Episode 144: Fall Gear Guide Part One – Food

It’s that time of year again and I am sharing my favorite gear from my summer camping adventures. I am starting off this two part series with all things food!! My favorite things that made prepping, cooking, serving and eating better!

Fresh Paper – It’s the little company that could. These are paper sheets that are infused with aromatics and botanicals that keep food fresher longer, up to 2-4 x’s longer. You can use them in the refrigerator or on the counter top in your fruit bowl. Each sheet lasts about  thirty days. It is reported that 25% of the food that we purchase is lost to spoilage. I think it might be higher in my house where I keep buying as if I am cooking for 4 or 5 when most of the time it’s two… a habit I have been unable to break. They also have sheets or bread now that can be put in a cookie jar or a muffin tin. The original Fresh Paper product can go in the produce drawer of your refrigerator and even in a bag of spinach in the fridge to keep it from beginning its journey to the rubbish bin sooner than necessary. I used these all summer and if they are still emitting a Maple smell, they are still working. I actually write the date on mine with a pen though when I put it in the fridge. They are inexpensive and save you money. In the RV where the refrigerator is not as cold as at home and is subject to more ebbs and flows in temperature when you travel about, they are really effective. On Amazon they sell for 7.16 for 8 sheets. Each sheet lasts 30 days so it costs less than a dollar a month. The bread sheets cost $7.75.

Air Lock Bag Resealer – While we’re on the subject of wasted food lets talk about the gadget that keeping me in crackers. The Air Lock Bag Resealer reseals any plastic bag to airtight status. Potato chips, salad bags, cookies and crackers can all be resealed with this little gadget that is smaller than an office stapler. It’s done by heat and comes with a USB charger to recharge it. Each charge though can provide 1000 seals without having to recharge it. That’s a whole lot of sealing going on. It reseals any type of bag and weighs only 2.5 oz. My favorite thing is that it is magnetic and after you use it, you just pluck it on the fridge until the next time you need it so you’re not digging around the utensil drawer trying to find the smallest item in there. This was a big win for me because of crackers. I have a “go to” appetizer that I always bring to happy hour and it’s a bunch of Italian meats with olives, artichokes and cheeses. I always bring crackers but the whole box never gets eaten. Chips never sit in my house or camper long enough to go stale but crackers do. This little gadget reseals crackers and if I use them a month later, they are still super fresh. The Air Lock is available on Amazon and is a Top Rated item. It costs $16.99 and has over 300 reviews with a four star average. I think it would pay for itself pretty quickly!

Wildwood Grilling  – Wildwood Grilling is all about infusing flavor into food. They offer aromatic wood chips and blocks for smoking foods, wood planks for grilling on, wooden skewers and wraps for kabobs and meats and veggies you might want to cook on indirect heat. They have everything you need to take any camp cook out up a n...