high-alt-ckng-msg – 5/25/05
Cooking medieval food and feasts at high altitudes.
NOTE: See also the files: headcooks-msg, hot-weth-fsts-msg, kitch-toolbox-msg, p-menus-msg, p-feasts-msg, feast-decor-msg, bread-for-fsts-msg, fd-transport-msg.
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Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 10:20:09 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
From: smcclune at earthlink.net
Subject: [Sca-cooks] High Altitude Cooking (was Cooking In Atenveldt
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
-----Original Message-----
From: "Jonathan and Rebecca Barber" <barber at runbox.com>
We've test-cooked it once and made some modifications. Now we need to
test cook it up there (Erud Sul is Flagstaff, which sits around
6500-7000 feet). I have no experience cooking at that altitude so it
will be an interesting experiement the first time!
<<<
Speaking from personal experience ... in general, things will take
longer to cook, especially boiled things. For example, a pot of
veggies that would take, say, ten minutes to cook at sea level will
take around 2-5 minutes longer at altitude. Baked goods (such as
custards and pies) will also take a little longer.
And I'd highly recommend baking your bread at home and just bringing it
along, if that's an option. Adjusting bread recipes to account for
altitude (as well as lack of humidity) can be tricky, though if you
like, I can put you in touch with people who have done it successfully.
(I'm personally rather bread-challenged, but working to overcome that
handicap <grin>.)
For roasted meats and such, you will probably not notice any difference
in cooking times.
Arwen
Long-time resident of the Barony of Caerthe, Outlands
(Denver, CO a.k.a. "The Mile-High City")
-- who adds that many of our camping events are held in the nearby
mountains, at 7,000-9-000 ft. :)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 2354:58 -0700
From: Sheila McClune <smcclune at earthlink.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: High Altitude Cooking
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: "Jonathan and Rebecca Barber" <barber at runbox.com>
> Followup question - I just found out that the site has only convection
> ovens - do standard conversions apply or does the altitude make a
> difference there?
<<<
Well ... embarrassing as it is t admit it, I've never actually used a
convection oven <sheepish grin>. I know there are other Outlanders on
this list, though ... perhaps some of them have experience in this area?
>>>>
> Our current plan is to get the bread made and I may well make the
> spaetzle at home (1200 feet or so). We'll see. We're going to test
> cook the whole thing up there just to see.
<<<
I think the "make the spaetzle at home and heat it in a roaster" plan
sounds like a great idea. :) So does test cooking at the feast
altitude. I've got lots of stories of friends who have gone off
backpacking in the mountains at 10,000+ feet and then wondered why they
were having so much trouble getting the spaghetti to cook!
>>>>
> Oh, do cookies have any modifications needed?
<<<<
Yes, generally when I make cookies, I add a little more flour (1-2
tablespoons per standard batch of chocolate chip cookies, for example).
If you don't, they spread out and get really flat. You'll also need to
cook them for a minute or two longer.
Arwe
Caerthe, Outlands
(Denver, CO)
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 08:22:26 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] High Altitude Cooking (was Cooking In
Atenveldt
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> Followup question - I just found out that the site has only convection
> ovens - do standard conversions apply or does the altitude make a
> difference there?
>
> Our current plan is to get the bread made and I may well make the spaetzle
> at home (1200 feet or so). We'll see. We're going to test cook the whole
> thing up there just to see.
>
> Oh, do cookies have any modifications needed?
>
> Ru
The differences in cooking at altitude are caused by the pressure
differential between altitudes. The differences apply to all ovens and,
generally, all foods and cooking methods. You will need to alter
temperatures and times for every 3000 feet in altitude.
Bear
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:11:23 -0500
From: "Martin G. Diehl" <mdiehl at nac.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: High Altitude Cooking
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
>> Followup question - I just found out that the site has
>> only convection ovens - do standard conversions apply
>> or does the altitude make a difference there?
With the oven providing a somewhat calibrated cooking
temperature, probably not.
The rules about high altitude cooking apply to foods cooked
in boiling water ... because ...
The reason ... is because the boiling point of water
changes with altitude. As you go higher, the boiling
temperature decreases.
At sea level, the boiling point of water is 212 degrees
F (100 degrees C).
As a general rule, the temperature decreases by
1 degree F for every 540 feet of altitude
(0.56 degrees C for every 165 meters).
On top of Pike's Peak, at 14,000 feet, the boiling point
of water is 187 degrees F (86 degrees C). So pasta or
potatoes cooked at sea level are seeing 25 degrees more
heat than pasta or potatoes cooked on Pike's Peak.
The lower heat means a longer cooking time is needed.
Quoted from How Stuff Works:
"Why do many foods have High Altitude Cooking Instructions?"
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question63.htm
In the case of a 10,000 ft. elevation, water boils at
193.5 degrees F instead of 212 degrees F.
>> Our current plan is to get the bread made and I may
>> well make the spaetzle at home (1200 feet or so).
>> We'll see. We're going to test cook the whole thing
>> up there just to see.
I know that spaetzle is cooked in boiling water -- the
recipe that I use says to wait for it to rise to the top.
Can someone say the "rise to top" compensates correctly
for water temperature?
> I think the "make the spaetzle at home and heat it in a
> roaster" plan sounds like a great idea. :) So does test
> cooking at the feast altitude.
> I've got lots of stories of friends who have gone off
> backpacking in the mountains at 10,000+ feet and then
> wondered why they were having so much trouble getting
> the spaghetti to cook!
P.S. I hope nobody becomes upset upon hearing that the
temperature of boiling water is not a constant.
Vincenzo
<the end>