Sunday, November 7, 2010

Surviving the Daily Grind - Instant Coffee for Survival


Americans are among the largest coffee drinking people in the world. Our early history doesn’t really say much about how coffee arrived in America but it probably ranked well down the list on what was important. Survival was probably their primary concern. Nowadays many people can’t survive the day without their morning cup of coffee.

Coffee is an important part of most everyone’s life and surviving without coffee can be tough. Being a big coffee drinker myself, makes having plenty of coffee available a real necessity for my survival. One of the easiest ways to make sure I have plenty on hand is to keep a large supply of dehydrated coffee (a.k.a., instant). I also keep quite a bit of ground coffee available also but for really long term storage the dehydrated version makes sure that there will always be plenty of coffee available regardless of what happens.

Now the coffee beans (Robusta) normally used to make instant coffee are generally of lesser quality and this makes for a usually inferior and often quite bitter tasting coffee. Even some traditionally brewed ground coffees can suffer the same fate if made from lesser quality beans (Aribica). There is a simple solution that can fix this problem and is one of those tricks that many people use but don’t often talk about.

What’s the solution? Simply use the universal flavor enhancer that has been around for a long time and used by everyone, salt. A pinch of salt added to your instant cup of coffee will help to reduce the bitterness and smooth out the flavor. This will also help enhance the flavor of brewed coffee. Salt has a way of improving the flavor of many of the things we consume and works well when enhancing the flavor of your coffee. Many people in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden use this method to enhance the flavor of their coffee. Some people also eat dried meat with their coffee to help improve the taste but the flavor enhancement is probably due to the salt used in the preparation of the dried meat.

So the next time you find yourself staring at a cup of instant coffee, add a pinch of salt to help you survive the daily grind.

Got salt?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

19 comments:

Phil said...

When I first saw the topic, I said YUCK!

Now I have to try this little tip.

I can't hardly drink coffee because it tears my guts up any more but once in a while, it is the difference between being awake or half asleep.Too much acid anymore.

Good tip, I'll remember it.

It reminds me of my grand father putting salt and pepper on a slice of cantaloupe.

Try it some time.

Home on the Range said...

I remember someone once putting a sprinkle of salt in their beer? To make it foam, to enhance the taste, I never knew.

Salt in the instant is a great idea. I'll do without coffee rather than drink the stuff we have at the office, but maybe salt would help.

HermitJim said...

I've never tried the salt trick before! I'll have to give it a try!

Thanks, RW, for the tip!

Chief Instructor said...

I never knew about the pinch of salt. I need to give this a try.

I have a huge amount of instant coffee in our long-term stores. Cream and sugar as well.

I've actually begun drinking instant on a regular basis, as it is so easy to prepare, and I add LOTS of cream and sugar. "Good beans" don't make that much of a difference when the coffee is so adulterated!

A plug (because I use it - don't get any kick-backs): Nescafe Clasico. The Taster's Choice dark roast (kind of hard to find) is very good as well.

Ken said...

...gotta try it,thanx RW...never knew here either...probably like others,i have lots in the stores,but i still use it when i don't have time for a pot,so rotation is good
...taters choice plug here too,i like it the most,i think...

Unknown said...

I had all but forgotten this little trick. Thanks for the reminder!

Ken said...

...edit:"Tasters" choice...lol

Herbalpagan said...

my mother always brewed her coffee with salt...a little sprinkled in the percolator basket. I never thought to try it with instant.
Thanks for the tip!

Groundhog said...

Thanks for the tip. Hadn't heard that before. I usually just use a gallon of creamer :)

riverwalker said...

To: Bustednuckles

I use salt on watermelon and cantalope but have never tried pepper..need to give that a try.

Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Brigid

I believe the use of lemon in tea is a variant that was used to take away some of the bitterness sometimes found in tea. The use of lemons and limes for mixed drinks probably came about for the same reason. The salt enhances the flavor.

Thanks Brigid.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: HermitJim

I carry several individual serving packages in my kits, along with some small salt packets. In a pinch and when you need coffee...you need coffee.

Thanks Jim.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: ChiefInstructor

My grandpa used to make his brewed coffee without a filter and used a little salt to help settle the grounds...probably didn't hurt the taste either.

Thanks Chief.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Ken

If you are like Brigid and some of the others, including myself, that office coffee is downright terrible and quite often burnt from sitting on the burner too long...

Taster's Choice is pretty good...popular around here also.

Thanks Ken.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: S/F Chick

Those little tricks grandma & grandpa used can sometimes be forgotten...

Thanks S/F Chick.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Herbalpagan

Salt is a natural when it comes to enhancing the flavor of a lot of things...including instant coffee.

Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: Groundhog

Cheaper and easier than using a ton of sugar or a lot of creamer...

Thanks Groundhog.

RW

Mattexian said...

I've heard (or read) something similar, calling it "Navy coffee," with that pinch of salt. (Maybe it was in "The Hunt for Red October.")

riverwalker said...

To: Mattexian

Now you've done it!lol

You made me curious and now I have to watch The Hunt for Red October again just to see if I can find a reference to using the salt trick.

Need to check your reference to Navy coffee also...would be interesting to know where it's use originated.

Thanks Mattexian!

RW

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