Omlets in a Bag

[OldGrayOwl]

How many here have tried this method:

Take a couple of eggs, add cheese, onions, etc. to a ziploc type freezer bag and drop it into a pot of boiling water? In about 15 minutes, you have a nice meal.

 

Right?

 

Check out this link:

 

http://camping.about.com/od/campingrecipes/a/ziplocbaggies.htm

 

and let's discuss it.

[PeteM]

Why is it not fine to do that, but, according to their website, it is OK to microwave the food?

I mean, doesn't food get to be a lot hotter in the microwave than a pot of boiling water?

[packsaddle]

It's pretty much an old standby in these parts. I avoid it because I know toxicologists who do work on the effects of heating plastics in contact with food. I'm probably being overly cautious. But I'm told they taste great, same as a regular omelet only shaped weird.

 

Edited Part: DUH! So now I've read the link and see that it's about the stuff I mentioned. Yes, if you heat plastic (different ones respond differently) they either decompose (depolymerize) or they release plasticizers, or both. These are being investigated for toxicity, as terratogens, carcinogens, and as endocrine mimics (guys developing really nice sets of luscious breasts...or worse). Anyway, I'm still a fan of real omelets cooked on iron skillets - or maybe teflon which isn't as bad as something like a Ziploc.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[CNYScouter]

During IOLS training we usually have a cooking demonstration that shows different cooking methids and these are usually done as part of this.

 

When I took WEBELOS Leaders Outdoor skills this was what we had for breakfast on Sunday morning.

 

When I was with a Pack we did these for breakfast at the WEBELOS overnight that was held during the summer.

We would supply different ingredients and the WEBELOS each got to make up their own.

 

[raisinemright]

Ziplock omelets are Standard Operating Procedure for some of our guys. They taste great, are easy to cook and zero cleanup.

 

I tend to completely ignore the safety nazi's who are looking for danger in every box of anything we use.

 

Check out this site. http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/ It's full of recipes that can be cooked in a Ziplock bag.

 

[scottteng]

If Ziplock is not comfortable having their bags boiled then possibly we need to seek another bag supplier. There are many products sold in boiling bags and many more sold to put directly in the microwave. I always bought the brand name ones for this exercise but maybe I shouldn't. They are a little thicker but come to think of it all the new microwave vegies come in very thin bags. I personally don't think the hot water could significantly degrade the plastic in the limiter time the omelets are cooking. Anyone out there work for a competitor of ziplock which are made by S. C. Johnson & Son acquired from DOW maybe being a privately held family owned company they are more leery of offbeat uses of their products.

[Eagledad]

This is a lot of fun for everyone.

 

Set out the ingredients and let everyone choose what they want in their omelet. A few suggestions are wait until the water just starts to boil then turn the heat down just a notch. Waiting for it to boil shortens the cooking time. Folks tend to get in a hurry standing there holding the bag of breakfast, so they throw the bags in too early making breakfast take a lot longer. And dont let the bags touch the side of the pot if you can, depending on the metal, the bags can melt. However it seems like the newer bags arent as much of a problem. Our scouts would attach the bags to a dowel rod or clothes hanger laid across the pot using clothes pins.

 

You can also do this with paper bags set close to the fire. But it is trickier and you might go hungry if your bag was to close.

 

I have a friend who is toxicologist who says boiling a plastic doesnt bother him; it is the microwaving where they see problems. He said a person would have to cook all their meals in plastic bags until into their 60s to possibly have a reaction.

 

Because of that, we encourage the scouts to not put plastic in microwaves on campouts.

 

I love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[raisinemright]

How many scouts do you need on the treadmill to power the microwave?

[J-dawg168]

I have done this before, with success and faluire.

 

works GREAT with the heavy duty freezer bags!

Not so much with cheapo's

[gwd-scouter]

This is a favorite Sunday breakfast for our guys (adults too) because there is no cleanup. Since a Scout can add whatever he wants to his omelet, there is less bickering over the meal "I hate ham," "peppers/onions? yuck," etc.

 

Yes, do use freezer bags since they hold up better. Those usually have a place that can be used to write the Scout's name/initials on the bag. Be sure to squeeze all the air out of the bag before dropping in boiling water. We usually bring along flour tortillas and roll out the omelet into them and then eat. More filling - nothing to clean up.

 

 

[raisinemright]

I forgot to add, this works very well with foodsaver vacuum bags too. I've made 'em at home, vacuum sealed the omelet and frozen it. Great for winter campouts and no chance of leaks.

[OldGreyEagle]

you know, potaasium is the main drug used in the "lethal" injection of execution. Chlorine is a poison and a mainstay of the YMCA pool I swim in. Everybody pretty much agrees one shouldn't eat mercury yet its found in most Tuna but tuna is still sold, and eaten.

 

I think one has to weigh the amount of food eaten boiled in a plastic bag. If you do it 2-3 times a year for one omlete each time, I dont think its anything to lose sleep over. It may not be something to do every day I agree. Its sorta like the time they fed a laboratory rate 50 pounds of cheese in a day, know what happened? The rat exploded yet I still eat cheese with impunity, just not 50 pounds of it in a day

[CNYScouter]

Check out the FAQ on www.ziploc.com

 

It says that a fews years ago there was an e-mail hoax going around about the alleged dangers of using Ziploc products in the microwave.

 

It also says that the regular ziplock bags can not take the heat of boiling.

 

They now make a mircowave safe Ziploc Brand Zip 'n Steam Bag so your scouts can microwave on your campouts.

 

Can anyone tell me where I can get a lightweight microwave for backpacking?

 

[Eamonn]

At the risk of being called a "safety Nazi"?

I would strongly recommend using pasteurized eggs or finding some way of ensuring that the eggs are throughly cooked. (You might want to avoid using shell eggs and go for the eggs in cartons!!)

Eggs should be cooked to 145 degrees F if they are going to be ate immediately 155 degrees if they are going to be held for any length of time.

Microbial pathogens of the genus Salmonella are among the leading causes of foodborne illness in the United States. Between 696,000 and 3,840,000 cases of foodborne salmonellosis occur each year, causing mild to acute gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, frequent diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and chills.

 

Egg-laying hens intensively confined in battery cages are unable even to spread their wings, these hens are stacked in cages one on top of the other of course when they use the bathroom?? It ends up on the hen below.

For a while these hens were being fed a feed which included ground chicken quills!!

Induced molting of commercial layers is a common practice used in the poultry industry to extend a layer flock's productive life. Molting programs impose stress and this in turn increases a flock's susceptibility to salmonella infection, which can result in people becoming sick from foodborne illness.

Eamonn

(We have done this with carton eggs it works well but I like to cook the onions a little before I add them.)

 

 

[LongHaul]

Where on the Zip Loc site does it mention that it is not safe/recommended that you NOT put them in boiling water? I looked and can't find boiling mentioned at all.

LongHaul