Fresh Fruit On Trips

Good morning everyone,

Many years ago Chick and I experimented with bringing different fresh fruits on our trips. She literally lives on fresh fruit and popsicles so the fruit thing was big.

We skipped strawberries and blueberries right away, but landed on grapes. She cleans them, pats each one dry and puts them in a Nalgene bottle and off we go. I have enjoyed nice firm crunchy grapes 4 days into a trip.

I read online a break down on how long you can keep fruit without being in the fridge and it stated 2 days. Many variables I know.

Anyone take grapes or any other fruit and have success keeping them fresh? If so, what is your method?

Thank you.

Dried

I've taken fresh cut strawberries in individual ziplock baggies on the Eel River in California, but someone had an ice chest on that overnight trip to store them. I'm sure I've taken apples on non-portage trips. They aren't going to rot in a few days.

Frfesh cherries brcome available in Whitehorse during Yukon River race season. I find that I need an occasional bite of something to keep me going and the internal digestion active in between the time for larger more substantial food calorie intakes. Cherries seem to do the trick for me. I pop one in ever couple of minutes from my bow paddle station. My stash lasts about three days (half of the 1000 mile race) in the coolness in the bottom of the canoe before they start to become soft.

Cherries on Lake Laberge, YT

Just went on a 5 day trip with blueberries, cherries, peaches, apples, raisins, dried cherries and dried apricots.
I bring a cooler.

I always bring a few apples. I like your grape method- will have to use a Nalgene for anything similar. Thanks.

If you're in the right part of the world at the right time of the year, blueberries fresh from the bush!

Never even thought about grapes but usually will bring apples and oranges. They may be heavy but their taste factor adds tremendously to being satisfied at mealtime. Just eat them before you get to the long portages!

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

Apples and lemons. No refrigeration necessary. Apples for healthy snacks, lemons for zesty refreshing water and added to add citrus kick to meals.

The trips that Kathleen and I have taken have generally lasted at least three weeks, and as long as 37 days. We have never intended to take fresh fruit. Rather, Kathleen dehydrates pineapple rings, and we purchase dried apricots, cranberries and figs. Not fresh, but tasty and satisfying, nevertheless. The dried pineapple rings are my favourites. So amazingly sweet!

But then I remember the famous incident with a fresh orange on our Thelon River trip in 1993. At least famous to Kathleen and me. On June 28 we were having lunch on the Loon Air dock in Fort Smith, NWT, hoping to fly to Lynx Lake where we would begin our trip. There was still ice on the outlet to the Thelon River, and it was uncertain if we could fly in today. But then Don returned from a reconnaissance, and announced that we would indeed fly that afternoon. The following is from Kathleen's diary.

After a flurry of activity, everything was loaded in the plane, and we double-checked and locked the van. In the rear of the plane, I lay comfortably on top of our gear. The orange I intended to eat on the way to Lynx Lake didn't seem too appealing. I stuffed it into one our white buckets.

Now fast forward to July 19, three weeks later. Again from Kathleen's diary.

We spent the second layover day of the trip leisurely washing people and clothes. The brisk wind keeps the mosquitoes down, and quickly dries our laundry. I reorganized and checked food supplies. We are well-provisioned in all areas. The only spoilage is some mould on the outside of the cheese. At the bottom of a white bucket, I discovered the orange that I had stuffed there as we taxied down the lake for our flight to Lynx Lake. The fresh fruit was a real treat after three weeks of dried food.

Still good after three weeks. That speaks well for oranges making a good source of fresh fruit, even on long trips, without any refrigeration or other forms of intended preservation.

We like to take Cuties which hold up reasonably well with careful handling.

Not sure Chick would approve but I'll run it by her. And it is plural, right? I'm gonna need a bigger boat......

I bought my wife one of the soft Yeti coolers with backpack straps for the beach (we live in southern RI, and she lives on the beach all summer). She can strap all her beach stuff to it, and easily carry it. It keeps ice all day on the beach. It’s paid for itself just as n not buying stuff there.

I have taken to using it on longer canoe trips as a food pack (something I often take anyway). I use pre-prepared, frozen meals as “ice”. It allows me (if I’m careful) to have fresh fruit/veggies for a week.

We always bring apples. They're great fresh and a good oatmeal addition.

Boreal Birch said:

Dried

Click to expand...

I emphatically say yes to this. Dried cherries, cranberries, currants, and raisins are my favourite for bannock. Strangely enough we have a dil who detests dried fruit. Absolutely abhors them (her words). I have no idea how tiny dried fruit can illicit such strong emotions. I asked if there'd been a certain incident in her innocent past she might like to share with us. She never ever swears but her facial expression dropped me the f-bomb, so we're not going there I guess. I discovered her unfortunate bias when I introduced her to my wife's Christmas cake this past winter. Loaded with nuts and fruit, and naturally uisce/uisge beatha (the cake, not her). Incidentally fruit cake is great on trips sitting around the campfire in the evening under the stars with a mug of tea.

Odyssey said:

I emphatically say yes to this. Dried cherries, cranberries, currants, and raisins are my favourite for bannock. Strangely enough we have a dil who detests dried fruit. Absolutely abhors them (her words). I have no idea how tiny dried fruit can illicit such strong emotions. I asked if there'd been a certain incident in her innocent past she might like to share with us. She never ever swears but her facial expression dropped me the f-bomb, so we're not going there I guess. I discovered her unfortunate bias when I introduced her to my wife's Christmas cake this past winter. Loaded with nuts and fruit, and naturally uisce/uisge beatha (the cake, not her). Incidentally fruit cake is great on trips sitting around the campfire in the evening under the stars with a mug of tea.

Click to expand...

a staple on all my trips has always been dried blueberries, you can add them to oatmeal or bannock to zest it up, rehydrate them with extra water and a little sugar to make a killer pancake syrup, or even just pick at them in your gorp.
A good, dark Xmas cake is food of the gods, not only is it filling, it hits all the food groups too, with plenty of carbs, proteins, and even some dairy and vitamins- not to mention the well known fact that, with dark rum in it, it seems to last forever.
an old timer I knew used to take almost 10 lbs of it to his trapline as both a treat and emergency food ration, he told me he survived a week on just it and 2 tiny ermine after his food cache was raided.

scoutergriz said:

A good, dark Xmas cake is food of the gods, not only is it filling, it hits all the food groups too, with plenty of carbs, proteins, and even some dairy and vitamins- not to mention the well known fact that, with dark rum in it, it seems to last forever.

Click to expand...

Do you mean the almost unmentionable "fruit cake"? Good dense dark versions are very good and not dificult to make instead of buying the cheap grocery store variety with colored hard fruit chunks. I discovered Logan Bread a few years ago and often make that, which can be another high calorie version of fruit cake, depending on your recipe. I bake it low and slow, so that it becomes somewhat dry and seems to last a very long time.

While I do like dehydrated fruit (and I do dry a good deal of my own), it is not so good to eat during marathon canoe racing, since you need to take in a good amount of water to hydrate it and yourself during the event. And fresh apples are good, but too difficult to hold and eat while actively paddling. Pre-sliced, they turn brown unless doused with lemon. On the first day, cubed pieces of melons and pineapple are a hydration treat, but they don't last well (home dehydrated watermelon becomes candy-like). That is why I like cherries or similar small bits of self-contained fully hydratred finger foods that I can quickly pop from an open bin while missing only a single paddle stroke, if that. Some of my marathon paddle partners like pre-sheled boiled eggs or boiled potatoes to keep them going.

scoutergriz said:

a staple on all my trips has always been dried blueberries, you can add them to oatmeal or bannock to zest it up, rehydrate them with extra water and a little sugar to make a killer pancake syrup, or even just pick at them in your gorp.
A good, dark Xmas cake is food of the gods, not only is it filling, it hits all the food groups too, with plenty of carbs, proteins, and even some dairy and vitamins- not to mention the well known fact that, with dark rum in it, it seems to last forever.
an old timer I knew used to take almost 10 lbs of it to his trapline as both a treat and emergency food ration, he told me he survived a week on just it and 2 tiny ermine after his food cache was raided.

Click to expand...

I'm not a fruit cake foodie but the light version is fancy fine for teas with the in-laws. The dark goes with everything, tea, coffee, and stronger stuff. Where would New Year's be without that pairing!?
I forgot dried bb's. Yes they are good, and never seem to last in this house. They (fresh, frozen, or dried) find their way into my morning porridge. Hold on Scoutergriz, did you say...

just pick at them in your gorp

Click to expand...

Are you a hygrater!?

Love dehydrated strawberries!
and dehydrated pineapple
I buy dried dates cherries and mango in the grocery store
Usually do not take fresh fruit. Lots of portaging has been my norm
Cuties are a go to on non portaging trips
Much better than Tang
Who remembers Tang?

We had Tang on last September trip to the BWCA and will again this year.
Jim