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Originally Posted by bash
The second is fairly wide availability of stuff. TDM didn't cause all modern technologies and products to disintegrate. There's going to be literal tons of jars, bottles, utensils, cookery, and crockery (including Tupperware or equivalent) in every first and second world town and village. There's also literal tons of food safe storage containers in the hands of civilians and militaries. Foods can be cooked and preserved more efficiently and under safer conditions than during the Revolutionary War.
With that in mind anywhere that can generate a good surplus is likely going to pump out rations for encamped forces. Stews and such that might have normally been in tin cans would can as well in jars. As nutritional science is also better in T2k than the 18th century I can picture fruit bars being a popular ration item. That's in addition to hardtack/crackers and preserved meats.
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You raise a lot of good points, Bash. Some things to consider:
Jars and other sealable glassware, although a good food storage medium if you have a safe space to store them, probably wouldn't make for good field ration packaging. Glass probably won't hold up to being ported around in a pack for very long, and it turns into razor-sharp shrapnel when struck with high-velocity projectiles. I wouldn't want a ruck full of jars on my back during a firefight.
Cans pretty much eliminate those issues, but few communities are going to be able to produce new ones. I suppose cans could be
reused but they would require really good cleaning and sterilization first so that they don't rust prior to reuse (contrary to their nomenclature, tin cans are usually made of steel alloy because tin is a lot more expensive), or contaminate whatever fresh foodstuff one might put into them. It might be difficult to reseal them properly, without specialized machinery and/or fresh tin for lids.
According to the USDA website, dented cans can be dangerous.
"If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam."
On the other hand, good Tupperware-style food storage containers are made to be reusable and can last quite a while. However, most common household models won't hold up long to sustained hard use. As most of us have experienced, plastic food storage lids often come loose at the most inopportune times- especially ones that have been in use a long time. I imagine many a soldier in the T2kU has had their rucksack contents doused with food juice from loose, split, improperly closed plasticware lids. If exposed to sunlight for any length of time, plastic starts to become increasingly brittle (here in AZ, it'll shatter like glass after a few weeks of summer sun). Also, PCBs (especially back in the 1980s and '90s) would be prevalent in plastics used in food containers (although they're probably not something players/Refs are going to worry about).
Quote:
Originally Posted by bash
I'd also think there would be literal tons of condiments floating all around. While not necessarily foods themselves they're shelf stable and have at least a few nutrients. Some hot sauce or a jelly packet can make shitty food palatable enough to choke down. Jelly packet toilet hootch would be a hot commodity in the cantonments.
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For the first couple of years after manufacturing stops, yes. After that, though? Believe it or not, most condiments have a fixed expiry period. I've opened old ketchup packets to find the contents have aged to a dark red, thick, vinegary paste- no longer appetizing and, I reckon, not particularly safe. A lot of condiments require refrigeration after opening. That's not going to readily available, especially to soldiers.
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