Recommended tinned provisions

Tinned whole meals, such as coq-au-vin always seem unsatisfactory to me, as are the soups. Mostly they are too thick and gungy. I think that tins can be a useful source of single ingrediants when fresh food is not available, which is what we experienced before we had refrigeration. '70s or not, the most comforting tin-based meals we had were things like ham-rice. This would be based on tinned ham, tinned vegetables such as peas and sweet-corn, thrown together with proper rice, mango chutney and whatever else one felt like throwing in. Nowadays that would be still a bit bland for my jaded taste, but at least I wouldn't starve.
 
Poignard said:
...if you have a small 28' yacht like mine with no fridge or ice box, tinned food is ideal.
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I hope nobody misinterpreted from my objection to spam and greasy pastry, a dislike for things in cans...

...having tented for decades without a fridge, I'm thoroughly in favour of canned food. It's only a question of what the cans contain.

Variety is possible just by looking to the diet of warmer latitudes, where millennia of fine cuisine coped without refrigeration. Ratatouille, tapenade, and those big jars of aubergine and courgette in rich garlic-charged tomato-based mixtures; red peppers, olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, even cheeses. I just found a fascinating link which provides a DIY cheese-preservation guide: How to Make Oil-Cured Cheese | Cook's Illustrated

For a while, my old mate worked for a company that made dehydrated rations for the MoD, and he managed to sneak out enough samples to feed his family on our summer camping trip. I say 'feed', but they looked hungrily envious of our not-very-exotic salmon with scrambled eggs on toast. I don't understand why cruising sailors would resort to powdered foods until they're in the liferaft.

Well worth funding a galley-full of good stuff in jars and cans. When you look back from your deathbed, will you recall the luxuries you allowed yourself on those cruises...or will you take care to overlook the dismal food and just picture the sunsets?

Here's my present favourite. Not so very exotic, but oh my lord, it beats spuds or wretched spaghetti hoops in watery ketchup.

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I understand your no fridge aspect but ..on our Centaur a few years ago we used a double skillet .....with these you can bake roast potatoes and loads of other stuff ...makes the tin thing so much more appetising.... also say I assume you are in UK ...keep stuff lowdown and it’s a bit like a fridge...unlike where my boat is ..(I hope)
 
Clearly I am the only person who likes Fray Bentos pies ? Piping hot with the pastry nicely browned with some canned peas and carrots. Lovely grub.

We have recently upgraded from a two burner spirit stove to a 2 burner grill and oven gas stove. Toasted sandwiches have been popular snacks .
 
graham said:
Clearly I am the only person who likes Fray Bentos pies ? Piping hot with the pastry nicely browned with some canned peas and carrots. Lovely grub.

We have recently upgraded from a two burner spirit stove to a 2 burner grill and oven gas stove. Toasted sandwiches have been popular snacks .
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Sorry but ? from myself. And Mrs M would refuse to come sailing again if I suggested Fray Bentos were on the menu.
 
Maybe we have been lucky but lately we have scoffed a few and no gristle or other traditional less desirable inredients. Perhaps the makers have upped their game a bit.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Why? It's a lovely little harbour and town. I spent 3 nights there when I brought Capricious from the Clyde to East Anglia.

I didn't even get in to the geology, which is interesting, too!
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It's a great place to break a long slog north, but I think I had the worst greasy spoon in the café by the harbour, the pubs seem to be home to several people. I liked the museum and had a nice walk but the showers were poor. Anyway it was only a flippant and facetious response ?
 
Those big bottles of fish or lobster soup that you can buy everywhere in France, and in lots of places here, are very good; and you can add extra fish and make a passable bouillabaisse.
 
My theory is that most boat fridges are chugging away with very little in them. For a week away most everything will keep except fresh meat and milk which can be worked around.
Lager is more tricky and you need to develop a taste for English beer.
 
An long ago ex girl friend took me on a climbing trip which I attended with newcomers nervousness. The others ate spag boll or even pot noodles. She produced smoked salmon, croissants and new potatoes with good ham. She privately opined that masochism and ignoring your bodily needs would not make you a better climber. The rock might assail you but why torment your stomach and tastebuds? She did not last but her advice did.

Travelling to Brittany and elsewhere I find a whole range of interesting tinned or preserved foods to eat when cooking is a burden due to weather or extreme fatigue. Even our humble Cornish Waitrose has some good items.
 
oldmanofthehills said:
She produced smoked salmon, croissants and new potatoes with good ham. She privately opined that masochism and ignoring your bodily needs would not make you a better climber. The rock might assail you but why torment your stomach and tastebuds?
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What a great girl. Not still available, is she? ?
 
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