Hello and HDR Menu #1C

[mjwise]

Hello all. This is my first post here. Been at least MRE-interested for some years and inherited various MREs and MRE components from friends but finally have been acquiring some to call my own.

As some of you may have noticed, there was a large number of HDR boxes packed in early 2003 sold on eBay recently. I bought one (just $52 shipped, a bargain given an HDR box of meals has quite a few more calories than an MRE box) and will be reviewing the contents for you as time permits. Given their age, I did not buy these to store but instead to consume immediately. Sadly, the TTI indicator on my box was dark, but so far, the contents seem okay. No leaking, bulging, or vacuumed meal bags, no funny smells, etc. yet. So I proceed, with trepidation...

The first review: Menu #1C (bold for what I have eaten/reviewed for this post)

Beans & Rice in Tomato Sauce
Herb Rice
Biscuit (2 pack MRE crackers)
Vegetable Crackers (2 pack)
Fruit Bar (2 oz. Fig)
Peanut Butter
Strawberry Jam
Fruit Pastry (2 pack)
Shortbread (1 bar)
Accessory Pack *





Herb rice:

Phew, people had let me to believe the HDR entrees were very bland, but this one is quite perfumed smelling, actually! The texture may have suffered from being stored for 9 years, but that's nothing a little extra water and a microwave can't fix:



It's generally a little generally spicy tasting - probably from the MSG. I couldn't identify what else flavored it - it's just on the perfumed side. But it smells a lot more than it tastes. The texture and appearance improves quite considerably if you heat it until it's piping hot. I wouldn't seek it out in a grocery, but I'll probably eat the rest I come across.

Crackers and strawberry jelly:



still in great condition. The jelly may have darkened a little but you could have told me these were fresh and I'd believe you.

Fig bar:



A bit worn looking but taste, texture, and smell were great. I prefer these over the commercial fig newtons that I don't care for (commercial fig newtons taste too sour and are too cakelike).



Shortbread:



Nice vacuum shhhhrp when it was opened, smells and tastes freshly made! I was worried it might have gone rancid but it could pass as a brand new cookie.

Overall, a pleasant surprise, I just hope the rest of the HDR entrees don't smell quite so much like perfume!

To be continued!

[housil]

First of all, welcome to forums

Thank you for that nice and rare HDR review with great pic´s !

[cavguy]

Do the HDR main meals list MSG as an ingredient?

[mjwise]

I will have to double check the box again, but hydrolyzed soy protein is listed in the ingredients, which is an MSG source.

[cavguy]

Yep, darn those tricky nutrition labels!

[mjwise]

Night 2...rest of the HDR!

Beans & Rice in Tomato Sauce
Herb Rice
Biscuit (2 pack MRE crackers)
Vegetable Crackers (2 pack)
Fruit Bar (2 oz. Fig)
Peanut Butter
Strawberry Jam
Fruit Pastry (2 pack)
Shortbread (1 bar)
Accessory Pack

Beans & Rice in Tomato Sauce (Date code 3049):



This does have more of a dog food appearance, but heated up, it's not bad. It's basically American-style baked beans with a little rice, albeit with a somewhat metallic aftertaste and odor. Not sure if this one suffered in storage - maybe it was supposed to be more liquid-y originally but it's hard to tell with these since there's no MRE equivalent to compare it against. No weird spicing here and much better than the herb rice (although it may still contain MSG in the form of "modified food starch"), and this one is definitely on the blander side (much less sodium than the herb rice, actually). With all the obvious fortifying they had to do on this dish, the result is a little odd. On the bright side, the dietary fiber quantity is off the charts on this one (13g per pouch!) This must have been intended as the "make them go to the bathroom" entree.


Vegetable crackers (3056) and peanut butter (3031)



In perfect condition and good. I kneaded the peanut butter well. This peanut butter tastes better than most commercial brands. Really intense peanut taste - yum! I prefer the plain crackers to the vegetable ones though. The "vegetable" flavoring just doesn't do much for the crackers. Once again, the sides are definitely better than the entree by my estimation.


Fruit pastry (3055) (aka unfrosted apple poptarts)



These are actually fresher tasting than any pop tart I've had from a grocery store. Go figure. In typical pop tart inner foil packaging. Soft, moist, delicious, and fresh. Very surprised - was expecting this one to be stale or at least unpalatable for some reason. I've had poptarts on a shelf go stale in a few months even in ideal conditions.


I hope you've enjoyed this HDR review and welcome your feedback. I have nine more of these and plan on only saving one intact and one opened but uneaten as collectors' items! Menu requests are welcome but I have no way of telling what HDRs are A, B, or C menus (they just have a number on the outside: http://www.mreinfo.com/us/current/hdrs.html ) I am actively avoiding the Peas in Tomato Sauce though!

[cavguy]

Thanks for the review, good pictures too!

[Bypah]

Nice review and welcome to the forums!!!!
The HDR's are designed to last. They have a long shelf life than the MRE's. I have several in my stock that are at least from 03' and from Katrina and they are still good as long as you keep them in a cool environment with little temp changes.
I see you got one of the rice menus .Mine are mostly the ones with lentils. They are a little bland but still very filling.
I have them because they have enough food for one person for more or you can even feed two with it s contents.