Best Dehydrated Food Companies?

[Tipi Walter]

All these dehydrated and freeze dried meals have become very expensive.I wonder if it's not supply and demand driving it.There seems to be many web sites that have poped up over the years that are geared to Survival,end of days,or economic break down.Is this simply charge what the market will bear,or is this just inflation driving this?Are we entering into a time when it is common to have 200 gal. of water in the home and 600 MRE's,a bug out bag and ammo at the ready.......cause I didn't get the memo,and am deffinently not ready!What gives here?

I like everyone else has been thru the whole wad of dehydrated backpacking foods---MRE's, Mary Jane's Farm, Hawk Vittles, Pasta Cides (death by pasta?), Just Tomatoes, etc etc. Expensive, overly salty, questionable taste. Here's the solution, boys---GET A DEHYDRATOR and go to town. I'm currently in a drying frenzy and it will revolutionize my tremendous 20 day food loads. Here are some of my goodies:

** Apples, bananas, of course.
** Cauliflower. Yup, it works.
** Whole grapes into raisins. Takes a while.
** Home cooked brown rice.
** Tasty Bite pouch soups are dried and bagged. Excellent. Just add water and heat.
** All canned chilis and refried beans can be dried. Very excellent.
** Canned pears or peaches dry great.
** Canned green beans dry to almost nothing.
** Frozen squash or broccoli.
FUTURE PLANS
** Dried watermelon and cantaloupe.
** Everything that ain't bolted down and is edible.

There's no point in searching anymore folks.

[Rocket Jones]

I've experimented a little bit recently and found that mashed sweet potato, mixed with a bit of maple syrup and cinnamon dehydrates great!

+1 on the refried beans. I don't dehydrate rice (I just use instant), but pre-cooking elbow macaroni and then dehydrating that works well.

For the sweet tooth, try dehydrating slices of angel food cake. Last trip out, I carried a container full of cake and frozen sliced strawberries. By dinner time the strawberries had defrosted and all that juice soaked into the cake. You can also drop pieces of cake into instant pudding.

[Tipi Walter]

Is it possible to dry ice cream and form a sort of cream leather??

[rocketsocks]

I like everyone else has been thru the whole wad of dehydrated backpacking foods---MRE's, Mary Jane's Farm, Hawk Vittles, Pasta Cides (death by pasta?), Just Tomatoes, etc etc. Expensive, overly salty, questionable taste. Here's the solution, boys---GET A DEHYDRATOR and go to town. I'm currently in a drying frenzy and it will revolutionize my tremendous 20 day food loads. Here are some of my goodies:

** Apples, bananas, of course.
** Cauliflower. Yup, it works.
** Whole grapes into raisins. Takes a while.
** Home cooked brown rice.
** Tasty Bite pouch soups are dried and bagged. Excellent. Just add water and heat.
** All canned chilis and refried beans can be dried. Very excellent.
** Canned pears or peaches dry great.
** Canned green beans dry to almost nothing.
** Frozen squash or broccoli.
FUTURE PLANS
** Dried watermelon and cantaloupe.
** Everything that ain't bolted down and is edible.

There's no point in searching anymore folks.

Walter do you then vacuum seal it?and if so,how long would you think doing so,would keep it from spoilage?in general on this,if at all.

[flemdawg1]

Is it possible to dry ice cream and form a sort of cream leather??

Yep, but getting the dehydrator in the freezer is a PITA.

[Tipi Walter]

Walter do you then vacuum seal it?and if so,how long would you think doing so,would keep it from spoilage?in general on this,if at all.

I've eyeballed the Food Saver thingies but they seem to be expensive and anyway, my dried stuff is done in batches before a trip and lasts only the length of a trip. At home I start up another batch. So, shelf life isn't all that important. It's all about a reduction in carried food weight.

[pyroman53]

Dang Tipi! Pretty soon you'll only have to go home every few MONTHS!! I can't wait for those journals.

[rocketsocks]

I've eyeballed the Food Saver things but they seem to be expensive and anyway, my dried stuff is done in batches before a trip and lasts only the length of a trip. At home I start up another batch. So, shelf life isn't all that important. It's all about a reduction in carried food weight.

We have one,but I have not really experimented with it yet,and I have a dehydrator too,but there again something I've not done in earnest just yet,made some jerky,bananas chips,never tried beans though.I will certainly try those thanks.

[Tipi Walter]

Dang Tipi! Pretty soon you'll only have to go home every few MONTHS!! I can't wait for those journals.

Why I waited this long to start drying in earnest is anybody's guess. Probably when a little lightbulb went off in my head to dry canned beans and chilis and soups. On my last Mt Rogers trip I added up the Tasty Bite pouch soups and McDougall's black bean boxed soups and came up with 10 lbs of just these soups. Too much. Time to dry.

[WIAPilot]

Why I waited this long to start drying in earnest is anybody's guess. Probably when a little lightbulb went off in my head to dry canned beans and chilis and soups. On my last Mt Rogers trip I added up the Tasty Bite pouch soups and McDougall's black bean boxed soups and came up with 10 lbs of just these soups. Too much. Time to dry.

LOL Tipi, you rock and we can't wait for your cookbook!! Maybe "Tipi: All Dried Up! "

[Tipi Walter]

LOL Tipi, you rock and we can't wait for your cookbook!! Maybe "Tipi: All Dried Up! "

My memoirs: A Desiccated Life.

[Wise Old Owl]

All these dehydrated and freeze dried meals have become very expensive.I wonder if it's not supply and demand driving it.There seems to be many web sites that have poped up over the years that are geared to Survival,end of days,or economic break down.Is this simply charge what the market will bear,or is this just inflation driving this?Are we entering into a time when it is common to have 200 gal. of water in the home and 600 MRE's,a bug out bag and ammo at the ready.......cause I didn't get the memo,and am deffinently not ready!What gives here?

Good Question.... Afghanistan, Iraq, and military demand drove it up because MH ran very short at one point a few years back, if I remember they had to build additional facilities. Survivalists and Preppers are hording huge quantities... and to top it off food is not considered an inflation related issue... but the devaluation of the American Dollar brought this together. S

Sports Authority and other OTC camping sport places have regular sales to move the stuff, if it sits on the shelf too long... not at hunting season though.

I keep a week of FD Dinners and I used to keep a month of canned and dried food down in the basement. You would laugh at the 10 5 gallon distilled water backup - that's been dumped and rotated.

[Wise Old Owl]

I've experimented a little bit recently and found that mashed sweet potato, mixed with a bit of maple syrup and cinnamon dehydrates great! Very Cool

+1 on the refried beans. I don't dehydrate rice (I just use instant), but pre-cooking elbow macaroni and then dehydrating that works well. There is 3 minute Mac now available in bulk San Grieo Quick Cook

quick-cook-pasta-coupon.gif

For the sweet tooth, try dehydrating slices of angel food cake. Last trip out, I carried a container full of cake and frozen sliced strawberries. By dinner time the strawberries had defrosted and all that juice soaked into the cake. You can also drop pieces of cake into instant pudding.

Wow..............................!

[rocketsocks]

Good Question.... Afghanistan, Iraq, and military demand drove it up because MH ran very short at one point a few years back, if I remember they had to build additional facilities. Survivalists and Preppers are hording huge quantities... and to top it off food is not considered an inflation related issue... but the devaluation of the American Dollar brought this together. S

Sports Authority and other OTC camping sport places have regular sales to move the stuff, if it sits on the shelf too long... not at hunting season though.

I keep a week of FD Dinners and I used to keep a month of canned and dried food down in the basement. You would laugh at the 10 5 gallon distilled water backup - that's been dumped and rotated.

Thanks Woo,crazy how food prices in general have soared.The last time I bought a MT.House meal it was chili mac I believe and probably cost about $3.99,yes this was some time ago.Having some water on hand is certainly a good idea.Last year when the hurricane Irene came through we still had water but only until the municipal generators ran to pump it out of the ground,some folks have towers,so they would have water until the tank was empty,and those with well water,well theres that power thing again.Ammunition;The price slowly increased starting in the south and finally spiking here in the north,and almost over night the prices got higher each day,and eventually leveled off at about 1 1/2 times the norm.I guess War does in fact cost in so many ways.

[Wise Old Owl]

www.harmonyhousefoods.com

http://hawkvittles.com/order.html

http://www.backpackerspantry.com/inv...ckers%20Pantry

http://www.packitgourmet.com/

http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/store/c/40-Meals.aspx

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
http://outdoorherbivore.com/


http://www.richmoor.com/


http://wisefoodstorage.com/outdoor-food-kits.html


http://hungryhammockhanger.com/


http://www.knorr.com/Products/Pasta-Sides.aspx


http://www.wildernessdining.com/dinner.html

[rocketsocks]

www.harmonyhousefoods.com

http://hawkvittles.com/order.html

http://www.backpackerspantry.com/inv...ckers%20Pantry

http://www.packitgourmet.com/

http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/store/c/40-Meals.aspx

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
http://outdoorherbivore.com/


http://www.richmoor.com/


http://wisefoodstorage.com/outdoor-food-kits.html


http://hungryhammockhanger.com/


http://www.knorr.com/Products/Pasta-Sides.aspx


http://www.wildernessdining.com/dinner.html

Thanks for posting all that Woo,It is likely this is just the way it will be,we have had it good for along time,just go to the store and buy whatever you want.Those prices are not that cheap IMO,and have heard some say,"You don't buy what you like or even what you need,you buy what you can afford"good thing I like oats,beans,rice.Maybe I start a garden.

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks for posting all that Woo,It is likely this is just the way it will be,we have had it good for along time,just go to the store and buy whatever you want.Those prices are not that cheap IMO,and have heard some say,"You don't buy what you like or even what you need,you buy what you can afford"good thing I like oats,beans,rice.Maybe I start a garden.

The ample large grocery store is still the best place for a backpacker to get food for a trip and gives us the opportunity to wander the aisles before our trek and let the variety and selection determine our choices. We have an Ingles store close by which has a wide variety of organic and vegetarian options (along with everything else---even has goat cheese), and so before a trip I go thru the store as an "operator" on a "mission". Keep moving. Get in and get out. Study everything intently for possible inclusion into my pack larder. Repackage later or dehydrate. Don't let emotion over-ride your reconnaissance---find what works and let the rest go. Keep moving and get the hell out. Avoid junk---pure sugar crap and hydrogenated Wax Foods.

[hikingshoes]

Got my free sample in this week and just ate today. I give it A+ ,not to salty like some ive had.

[hikerhobs]

packit-gourmet has really good foods the dottie's chicken and dumplings is my favorite !

[WIAPilot]

Here's a good thread on the best freeze-dried companies.