Anyone rehydrate lentils on trail?

[vaporjourney]

I've been trying to find inexpensive alternatives to the additive-heavy typical hiker meals like ramen noodles and pasta sides. I've thought about eating some lentils on the trail, but don't have any experience with rehydrating them beforehand, and then reducing cooking time to around 10 minutes on an alcohol stove. So, has anyone found a good way to to soak these while hiking to minimize cooking time? Perhaps some number like 4 hours of soaking in a set amount of water. Plus, lentils are CHEAP.

[icemanat95]

Buddy of mine did a long trek in Nepal a few years ago. He won't even look at lentils again. They make him ill just thinking about them.

[Doctari]

I did it one time. No pre soaking per se, but I cooked 1 cup lentils for about 30 minutes (Apex II gasoline stove) Unable to eat them, had granola bars for dinner that night. I added water in am, heated the lentils again, still crunchy (well at least REAL chewy) put the still warm, extra wet lentils back in the zip lock, AGAIN heated them the next evening, yummy, but it seems alot of work. I suspect that even after soaking nearly 24 hrs AND being heated 3 times the fuel used was enough to heat at least 4 meals. And judging from the previous times I used my stove, I am sure that I could have Easily fixed Mac n Cheese at least 5 times on the fuel I used. Admittedly, I found the lentils much tastier, but,,,,,,

As I said, I only did it one time, cant see me doing it again. YMMV.


Doctari.

[The Weasel]

Vapor, if you'd like a suggestion that is very additive free and tasty, look into "Yellow Grits." These are NOT the "hominy" or "white grits" that many think of from the South (and NOT from "Quakers), but are a very small, nutty-flavored ground bit of corn that has not been treated other than to be ground. When cooked, it's sometimes known (at Italian restaturants) as "Polenta", and has a number of great advantages for backpacking:

- It is lighter to carry. Pasta and rice require 1 cup of water for 1 cup of pasta/rice, to make up 2 cups. Yellow grits require 1/2 cup of grits to 1 cup of water to make up 2 cups. The food value is the same.

- Yellow grits have a very very mild flavor, and when cooked make what is called (other than in Italian restaurants!) "corn meal mush", which has been a rural mainstay for hundreds of years. It is excellent for breakfast (maple sugar/syrup or sugar or jelly), it's good cold or hot, and it's good with any sauce (tomato, alfredo, whatever) or addition (cheese/cheese powder). When cool and firm, it can be sliced and fried, and then covered with sauces (this is the classic polenta style).

- It has a modest but appreciable amount of protein in it naturally.

It is usually found in the baking aisle of stores, and the most well known brand is "Bob's Red Barn" (which has a variety of other milled goods which are very good too). Very inexpensive.

The Weasel

[weary]

I've been trying to find inexpensive alternatives to the additive-heavy typical hiker meals like ramen noodles and pasta sides. I've thought about eating some lentils on the trail, but don't have any experience with rehydrating them beforehand, and then reducing cooking time to around 10 minutes on an alcohol stove. So, has anyone found a good way to to soak these while hiking to minimize cooking time? Perhaps some number like 4 hours of soaking in a set amount of water. Plus, lentils are CHEAP.
I cooked lentils, generic regular rice, corn meal, and even dried beans on the trail. The possibility of such nutritious, tasty and low cost foods is one of the main reasons why I use a Zip Stove while on long distance walks.

Weary

[Ratfunk]

Doc; Sounds like it's possible that you had bought some old lentils. Either that, or you salted the water while cooking them. I'm crazy for lentils on the trail. They are so easy to prepare just about any way you like (I like curry lentils with chopped celery onion and carrors).

1) Start lentils with COLD water. You want enough to cover by about one inch, not more.
2) SIMMER, do not BOIL or you will toughen the skins. Keep a lid on the poy. I wouldn't wast your time cooking them in a stove without the ability to simmer.
3) You can soak beforehand on the trail, let's say starting at lunchtime, or simmer 15 Min, and put in your cozie to complete cooking.
4) Buy GOOD QUALITY lentils. I find the organic french (tiny dark green) to be the best. They keep thier 'identity', and do not turn to a disgusting mush. The store brands (and Goya, Jack Rabit ect) are really not very good at all. Very inconsistant results.
5) Rinse the lentils beforehand. Believe me, it makes a difference.

It takes just a little more fuel than many of your 'just add boiling water' meals, but it's easy to justify the nutritional value of legumes. These little guys ar 25% protien, and loaded with fiber. Why not make a double batch and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day? You would hardly use more fuel that way.

Never tried to cook and dehydrate/rehydrate them. I'm sure it would work just as well as other legumes...anyone have experience with this?

[zelph]

Here is a source for freeze dried lentils.

FREEZE DRIED LENTILS (http://beprepared.com/search.asp?t=ss&ss=lentil)

MORE DEHYDRATED GOODIES FOR THE TRAIL (http://beprepared.com/category.asp?c=80)

[Jim Adams]

either start to soak them in a WIDE mouth pepsi / coke bottle in the A.M. to be cook ready at supper or cook them at home, dehydrate them and then the cook time on the trail is about 3-5 minutes.
geek

[Doctari]

Doc; Sounds like it's possible that you had bought some old lentils. Either that, or you salted the water while cooking them.

OH! :eek: :rolleyes:

Yes, I salted them, didn't know better.

Yes, they could very well have been old, in fact they could have been very old. Live & learn. :p

SO, I'll try again. Here all this time I thought it was the lentils, & it was me.

Thanks Ratfink!!!!



Doctari.

[Pong]

I haven't done straight lentils, but have had delish lentil soup on the trail. I dehydrated the soup (rather thick) at home, then just added boiling water at the campsite and presto, yummy soup. I would think you could cook up a bunch of lentils at home, dehydrate, then have them ready to add spices, etc. then some boiling water to rehydrate for a good and healthy dish. I very much recommend dehydrating prior to a trip. I even cook macaroni in advance, and dehydrate that (I know it sounds stupid!). It then really needs no cooking on the trail, only rehydrating and heating, often done well enough for my taste with the addition of boiling water and placing in a cozy for awhile. I don't like cooking on the trail, but like good, lightweight food so I cook at home, and rehydrate on the trail. Good luck with your meals and your hike! Pong

[sarbar]

I have had them in meals on the trail, but always in lentil dishes that I cooked at home and dried. They come back nicely in about 10 minutes with boiling water added :)

[Papa Razzi]

I've had pretty good luck with lentils. I like to mix them 50/50 with rice and add some spices, often curry powder or garam masala. I start soaking them when I get into camp, and start cooking them an hour or so later. They're ready to eat after ten minutes or so.

[Mammoth]

Hey everyone,

I made up a recipe today, it worked pretty well:

Lentil Soup

Half cup split red lentils (regular, not pre-dehydrated)
2 Tblsp. instant brown rice
Half Tblsp. sliced dried carrots
1 tsp. sliced dried celery
Dash: salt, pepper, chili powder, ground cumin

Mix and shake together the above ingredients in a plastic bag or empty peanut butter jar. Stir mixture into 2 cups fresh, cool water in a pot. Heat over alc. stove until boiling (I used a cat stove with 1 oz. fuel until it burned out). Then continue simmering for about 10 minutes. I used 1 oz. fuel in the stove with a "simmer ring." Let the pot hang out in a cozy for a while, maybe 5 minutes, and the food is perfectly edible.

Result: Red lentils cook well if you give them a little time. Two ounces of fuel isn't too bad for a healthy meal. It's a nice change from the chemical taste of Ramen and mac-n-cheese, it's very fresh and light. All of the ingredients can be premixed and cooked at the same time.

Conditions: Very gusty windy and in the 60's.

Things I would change:

Less lentils and more rice. It got really filling really fast, so maybe a quarter cup lentils and 4 Tblsp. rice. Also, as you can see in the photo, it was very watery. This could be a good thing, but it needs more spices for the broth. The next time I try it, I'll use a half cube beef boullion, garlic powder, dried tomato, and dried onion, as well as the original spices. The lentils have a nice flavor on their own, but it's not enough to flavor the broth. Or, I might cut the water down to 1.25 cups and create more of a stew consistency.

A variation for two people: Keep the recipe the same (or add spices as desired) and load up the mix with mashed potato flakes until the water is absorbed. There will be plenty for two people, and the lentils and rice would give some good variation to the potato.

-Mammoth

[Photofanatic]

Soak any bean in twice as much water as beans. For 1 cup of beans then soak in 2 cups water. You might have to give up a water bottle for the day but if you are on a section where water is plentiful then you won't miss out on water.

Another great introduction to your trail diet is whole milk. Not many people notice it at Walmart but it is there. It is dehydrated whole milk with all the fat and calories. If rehydrated correctly I am not able to notice any difference in it and the liquid version from the refrigerated section. It is made my Nestle's named NIDO and usually found in the mexican food section. It was originally dehydrated for remote areas such as found in parts of mexico where refrigeration may be hard to find.

I took it with me on my hike in 2004 and could make real pudding, and have a pb&j with a tall glass of ice cold milk. It is easy to find ice cold water on the trail to add to the powder. Then have milk and cookies anytime you want it.

[ShakeyLeggs]

Another great introduction to your trail diet is whole milk. Not many people notice it at Walmart but it is there. It is dehydrated whole milk with all the fat and calories. If rehydrated correctly I am not able to notice any difference in it and the liquid version from the refrigerated section. It is made my Nestle's named NIDO and usually found in the mexican food section. It was originally dehydrated for remote areas such as found in parts of mexico where refrigeration may be hard to find.

I took it with me on my hike in 2004 and could make real pudding, and have a pb&j with a tall glass of ice cold milk. It is easy to find ice cold water on the trail to add to the powder. Then have milk and cookies anytime you want it.

I was in my local Wally World yesterday and I was looking for NIDO. I was told that Wally World is discontinuing carrying it. I was not happy to hear that as I really like to carry it with me into the mountains.

[rjridgely]

Vapor, if you'd like a suggestion that is very additive free and tasty, look into "Yellow Grits." These are NOT the "hominy" or "white grits" that many think of from the South (and NOT from "Quakers), but are a very small, nutty-flavored ground bit of corn that has not been treated other than to be ground. When cooked, it's sometimes known (at Italian restaturants) as "Polenta", and has a number of great advantages for backpacking:

- It is lighter to carry. Pasta and rice require 1 cup of water for 1 cup of pasta/rice, to make up 2 cups. Yellow grits require 1/2 cup of grits to 1 cup of water to make up 2 cups. The food value is the same.

- Yellow grits have a very very mild flavor, and when cooked make what is called (other than in Italian restaurants!) "corn meal mush", which has been a rural mainstay for hundreds of years. It is excellent for breakfast (maple sugar/syrup or sugar or jelly), it's good cold or hot, and it's good with any sauce (tomato, alfredo, whatever) or addition (cheese/cheese powder). When cool and firm, it can be sliced and fried, and then covered with sauces (this is the classic polenta style).

- It has a modest but appreciable amount of protein in it naturally.

It is usually found in the baking aisle of stores, and the most well known brand is "Bob's Red Barn" (which has a variety of other milled goods which are very good too). Very inexpensive.

The Weasel

and......if you cook them a little longer, until they pull away from the side of the pot while stiring....they can be fried into a nice corn-cake for a crispier and different texture.

[mweinstone]

i am right and all others are wrong. join me. lentles. hmm,...lets think. oh yeah,.......heres the trick. regular lentles in water in pot with lid on lowest flame. after boil, shut down main engines. wait five minutes, cook ten and wait 15 more. eat. total stove time on low, 15.nutrition acheved? ten billion kelvens of calories and all with no added ramen. garlic, butter and cheese. seeweed or dryed tomatoes or anything at all goes in. the trick is stop start cooking. never soak. soaking sucks. cook and eat dammit.

[LostInSpace]

ten billion kelvens of calories and all with no added ramen.

Can you convert that quantity to megatons, please? :-?

[Photofanatic]

I was in my local Wally World yesterday and I was looking for NIDO. I was told that Wally World is discontinuing carrying it. I was not happy to hear that as I really like to carry it with me into the mountains.

The local Walmart here is still selling it. I have noticed that one Walmart is not the same as the next. The one my sister goes to sells things my local store doesn't. I think it is a matter of local sales. If something doesn't sell very well in an area then they stop stocking it. We have a fairly large mexican community hear so they sell quite a bit of NIDO and the other mexican dehydrated milkshakes.
The strawberry shakes are great and much easier on the budget than the slim fast or other such diet supplies.
You do know that supplimenting your meals with one of the diet aids adds loads of calories and energy to boost. Read the back of the slim fast and such items, they are chock full of vitamins and calories. They are made to be consumed instead of a meal. So especially if you are already a slim person and are concerned about becoming skeletal on the trail try carrying the powdered form and drinking a shake along with eating your trail meal.

[Rhino-lfl]

...
These little guys ar 25% protien, and loaded with fiber. Why not make a double batch and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day? You would hardly use more fuel that way.



I don't believe they are a complete protein.

[Ratfunk]

I don't believe they are a complete protein.

Maybe not, but;

The plant originated in the Near East (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_East), and has been part of the human diet since the aceramic Neolithic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic), being one of the first crops domesticated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_founder_crops) in the Near East. With 25% protein it is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean), and because of this it is a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, and especially South Asia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia) which has a large vegetarian population.

'Funk