MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

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AndreLinoge
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by AndreLinoge » Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:12 pm

jim_w333 wrote:Does anyone remember going into your grocery store and buying cooked corned beef? Not in a can at the deli? It was sliced thin and about the size of a piece of regular bread. It was so good they fed that to our guys in the military in ww2. I was wondering why they stopped selling it and now you can only get it in a can bye Hormel or Castleberry. Just was thinking of it.thanks
Maybe you're thinking of this stuff, Jim: http://www.shopwell.com/buddig-corned-b ... 7740012743

Just a random link with a pic. I aint spammin (lol) that particular site. Those buddig meat products are great pack food. Not the healthiest, but if you sweat you need that salt back anyway..

Wolfsbane
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Wolfsbane » Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:25 pm

I've discovered a British-Indian grocery and deli in Lake Forest California that carries a couple of brands besides the T.B. and I picked up an assortment, reports may follow - one issue was that the Best By dates are short, scarcely a year out now.

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Hardtack
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Hardtack » Tue Sep 27, 2016 12:20 am

Did you see my post? viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6365 those were from a Target Store.

Some of the Asian food markets occasionally will have some kind of food in a retort package. Often a variety of grains are sold in vacuum sealed packages with oxygen absorbers. French canned butter and Kraft canned processed cheese can be found there too. At walmartI have seen mexican beans in a retort package and cooked rice is very common.

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SeoulGlo
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by SeoulGlo » Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:15 am

One of the local Asian markets nearby sells sake in a retort bag bag with a handle on top and a spigot at the bottom. Most of the items I have seen are rices, pickled items, and seasoning/soup mixes. I found kimchi stew and soybean paste pot stew in the refrigerated section, which I will likely eat for lunch tomorrow.

The Frontera products that Hardtack posted earlier in this post are fantastic. Granted, there is only one item visible, but the entire line of products have great depth, are well balanced, and are very pleasing to all senses.

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Biobrew
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Biobrew » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:57 am

Pace makes these now. They're called Ready Meals and come in an MRE style foil pouch.


Image

I've got a southwest chicken variety that has an expiration date of June 20 2017, so it doesn't look like they are made to last too long. I plan on trying one on June 20, then another in December 2017, then another in June 2018, just to see how they hold up.

sdrozza
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by sdrozza » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:02 am

Biobrew wrote:Pace makes these now. They're called Ready Meals and come in an MRE style foil pouch.


Image

I've got a southwest chicken variety that has an expiration date of June 20 2017, so it doesn't look like they are made to last too long. I plan on trying one on June 20, then another in December 2017, then another in June 2018, just to see how they hold up.
In Britain we have pouches like this in the form of microwaveable rice - they are very common
"I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." - Ayn Rand

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Biobrew
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Biobrew » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:08 am

sdrozza wrote: In Britain we have pouches like this in the form of microwaveable rice - they are very common

Any idea of their shelf-life beyond the printed expiration date?

sdrozza
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by sdrozza » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:14 am

No, but I imagine their shelf-life to be quite short since they are particularly greasy and not vacuum sealed.
"I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." - Ayn Rand

Cdevaney
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Cdevaney » Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:36 am

If you live near and Aldi's or a Fresh market (both mainly organic and local grown grocery stores), don't let their normal prices scare you! I was browsing a couple days ago and found they have local produce vacuum packed in retorc packs for much cheaper than their normal foods!! Not sure if it's just my area (I do live surrounded by farms after all) but it was pretty cool to see fresh local fried tomatoes in a retorc pouch for around .75 cents a pack.

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Biobrew
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Re: MRE-like Retort Pouches in Your Local Grocery Store

Post by Biobrew » Wed Jan 25, 2017 2:22 pm

I was in the store today buying 2 more of these for my extended shelf-life trial, and found one still on the shelf that had a Nov 2016 use buy date. Unlike the other shoppers, finding something expired was right up my alley, so I bought it and ate it for lunch.

Southwest style chicken. 270 calories. $2.70

The directions state to put directly in the microwave and that it is self-venting. Worked great, hot after 1 minute. Of course, microwaves are in short supply in the field/camping/when the lights go out, so I'll try heating it in hot water next time.

This was only 2 months expired, so I didn't expect any issues, and it held up well - looked and smelled fine. Taste was ok, not great, could benefit from more spices or some tabasco, and the chicken was sparse and hard to identify or taste. For the most part this is simply beans and rice.

Overall, decent but not great, not many calories, but it would be easy to pack and carry. When these go on sale I'll buy a bunch and add them to my stock. The end of this year I'll try a 6-month expired pouch, then next year (if I remember of course) I'll try a 1 year expired pouch.

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