dehydrating polenta?

[nightshaded]

i tend to eat a LOT of corn mush when hiking, but i HATE cleaning the pot afterwards, so for my thruhike, i was wondering if dehydrating cooked polenta would work at all....i can't think of a reason why it wouldn't, but any insight would be appreciated.

bone lady

[Appalachian Tater]

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Polenta-1-1-Pound-igourmet-com/dp/B0000D9N1E

Dehydrated polenta is called "instant polenta" but I don't see how it would help keep your pot clean.

[weary]

i tend to eat a LOT of corn mush when hiking, but i HATE cleaning the pot afterwards, so for my thruhike, i was wondering if dehydrating cooked polenta would work at all....i can't think of a reason why it wouldn't, but any insight would be appreciated.

bone lady
I question the wisdom of adding water to a dry cereal and then evaporating the water back out. As my grandmother used to claim, "doing and undoing keeps fools employed."

Weary

[nightshaded]

thanks...
and it will help with clean up because i can rehydrate it in a freezerbag as opposed to having to actually cook it in the pot...or at least that's the theory!

[Appalachian Tater]

Have you tried grits and masa harina? They're all kissing cousins, although I find instant grits almost inedible. Maybe the instant polenta is better.

[sarbar]

Just buy instant grits by Quaker in the packets. They work perfectly in most cases and take to things like cheese, bacon and herbs added in. It is also the only true instant I can find. The so-called instant polenta they sell in boxes from Italy still needs actual cooking! I was peeved to have wasted $5 on a box to find that one out. To me instant means NO cooking....stupid Italian company :p

Anyhoo, try the Quaker one, it is pretty decent for trail use. Just be sure to get "plain".

[nightshaded]

i have a dehydrator, so i was actually intending on doing the dehydrating myself, since bulk cornmeal can be gotten for about .50 a pound.

[Tipi Walter]

I've taken out the polenta that's in those plastic tubes, sort of like sausage. It's heavy but I don't mind. With my non stick pan I can cut slices and fry it up in no time and like you said, it's a dang good food item.

[Blakery]

I question the wisdom of adding water to a dry cereal and then evaporating the water back out. As my grandmother used to claim, "doing and undoing keeps fools employed."

Weary

the reason is to do the actual cooking.

[budforester]

the reason is to do the actual cooking.

Correct. Raw cornmeal would not be readily digested... even if it were wet and hot. But it works OK to cook, dry, and re- hydrate.

[mister krabs]

I would think that you could do it. Try cooking the polenta firm like you would for a polenta cake, but with no butter or cheese. Once it cools and sets up, you could pulse it in a food processor to crumble it, then put it in the dehydrator. It might come out pretty good if you rehydrate and add shelf stable parm and some dried mushrooms with olive oil. Let us know how it works out!