BajaNomad - Top Ten Canned Foods for Baja

Top Ten Canned Foods for Baja

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 12:12 PM

On another thread there's a discussion of the merits of fine dining in a restaurant versus opening a can of something. This made me think of my footlocker of dry goods, and then about what canned foods are the best for a Baja trip. Here's my list (no David K., Spam is most definitely NOT on my list). What's yours?

10. Garbanzo beans
9. Black olives
8. Green beans
7. Albacore in water
6. Whole tomatoes
5. Dennison's chili, no beans
4. Menudo
3. Herdez salsa ranchera
2. Red chile sauce
1. Pinto beans

KIPPER SNACKS-----The BEST!!!!!

Barry A. - 7-11-2006 at 12:15 PM

Don't forget:

Taco de Baja - 7-11-2006 at 12:59 PM

DINTY MOORE? Beef Stew -- "Tender beef, fresh potatoes and carrots all simmered in a delicious beef gravy. Just heat and eat for a nutritious meal you can count on."

Cincodemayo - 7-11-2006 at 01:30 PM

Parboiled beef from Argentina in sauce...makes the best shredded beef tacos and burritos.

you forgot beer

BajaVida - 7-11-2006 at 01:39 PM

but I prefer mine in bottles

Was it once told about Neal - the aridologist..

John M - 7-11-2006 at 01:49 PM

..that there was a time he carefully selected a wide range of such canned goods that most anyone would be envious.

Then to do things as only Neal could do them....he'd remove all the can's clothes (labels) before leaving for Baja and just pick a can at random when meal time rolled around....a sort of grab bag of mealtime delights....

I don't recall that he ever tried the same thing with his WIW list....though I may be wrong on that! I'll have to ask Barbara.

John M

Paulina - 7-11-2006 at 01:51 PM

I'd like to add Sardines to the list. My kids would add Speghetti-Os and Ravioli.

pappy - 7-11-2006 at 02:31 PM

veg-all, beans, herdez and tecate.nada mas :spingrin:

Canned beer?

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 02:48 PM

Um, no. Bottles highly preferred. In fact, the highest and best use of a Tecate can is not as a beer receptacle, but as a Baja highway cone -- three cans, each with a rock on top to hold it down, placed on the roadway to warn oncoming drivers of a disabled vehicle ahead.

Worse than canned Mexican beer, however, is canned American beer. On our last trip down over the 4th, I had some houseguests who brought down some of their own provisions (always appreciated), including beverages. On long stays, fridge space is at a premium. The morning after they arrived, I open the fridge for a little inventory and restocking. What do I find? A frickin' 12-pack of Bud Lite, for chrissake, taking up a whole shelf -- which had previously been occupied by my cold, frosty bottled Pacificos, consumed the previous night by my guests! WTF?! I don't mind if you drink my beer -- that's what it's for -- but don't replace it with swill. The Scud Lites were promptly removed to a cooler where they remained in a bath of lukewarm water (very similar to themselves) for the remainder of the stay. The resulting fridge space was restocked with Pacificos, and order was restored to the universe.

[Edited on 7-11-2006 by DanO]

thebajarunner - 7-11-2006 at 03:00 PM

Dinty Moore beef stew.... not sure how it would taste here at home for dinner, but Baja Vida and I dined on it at San Pedro Martir (the night after we charcoaled top sirloins...)
As to beer in cans..... Asahi ($4.99 for 6 at Trader Joes) is very nice in the can.
As to Bud Lite.... what an awesome testimony to the power of adveritising that stuff is..... undrinkable, unthinkable, and unwelcome in my cooler.
The guys came over in February to watch Daytona and brought lots of beer, there are still two Bud Lites in my 'gator, 5 months later. Maybe we will use them for bar-b-q chicken marinade, then again, maybe not.

capt. mike - 7-11-2006 at 03:05 PM

i like your style Dan 0!

for me......anchovies, a must in every kitchen, rolled or flat.

Bruce R Leech - 7-11-2006 at 03:11 PM

Peanut Butter and jelly

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 03:20 PM

Agree on the anchovies. Essential for a good pasta Amatriciana sauce.

Also, we did find one good use for a Bud Lite. Open the can, pour half of the "beer" into the sink, shove the can with the remaining "beer" into the abdominal cavity of a cleaned and seasoned roasting chicken, stand the chicken up on a Weber grill over ashed-over coals, cover it and go to the beach for a couple of hours with a cooler of cold Pacificos. Lunch/dinner will be ready when you get back -- just warm some tortillas and canned beans and open a can of salsa.

Canned PB&J?

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 03:21 PM

Wow, I'ver never seen that, but it seems like a good idea.

All good choices...

Mexray - 7-11-2006 at 03:34 PM

...we like to also include:

Diced Green Chiles...

(Las Palmas) - the small cans - great to add to lots of foods to spice up the taste - we usually toss a small can into our scrambled eggs, yummy.

Mushrooms...

pieces & stems - the small cans - again, great add-ons to lots of dishes, including those scrambled eggs, above!

Vienna Sausages...

Brown em' in a pan to go with the eggs for a quick road meal in the morning!

Barry A. - 7-11-2006 at 03:49 PM

Canned peaches or pears are tasty after you consume your can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew-----------or, if you can find it, canned Nalley's beef stew is really good, also. :yes:

I happen to like Bud Light (stuffing it in a chicken?????? whats that all about????:?

, but then you guys figured that, right??

Nothing compares to an iced Modelo Negra, tho, even I admit. Pacifico is not on my list-----never did care for it. :spingrin:

Packoderm - 7-11-2006 at 04:09 PM

I've got my top eleven.

Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Dak Canned Ham
Bush's Baked Beans
Del Monte White Corn (popular with the kids)
Embasa Salsa Mexicana
Bush's Pork and Beans (better than VanCamps)
Hereford Roast Beef
Brunswick Seafood Snacks (kipper snacks) Golden Smoked
Del Monte Cut Green Beans
Corned Beef Hash (scramble in an egg or two when close to done)
Canned Cracked Crab (for omelettes - excellent)

friggin bud lites...

eetdrt88 - 7-11-2006 at 04:12 PM

:lol:

great story Dan0...anybody comin over to my place with bud lites is gonna get an earfull,there are alot of beers that are somewhat mediocre but Bud lite has got to be one of the worst :barf:

eetdirt-----MORE BUD LITE------

Barry A. - 7-11-2006 at 04:17 PM

----how come their stock just keeps going up and up and up?? somebody must like it besides me. :lol:

Tuna

Don Alley - 7-11-2006 at 04:26 PM

Neal Johns - 7-11-2006 at 04:34 PM

I checked my camper to see what my favorite canned stuff was, and unfortunately I am unable to tell you because all the labels were missing. The only thing I remember for sure is Mountain Dew. Sorry. :lol:

Beer stuffed chicken

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 04:34 PM

Barry, the concept is that the beer steams while the chicken is roasting, which makes for a very moist and flavorful bird. Plus, it's just cool to start off dinner by pulling a beer can out of chicken's patooty.

I should have mentioned that the coals should be banked out to the sides of the kettle before you put the chicken on, or you're gonna have one crispy critter. It also helps to place the chicken on a pie tin or something similar to catch the fat, which will otherwise drip down into the kettle and can catch fire. (If my grandfather were still alive, he'd keep the chicken fat for later use.)

By the way, what is a "kipper snack" made out of, anyway?

I like Packoderm's list, especially the corned beef hash, but my wife flatly refuses to let me cook that stuff. Says it smells like cat food. Everyone once in a while when she's not around, I'll make some for breakfast for me and the kids. The cat likes it too.

[Edited on 7-11-2006 by DanO]

DanO-----

Barry A. - 7-11-2006 at 04:41 PM

------sounds good-------I will have to try that------I knew that I was hanging onto my big ol WEBER for some reason. :yes:

Thank you. :tumble:

DanO---------

Barry A. - 7-11-2006 at 04:48 PM

-----Oh, and your question about "Kippers"---------little filets of Kipper, naturally, and that is somehow associated with Ronald Reagan I hear :lol:

Actually it is "herring", and REALLY good with Triscuits, or Wheat Thins, and makes an excellent trail lunch. It totally fills you up, taste good, and is good for you (so I am told) (sardines, also)---------but nobody will stay within 20 feet of you for at least an hour. That sometimes is an added advantage.

Kippers--------I love em!!!!

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 04:52 PM

Aaah, yes, my grandfather used to make a big deal out of sitting down with some kippered herring and red onion for a snack. You're right, he stunk like a cannery afterwards. To each his own.

Decadence in the Desert

oladulce - 7-11-2006 at 06:05 PM

Open up a can of this raisin/molasses bread after a couple of weeks of camping food and you'll think you've gone to heaven.

Me too!

Dave - 7-11-2006 at 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
Kippers--------I love em!!!!

Favorite lunch:

Kippers, cottage cheese, sliced tomatoes & avocado, radishes and fresh pumpernickel with butter.

DanO - 7-11-2006 at 06:16 PM

Hmmmm. Does that go into a sandwich, or in a blender? I think I'll stick with gorp and an apple as my trail snack.

fdt - 7-11-2006 at 06:18 PM

Atun
Baked beans
Atun
Corned beef hash
Atun
Chipotle
Atun
Jalape?os
Atun
Leche de bote (Clavel)
Atun
Atun
Atun
Atun
Atun.
On a personal note, hidden from everyones view, a small can of snmoked oysters and another of palmitos (hearts of palm)

fdt - 7-11-2006 at 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanO
On another thread there's a discussion of the merits of fine dining in a restaurant versus opening a can of something. This made me think of my footlocker of dry goods, and then about what canned foods are the best for a Baja trip. Here's my list (no David K., Spam is most definitely NOT on my list). What's yours?

10. Garbanzo beans
9. Black olives
8. Green beans
7. Albacore in water
6. Whole tomatoes
5. Dennison's chili, no beans
4. Menudo
3. Herdez salsa ranchera
2. Red chile sauce
1. Pinto beans

Could you please hurry and ask what we would take to accompany the caned foods, because my smoked oysters would give theire lives for a bag of saltines

fdt - 7-11-2006 at 06:27 PM

Hurry, Please
I have to add some tabasco for my oysters

surfer jim - 7-11-2006 at 06:51 PM

...well....SPAM is now and always has been #1..."the best"

BUSH'S beans...

MANWICH sloppy joe mix...(if you have hamburger....)

I am getting hungry just thinking about this.....

pappy - 7-11-2006 at 07:27 PM

denty moore stew is awesome grub when packin' in the mountains!

thebajarunner - 7-11-2006 at 08:51 PM

and "denty" (sic) moore is purchased where??? the dented can store???

My Larder

MrBillM - 7-11-2006 at 09:01 PM

A plentiful supply of canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Mary Kitchen Roast Beef Hash, Bully Beef (Argentina/Brazil), Tuna, SPAM (NOT the Low-Sodium), Potatoes, Fruit.

roundtuit - 7-11-2006 at 09:33 PM

I always take denty moore beef stew camping. Half beef stew, half gas. Great for cleaning out the system. :biggrin:

Diver - 7-11-2006 at 10:52 PM

You guys are GROSS !

Other than olives and Herdez, almost everything we eat in Baja is fresh.
Fruit, veggies, eggs, fish, shrimp, scallops, clams.......
Then there are the fresh tortillas, bakery goods, tacos, empinadas,.......
And my favorite chicken en mole for $4 US at my favorite little restaurant....
I am SO wanting to be there now !!

.

Cheese

Sharksbaja - 7-11-2006 at 11:25 PM

from Washinton State University

BajaNomad - 7-12-2006 at 12:09 AM

Lets see... various comments....

Runner... I've taken the TJ's canned Asahi before as an Intl cerveza to give away - only to receive blank stares. I thought it was an excellent idea on my part, but learned my lesson, so never again. Good beer though.

Ferna... all that hot sauce in MX and you're using Tabasco from the U.S.?

I usually try to stay light, but canned goods would ideally include:

- Albacore in water
- Trader Joe's Vegetarian Black Bean Chili ($.99/can)
- Caracol (I think from the Bahia Asuncion Coop)

I believe that I was given the Caracol by a panguero at San Ignacio Lagoon (??? - now I'll have to remember), and dared to open it - among travel companions - one night when other goods were thin while camped in La Purisima. We were all absolutely delighted (at how good it was - not that we wouldn't starve).

--
Doug

bajajudy - 7-12-2006 at 06:11 AM

I always have a couple of cans of soup. Preferably Progresso but any will do for a quick, one pot meal. With Saltines, of course!

jimgrms - 7-12-2006 at 06:53 AM

Smuckers p nut butter and jelly same jar it comes mixed
buy the rolls in mex
bushes baked beans kipper snacks vienna sausage spam canned fruit
for coffee the little bags like tea bags,hash , write the contents of the cans on bottom with a majic marker then its ok for the label to wear, lots of beer no need for writing on it,wish i could find wine with threaded cap and plastic bottle also top ramen

Bruce R Leech - 7-12-2006 at 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by oladulce
Open up a can of this raisin/molasses bread after a couple of weeks of camping food and you'll think you've gone to heaven.

never saw that before oladulce. is it good? I'm going to look for it if I ever get Back to the US.

David K - 7-12-2006 at 07:37 AM

Good thread DanO... It is most interesting to see a common thread umong us Baja nuts... DINTY MOORE BEEF STEW!

THAT is what is in my camping box as emergency back up food. I love eating at the local places if I am near civilization... more than years before.

Spam is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner.... Haven't you guys ever been to Hawaii? :lol:

Freeze dried back packing meals (beef stroganoff, chicken & rice, etc.) are great meals... just add boiling water and wait a few minutes! They are lighter than canned food as well.

Canned beer for the back roads (Tecate, XX, Pacifico) because EVERY time I take bottles and then drive my Tacoma where it will take me in Baja (bad roads, etc.) I get smashed bottles. Cans will also get punctured, but no broken glass in the ice chest.

thebajarunner - 7-12-2006 at 08:33 AM

Shiny cans were a problem when we pre-ran the races.
We strapped a cooler down tight in the front of the pickup bed, after a particularly wild day of pre-running all labels would be floating and all painted cans would be polished to a bright aluminum finish.
That always made dinner drinks interesting...
(of course, back in those pre-historic times, many of the cans were still the old steel/tin combo, so the paint did not stick as well as it does today- come on, admit it, some of you remember when cans were not aluminum)

bajarunner

Baja Bernie - 7-12-2006 at 09:12 AM

And it took real men to crush them things!

Liverwurst

Skipjack Joe - 7-12-2006 at 09:24 AM

Liverwurst and deviled ham.

Liverwurst on a bodillo (I think that's what it's called), yummmm. With a gaseosa. Followed by a couple of good belches. A fine meal, indeed. No dishes to wash. No pots to clean. This one's a throwback from my earlier sierra backpacking days.

[Edited on 7-12-2006 by Skipjack Joe]

eetdrt88 - 7-12-2006 at 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
----how come their stock just keeps going up and up and up?? somebody must like it besides me. :lol:

maybe because the world is full of people who like tasteless watered down beer :lol:

as for me i'll take almost any mexican beer over budweiser or coors

wilderone - 7-12-2006 at 09:37 AM

You guys are amateurs. Dinty Moore beef stew is what I pack and will eat if I'm starving and have absolutely nothing left to eat.
If I can't get something FRESH (tortillas to go with the cheese and salsa I brought; fish; fruit), then I get into my canned goods:
smoked oysters
marinated artichoke hearts
marinated asparagus
stuffed olives
salmon in a pouch, mixed with mayonnaise and lemon or dill with crackers
spaghetti with a good jar sauce
stove top stuffing with canned turkey and turkey gravy on top
On a trip last month, I had pre-cooked rice (in a pouch), canned turkey and 1/2 a packet of gravy all stirred and heated together - it was great.
Nuts of all kinds
Summer sausage with crackers
Laughing Cow cheese (no refrigeration)
That will do for a few days until I can get some smoked fish, fresh fish, fish tacos, etc.
PS: beer isn't canned goods.

DanO - 7-12-2006 at 10:31 AM

This has indeed been educational. Until now, I had no idea you could get cheese in a can. Sharks, what exactly does "Natural Cougar Gold" taste like?

Cougar Gold

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanO
This has indeed been educational. Until now, I had no idea you could get cheese in a can. Sharks, what exactly does "Natural Cougar Gold" taste like?

Like cheese. :lol:

Pretty good actually. I was amazed when a customer mentioned it. I ordered some and was happy with it. Seems they now offer new flavors.

WSU Cheese

[Edited on 7-12-2006 by Sharksbaja]

Sallysouth - 7-12-2006 at 01:14 PM

I was really suprised when I received a gift of Cougar Gold.I am a true cheese lover and this one is at the top of my list! Very sharp and nutty!

Yes it's nutty!

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sallysouth
I was really suprised when I received a gift of Cougar Gold.I am a true cheese lover and this one is at the top of my list! Very sharp and nutty!

I should have described it mo betta. :lol:

My fav used to be Bandon 10yr white old cheddar. Out of this world....melts creamy on the tongue! Too bad Tillimook bought them out. Their aged wh cheddar is darn good tho. I'll have to try the new flavors. Refrigerate after opening.

jerry - 7-12-2006 at 02:38 PM

Hea Sharks where did you get the canned cheese??

I bring several jars of Beaver horseradish. it dosent need refered
With catsup , a little lime and wistershire makes a great coctail sauce
with sour cream it makes a great sause for beef and chicken

eetdrt88 - 7-12-2006 at 03:22 PM

some of these with some hot sauce and none of that weak stuff....habanero sauce is what they need followed by repeated gulps of ice cold frosty beverage :cool:

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 03:22 PM

http://www.wsu.edu/creamery/cougarcheese/1flavors.html

I'm with Diver.....

Hook - 7-12-2006 at 04:19 PM

Now that vacuum sealers have become so inexpensive, my stock of canned goods has dropped WAY off. Only thing left is cans of Herdez Salsa Verde and Casera, the mandatory kippers/'dines/oysters, garbanzo beans and some Progresso soups as emergency meals. Oh yeah, and baked beans; we are fans of Bush's (not the first family :lol:

). I still make a fair amount of fresh salsa as I have one of those salsa makers that I also bring.

Canned beef stew????.................EEWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! BARF OUT!!!! But everyone's tastes are different.

Almost every trip I bring down frozen and/or vacuum sealed steak, chicken, asparagus, sausages, lettuces (rare to find good leafys in Mexico) and, of course, pesto. Lots and lots of pesto on spinach linguini. Most stuff keeps for a few weeks, even if only cool.

Fresh foods are so much easier with the vacuum sealer these days. They can go into the fridge or the ice chest without too much worry of damage or intrusion. Since I'm NEVER withouth cold beer, I always have cold storage.

Just noticed that Walmart is carrying Foodsaver products.

Cant remember who mentioned the Beaver brand horseradish...it's good, but look for the Tule Lake brand. It's kept in the refrigerated section, usually around the Claussen pickles and kraut.

[Edited on 7-12-2006 by Hook]

[Edited on 7-12-2006 by Hook]

DanO - 7-12-2006 at 04:47 PM

I know, I know, we all bring and obtain fresh food. I mean, I brought buffalo shanks and made osso buco the last time down, fer cryin' out loud. Locally obtained items included fresh tortillas at the the tortilleria in Maneadero, pink cookies at the panaderia in San Vicente (so the kids could crumble 2/3 of them into the back seats of the truck), oysters right out of the water at the farm in San Quintin, fresh yellowtail and live langostas from my panguero buddies, nopales out of my neighbor's yard (he wasn't home and probably won't notice any missing), and smoked pork chuletas and that weird yogurty drink in tiny plastic bottles from Comercial Mexicana.

Then, there's Costco in Ensenada, where I got the world's largest bag of spinach from the world's largest walk-in refrigerator, and a bottle of Corralejo Reposado (for 175 pesos -- WOW, do you have any idea how much that stuff costs in the States?), while telling my wife that we were just there for food and definitely were not going to buy a kayak.

But we've all got a can stash somewhere, because of the cold war or our parents or the fire captain who gave earthquake safety courses at grade school: disaster preparedness means you need cans of stuff with a shelf life half that of processed uranium. Heck, I've got a can of peaches that has stayed with me through three different houses. Those puppies are older than my eight-year old. Will I eat them? Not sure. Will I throw them out? Not on your life. I might need them someday.

oladulce - 7-12-2006 at 04:58 PM

Bruce-

The cans of B & M raisin brownbread is found near the baked beans in most stores and not near the muffins and sweetbreads which is what it more closely resembles. It's available in most grocery stores up here.

It's moist and just sweet enough that it really needs no topping, but would be really good topped with butter or cream cheese. We usually have it for breakfast or with afternoon coffee.

When you're not near a town and have no access to fresh stuff, it's amazing that something so good can come out of a can.

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 06:43 PM

Hook, wazza matter you no like a can of salt with ruined veggies? :lol:

Bruce R Leech - 7-12-2006 at 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oladulce
Bruce-

The cans of B & M raisin brownbread is found near the baked beans in most stores and not near the muffins and sweetbreads which is what it more closely resembles. It's available in most grocery stores up here.

It's moist and just sweet enough that it really needs no topping, but would be really good topped with butter or cream cheese. We usually have it for breakfast or with afternoon coffee.

When you're not near a town and have no access to fresh stuff, it's amazing that something so good can come out of a can.

thanks oladulce I like there beans so I want to try there bread also

Sharks...

Mexray - 7-12-2006 at 10:11 PM

...Thanks for the 'Canned Cheese' info...it's a bit pricey, but hey, it's for a good cause - starving college kids!

I think I'll try a few tins - they say it will last almost forever as long as you keep a few tins stowed on the back shelf of the fridge - no more midnight runs to the AM-PM when you just have to have a grilled cheese sand.

As their website shows they have several flavors - sound really yummy, and they're well aged to boot!

As for SPAM...well what more can be said about such a gourmet's delight! Don't really relish the stuff myself, but I have to admit to giving in to tossing a few slices into a frying pan over a camp fire, lettin' em' lay till a charred golden brown on both sides. Slap on a hunk of cheese, maybe add a fried egg, and laying between a couple pieces of toast for a great, early morning, pick-me-up!

Probably mentioned here before...but on a trip over to Kona (the BIG Isle) a few years back (when we got off the plane, all the local TV's were tuned into OJ's white Bronco 'chase')we stopped at Costco to stock up on some goodies to use in our borrowed condo. I was almost overwhelmed by the number of full pallets of SPAM! They were on the floor, on the walls, on the racks, on the aisles...you could have used em' like bricks and built a really fine S... house! A local told me one of his favorite epicurean delights was a Roasted, SPAM-Stuffed Chicken! Now there's the makins' of a real chef's nightmare!

Spam and Orange Crush

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:35 AM

are two staples of Hawaiian culture. Ever visit an old cemetary there?

wilderone - 7-13-2006 at 08:45 AM

Spam and canned Tyson chickens are also the staple of the South Pacific islands - instead of the subsistance fishing of past generations - thanks to a government food subsidy program. And that is why they are now grossly overweight.

Barry A. - 7-13-2006 at 08:53 AM

My son, who lived on Chuuk (Truk) for 3 years, reports the exact same thing as Wilderone----------

It is truly a shame-----------don't mess with cultures, less you reap the unintended consequences.

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:49 PM

Yes, like America Samoa. Tis a shame indeed! Watch out Baja.... transfats are headed your way! :no: