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a small steel can
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Mar 16, 2012 at 11:44 am #1287231
This is sort of a cooking question, and it is sort of a MYOG question.
I have a standard recipe for Boston Brown Bread, and in traditional style, this bread is baked inside ordinary wide steel cans, like for vegetables or fruit. It works good and lasts a long time.
Now, for backpacking purposes, I want to do the same recipe, but I want to bake it into narrow round loaves about the size of a Hostess Twinkie. You can understand the desire for a compact food. However, I can't find any steel cans that small in diameter. The correct size would be about like a Red Bull can, except that it must be steel. An aluminum can might not survive the oven baking. Also, I will probably need to adjust the baking time somewhat.
Any suggestions?
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 12:36 pm #1854803There are small steel cans used for storage or spices with a clear top; maybe you could modify it to replace the acrylic part of the top replaced with a can top. They hold 6.8 oz or 3.3 oz.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=10154&cat=1,43326
Bed Bath and Beyond sells them for spices in a 3.5 oz size.
There are also tea containers, sold in plain steel here, also miscellaneous tins:
http://www.specialtybottle.com/tinteasmoothsquare51wsliplid.aspxMar 16, 2012 at 12:51 pm #1854808Sorry, I got sidetracked when I hit Casket Hardware.
I don't need any can top, but it must have a bottom.
I'm thinking the optimum size is about 8-10 fluid ounces.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 1:11 pm #1854813Have you tried baking in the Red Bull cans? They might survive OK (I wouldn't use lined cans, though).
Mar 16, 2012 at 1:11 pm #1854815Using this at home? How about a corn bread pan?
Mar 16, 2012 at 1:16 pm #1854817I don't know how to get the plastic liner out of a Red Bull can. Too much trouble.
I have what I call cornbread pans, but they are a small rectangular loaf size. Are there some the size of a Red Bull can?
Ideally, I will find steel cans that can be repurposed into this.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 1:19 pm #1854818I've seen pans that are patterned after little ears of corn. About 8 or 10 to a pan. Each loaf/ear is not much bigger than a Twinkie.
If you could live with hockey puck shaped loaves you could use a muffin top pan.
Mar 16, 2012 at 1:34 pm #1854822I think I have one muffin pan for small size muffins. That will get me the closest.
Pans patterned after little ears of corn? That sounds like a Midwestern thing.
At present, my standard trail snack is Logan Bread, and it is cut into squares that are about 2×2 inches. The Boston Brown Bread could be baked in a pan the same way, I suppose. It's just that Boston Brown Bread is supposed to be round, sliced like a thin hockey puck.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 2:14 pm #1854832How about small tomato paste cans ?
Mar 16, 2012 at 2:26 pm #1854837Tomato paste cans and condensed milk cans have a nice diameter, but they are awfully short. It would require about twenty of them to hold a batch of batter.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 2:34 pm #1854843Assuming you're baking at home, would you consider a conventional can and then cutting the loaves lengthwise into quarters?
Mar 16, 2012 at 3:01 pm #1854853Yes, I can slice the loaves. They might get mashed up a bit when carried in a backpack pocket. For that matter, I can bake them in the standard size steel cans, but then I would need to slice them and bag them individually.
Like everything else, I was looking for good durability, easily to eat, easy to digest, cheap and easy to bake at home, and minimal wrapping or packaging.
It's really kind of hard to beat Logan Bread. I put six squares of that into one ziploc bag, and that makes six big snacks. Logan Bread is more durable than Boston Brown Bread.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 3:11 pm #1854862Agree about the Logan bread. My wife has actually given up hot breakfast on the trail – as long as I bring her a cup if tea with her Logan bread.
Mar 16, 2012 at 3:16 pm #1854867I can go a long way on Logan Bread, hot tea, and Gatorade.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 3:29 pm #1854874Try this or maybe a candle mold .
Mar 16, 2012 at 3:34 pm #1854877"Canape-Bread-Mold"
That could be effective. Perhaps overkill.
I really do like the principle of Recycle, Reuse, Rebuild.
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 4:05 pm #1854891I do too. If you can find some old steel tennis ball cans they would work I think.
Mar 16, 2012 at 4:30 pm #1854907Sapporo beer. Comes in a stainless can.
Mar 16, 2012 at 5:14 pm #1854939"Sapporo beer. Comes in a stainless can."
What size is this?
–B.G.–
Mar 16, 2012 at 5:28 pm #1854950I would use Reynolds aluminum foil muffin liners, in the heaviest muffin pan you can find. I used to bake a traditional Easter Russian bread called Kulick in a coffee can, as that was the closest shape I could find to a traditional mold. Found that it was unnecessary, a bread pan works fine, just have to adjust the time slightly.
I had to switch when my boyfriend's office switched from a coffee that came in a metal can to one that comes in plastic cannisters–can't bake in plastic!
I love Boston Brown Bread, with baked beans. Sigh, definitely not on my current diet.
I read in a book on hiking meals that someone had had Logan Bread nutritionally analyzed, and it came out close to graham crackers. Never tried it, myself.
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