, ham, etc. add small dices potatoes, carrots or even corn beef & cabbage depending how far you're going.

[fantym1]

Beans

Serves 1

1/2 C Beans, dried, if only cooking beans - if adding additional ingredients: 1/3 C
Pre-soak 8 hours or so after sort/rinse. (discard pre-soak water)(I use it for dish washing)

Preheat a 16-oz Thermos by filling it with boiling water. Cap it & set aside 5-10 minutes.
Pour the water out of the Thermos and save it.  Put the beans into the Thermos & fill (Thermos) with the reserved water –  there'll be some left over.  Fill Thermos to within 1" of bottom of stopper.  Dump everything out of the Thermos into a pan, and put the stopper back on the Thermos to keep it from cooling further.  Put a lid on the pan and heat it until boiling.  Boil for 5 minutes, then carefully pour it back into the Thermos using a canning funnel.  Cap the Thermos, shake it well & wrap in a throw blanket. Lay it on its side & let sit for at least four hours – up to 12 is fine.

Optional ingredients: At 2 hrs, dump beans/water into a pan & recap Thermos.  Add chopped carrot, onion, potato, etc  (see split pea soup recipe above) + any desired spices/seasonings, excepting salt, to the pan & boil 5 minutes, then re-add to the Thermos for another 4 hrs.
Check for doneness  by trying to mash up a bean or a piece of carrot – it should easily mash with the back of a spoon. Also, if it’s not steaming, (or not done) re-heat, by pouring the soup back into a pan and cook it about 5 minutes more on top of the stove, and adjust seasonings & salt to taste. Sometimes thickening is needed (add 1 - 2 Tbl instant mashed potatoes while reheating).

I cook this on my alcohol stove as well & it uses less than an ounce (25 cc usually) of fuel

[Kaylee]

Shiny - thanks for the recipes fantym1!

I've been thermos cooking for about nine years.
Here's some tips:

Wide mouth is much easier to clean. Food Jars are great.

Smaller kids' themed food jars often go on sale, and are a great cheap way to start.

For simple stuff, you can skip the preheat step.
For example: steel cut oats, minute/parboiled/etc rice, pasta.
Those are all very beginner friendly.

You may want to do more shakes after the initial sequence. You don't have to be obsessive about it, but at least one more vigorous shake helps.

It's easy to overcook "shells" pasta. I have a pic, if anyone doubts that.

With pasta, if you very carefully unscrew the lid partway, you can drain the excess liquid without having to use a strainer.
If you do that, expect to burn yourself at least once (I'm klutzy, so you may not), and have more water ready to soak the burned part of your body.

A thermos lets you use a single burner stove as if it were a double burner. You boil your water, set your pasta/rice/whatever to cooking itself, then use the burner to make your meat&veggies.
Everything's ready at about the same time.


Snik: whole grain pasta works particularly well, if you're concerned about carbs.
Thanks for the egg stuff! I haven't tried those yet, and now likely will.

[fantym1]

Yep, been Thermos cooking for years, too - werx 4 me!
I have 2 (16 oz), so I can cook beans/peas in 1 & grains in the other (wheat/Rye berries turn out wonderfully well) @ the same time, but then I'm laz ...er, frugal with my personal energy.
Pasta only takes 7-8 minutes in a Thermos. Usually, I just use a veg peeler & peel off enuf strips of carrot/zucchini to make whatever "pasta" dish - it thermos-cooks in the same amount of time & if I forget to check, it's still edible later. (I saw a gadget that makes noodles out of vegetables recently & thought, well day-um that's something, ain't it?)
I just put a nylon anklet over the mouth of the Thermos or sprout jar to strain with
I've always wondered why van-people take a pressure cooker ... but thought it impolite to ask. "To each their own, said the milkmaid as she kissed the cow"