Fruits, berries and vegetables
When choosing which fruits, berries and vegetables to take with you on a picnic, they give preference to seasonal ones. They are washed in advance, dried and packaged so that they do not get wrinkled in transit. It is recommended to cut them on the spot. An exception may be cases when the picnic is held within the city and the travel time is short.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and radishes can be eaten in salads dressed with olive or sunflower oil. They will also serve as excellent additional ingredients for cheeses and meat products in sandwiches. Zucchini and eggplant are suitable for grilling.
When choosing fruits, give preference to bananas, apples, pears and grapes. Fresh herbs such as dill, onions, parsley, and basil will serve as wonderful additions to vegetables, meat and fish dishes. They add richness to the taste of food.
When planning to take potatoes on a picnic, you need to decide whether to take a ready-made dish with you, prepared at home, or cook it outdoors. If the choice fell on a ready-made dish, then the potatoes can be boiled in their skins or baked in the oven. When deciding to take potatoes raw and cook them on site, give preference to small tubers. In nature, potatoes can be cooked by placing them in the ashes of a fire. There are two options here. You can place it as is, or you can wrap it in foil. Potatoes cooked in foil will be cleaner, and, therefore, you will get less dirty.
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List of products to take on a picnic: tips
Drinks and food items you need to take on a picnic:
- Still water, soda, juices, sweet/alcoholic drinks are acceptable. It's best to pre-chill drinks in the freezer and place them in a cooler bag. This will keep them cool longer. In the cooler months or for the evening, coffee or tea is suitable.
- A small jar of salt, pepper, vegetable oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, ketchup and your favorite sauce.
- Bread and pastries. Take several types of bread. Don't forget to grab some buns and pita bread too.
- Sandwiches and snacks. It’s better to make them on the spot, but prepare pate, processed cheese, any spread to your taste, and sausages. While the main course is being prepared, many people come in for a snack.
- Canapés should be prepared at home and transported in plastic containers or in a cooler bag. This will add variety to your snack.
- Hard cheese. But do not keep it in the fresh air for a long time, otherwise it will become weathered and even dry out in the heat.
Important: Using meat and sausage dishes in warm weather requires caution! Be sure to use a refrigerator and do not keep them in the sun for long to avoid poisoning!
- Hard-boiled eggs. They do not spoil for a relatively long time (up to 24 hours in hot weather), they are filling and healthy.
- Canned food is stored for a long time in any conditions, and in nature it is incredibly tasty: sprats, stewed meat, etc.
- Sausages will perfectly satisfy your hunger and keep your kids occupied while you wait for the barbecue.
Important!
- Vegetables and herbs: Tomatoes
- cucumbers
- Potato
- Radish
- bell pepper
- Green onions
- Celery
- Lettuce leaves
- Spinach
- Dill
- Parsley
- Eggplant/zucchini
- Mushrooms
Tip: Vegetables and fruits can be pre-washed at home to save water.
- Cookies or snack treats. But try to buy or prepare cookies without fillings so that they do not disappear in the heat. Or put it in a cool place.
Important Tips:
- Vegetables should be cut into small portions and large pieces so that they do not drain
- Don't make salads with mayonnaise!
- Pack food in lightweight, resealable containers
- Keep food cold using freezer packs or a cooler bag to prevent spoilage
Don't leave a mess behind. Dispose of anything you bring to the picnic area.
Additionally you may need:
- Shish kebab or marinated meat. If possible, store it in a cooler or regular bag, but include frozen water bottles in it.
- If you plan to cook the first course over a fire, stock up on the necessary ingredients at home. You can cook fish soup, borscht, meatball soup or pea soup with smoked meats. First courses are prepared over a fire according to homemade recipes. But thanks to the fresh air and pleasant aroma from the fire, even the most capricious children will eat them.
Convenient basket
Meat
Types of meat products that are suitable for outdoor cooking:
- sausages;
- sausages;
- chicken fillet, marinated for barbecue or grilling;
- chicken wings and drumsticks also marinated in a special grill sauce;
- pork, beef and lamb fillets, marinated for barbecue or grilling.
The assortment of meat products is large and it’s up to you to choose what you want to enjoy in nature. But you shouldn’t take only one type, it’s better to have variety and take several types of meat.
You can also take those from meat products that do not require special preparation, but are already sold ready-made and just need to be cut and served. These products include various sausages. When choosing them, give preference to smoked ones, and you should not take boiled sausages with you.
Vegetables
Everyone definitely takes tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and potatoes for a picnic. And that's not a bad thing. Potatoes can be raw (so that they can be baked over coals ) or boiled in their skins.
Zucchini, bell peppers, corn on the cob and eggplant are suitable for grilling .
For the salad you will need tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh cabbage, and sweet peppers.
Potatoes for a picnic
Water and juices
One of the items on the list that should not be forgotten is water. Water is needed to quench thirst, to rinse dirty hands, and to wash food and dishes if they accidentally get dirty. Therefore, you need to take more water. Juices, fruit drinks and compotes are also suitable to quench your thirst. They need to be prepared at home and taken with you, but they should be refrigerated before heading out.
Sandwiches
If you are planning a picnic within the city, then you should prepare sandwiches at home. And for a picnic outside the city, you should take all the ingredients with you and prepare them on the spot.
There are a lot of recipes for sandwiches. The fillings for them can be vegetables, cheeses, various meats, fish, eggs. Don't get hung up on the recipe itself. It’s better to use your imagination and make sandwiches from what’s on the table.
Inventory
When deciding what products you will take with you on a picnic, do not forget to think about what equipment will be useful for them. To transport products, you should use containers with a lid. For long trips in the summer, it is worth preparing a thermal bag so that the food does not spoil. It is also worth considering how you will cut vegetables and fruits; for this you should grab a knife and a small cutting board.
For canned foods, you should grab a special can opener. If you plan to drink wine outdoors, then take care in advance of a corkscrew for them. Also in nature, paper napkins or towels can be useful during meals; include them in your list so as not to forget. Don’t forget about where all the picnic participants will rest and eat. Here the choice is yours, whether it will be a compact prefabricated table and chairs or several bedspreads will replace them.
Description
Hot spring days have already arrived, which means we are increasingly trying to get out into nature. And many people wonder: what to cook for a picnic, how to make it deliver only the most pleasant emotions?
A picnic is a real open-air holiday
It doesn’t matter at all what exactly you call it: going out into nature, barbecue, kebabs. It is important to find the right place for a picnic and carefully consider the menu for it
So, what to take on a picnic? If you are the proud owner of a cooler bag, you can take any food with you. If you don’t have a portable refrigerator, you will have to choose only those products that do not spoil in the heat and can withstand transportation. If you are planning a long trip over a long distance, immediately give up soft cheeses, dairy products, and cooked sausages. It is better to take fresh or boiled vegetables, pickled foods, and fresh fruits. Don't forget vegetable oil, which can be used to season vegetables. By the way, many people take shortcrust pastry products for a picnic.
What's better than eating al fresco? Of course, the most important thing at a picnic is deliciously prepared food, so you need to choose suitable dishes for outdoor recreation. If you don’t want or don’t know how to tinker with a fire, you can be content with cold appetizers. Sandwiches remain the ideal option for any picnic.
It is better to prepare the filling for sandwiches at home - wash, peel, cut and package everything separately, and prepare the sandwiches themselves in the wild. For example, for adults, sandwiches wrapped in pita bread or pita bread, and pita bread rolls are suitable. This is convenient, because the filling will not fall out of such a sandwich. Try this chicken shawarma or this amazing homemade Chicken Roll. You'll have to tinker, of course, but the result is worth it. For the kids, you can make this fun “Ladybug” sandwich right on the spot. All
the ingredients are taken with you and then “assembled”. Vegetables can be cut in advance as needed, it’s not difficult at all. And the delight of your children will be the best gift for you. You can also prepare vegetable salads in addition to sandwiches. Wash, dry and pack the vegetables, and then cut everything in nature and season with your favorite dressing, just don’t forget it at home!
If you like to dine with smoke, you need to take care of the meat
It doesn't matter what meat you choose: lamb, pork, chicken or fish. The main thing is to take care of the marinade, because marinating can take from several hours to several days
For any type of meat, you can use this universal marinade with lemon juice and onions (most importantly, don’t skimp on the onions, the more, the tastier; remember it well, because it’s all about the onion juice!).
Ingredients: pork - 1.8 kg. onions - 3 pcs. lemons - 2: 3 pcs. grated nutmeg - 5 g. ground allspice - 5 g. salt - to taste. For grilled fish, you can use the following marinade:
Mackerel: 1 pc. Lemon: 1/2 pc. Orange: 1/4 pc. Spices for fish (paprika flakes, coriander, sesame, mustard seeds, turmeric, mixture of hot peppers, ginger, nutmeg, oregano, basil): 1 Art. l.salt (without a slide): 1 tsp. Well, since you have lit a fire, you can cook not only meat, but also a side dish, for example, baked potatoes in the coals or vegetables over the fire.
An equally important item on the picnic menu are drinks. You can limit yourself to regular non-carbonated water, or you can take fruit drinks, juices or iced tea with lemon.
When preparing for a picnic, it is also important not to forget about such things as a first aid kit, a blanket (blanket), mosquito and tick repellent, and hats. For active recreation lovers, you can take a ball or badminton
At the end of your picnic, be sure to clean up all your trash and throw it in a trash container along the way. Be sure to put out the fire and extinguish all the embers! In a word, bring everything in nature to its original form. Have a nice holiday!
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