My newest "treasure"

dirtbag · Post by **dirtbag** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:09 am

The second box where all cans are ok . The smell of the beef and the potatoes was good, but the appearance wasn’t really appetizing .

It wasn't any better looking when it was new...

I know this for a fact

When we had to eat c-rats, I couldn't stand ANY of the canned meat stuff. I lived off the biscuits, cheese, peaches, and jelly.The cigarettes were a plus !
all the meat tasted like Spam, and I Hate Spam !

mreheater72 · Post by **mreheater72** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:43 am

dirtbag wrote:I know this for a fact
When we had to eat c-rats, I couldn't stand ANY of the canned meat stuff. I lived off the biscuits, cheese, peaches, and jelly.The cigarettes were a plus !
all the meat tasted like Spam, and I Hate Spam !

If I understand aright ..., you were in the army and had to eat a lot of c-rats (and MREs??). Therefore one question to one with "ration-experience" for a long time, dirtbag: When you compare the c-rats and the current MREs, or when you had to choose between them, which one would you prefer?

Best wishes mreheater72

Post by **kman** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:19 am

I can't believe you didn't want to eat those can-shaped meat chunks - they look so appetizing!

Great job on the the pics!

olli · Post by **olli** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:15 am

i dont like the mre main meals either, except for just 1-2, like dirtbag said: SPAM meat and stuff, i feel the same way.... most times when i eat mre main meals, i have the feeling that it is food with some kind of bad energy in it...

dirtbag · Post by **dirtbag** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:11 pm

There's no question, MRE's are a thousand times better !
Taste, variety, hot food !
I always dreaded opening up a can of C's and popping off that 1/4 inch disc of congealed fat sitting on top of the ' Mystery Meat '
And No, I wasn't in the army, I was in the Navy, Viet Nam era, Patrol Boats.
look up 'Patrol Gunboats'

I really did like the round crackers !

http://www.gunboatriders.com/theboats/general_spec.html

Post by **MCIera** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:07 pm

I can't say as I'd agree. The meat cans were usually distinguishable to a degree, though I can't say as they differed any from their civilian counterparts where applicable. Tuna tasted no different than the tuna in the real world nor did some of the beef products differ from what you might find in a Dinty Moore can. There were a few products that were in a class by themselves though, the ham and eggs (ugh!), the turkey loaf, and the infamous ham and mothers could not be compared to much of anything. But in a pinch when you've had your fill of pho, even a c-rat was welcome. I didn't think they tasted like SPAM, but then I like SPAM and they just didn't quite measure up to those standards

... and the cigarettes were okay unless they had gone stale.

dirtbag wrote:It wasn't any better looking when it was new...
I know this for a fact
When we had to eat c-rats, I couldn't stand ANY of the canned meat stuff. I lived off the biscuits, cheese, peaches, and jelly.The cigarettes were a plus !
all the meat tasted like Spam, and I Hate Spam !

Post by **MCIera** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:15 pm

Can't really compare the c-rats to well to an MRE, there was a good 15+ years between the last time I ate a c-rat and the first time I tasted a MRE entree, but they both seemed to have that "canned" taste. I do like the greater variety in the MREs though, even some of the ones that have been phased out, like the BBQ Pork w/Rice and the Tuna & Noodles. Though anything with noodles/pasta whether it be in a MRE or in a can is going to be overcooked beyond recognition, there's just no way around it with the packing processes used.

As for that layer of fat, have you opened a can of beef stew lately?

Must have been all that fresh Navy food that turned you off to the c-rats

dirtbag wrote:There's no question, MRE's are a thousand times better !
Taste, variety, hot food !
I always dreaded opening up a can of C's and popping off that 1/4 inch disc of congealed fat sitting on top of the ' Mystery Meat '
And No, I wasn't in the army, I was in the Navy, Viet Nam era, Patrol Boats.
look up 'Patrol Gunboats'
I really did like the round crackers !
http://www.gunboatriders.com/theboats/general_spec.html

dirtbag · Post by **dirtbag** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:37 pm

Yup ,standard Navy chow was good. The chow on the Gunboats was superb !
We could go to the Commisary to buy food for the boat, much, much better than what came through the supply system.

Plus we had an almost unlimited budget for food and ammo and parts... ADM. Zumwalt was the CNO and his son was on one of the Boats...

Of course, when we were overseas, we had to go back to standard supply stuff.

C-rats only when the Galley couldn't function. Storms, combat, extended ops etc.
We even were selected to test an early version of 'Tray Food' , made by Sara Lee. It came frozen, just had to heat it up. Not bad, but sure not home cooking !
I've also had ww 2 c-rats, when i was a kid. Sorta like canned dog food. This must have been in the late fifties, probably where I started not liking Spam-ish meat.

Post by **MCIera** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:25 pm

dirtbag wrote:Plus we had an almost unlimited budget for food and ammo and parts... ADM. Zumwalt was the CNO and his son was on one of the Boats...

Yeah, that's amazing considering that there were grunts in 'Nam that were hauling c-rat cans in their socks, hanging off of their packs, because their units didn't have the budget to cover the costs of LRPs

dirtbag wrote:We even were selected to test an early version of 'Tray Food' , made by Sara Lee. It came frozen, just had to heat it up. Not bad, but sure not home cooking !

And those frozen half steam table trays of Sara Lee frozen food are still staples of the food service industry today.

dirtbag wrote:This must have been in the late fifties, probably where I started not liking Spam-ish meat.

I think that's around the same time I was first introduced to SPAM, sliced and fried. I guess that's why I still like SPAM prepared in the same manner. Of course back in those days it came in a can with a key to open it. Come to think of it, I think it's only been recently that they put that pop-top lid on those cans.

dirtbag · Post by **dirtbag** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:00 pm

Well, the Only Spam I've been able to eat was Spam with Bacon,
Pretty good, but Way too greasy and salty. And I only found it twice, so far, I guess its not a big hit ?
And as far as LRP's, they were very scarce everywhere... We could trade with the Seal team guys we carried around, LRP's for coffee. But only the ones that they wouldn't eat.
Mostly they ate C's or local grub, fishheads and rice etc...

I traded for a chili bean LRP, the beans were inedible, they never did get soft.

Probably why I got it ! They're still laughing !