Heating MREs in hot water

[rattattoo]

Does anyone have much experience with heating your at MREs in hot/boiling water instead of an FRH ?
In my usage I almost always have a long one of my mini stoves and cook pot. And, as I've said before, my experience with the FRHs field-fails has been epic!
I am curious if there is a risk to the bag rupturing if the temperature is too high [ie: full boil]...
And I wondered if the bag leaches chemicals/tastes into the water, or whether the hot water would still be potable for going right into a beverage...
Thoughts ?

[ToxicCarbon]

I almost never use a FRH with my MRE's now due to the high failure rates. I got very tired of luke warm meals very quickly, considering all the trouble I had to go through to get the MRE's in the first place!
I usually boil them on full boil for about 10 minutes and they come out great. The pouches don't puff up at all, so no danger of rupturing. I've even forgotten about one and it was on the boil for 15 minutes plus and no change to the pouch.

The water left in the pot I'm not too sure about. I ditch mine but maybe someone else can weigh in with an opinon.

[Norton]

I do allot of camping, hiking and overnight canoeing this is my primary way of heating MREs. I use German, Swedish cook sets or US Canteen cup with stand. Never had any issues with loosing the seal. I boil them and let them seep in the hot water for a few minutes. I pull them out, flip them over and knead the contents. You have very little mess to clean up if you use a plastic mess bowl A few times I have used the left over boiling to drink before with MRE instant coffee and it tasted normal But generally I use it to wash up with

I also use this method for heating small cans and my own boil in the bag omelettes. I use double freezer bag and do not boil them directly rather put the bags in the hot water after the boil. Last you can steam cuts of meats this way by using a mesh screen to hold the meat and the cook sets lid as a cover. The meat stays tender and you do not mess up your cook set, I like this way of cooking the best. I will dig up some camping photos and post latter.

[housil]

I also heat the MREs in hot/boiling water up when possible but also have that "electrical ration heater" in my vehicle. The FRH is only if there isn´t ANY other way. As hotter the MREs get, as better they taste.

After heating the pouch, you will see little "residues" in the water, so you better dump it. They are/were rumors about rat repellent, but never got that confirmed.

If do oyu have a hot beverage bag left over, place you entree into that bag and heat it in the hot water that way if you are e.g. in short supply of water and don´t want to waste it just for heating.

[parafireboy]

I've always had great luck heating the bags by boiling, and have never had one swell or rupture. It's my preferred method as well. To spotty using the FRH.

[dirtbag]

I boiled a couple of pork ribs entrees in my rice cooker today and steamed some red potato's at the same time.
(the potato's were better than the ribs...)
Quick and easy!

[Norton]

I boiled a couple of pork ribs entrees in my rice cooker today and steamed some red potato's at the same time.
(the potato's were better than the ribs...)
Quick and easy!

When you use the Swedish Mess kit with alcohol burner for cooking meals in the bag. The smell of the alcohol fire and sound of the boiling water are nice when you are camping. I have also boiled MRE meals then used the water for coffe and what was left for clean up. The MRE boxes and pouches go in the fire. The boiling water washes you spoon of coffee cup. You have no mess to clean up and no food to attract Racoons foxes, coyotes or even black bears. I think it is the best way of all for cooking rations or even canned food in the field. Also in a pinch you can use water no safe for drinking to heat meals, You are boiling it so whatever water touches the pouch will be safe.

[RockyRaab]

Absolutely nothing better than the Swedish mess kit/ stove for anything but ultra-light backpacking. I use mine for all car camping and ice fishing trips.

I have no qualms about using the heating water for hot beverages. The rat poison coating myth was dispelled long ago, and if there are any noxious chemicals left in the water from the entree pack, it'd probably take hundreds of gallons of the stuff to actually hurt you. Occasional exposure is nothing.

[Ruleryak]

... ut also have that "electrical ration heater" in my vehicle.

Do you have 24v power in your vehicle for it? Or is there an adapter that will let it run on standard 12v? I have one too (with the orange heater pad inside), but the plug is very small compared to a normal "cigarette lighter outlet" style plug. I've always wanted to try mine out, but have just never had a way to power it. I've got two of the metal tank style heaters too, but they take very specific power that I haven't come across so I haven't been able to try those either. The only ration heater I have that I can actually turn on is an old in flight ration heating oven with 8 can-sized heating pads. The instructions on it say it is for IF-8 rations and it takes normal 110v AC.

[housil]

... ut also have that "electrical ration heater" in my vehicle.

Do you have 24v power in your vehicle for it?

Yes. It´s a genuine military vehicle with 24V. I just had to replace the genuine US plug by a German one, used in cars for power supply (not the cig lighter ones)