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Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Mountain House New Orleans Style Rice > Owner Review by Marina Batzke

MOUNTAIN HOUSE New Orleans Style Rice with Shrimp and Ham
BY MARINA BATZKE
OWNER REVIEW
June 30, 2014

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Marina Batzke
EMAIL: mbbp2013 (at) hotmail (dot) com
AGE: 54
LOCATION: Los Angeles County, California, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
WEIGHT: 130 lb (59.00 kg)

I converted from day hiking and car camping to backpacking in spring 2013. Since then, I have selectively purchased new, more lightweight gear, while I still carry some heavier gear from my car camping trips. I always hike with a group and I like the gear talk when in camp. I am a tent camper looking for ways to lighten my pack. My backpacking trips are currently weekend excursions in Southern California, USA. If my business travel allows me to get away, I try to backpack one or two weekends a month.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc.
Year of Manufacture: 2013
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.mountainhouse.com
MSRP: US $7.29
Listed Weight: 5.11 oz (145 g)
Measured Weight: 5.3 oz (150 g)
IMAGE 1
Packing unit size comparison

FIELD USE

Location: Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California, USA
Trip duration: 2 days/ 1 night: April 2014

Location: Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California, USA
Trip duration: 2 days/ 1 night: April 2014

Location: Mount San Jacinto, Southern California, USA
Trip duration: 3 days/ 2 nights June 2014

Location: Yosemite National Park, Northern California, USA
Trip duration: 4 days / 3 nights July 2014

PRODUCT REVIEW

I use a Jetboil stove to boil water and have typically been eating ramen soup for dinner. On several backcountry trips, I noticed fellow hikers eat Mountain House entrees. So recently I have tried out a couple of the Mountain House Standard Entree pouches.
IMAGE 2
Close-up of upper corner

The Mountain House Standard Entree comes in a lightweight aluminum pouch with multi-color print on the outside, while silver-colored on the pouch inside. Near the top of both side edges, the aluminum has a tear notch for easy pull opening. The close-up photo of the upper corner shows (from the outside) a hint of the press-seal, below that the tear notch and below that the zipper.
IMAGE 3
A look inside

Inside I see the clear plastic zipper and at the pouch bottom the freeze-dried food with a white, small oxygen absorber bag.
When I took a look at the nutritional values of the packaged entree, I noticed that the package contents is actually 2.5 servings. Therefore before my trips, I open the pouch at one of its tear notches and pull the top pouch section off. First I discard the oxygen absorber bag. Then I divide the freeze-dried container contents into two zip-locking bags and thereby turn one Standard Entree pouch into two dinners. On my recent 2-night backpack, I took the aluminum pouch and those two separate zip-locking bags along. I boiled water in my Jetboil, emptied one zip-locking bag contents into the aluminum pouch and poured about 12 fl oz (355 ml) of hot water over the freeze-dried food. Using a plastic spoon, I stirred water and food.
IMAGE 5
Emptying that half-portion into the aluminum pouch

Then I closed the zipper and let the food sit for at least ten minutes. In the past, I once was a bit too impatient and did not wait the recommended 8 - 9 minutes. On that occasion, the rice was still a bit crispy. Since then, I have been waiting rather longer than 9 minutes with positive results: the food is fully softened and ready to enjoy.
IMAGE 6
The dish ready to eat

After I have eaten the first dinner, I clean out the aluminum pouch with some hot water and repeat the same meal preparation process the 2nd night.

I like the New Orleans Style Rice with Shrimp and Ham dish: it is well spiced and really contains a good share of small ham cubes and cute small full-size shrimps. The packaging boldly states "Low Sodium". Looking at the nutritional facts and seeing that I am eating 1.25 servings a dinner, that would be 0.013 oz (362.5 mg).
IMAGE 4
Nutrition facts

THINGS I LIKE

I can eat right out of the pouch - no need for a bowl
Easy to make
Great taste
Half of the pouch contents still plenty of dinner for me

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

2.5 servings in one pouch seems an odd measurement to me

SIGNATURE

Marina Batzke

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

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Reviews > Food > Packaged Meals > Mountain House New Orleans Style Rice > Owner Review by Marina Batzke



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