Food

Travel discussion for St. John
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msfcambridge
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 7:14 am

Food

Post by msfcambridge »

Hi all, I know I've seen posts about shipping food before arrival. My husband thinks it's a waste but I wonder if there are any advantages. If so, what's the best way to ship steaks, veggies, etc that need to stay very cold for a 5 hour period or longer depending on when it or you arrives?
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Pulley
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:42 am
Location: Beaufort, SC

Re: Food

Post by Pulley »

We freeze our meats and pack them in a soft sided cooler. We leave our home around 4:30 - 5:30 in the morning. We get to the villa 10 - 12 hours later and the meats are still frozen.
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Ron in South Texas
Posts: 249
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:15 pm
Location: Skidmore, Texas

Re: Food

Post by Ron in South Texas »

I use a Polar Bear soft sided cooler. I used it this summer on our trip to Nassau. After 36 hours, most everything was still frozen...what wasn't frozen was perfectly fine...and they're having their 2 for 1 sale right now...
It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!
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RickG
Posts: 5396
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Coral Bay, St. John

Re: Food

Post by RickG »

Unless you have special items, it is no longer worth the hassle. You can buy groceries on St. John for 30%-50% more than we pay in the DC area. For example, chicken leg quarters at Dolphin Market are $1.29 per pound. Packages foods are more expensive.

We had ten people in July 2016. We were down early, so I had my daughter bring down proteins for three meals for ten people. It was worth it for that crowd. For less than four people? I don't thnk it is worth hassle.

Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
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RickG
Posts: 5396
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Coral Bay, St. John

Re: Food

Post by RickG »

Unless you have special items, it is no longer worth the hassle. You can buy groceries on St. John for 30%-50% more than we pay in the DC area. For example, chicken leg quarters at Dolphin Market are $1.29 per pound. Packages foods are more expensive.

We had ten people in July 2016. We were down early, so I had my daughter bring down proteins for three meals for ten people. It was worth it for that crowd. For less than four people? I don't thnk it is worth hassle.

Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
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Teresa_Rae
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Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
Location: Downstate IL

Re: Food

Post by Teresa_Rae »

Shipping food down before you get there really isn't a viable option unless it's all non-perishables; shipping times can vary wildly and there's no place to store perishable items on the other end. If you want to ship non-perishables, you can talk to your villa rental company and ask them to hold a box for you, or you can send it to Connections (but there will be a fee for holding it).

You will have to bring perishables with you. We do this every year, and found it to be worth it when it was just two of us and especially worth it now that there are four of us. We live in a fairly low cost of living area, so groceries at home are significantly less expensive than they are on island. We are very budget conscious (we literally track and categorize every penny we spend) all year round, which helps us to be able to afford STJ every year; if I can save money by bringing groceries, that's money we can use to go out to dinner on STJ (which we love to do!).

We bring meat for dinners, lunch meat for beach lunches, and all the little things that add up big time...butter, cheese, peanut butter, fresh fruits and veggies, etc.

We have a 48 can Polar Bear cooler and that thing is built like a tank. We've been checking it for years and it still looks brand new (meanwhile multiple suitcases have bit the dust in that time frame). And the added bonus is that we fill it up with bottles of rum for the trip home.
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jimg20
Posts: 1840
Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 11:43 am
Location: Fayetteville, AR

Re: Food

Post by jimg20 »

I agree with Pulley, Ron and Theresa_Rea. Although I like the idea of supporting STJ businesses, the quality and price of the meat have concerned me. We travel 12 to 14 hours from our kitchen to the villa. Our Polar Bear cooler and tech-nee ice do the job. We freeze the meat a week before we go. We then load the meat and "ice" a day or two before departure. Everything goes back into the freezer and we dial it down to its lowest temperature. Because we can't stack the cooler by the front door with everything else and I am not too smart, I tape a note to the inside of the front door to remind my self "DON'T FORGET THE MEAT."

When we arrive, the meat is still frozen solid. The only exception is the bacon. I told my butcher that and he smiled. He said there is too much salt in it to keep it frozen. But it was still ice cold. That's OK because it generally goes into the fridge for the next morning's breakfast.

We also use the cooler & "ice" during the week and then load the padded, empty cooler to mule our bottles back home. If you pay a dollar or two extra and buy your rum in the departure lounge, you can carry it on the plane and limit the risk of theft or broken bottles.

It's your vacation. Spend it how you like.
Man it's like some dream we live down here....

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msfcambridge
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 7:14 am

Re: Food

Post by msfcambridge »

Sweet! Thanks for all the answers. Jimg20 I am sort of concerned with the quality of meats as well. We can support the local economy in other ways. I didn't realize the airlines let you check in food frozen or otherwise. So its checked like a regular bag?
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Ron in South Texas
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Location: Skidmore, Texas

Re: Food

Post by Ron in South Texas »

Dang...forgot about the techni-ice...very important...I put one sheet on the bottom, one in the middle, and one on top. I put my cooler in and old suitcase to check it. It just adds an extra level of safety and any unscrupulous airport baggage handlers don't know there's food in there. I cook some things at home and freeze it... burgers, steaks, and roast, I cook...sausage, bacon, lunchmeat, cheese...etc...I just freeze in the package...
It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!
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liamsaunt
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Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:08 pm

Re: Food

Post by liamsaunt »

Whether or not you will find the meats available for purchase in the market acceptable will depend on what type of food you buy for yourself at home. If you are like most people and buy "regular" grocery store types of meats such as Perdue chicken, select grade cuts of steak etc., those are available and you will be fine. If you prefer organic, grass fed, prime, etc. you will need to bring your own.

I bring a Polar Bear cooler with the types of meats that my group prefers to eat when we are dining at our villa. I vacuum seal everything and freeze it, and pack with techni ice. If you have ever read one of my trip reports, you know that the St. John restaurants and markets are still getting PLENTY of my money. Bring what you want and don't feel guilty about it. And yes, you can check your cooler just like a regular bag. If your cooler fits carry on regulations and everything is completely frozen solid, you can even bring it on board, but it's less hassle to check it.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Ron in South Texas
Posts: 249
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:15 pm
Location: Skidmore, Texas

Re: Food

Post by Ron in South Texas »

We leave plenty of money on St John/St Thomas, too. The Lovely Wife's prefers spending money on pretty rocks to wear on her fingers, wrists, and around her neck, not on food...lol
It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!
dctac
Posts: 200
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 11:03 am
Location: Tip of SJ

Re: Food

Post by dctac »

I only pack down racks of lamb, good burgers, beef tenderloins, the rest is there in good enough quality. I agree with rick that most foods are there ad not worth the hassle. But the frozen burgers and beef choices kinda suck down there BYO... And lollipop lamb chops on the grill are the ultimate Vaca food... I have a real soft cooler I pack into my checked bag with all my snorkle gear etc normaly around 15 or 20lb just freeze and it's still frozen no ice at all
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