Biscuit mix with oil - does this need refrigeration?

[ScoutKatie]

Hello,

I am a Girl Scout leader who often takes my girls camping. We make our own biscuit mix (lots cheaper than buying a prepared mix, plus more fun for the girls! But, now I've heard the concern that we are not refrigerating the mix when we camp.

We are using olive oil instead of lard or shortening in our mix. Do you think we do need to keep the mix in an ice chest or refrigerator prior to mixing it up with water and using it for biscuits and such? Or is just putting it in a tightly sealed container or ziplock bag and keeping it out of the sun good enough?

Katie in Tucson

 

[Andy M.]

Fats can become rancid with prolonged exposure to heat. I'd recommend refrigeration.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I assume you refrigerate the mix when you make it, then you take it camping for a weekend? I don't think it would go bad in that amount of time. Missouri extension has a recipe for Missouri Mix, used for biscuits, pancakes, coffee cake, that uses shortening, and they do not require refrigeration at all.

Call your local extension office and ask them. Or send me the recipe, and I will ask our nutrition/food safety person.

(If you are going off to be survivalists for 6 months, then I might worry.)

 

[jkath]

Katie, can you tell us what the recipe is that you're using?

(PS - Kudos to you for being a GS leader!)

 

[Aurora]

Here's the Missouri Mix recipe:

http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/foodnut/gh1055.htm

It's made with vegetable shortening which does not need to be refrigerated. Actually, vegetable oil need not be refrigerated and so should last for weeks if not months stored in a cool dry place.

 

[ScoutKatie]

Camp Doha Biscuit Mix

Okay, I've edited the recipe the way I am now thinking it should read. There is a woman putting together a "Scout Camping Recipe Cookbook" and she had some concerns, so we'd been discussing it via email. She was thinking that if we were going to put in the oil, we should also put in the water and keep it in an ice chest. Or that oil and water should be added onsite but that entailed carrying a little bottle of oil along. (I guess you could do it that way, but we normally don't) I think the recipe is probably ok now. What do you folks think?
Regards,
Katie Cox

​

Camp Doha Biscuit Mix​

Serves 6-8​

Challenge Level: Easy​

If you don’t have any prepared biscuit mix or other baking mix, you can make your own. I like to have my troop make it before large campouts and use it because it’s a lot cheaper than buying canned biscuits or prepared mixes. This was invented by my USA Girl Scouts Overseas troop in Kuwait while camping out at the US Military Base there at the time - Camp Doha.​

4 cups flour
2/3 cup instant non fat dry milk
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup olive oil
1 ¼ cup cold water

Mix the dry ingredients in a fairly large bowl or shake to mix in a gallon-sized zipper plastic bag. Then add the olive oil and mix well, until the oil is in very small droplets in the mixture. Store in a tightly sealed container or gallon-sized zipper bags in a cool location, refrigerator or ice chest. This recipe makes about 5 cups of mix.

To use the mix, add ¼ cup of cold water per cup of mix, or a bit more if the dough seems dry. You could also add the water to the zipper bag and knead the dough at home, but definitely need to refrigerate if you do that. If you cannot keep the mix cool, consider adding the olive oil and water at the campsite.

You can mix the biscuit mix in a bowl and use by small “Scout” handfuls as dumplings, or kids can pat them out with floured hands for baking in a box oven, Dutch oven, or Bakepacker. You can, of course, use it in recipes as well.

Katie Salyer Cox
Girl Scout leader, Trainer
USA Girl Scouts Overseas and Girl Scouts of Sahuaro Council
GSUSA
Tucson, AZ

 

[Gretchen]

For short periods you are fine., If you were putting it on the shelf for a month it might be rancid but still not spoiled. I have made one using solid shortening and cutting it in using the KA mixer. It is good stuff.

 

[Andy M.]

Adding the water is a bad idea as it will activate the baking powder.

 

[ScoutKatie]

Thanks, Andy, that's a good point. I hadn't thought of that, but of course you're right. I'll change that part of the instructions.

Katie