Hydrating Store-Bought Dried Veggies

[Rocketman]

I would like to buy virtually all of my food along the trail, not sending mail drops of food.

I was looking for some Manischewitz dried vegetable mixes that were used 20 years ago, and could only find some vegetable soup mixes from Manischewitz. These contained green peas, barley, yellow peas, lima beans and egg noodles.

The kitchen soup cooking instructions call for simmering for two (2) hours.

I soaked some of the mixture in water overnight in a small Rubbermaid sealed dontainer, and the peas and beans had been softened up to have the approximate taste and texture of fresh uncooked peas and beans. Soaked up a lot of water in the process.

One plan is to just consider eating them as raw veggies. Another plan is to try to cook them by the freezer bag and cozy method. The third plan is to just forget about this as a food source.

Has anyone had experience with this approach?

At one time, there was a vegetable mix with corn, carrots, onions and I have forgotten what else, but the 4 or 6 oz. package stated that it was made from a pound or two of fresh vegetables. It was common in the grocery stores quite some time ago. I used it as part of my "emergency" food for extended overstay.

[ShakeyLeggs]

I havent really looked for these so don't have much info to add. But for rehydrating you could rehydrate in a nalgene over night or durring the day.

[Appalachian Tater]

Don't eat raw beans. Please.

[ShakeyLeggs]

Don't eat raw beans. Please.

Beans Beans
The magical fruit
The more you eat
The more you toot
The more you toot
The better you feel
So eat those beans for every meal

[fiddlehead]

i have found that it's best to dehyrate your own and don't dry them very hard. It depends on when you are going to use them and how much shelf life you require of course. But, if you only dry them a little, they taste much better and are so easy to rehyrate. this is true for: apples, peaches, blueberries, brocolli, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and yes even hamburger.
I don't think you would go back to eating those ones you buy that are as hard as a rock and tasteless after eating some half to 3/4 dried stuff you do yourself. Another important thing to remember is to dry food that tastes like food, not the tomatoes you buy in the big supermarkets that look like tomatoes but have no taste. Peaches are awesome when you can get the ones that just fell off the tree.

[Rocketman]

i have found that it's best to dehyrate your own and don't dry them very hard. It depends on when you are going to use them and how much shelf life you require of course. But, if you only dry them a little, they taste much better and are so easy to rehyrate. this is true for: apples, peaches, blueberries, brocolli, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and yes even hamburger.
I don't think you would go back to eating those ones you buy that are as hard as a rock and tasteless after eating some half to 3/4 dried stuff you do yourself.

I dehydrate my own hamburger, pasta dishes, veggie dishes and some snacks for bicycle camping trips of up to 10 days. I've enjoyed this food for the last two summers. So, I agree that the stuff tastes good.

For long backpacking such as the AT, I really want to avoid the mail drops of food, which is why I asked about these alternatives that might be store-bought.

It is unlikely that the improved taste would cause me to go to the trouble of food mail drops.