beef stew attempt failed

[Grinder]

My kingpin recipe was not good.

I bought dehydrated veggies from harmony house. I mixed lots of them together (carrots, green beans, onions, potatoes from (scalloped mix), leeks, corn etc. and dehydrated beef with a gravy mix.

I meant to presoak the mix for a morning, but forgot to.

The corn never rehydrated. As usual, the gravy/ sauce never thickened.

I wound up with vegetable soup al dente.

Healthy but not real tasty.

I really need to find a way to get sauces to thicken. Apparently I need to work on the simmer stove in some form.

Just reprting back for your edification.

Grinder
The pioneers sometimes get killed by the indians

[Ranc0r]

Corn starch will thicken your gravy, and it makes a dandy foot powder too, I hear. Multi-use.

[Farr Away]

Some mashed potato flakes will thicken it up too.

[fehchet]

Yes, use corn starch. Probably a Tablespoon at a time. Either sprinkle and stir or mix with water and add and stir.
Soaking everything for a few hours too helps; but you know that.
You won't need much corn starch so a little at a time is the rule; unless you want to spread your stew on bread.
Good luck.
Yes, and Harmony House is a good source.

[mister krabs]

most thickeners like cornstarch require a couple of minutes of at least simmering if not boiling to activate their protein chains and thicken. More for flour, less for cornstarch and arrowroot

Try using instant mashed potatos. It tastes better than cornstarch in stew and doesn't make everything look shiny like it came from a chinese restaurant.

[budforester]

Starches have characteristic gel temperatures: takes a certain amount of cooking time and temp to "set" the gravy. Some starches can be cooked and dehydrated (pre- gelled) like instant rice, for example. I haven't had good luck with raw flour and cornstarch in my freezer- bag mixes.

[sarbar]

Dehydrated corn and green beans are notorious for taking forever to rehydrate. That is why I use freeze dried for them and also green peas. Otherwise they have to be pre-soaked to work well.

Mashed potatoes is my thickener choice even at home for stuff. Tastes good and has nutritional value as well!

[skinewmexico]

If you use cooked and frozen corn and green beans, and then dehydrate them, do you still have the same problem with rehydration?

[borntobeoutdoors]

Arrowroot is the best of the thickeners unless you are doing Cajun in which case it's filet powder which is made from sassafras root. I prefer the real thing, I make up roux using equal parts of butter and flour, cooking until it has a fine nutty color. Then I use a small melon scoop and wrap the rioux in waxed paper and freeze. Whenever I want to thicken something I just grab a roux ball from the freezer and drop it in the pot. You do need to bring it to a boil and then lower the temp just a bit and stir, preferrably with a whisk until it thickens.

I would also suggest that you use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of dehydrated, it makes a better meal.

If you grate or mince the vegetables they will rehydrate much faster and better. the trick it is to dice the ingredients small enough to rehydrate well but large enough to have some consistancy.

Hawk

[sarbar]

If you use cooked and frozen corn and green beans, and then dehydrate them, do you still have the same problem with rehydration?
Yes and no. Dice the veggies up before drying and they work quite well. Large pieces though will be tougher to rehydrate. Green beans are a pain when full size.