Design By Committee Always Works
March 30, 2010 8:09 AM
Looking to make the best trail mix possible. List one or two ingredients that you love in trail mix, and one or two you hate. Will name this trail mix 'hive mind mix' based on you're replies and will re-post with how it tastes.
Love:
peanuts
M&Ms
raisins
Hate:
dried pineapple - it's way too sugary for me.
those spicy little green-pea things
posted by jquinby at 8:13 AM on March 30, 2010
peanuts
M&Ms
raisins
Hate:
dried pineapple - it's way too sugary for me.
those spicy little green-pea things
posted by jquinby at 8:13 AM on March 30, 2010
I haven't tried it yet, but there was a very delicious looking trail-mix in Good Eats, season 11, episode 6 (Withering Bites). The description was given in the context of discussion of drying fruit. I'm certainly planning on making this once camping season starts! You might be able to find a link to the recipe on the Food Network website.
posted by iftheaccidentwill at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by iftheaccidentwill at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Reese's Pieces, roasted cashews, dried cranberries; Dislike: Papaya chunks, coconut shreds. LOVE this idea. Can't wait for the final recipe!
posted by kch at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by kch at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Peanut M&Ms, cashews, dried cranberries
Hate: dried pineapple (agreed with jquinby), raisins (just not that crazy about them).
posted by ghharr at 8:16 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: dried pineapple (agreed with jquinby), raisins (just not that crazy about them).
posted by ghharr at 8:16 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate raw sunflower seeds. Love roasted ones. Also chocolate chips or suitable M&M facsimiles. Finished product must be both sweet and salty! Suspect this thread will come to blows over raisins.
posted by clavicle at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by clavicle at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Raisins, teriyaki almonds, any sulfite-free dried fruit
Hate: Chocolate
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Chocolate
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Pecans, cashews, chocolate chips, cranberries, dried banana, dried mango, roasted edamame.
posted by aught at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by aught at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: little tiny peanut butter or butterscotch chips
Hate: Hazelnuts. Great in some things, but not trail mix.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Hazelnuts. Great in some things, but not trail mix.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: yogurt covered raisins (even though they get melty), dried apricots
Hate: banana chips
posted by cider at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: banana chips
posted by cider at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
ooh! Dried blueberries!
Love: Dried blueberries, peanut m&m or reese's pieces, roasted almonds
Hate: too many cashews, too many raisins, coconut shreds
posted by sdis at 8:20 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Dried blueberries, peanut m&m or reese's pieces, roasted almonds
Hate: too many cashews, too many raisins, coconut shreds
posted by sdis at 8:20 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: dried apricots, the brown kind that aren't chemically treated to stay orange, dried cranberries, dried cherries, figs, raisins. Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. Unsweetened shredded coconut. Dark chocolate chips, except they melt.
Don't like: peanuts!
posted by mareli at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
Don't like: peanuts!
posted by mareli at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Raisins, peanuts, almonds, cashews
Hate: Walnuts, very sweet dried fruit, hard bits of toast (or whatever they are)
posted by canadia at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Walnuts, very sweet dried fruit, hard bits of toast (or whatever they are)
posted by canadia at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
Call me cynical, but I'm guessing that for every ingredient possible, there's going to be somebody who loves it, and somebody who hates it. Raisins and peanuts are already there...
Love: cashews, almonds, anything chocolate
Hate: coconut
Giant Meh: raisins
posted by cgg at 8:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: cashews, almonds, anything chocolate
Hate: coconut
Giant Meh: raisins
posted by cgg at 8:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Roasted almonds, cashews, dried raspberries, chocolate chips
Hate: Coconut, raw nuts, dried pineapples
posted by too bad you're not me at 8:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Coconut, raw nuts, dried pineapples
posted by too bad you're not me at 8:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: dried cranberries, roasted almonds, M&Ms, raisins (yogurt-covered or plain)
Hate: any nuts other than roasted almonds/cashews/peanuts, wasabi peas
posted by somanyamys at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: any nuts other than roasted almonds/cashews/peanuts, wasabi peas
posted by somanyamys at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Yay: Cranberries!
Boo: Thumbtacks, dried insects, chunks of bone.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Boo: Thumbtacks, dried insects, chunks of bone.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Chex cereal, m&ms, pretzel sticks, dried apricot, peanuts, almonds, plain cheerios
Hate hate hate: macadamia nuts
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate hate hate: macadamia nuts
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: choc chips, peanut butter chips, raisins, dried fruit, any kind of nut or seed, granola clusters, coconut, cereal bits, like Cheerios or Kix.
Hate: No hate. I love all of it.
posted by iconomy at 8:28 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: No hate. I love all of it.
posted by iconomy at 8:28 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: *orange* craisins and dark choc chips.
Include those, and there's nothing to hate.
posted by devbrain at 8:28 AM on March 30, 2010
Include those, and there's nothing to hate.
posted by devbrain at 8:28 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Raisins, peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds
Hate: brazil nuts
posted by cashman at 8:32 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: brazil nuts
posted by cashman at 8:32 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: M&Ms, dried cranberries, granola clusters
Hate: dried fruit other than cranberries (raisins, I'm looking at you. also large things like whole dried apple slices.)
posted by pemberkins at 8:34 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: dried fruit other than cranberries (raisins, I'm looking at you. also large things like whole dried apple slices.)
posted by pemberkins at 8:34 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: dried cranberries, peanuts, chocolate chips, raisins, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), dried apricots (cut up)
Meh: Cashews and pistachios (they get kind of stale and soggy fast), coconut (can be annoyingly flakey and messy), apple rings (they get stale, too)
Hate: Walnuts, banana chips (they make everything banana flavored), macadamia nuts, candy bits, already-made-products like pretzel sticks
posted by Cygnet at 8:41 AM on March 30, 2010
Meh: Cashews and pistachios (they get kind of stale and soggy fast), coconut (can be annoyingly flakey and messy), apple rings (they get stale, too)
Hate: Walnuts, banana chips (they make everything banana flavored), macadamia nuts, candy bits, already-made-products like pretzel sticks
posted by Cygnet at 8:41 AM on March 30, 2010
Love:
Cashews
M&Ms.
Those little chocolate drops with the white balls on them. Sno-caps, I think they're called.
Hate:
Raisins. Fuck raisins. Raisins don't belong anywhere near trail mix, or anywhere else for that matter. Fuck raisins.
I hiked with a guy once who was tired of everyone picking the good stuff out of his trail mix so he brought a "make your own trail mix" kit, which was one of those plastic organizers with various ingredients filling each compartment. It was brilliant, in a sort of insane way.
posted by bondcliff at 8:42 AM on March 30, 2010
Cashews
M&Ms.
Those little chocolate drops with the white balls on them. Sno-caps, I think they're called.
Hate:
Raisins. Fuck raisins. Raisins don't belong anywhere near trail mix, or anywhere else for that matter. Fuck raisins.
I hiked with a guy once who was tired of everyone picking the good stuff out of his trail mix so he brought a "make your own trail mix" kit, which was one of those plastic organizers with various ingredients filling each compartment. It was brilliant, in a sort of insane way.
posted by bondcliff at 8:42 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Cashews, macadamias, dried apricots, dried apple, roast peas of any form but especially chickpeas. Seriously, dried chickpeas have all the awesome of a roasted peanut with none of the greasiness or bitterness or occasional peanutty yerkness.
Hate: Coconut, dried pineapple, dried pawpaw, dried strawberry
posted by Jilder at 8:50 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Coconut, dried pineapple, dried pawpaw, dried strawberry
posted by Jilder at 8:50 AM on March 30, 2010
List one or two ingredients that you love in trail mix, and one or two you hate.
Some of us know how to follow directions:
Love: Dried sour cherries and chocolate chips.
Hate: Spanish peanuts and banana chips.
posted by HotToddy at 8:51 AM on March 30, 2010
Some of us know how to follow directions:
Love: Dried sour cherries and chocolate chips.
Hate: Spanish peanuts and banana chips.
posted by HotToddy at 8:51 AM on March 30, 2010
Need sweet and salty!
Love: M&Ms, papaya chunks, pretzels? is that a trailmix thing?
hate: cashews, etc
posted by LokiBear at 8:53 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: M&Ms, papaya chunks, pretzels? is that a trailmix thing?
hate: cashews, etc
posted by LokiBear at 8:53 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: pepitas, m&ms, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, pepitas (I know but I really love them)
Hate: coconut, peanuts, raisins
posted by govtdrone at 8:54 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: coconut, peanuts, raisins
posted by govtdrone at 8:54 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: almonds and chocolate chips
Hate: coconut and m&ms
posted by Pineapplicious at 8:56 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: coconut and m&ms
posted by Pineapplicious at 8:56 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Yogurt-covered cranberries (even if they're not great health-wise); walnuts
Hate: Coconut; that's all I can think of.
(I like raisins.)
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:58 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Coconut; that's all I can think of.
(I like raisins.)
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:58 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Raisins, peanuts, almonds, M&Ms, deshelled pistachios
Hate: Chex Mix, coconut
posted by farishta at 8:58 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Chex Mix, coconut
posted by farishta at 8:58 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Vanilla-coated pumpkin seeds, flame raisins
Hate: Banana chips, Banana chips (so bad I named them twice)
posted by primer_dimer at 8:59 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Banana chips, Banana chips (so bad I named them twice)
posted by primer_dimer at 8:59 AM on March 30, 2010
cranberries, chocolate/vanilla chips, sunflower seeds, any dried fruit, peanuts, soynuts all winners.
Almonds are epic volumes of fail. Too hard, too big, and they're gross on top of that.
Yogurt covered stuff is generally best avoided.
And...chocolatey is awesome unless it's hot, then you have a bag of goo.
posted by TomMelee at 9:10 AM on March 30, 2010
Almonds are epic volumes of fail. Too hard, too big, and they're gross on top of that.
Yogurt covered stuff is generally best avoided.
And...chocolatey is awesome unless it's hot, then you have a bag of goo.
posted by TomMelee at 9:10 AM on March 30, 2010
Raw almonds and dried cranberries.
I'm too busy packing my daypack to do anything more complicated. Fellow hikers love it.
posted by Elsie at 9:13 AM on March 30, 2010
I'm too busy packing my daypack to do anything more complicated. Fellow hikers love it.
posted by Elsie at 9:13 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Chocolate Pudding (it's a long story, but don't do it)
posted by Confess, Fletch at 9:15 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by Confess, Fletch at 9:15 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Hazelnuts, chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Hate: Carob, dried pineapple.
posted by illenion at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Carob, dried pineapple.
posted by illenion at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: roasted unsalted cashews and almonds, walnuts, raisins, cranberry, granola-y substances glued into clumps with honey, dried cherries, etc
Hate: anything chocolaty, banana chips, wasabi peas, yogurt-covered anything, pretzels
posted by Lynsey at 9:29 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: anything chocolaty, banana chips, wasabi peas, yogurt-covered anything, pretzels
posted by Lynsey at 9:29 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: salted almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, smarties, raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds
Meh: peanuts
Hate: sunflower seeds (too small!), coconut, papaya chunks, banana chips
How about adding some chopped up dried mango? Yum.
posted by kitcat at 9:34 AM on March 30, 2010
Meh: peanuts
Hate: sunflower seeds (too small!), coconut, papaya chunks, banana chips
How about adding some chopped up dried mango? Yum.
posted by kitcat at 9:34 AM on March 30, 2010
No no no no, you're going about this all wrong. Trail mix is all about synchronicity between the ingredients -- any trail mix composed of an arbitrary list of individual loves and hates is doomed to failure.
I made a lot of trail mix during my wife's pregnancy. We're talking industrial sized bags of trail mix, for months on end. I became, if I may say so, a guru of trail mix. Trail mix is an art, not a science.
The perfect trail mix requires:
* a good balance between crunchy (nuts, cereal or grain-based ingredients) and chewy (chocolate, yogurt, dried fruit) ingredients.
* A good balance between salty and sweet. You want just enough salt to give the sweet elements a bit of zing, but not so much that any individual bite gives a conscious impression of "salty". Most commercially available nuts are far too heavily salted for proper trail mix; buy unsalted as much as possible.
* Consistent ingredient size. You need to be able to just reach into the bag and grab a handful without looking, and you don't want to have to keep stirring. If you sprinkle sunflower seeds in with your macadamia nuts, they're all just going to filter down to the bottom of the bag, and your perfect balance of ingredients will disappear. If you're working with small ingredients like dried peas or sunflower seeds, you'll need to chop larger chunks of dried fruit down to size. It's extra work, but this is important stuff we're talking about here. This is trail mix.
* Visual interest. You want a good mix of colors and shapes, with no single ingredient predominating. A bag full of peanut M&Ms and breakfast cereal is not trail mix, it's just a bag of candy.
Know your ingredients! Not all dried fruit are the same -- some are so thoroughly impregnated with corn syrup that they're practically gummy candy; others are so dehydrated that they'll crumble into powder in the bag. (This isn't necessarily a bad thing: there's a particular brand of dried blueberry that, used judiciously, turns into a lively flavorful coating on everything else.) At one point I routinely kept three different brands of dried mango in the house, for different purposes: one was sugary sweet; one was tough and chewy and needed to be chopped into tiny bits; one was softer but had a sour, almost fishy flavor.
Nuts too: toasted nuts are different from roasted nuts are different from raw. Peanuts are too often boring filler material, but if you put them under a broiler for a few minutes their character changes completely. Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts need to be roasted slowly until they lose their bitterness. Cashews are best raw. For other nuts, it depends on the effect you're trying to achieve.
Wasabi does not belong in trail mix. Wasabi is for snack mix which is completely different. Snack mix should contain no sweet ingredients: it's meant to be a combination of bitter and salty and sour flavors, to be consumed with a cold beverage. Trail mix is intended to be eaten unaccompanied. I know that bin of "asian blend" at the store looks tempting, there are some interesting-looking shapes and colors in there, but beware! That road is not a trail!
Other flavors outside the salt/sweet spectrum can be considered as an occasional grace note, however: I've had good luck with a lightly cayenne-dusted almond for example, or with a bit of cardamom in a chocolate-based trail mix. Dehydrated vegetables can also make an interesting variation, too, if you can find them: dried green beans work especially well as a sweet note (but beware: it doesn't mix well with chocolate.)
There's no "best trail mix possible," in other words. Trail mix needs variation from day to day; it needs attention to the character of the ingredients available; it needs balance. Trail mix is an art form.
posted by ook at 9:38 AM on March 30, 2010
I made a lot of trail mix during my wife's pregnancy. We're talking industrial sized bags of trail mix, for months on end. I became, if I may say so, a guru of trail mix. Trail mix is an art, not a science.
The perfect trail mix requires:
* a good balance between crunchy (nuts, cereal or grain-based ingredients) and chewy (chocolate, yogurt, dried fruit) ingredients.
* A good balance between salty and sweet. You want just enough salt to give the sweet elements a bit of zing, but not so much that any individual bite gives a conscious impression of "salty". Most commercially available nuts are far too heavily salted for proper trail mix; buy unsalted as much as possible.
* Consistent ingredient size. You need to be able to just reach into the bag and grab a handful without looking, and you don't want to have to keep stirring. If you sprinkle sunflower seeds in with your macadamia nuts, they're all just going to filter down to the bottom of the bag, and your perfect balance of ingredients will disappear. If you're working with small ingredients like dried peas or sunflower seeds, you'll need to chop larger chunks of dried fruit down to size. It's extra work, but this is important stuff we're talking about here. This is trail mix.
* Visual interest. You want a good mix of colors and shapes, with no single ingredient predominating. A bag full of peanut M&Ms and breakfast cereal is not trail mix, it's just a bag of candy.
Know your ingredients! Not all dried fruit are the same -- some are so thoroughly impregnated with corn syrup that they're practically gummy candy; others are so dehydrated that they'll crumble into powder in the bag. (This isn't necessarily a bad thing: there's a particular brand of dried blueberry that, used judiciously, turns into a lively flavorful coating on everything else.) At one point I routinely kept three different brands of dried mango in the house, for different purposes: one was sugary sweet; one was tough and chewy and needed to be chopped into tiny bits; one was softer but had a sour, almost fishy flavor.
Nuts too: toasted nuts are different from roasted nuts are different from raw. Peanuts are too often boring filler material, but if you put them under a broiler for a few minutes their character changes completely. Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts need to be roasted slowly until they lose their bitterness. Cashews are best raw. For other nuts, it depends on the effect you're trying to achieve.
Wasabi does not belong in trail mix. Wasabi is for snack mix which is completely different. Snack mix should contain no sweet ingredients: it's meant to be a combination of bitter and salty and sour flavors, to be consumed with a cold beverage. Trail mix is intended to be eaten unaccompanied. I know that bin of "asian blend" at the store looks tempting, there are some interesting-looking shapes and colors in there, but beware! That road is not a trail!
Other flavors outside the salt/sweet spectrum can be considered as an occasional grace note, however: I've had good luck with a lightly cayenne-dusted almond for example, or with a bit of cardamom in a chocolate-based trail mix. Dehydrated vegetables can also make an interesting variation, too, if you can find them: dried green beans work especially well as a sweet note (but beware: it doesn't mix well with chocolate.)
There's no "best trail mix possible," in other words. Trail mix needs variation from day to day; it needs attention to the character of the ingredients available; it needs balance. Trail mix is an art form.
posted by ook at 9:38 AM on March 30, 2010
Ook is a genius.
posted by klangklangston at 9:42 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by klangklangston at 9:42 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Chocolate Chips
Hate: M&Ms - candy shell texture feels weird on my teeth and they "slip" sometimes.
posted by Vorteks at 9:47 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: M&Ms - candy shell texture feels weird on my teeth and they "slip" sometimes.
posted by Vorteks at 9:47 AM on March 30, 2010
Ook is right, but anyway:
Love: honey-roasted peanuts, cashews, granola, those sesame stick things, Reese's Pieces, M&Ms, banana chips (what? I will eat yours if you don't want them), dried pineapple
Neutral: raisins, cranberries, raw nuts in general, dried coconut, pretzels
Hate: dried apple, puffed cereal of any kind, cheap fake-chocolate stuff
However, trail mix with Reese's pieces and dried pineapple together sounds ghastly.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:04 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: honey-roasted peanuts, cashews, granola, those sesame stick things, Reese's Pieces, M&Ms, banana chips (what? I will eat yours if you don't want them), dried pineapple
Neutral: raisins, cranberries, raw nuts in general, dried coconut, pretzels
Hate: dried apple, puffed cereal of any kind, cheap fake-chocolate stuff
However, trail mix with Reese's pieces and dried pineapple together sounds ghastly.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:04 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Dried orange slices (with the peel), almonds.
Hate: Brazil nuts, peanut skins.
posted by syntheticfaith at 10:08 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Brazil nuts, peanut skins.
posted by syntheticfaith at 10:08 AM on March 30, 2010
ook's trail mix criteria pretty much describes my own approach to creating my own trail mix. I used to buy pre-made stuff, but often found that it either was missing ingredients I really wanted (like, rolled dates) or had those ingredients but then had a bunch of other stuff I didn't want (like coconunt). So, I started making my own for hiking and backpacking. My ingredients include the following, all purchased in bulk from a local sorta-health food store:
salted roasted peanuts
unsalted roasted almonds
unsalted roasted cashews
unsalted macadamia nuts
dried cranberries
raisins - golden and thompson's seedless
dried papaya
rolled dates
M&Ms
banana chips
The mix is mostly raisins, peanuts, cashews and almonds, with other stuff mixed in for a bit of variety and interest. I portion it out into little snack baggies, which end up having 5-10 pieces each of the non-raisin/peanut/cashew/almond items, and maybe 3 banana chips. I tried using the store's pre-made mix of peanuts, raisins, almonds and generic M&Ms and then adding a bunch of other stuff to it, but when I went out hiking the cheap-o chocolate melted and I ended up with gooey candy bars more than trail mix - this is also why I steer clear of anything with chocolate (or other) chips in it. So far, actual M&Ms have fared much better in my backpack.
posted by LionIndex at 10:23 AM on March 30, 2010
salted roasted peanuts
unsalted roasted almonds
unsalted roasted cashews
unsalted macadamia nuts
dried cranberries
raisins - golden and thompson's seedless
dried papaya
rolled dates
M&Ms
banana chips
The mix is mostly raisins, peanuts, cashews and almonds, with other stuff mixed in for a bit of variety and interest. I portion it out into little snack baggies, which end up having 5-10 pieces each of the non-raisin/peanut/cashew/almond items, and maybe 3 banana chips. I tried using the store's pre-made mix of peanuts, raisins, almonds and generic M&Ms and then adding a bunch of other stuff to it, but when I went out hiking the cheap-o chocolate melted and I ended up with gooey candy bars more than trail mix - this is also why I steer clear of anything with chocolate (or other) chips in it. So far, actual M&Ms have fared much better in my backpack.
posted by LionIndex at 10:23 AM on March 30, 2010
this thread is awesome, please do post the final tallies!
ook must be the best trail mix hacker this side of Betelgeuse!
love: cashews, M&M
hate: peanuts, dried pineapple
posted by maulik at 10:44 AM on March 30, 2010
ook must be the best trail mix hacker this side of Betelgeuse!
love: cashews, M&M
hate: peanuts, dried pineapple
posted by maulik at 10:44 AM on March 30, 2010
Nthing klangklangston's comment (and glad he's back): Ook is a genius.
posted by SLC Mom at 10:44 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by SLC Mom at 10:44 AM on March 30, 2010
No almonds. Never almonds.
posted by cirrostratus at 11:06 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by cirrostratus at 11:06 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Raisins, peanuts, M&M (peanut or non)
Meh: Cashews, pretzels.
Don't like: everything else.
Hate: Those little spherical nut things. IDK what they are, but they're annoying as all get out.
posted by 47triple2 at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2010
Meh: Cashews, pretzels.
Don't like: everything else.
Hate: Those little spherical nut things. IDK what they are, but they're annoying as all get out.
posted by 47triple2 at 11:12 AM on March 30, 2010
Dear sweet lord in heaven, it has never occurred to me that you can mix your own trail mix. I always look at the mixes at the store and think, "Too expensive, and is lacking something I like, or has something I hate." And my thought process stopped right there.
Sometimes AskMe makes me feel like a complete idiot, while at the same time improving my life immeasurably. This is one of those times!
P.S. I hate banana chips and carob, and love raisins and M&Ms.
posted by ErikaB at 11:20 AM on March 30, 2010
Sometimes AskMe makes me feel like a complete idiot, while at the same time improving my life immeasurably. This is one of those times!
P.S. I hate banana chips and carob, and love raisins and M&Ms.
posted by ErikaB at 11:20 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: chocolate chips, yogurt-coated anything, reese's pieces, peanut m&m's, dried cherries, dried mango, cashews, almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts
Hate: raisins, craisins (too sugary), chex mix or any kind of cereal, wasabi peas, pretzels, date pieces
posted by hazyjane at 11:22 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: raisins, craisins (too sugary), chex mix or any kind of cereal, wasabi peas, pretzels, date pieces
posted by hazyjane at 11:22 AM on March 30, 2010
Love: Peanut M&Ms, cashews
Hate: banana chips, wasabi anything
posted by dzaz at 11:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Hate: banana chips, wasabi anything
posted by dzaz at 11:23 AM on March 30, 2010
Ook, of course you are correct.
But in the spirit of "Hive Mind Mix", and the title I gave this thread "Design By Committee Always Works" I thought it would be obvious as to my design methodology, inherent theme.
posted by parallax7d at 11:36 AM on March 30, 2010
But in the spirit of "Hive Mind Mix", and the title I gave this thread "Design By Committee Always Works" I thought it would be obvious as to my design methodology, inherent theme.
posted by parallax7d at 11:36 AM on March 30, 2010
Obviously you need to make another batch with just the "hate" ingredients to test the theory. Blog everything.
posted by nanojath at 11:52 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by nanojath at 11:52 AM on March 30, 2010
Thus far
Most loved <3> cashew
chocolate chips
dried cranberry
m&m
almond, roasted
dried apricot
peanut m&m
peanut
reese's pieces
Most hated (in order of pure hate)
coconut shread
dried pineapple
dried banana
wasabi
carob
Most Opined (most votes either way)
raisin
cashew
chocolate chips
m&m
peanut
dried cranberry
coconut shread
dried banana
dried pineapple
Metafilter Civil War Trailmix
Raisins, Peanuts, Walnuts, Chex, Almonds, M&M's
Hive Mind Mix
Please suggest improvements, but I'm thinking
Cashew 20%
Roasted Almond 15%
Peanut 15%
Cranberry 15%
Dried Apricot 15%
Chocolate Chips 10%
Reese's Pieces 5%
M&M 2.5%
Peanut M&M 2.5%
posted by parallax7d at 12:06 PM on March 30, 2010
Most loved <3> cashew
chocolate chips
dried cranberry
m&m
almond, roasted
dried apricot
peanut m&m
peanut
reese's pieces
Most hated (in order of pure hate)
coconut shread
dried pineapple
dried banana
wasabi
carob
Most Opined (most votes either way)
raisin
cashew
chocolate chips
m&m
peanut
dried cranberry
coconut shread
dried banana
dried pineapple
Metafilter Civil War Trailmix
Raisins, Peanuts, Walnuts, Chex, Almonds, M&M's
Hive Mind Mix
Please suggest improvements, but I'm thinking
Cashew 20%
Roasted Almond 15%
Peanut 15%
Cranberry 15%
Dried Apricot 15%
Chocolate Chips 10%
Reese's Pieces 5%
M&M 2.5%
Peanut M&M 2.5%
posted by parallax7d at 12:06 PM on March 30, 2010
I just want to say that this is one of the greatest threads in recent memory. Your proposed Hive Mind Mix looks great, though I'd go easy on uncoated (non-M&M) chocolate if you're actually going to hike with it. In a big jar on the desk, though? Hell yes.
Oh, and: FIE ON YOU, RAISIN HATERS
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on March 30, 2010
Oh, and: FIE ON YOU, RAISIN HATERS
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on March 30, 2010
Love a mix that's heavy on granola, light on extras. Not super-sweet. I do like the sweet & salty granola bars as a dessert.
Love: Dried apricot bits, dried cherries, pineapple, toasted, salted pecans or almonds, pumpkin seeds
Like in small amounts: m&ms of any variety, yogurt peanuts, chocolate or carob peanuts, dried coconut shards
Hate: banana, dates, papaya
Wasabi stuff belongs in savory mixes, with chex.
posted by theora55 at 12:27 PM on March 30, 2010
Love: Dried apricot bits, dried cherries, pineapple, toasted, salted pecans or almonds, pumpkin seeds
Like in small amounts: m&ms of any variety, yogurt peanuts, chocolate or carob peanuts, dried coconut shards
Hate: banana, dates, papaya
Wasabi stuff belongs in savory mixes, with chex.
posted by theora55 at 12:27 PM on March 30, 2010
Design By Committee Always Works
Fair enough! And the "most loved" list actually looks like a decent mix, though it's got some redundant ingredients. (A "most hated" mix would be way too sweet, but has me perversely curious about how well wasabi and carob would go together....)
if you're actually going to hike with it
Waitaminnit. People take trail mix hiking? No way, man; that's just weird.
posted by ook at 12:31 PM on March 30, 2010
Fair enough! And the "most loved" list actually looks like a decent mix, though it's got some redundant ingredients. (A "most hated" mix would be way too sweet, but has me perversely curious about how well wasabi and carob would go together....)
if you're actually going to hike with it
Waitaminnit. People take trail mix hiking? No way, man; that's just weird.
posted by ook at 12:31 PM on March 30, 2010
(nodding to ook), even the MetaFilter Civil War Mix looks interesting!
posted by kch at 12:41 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by kch at 12:41 PM on March 30, 2010
Love: dried berries, peanuts
Hate: Banana chips, walnuts
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:08 PM on March 30, 2010
Hate: Banana chips, walnuts
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:08 PM on March 30, 2010
coconut flakes and dried pineapple are a nono for me.
posted by radioamy at 1:29 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by radioamy at 1:29 PM on March 30, 2010
Love: cereal (esp Quaker Oatmeal Squares), pretzels
Hates: yogurt raisins, walnuts
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 2:06 PM on March 30, 2010
Hates: yogurt raisins, walnuts
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 2:06 PM on March 30, 2010
i can't believe two people actually admit to liking coconut in trail mix.
love: M&Ms, cashews
hate: apple chips, coconut.
posted by itesser at 2:26 PM on March 30, 2010
love: M&Ms, cashews
hate: apple chips, coconut.
posted by itesser at 2:26 PM on March 30, 2010
Here's a pic of Hive Mind Mix v1. It's pretty good. Needs more cranberries and less almonds. Raw cashews may not be the best, toasted/smoked? might be better.
posted by parallax7d at 3:23 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by parallax7d at 3:23 PM on March 30, 2010
love: dried cranberries, sunflower seeds
hate: brazil nuts, raisins
posted by lmm at 4:01 PM on March 30, 2010
hate: brazil nuts, raisins
posted by lmm at 4:01 PM on March 30, 2010
Here's a pic of Hive Mind Mix v1
Oh that looks tasty although the apricots look kinda large.
posted by lmm at 4:05 PM on March 30, 2010
Oh that looks tasty although the apricots look kinda large.
posted by lmm at 4:05 PM on March 30, 2010
You marked mine as a best answer and yet you included Spanish peanuts! WTF?? Spanish peanuts aren't even on the Most Loved list!
posted by HotToddy at 6:06 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by HotToddy at 6:06 PM on March 30, 2010
They are peanuts, sorry I didn't know you had a particular species in mind.
posted by parallax7d at 6:38 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by parallax7d at 6:38 PM on March 30, 2010
you should use only blue, green, and gray (if they exist) M&Ms to truly make it a hive mind mix.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:02 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:02 PM on March 30, 2010
Based on the vehemence of this thread, a trail mix swap might be exciting.
posted by estlin at 8:45 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by estlin at 8:45 PM on March 30, 2010
Looks like I'm late but here's my very important opinion anyway:
Love: chocolate chips, dried fruit that is not coconut or banana
Hate: spicy stuff, all nuts that are not walnuts, peanuts or pecans
Yes, that's two of each although I sorta cheated. Not that I'll admit it. Oh wait...
posted by deborah at 11:08 PM on March 30, 2010
Love: chocolate chips, dried fruit that is not coconut or banana
Hate: spicy stuff, all nuts that are not walnuts, peanuts or pecans
Yes, that's two of each although I sorta cheated. Not that I'll admit it. Oh wait...
posted by deborah at 11:08 PM on March 30, 2010
intriguing, why?
posted by parallax7d at 9:49 AM on March 31, 2010
posted by parallax7d at 9:49 AM on March 31, 2010
to peel them because the shells always gets stuck in between my teeth. I have lost some of my teeth
posted by infini at 10:18 AM on March 31, 2010
posted by infini at 10:18 AM on March 31, 2010
Warning: if you are allergic to poison ivy, you may also have a reaction to raw cashews! I know from itchy, itchy experience. Fortunately, they're hard to find raw for this very reason. Roasting kills the itchy with fire.
Don't mean to be a downer, just wanted to save you discovering the sensation of hives out both ends :(
posted by Fui Non Sum at 10:57 AM on March 31, 2010
Don't mean to be a downer, just wanted to save you discovering the sensation of hives out both ends :(
posted by Fui Non Sum at 10:57 AM on March 31, 2010
I would like to subscribe to ook's newsletter. And frankly, because I am a sucker for rules over guidelines on this sort of thing, I would like to know a very specific ook recipe for good trail mix and/or snack mix, because I agree with the terminology and the specific need for both.
There's no "best trail mix possible," in other words. Trail mix needs variation from day to day; it needs attention to the character of the ingredients available; it needs balance.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just give me Monday's trail mix recipe, and I'll be happy.
posted by norm at 11:26 AM on March 31, 2010
There's no "best trail mix possible," in other words. Trail mix needs variation from day to day; it needs attention to the character of the ingredients available; it needs balance.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just give me Monday's trail mix recipe, and I'll be happy.
posted by norm at 11:26 AM on March 31, 2010
I agree with norm, I started thinking about what I would put in my custom trail mix and I got confused and overwhelmed. If ook can at least post a starting point it would really be helpful for those of us venturing off the beaten path (or "trail" if you will).
posted by ErikaB at 12:11 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by ErikaB at 12:11 PM on March 31, 2010
Love: raisins, M&Ms
Hate: nothing. Well, per chesty_a_arthur, nothing that's normally found in trail mix. And even then only two of chesty's three "Boo" items would make me reject the mix without at least first trying it.
ook makes a good point about snack mix vs. trail mix, and you didn't ask about snack mix, but I love sesame sticks in snack mix.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:38 PM on March 31, 2010
Hate: nothing. Well, per chesty_a_arthur, nothing that's normally found in trail mix. And even then only two of chesty's three "Boo" items would make me reject the mix without at least first trying it.
ook makes a good point about snack mix vs. trail mix, and you didn't ask about snack mix, but I love sesame sticks in snack mix.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:38 PM on March 31, 2010
Love: sugary apricot slice things. Chocolate coated raisins.
Hate: dried banana. Pecans.
As an aside, I always hear this called 'scroggin' in Australia. An American friend told me she called it 'gorp', for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts'. Any Aussies know the origin of scroggin?
posted by twirlypen at 2:02 PM on March 31, 2010
Hate: dried banana. Pecans.
As an aside, I always hear this called 'scroggin' in Australia. An American friend told me she called it 'gorp', for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts'. Any Aussies know the origin of scroggin?
posted by twirlypen at 2:02 PM on March 31, 2010
Loves: Pineapple (you are all terrible people), pistachios
Hates: Brazilnuts, filberts
posted by Sys Rq at 5:58 PM on March 31, 2010
Hates: Brazilnuts, filberts
posted by Sys Rq at 5:58 PM on March 31, 2010
ook - you need to add your trailmix wisdom to the book
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:19 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:19 PM on March 31, 2010
Any Aussies know the origin of scroggin?
I'm an Aussie. I hike. I eat scroggin. No idea where the name comes from.
Wikipedia says: Sultanas, Carob, Raisins, Orange peel, Grains, Glucose , Imagination, Nuts.
I've never eaten a handful of Imagination in my life - I wonder what it tastes like.
posted by moocheen at 7:49 PM on March 31, 2010
I'm an Aussie. I hike. I eat scroggin. No idea where the name comes from.
Wikipedia says: Sultanas, Carob, Raisins, Orange peel, Grains, Glucose , Imagination, Nuts.
I've never eaten a handful of Imagination in my life - I wonder what it tastes like.
posted by moocheen at 7:49 PM on March 31, 2010
I've never eaten a handful of Imagination in my life
It's for the more discerning zombie....
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:04 AM on April 1, 2010
It's for the more discerning zombie....
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:04 AM on April 1, 2010
love: crushed and crumbled thai chiles.
hate like the plague: M&Ms. Everything else listed here is basically unprocessed, save those.
posted by talldean at 7:23 PM on April 1, 2010
hate like the plague: M&Ms. Everything else listed here is basically unprocessed, save those.
posted by talldean at 7:23 PM on April 1, 2010
Nth-ing the call for at least one recipe from ook.
posted by harriet vane at 11:38 PM on April 1, 2010
posted by harriet vane at 11:38 PM on April 1, 2010
A couple of weeks ago, I was hungry, and I had raisins, and I had peanuts. Oh, what the heck, I thought. Turns out that this is in fact delicious in a 50/50 mix.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:58 PM on April 1, 2010
posted by Deathalicious at 11:58 PM on April 1, 2010
Trail mix is an art, not a science.
Not all dried fruit are the same
It's extra work, but this is important stuff we're talking about here. This is trail mix.
cardamom... dried green beans... blueberries
ook... are you my father?
posted by lostburner at 5:47 AM on April 2, 2010
Not all dried fruit are the same
It's extra work, but this is important stuff we're talking about here. This is trail mix.
cardamom... dried green beans... blueberries
ook... are you my father?
posted by lostburner at 5:47 AM on April 2, 2010
Love: raw almonds, dried currants
Hate: (no hate, but with only the above two, all other ingredients are superfluous.)
posted by wobh at 9:32 AM on April 3, 2010
Hate: (no hate, but with only the above two, all other ingredients are superfluous.)
posted by wobh at 9:32 AM on April 3, 2010
hazyjane, et al: note that Craisins are not dried cranberries. Well, they are, but they're overly sweetened dried cranberries. Plain dried cranberries are usually too tart to eat plain, but they work very well in baked goods and fairly well in trail mix. If you like cranberries, that is.
I find that flake coconut works much better in trail mix than shredded. It's harder to find, though.
posted by jlkr at 6:52 AM on April 6, 2010
I find that flake coconut works much better in trail mix than shredded. It's harder to find, though.
posted by jlkr at 6:52 AM on April 6, 2010
Love: walnuts & dried mulberries.
Hate: irrelevant.
Dried mulberries can be found in shops catering to the Afghan community, and also Iranians. Apparently the mujahideen fighting the Russians would survive for months in the mountains on "cakes" made from these two ingredients, pressed together nice & tight.
I assume they also fuel the Taliban today.
But try the mix and you'll never look back. It results in a kind of crunchy, slightly nutty maple syrup flavour.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:23 AM on April 9, 2010
Hate: irrelevant.
Dried mulberries can be found in shops catering to the Afghan community, and also Iranians. Apparently the mujahideen fighting the Russians would survive for months in the mountains on "cakes" made from these two ingredients, pressed together nice & tight.
I assume they also fuel the Taliban today.
But try the mix and you'll never look back. It results in a kind of crunchy, slightly nutty maple syrup flavour.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:23 AM on April 9, 2010
my mom would make "trail mix" equivalent from scratch every Diwali - shredded fried potatoes, roasted peanuts, raisins was a mixture while another was roasted rolled (flattened?) rice, raisin, roasted cashews and finally the bengali uber favourite masala or jhal moori
posted by infini at 1:47 PM on April 9, 2010
posted by infini at 1:47 PM on April 9, 2010
I made trail mix! It was awesome! (Past tense, because I ate it all.)
50% fancy nut mix
20% yogurt covered peanuts
20% milk chocolate covered raisins
10% dried mangoes, which I chopped into little cubes
Oh AskMe, how sad and paltry my life would be without you! Who knew other people's questions could be so engrossing and useful?
posted by ErikaB at 9:06 PM on April 11, 2010
50% fancy nut mix
20% yogurt covered peanuts
20% milk chocolate covered raisins
10% dried mangoes, which I chopped into little cubes
Oh AskMe, how sad and paltry my life would be without you! Who knew other people's questions could be so engrossing and useful?
posted by ErikaB at 9:06 PM on April 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Hate: pumpkin seeds
posted by sararah at 8:13 AM on March 30, 2010