Heating food in the can on a fire

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

johnnytheboy

Native
Aug 21, 2007
1,884
14
45
Falkirk
jokesblogspot.blogspot.com
I follow allot of Swedish outdoorsy people on Instagram and notice that they all cook their hotdogs usually "Bullens Pilsner Korv" direct on a fire. I had always been told that wasn't a wise idea as cans are plastic laminated inside.

I just wondered if these cans weren't lined or if the Swedish just have a blatant disregard for the carsonogenic effects that put me off doing such a thing!

The reason Im asking is I'd quite like to do it as well :lmao:
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
disregard for the carsonogenic effects

Errmm... the stress of thinking about it is highly likely to be a greater cancer risk than heating up a plastic lined tin to the boiling point of mildly salty water.

Tinned stuff usually has a huge shelf life, frequently many months if not years. A few minutes heating some hotdogs from storage temperature (let's say 20 degrees C in the shop and subsequently at home) to boiling point isn't going to dramatically increase the levels of any toxins in the liquid they're in, let alone in the 'sausages'. Fair do, boil it dry and burn the plastic, if there is any (zinc would probably be worse, particularly if you breathed the fumes) and you're asking for more trouble... easy answer there would be "Don't!"
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,294
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
We Swedes are realists.
We know that the risk associated with ingesting traces of Polymers by eating Bullens is negligible.
( Also, as our schools are generally better than the UK state schools, so we know that if heated properly / with skill, the inside of the can does not get much hotter than just above 100 degrees Celsius and the apolymers chosen as a liner are stable at much higher temperatures than that)
:).
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I've heated foods in the tins over a campfire more times than I can remember (although not sausages) The only real danger is leaving them on the fire too long and the can exploding (not a problem if you pierce the top first)
 

Bishop

Full Member
Jan 25, 2014
1,717
691
Pencader
Not a big fan of hot-dogs but will often have baked beans stewing in the tin on the corner of the BBQ. The water content keeps the plastic coating from reaching its melting point.
 

johnnythefox

Full Member
Mar 11, 2011
1,015
4
England
With compo we where taught to boil cans [lids removed] in water in our mess tins.
this saved cleaning, fuel and time as the water was then used to make your tea
 

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Just heat them in boiling water. Hit the side so it has a fair dent in it then put it in the water, the dent will come out as it heats. When the dents gone open the can (Facing away from you)

Works for most canned stuff.

Tonyuk
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
We Swedes are realists.
We know that the risk associated with ingesting traces of Polymers by eating Bullens is negligible.
( Also, as our schools are generally better than the UK state schools, so we know that if heated properly / with skill, the inside of the can does not get much hotter than just above 100 degrees Celsius and the apolymers chosen as a liner are stable at much higher temperatures than that)
:).

http://www.economist.com/news/inter...-hard-eminently-possible-what-world-can-learn yet Sweden is lagging behind UK schools.

Just heat the can gently and you'll be fine
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
70b20a5bae79159de6abcbd8b643ceae.jpg



hqdefault.jpg
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
Not a fan of the tinned hot dogs!

Used to have em for tea, coming in from school, in a bread roll with a serving of boiled onions :yuck:
 
Last edited:

dave89

Nomad
Dec 30, 2012
436
7
Sheffield
I've done it for years, never really thought about it just take the paper off put a hole in them and aways you go. Beans and sausages with bacon on top. Beats cauliflower rice

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,294
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Physics: if you immerse a can in water and boil it, the content will only reach 100 degrees Celsius. Not much of a pressure increase inside, only what the expantion causes.
That is in fact how canned food is made.

Even if opened and heated gently beside the fire, the inside will not go much above 100 C.

It will though if you allow too much heat on the unopened can, as the pressure and boiling point increases.

You can get realky badly scalded if the can explodes.


I hope you guys have tried to boil water in a plastic bag ( turned inside out so the seam is inside)
Or even better, boiled water in a condom?
Same principle.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I follow allot of Swedish outdoorsy people on Instagram and notice that they all cook their hotdogs usually "Bullens Pilsner Korv" direct on a fire......

Physics: if you immerse a can in water and boil it, the content will only reach 100 degrees Celsius....

I could be wrong, but I thought the use of the phrase, "direct on the fire" precludes immersing it. When the OP said "direct" I took it to mean simply placing the can into the fire?
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE