Home dehydrated meals are great!

[blgoode]

I posted this in the wrong forum first time. Found the correct location!!!



[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]I am sold on home dehydrated meals. This showing good old turkey dumplings. It held 90% of the original flavor. Stock wasn't as thick but man it was good. I have chili for 3 meals and will be doing this permanent! [/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]It will work for any non dairy one pot type meal. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)][/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)][/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]

my plan is to dehydrate a meal about every 3rd week and I shouod have plenty. [/COLOR]

[Wise Old Owl]

nice - looks wonderful

[blgoode]

I was amazed at how easy and the results I had! No need to ever purchase one again.

[sarbar]

Loved when you posted it on Twitter

[blgoode]

This is really addictive. Now that my food options are wide and cook time is reduced I can go lighter weight and eat better at the same time!!

[kf1wv]

Hello, new convert. Welcome to the club!

[Demeter]

Drinking the Kool Aid, one backpacker at a time!

Once you get bit with the dehydrating bug, you may find yourself going a little crazy with dehydrating everything in sight!

[Tipi Walter]

I've been home dehydrating seriously for the last several years and everything gets old if you're out long enough. I just got back from a 22 day January trip and was sick of everything home-dried I brought and ready for an omelet with cheese and fresh fruit with yogurt and a grilled cheese sandwich.

But of course home drying is where it's at since it's all so very much lighter than hauling anything else. All in all I'd have to say the secret to home drying meals for backpacking is finding those meals which when reconstituted in the field are your favorite and then dry a bunch of them. Don't dry a bunch of so-so meals and put them in ziplocks and think you're set.

[ajm]

I want to start dehydrating and using the FBC method. I use a Back Country Boiler as a stove so I don't have a simmering option since it just boils water.

I am a little confused about rehydration times using FBC with a cozy. Is there a rule of thumb? or are dehydrated meals better suited to a one pot cooking system as opposed to FBC?

[Rocket Jones]

How much time in the cozy depends on the food rehydrating. Some things do better with a pre-soak too. The best way to get experience is to practice at home.

[ajm]

How much time in the cozy depends on the food rehydrating. Some things do better with a pre-soak too. The best way to get experience is to practice at home.

Thanks Rocket. Quick question:

So a pre-soak in cold water while waiting for the stove to boil?

[Tipi Walter]

This is really addictive. Now that my food options are wide and cook time is reduced I can go lighter weight and eat better at the same time!!

Hello, new convert. Welcome to the club!

Thanks Rocket. Quick question:

So a pre-soak in cold water while waiting for the stove to boil?

I have found pre-soaking causes the pot to burn more readily. In other words, when you pour cold water over your dehydrated stuff and let it sit, AND THEN put it on the stove to boil, the food has absorbed too much water and the food tends to burn since it fills up too much of the pot, esp on the bottom, even when stirred.

The best plan for me is to put my dried ingredients in the pot, add water, immediately fire up the stove and bring pot to a quick boil---no cooking needed (and stir often)---and shut off the stove. Put lid on pot and place pot in pot cozy for 30 minutes (or whatever). Use your watch as a timer.

[Rocket Jones]

For me, some things like dried corn never seem to rehydrate beyond little rocks without a good hour of soaking in cold water. Then I pour off the water (or drink it) before adding the near-boiling water to the FBC bag. Like Tipi Walter says, it's not nearly as necessary if "cooking" like he describes. I do both, depending on the trip, but lately have been doing more in-the-pot cooking.

[Tipi Walter]

For me, some things like dried corn never seem to rehydrate beyond little rocks without a good hour of soaking in cold water. Then I pour off the water (or drink it) before adding the near-boiling water to the FBC bag. Like Tipi Walter says, it's not nearly as necessary if "cooking" like he describes. I do both, depending on the trip, but lately have been doing more in-the-pot cooking.

There are many cooked whole grains and beans which when dried become little hard rocks impossible to quickly boil and hydrate in the field, but here's the solution---

Get your cooked corn or pot of cooked brown rice or pot of cooked beans and put them in a blender and add water until the blender doesn't bind up and completely liquifies the food. Don't add too much water, just enough to keep the blender blades working easily.

THEN pour this onto your dehydrator trays. I just did 4 cans of great northern beans. Once dry ziploc the stuff and it easily and quickly hydrates in the field.

Organic brown rice is one of my favorite foods and so I always cook up a couple big pots and blend in water and dry as mentioned. Or you can make sweet rice and blend it up with whole milk and ample honey for a creamy cream of rice meal---hearty---add butter or whatever else.


Here's an example of blended brown rice with milk and placed (carefully) on one of my five silicone sheet/trays, ready for drying.



It basically become this---easy to break up and ziploc.

[nickoli]

you have no problems dehydrating milk at home? I shy away from anything with fat in it usually, especially milk. Enlighten me!

[Deacon]

you have no problems dehydrating milk at home? I shy away from anything with fat in it usually, especially milk. Enlighten me!

Why not just buy Nido powdered whole milk. It's available on Amazon.

[nickoli]

I usually just go without dairy except for on resupply days i'll buy some cheese, but powdered milk works well. I don't really like to buy a lot of things that I can make myself, so I was just wondering about dehydrating your own food, and specifically the cream/milk based items in those foods. I usually make my recipes fat free and just add butter/oil on trail.

[Hikes in Rain]

If you don't intend to keep them long, they work fine. Most of the meals I dehydrate are made for my section hikes, so even if there's a little fat (usually in the form of cheese), they're eaten in a month or two. They won't go rancid in that short a time.

[nickoli]

If you don't intend to keep them long, they work fine. Most of the meals I dehydrate are made for my section hikes, so even if there's a little fat (usually in the form of cheese), they're eaten in a month or two. They won't go rancid in that short a time.

good to know. so you've been safe eating home dehydrated cheese/dairy up to two months after? that should be perfect if so, I'm just always so nervous to get sick.

[Hikes in Rain]

Yes. It usually takes me that long to generate enough leftovers to get just a short hikes worth of meals. I should mention I do keep them in the fridge just to be sure. But easily a couple of months.