Hot Spring Dinner

Let a hot spring take care of all your cooking with this easy recipe!  Hot springs have hot pockets and steam pools, which you can use to make a relaxing no cook dinner.  Find a vent or the heat source and use the heat to warm a pre-cooked meal sold in an air-tight sealed pouch. Re-heating can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the heat of the pool, but the good news is while you’re waiting for dinner you get to relax in a natural hot spring!

What to cook at a hot spring

My favorite pre-cooked meals come from Trader Joe’s.  They have a great selection of microwaveable rice, and a fun assortment of Indian Fare Currys.

Cooking Sous-Vide

For a more gourmet experience vacuum pack your favorite meat and use the hot water to cook the French style “Sous-Vide“, which is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in airtight plastic bags then placed in a water bath.  This style of slow cooking is infamous for tender, perfectly cooked meats.  If you have a campfire nearby, give the outside of the meat a quick sear for a delicious, French inspired backcountry dinner.

A very popular backcountry cooking method can also be applied to hot springs cooking, “Freezer Bag Cooking”.  This is the method of using boiling water to heat the homemade contents inside a Ziplock bag.  The benefit to this style of cooking is that you end up with a hot meal without dirtying any pots and dishes.  If using a hot spring instead of a stove, one very important factor to take into consideration is the packaging.  You need air-tight packaging that won’t allow any of the hot spring water to get into your food, as hot spring water is filled with harmful bacteria that will make you very sick if ingested.  The best way around this is to use a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer.  Prepare your meal at home, vacuum seal it with a Food Saver, and let the natural heat from the spring re-heat your dinner.

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Cooking a GeotherMEAL in a Hot Spring

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Use a natural hot spring to make this relaxing no cook meal.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Stoveless

Servings: 1 Person

Ingredients

• 1 Package Pre-Cooked Rice Must be sealed inside an air-tight packaging
• 1 Package Pre-Cooked Curry Must be sealed inside an air-tight packaging

Instructions

1. Remove outer package (if comes in a box).

2. Place impenetrably sealed package into the hottest part of the hot spring. If the base of the spring is warmer than the surface, gently place rock or heavy object on top of food to weigh it down (be sure you don't puncture bag).

3. After 20 mins (average depending on water temperature) gently squeeze food package and feel for cold spots. Cook longer if needed.

4. When package is thoroughly warmed, gently open packages of food, but be sure you don't drink or add any hot spring water to your food.

5. Serve into bowls or eat right out of package.

6. Discard of all trash in proper manner. If you're hiking in, pack all trash out with you and Leave No Trace!

Recipe Notes

Here are a couple of tricks to successfully heat up your food in a hot spring.
1. The hotter the water, the faster and hotter the food will be. If your pool is cold, then your food will be cold.
2. Do not drink or use the hot spring water in combination with your food.
3. In some areas you can find small pools of scalding water near the tubs for people. Scout out the area before you jump in and look for other cooking locations.
4. Keep your spoon and bowls nearby so you won't have to get out of the water when its time to eat.