View Full Version : Adding Butter Taste to Dehydrated Food?
Dehydrated food has almost all oil and fats removed to preserve shelf life, and for this reason I add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil after rehydrating it. But I miss the taste of butter. Does anyone recommend a butter additive? I have tried the following without much success: ghee (Indian clarified butter) but it tastes "waxy," Packit Gourmet butter powder (rather tasteless); shelf stable margarine (can't find it in NY City grocery stores; Butter Buds ? ghwwgggghhhh
max patch
09-01-2013, 17:46
Back in the day almost everybody carried Sqeeze Parkay and put a shot in our pasta/rice dishes. Don't know if it still made or not. Supposed to be refrigerated but that didn't stop anyone. Didn't hurt me any. Olive oil is the oil of choice for most now.
I've used Butter Buds ! They're not bad. I put them in almost everything! :)
Tuckahoe
09-01-2013, 17:50
With clarified butter for example you're removing the milk solids and water. All of those along with the butter fat give butter its rich full taste. What you are missing is the full taste of real butter, and substitutes are probably going to fall flat for you. Your best solution might be to carry a light weight sealable container to keep butter in. It'll be safe.
One of the things that I have learned over the last year is to appreciate flavors that are there without adding a lot of stuff. It took me a little time to appreciate that.
Edit to add -- traditionally European militaries provided butter dishes to soldiers. Germany provided a dish usually about 4in by 1in that was plastic lined and rubber sealed. There are pretty easy to come by.
VERY SIMPLY - BUTTER BUDS. Found in many large grocery stores usually in the spice aisle. Dried butter.
NOT the same ingredients as Molly Mcbutter! GET BUTTER BUDS.
Only down side to BUTTER BUDS that I've found is that it doesn't last for more than a few months when added into prepackaged meals(dinners like dehydrated mashed potatoes, oatmeal, amaranth, millet, etc) when used out of the shaker size bottles. You can also reconstitute it into a thick liquid for apps on bread, etc
Back in the day almost everybody carried Sqeeze Parkay and put a shot in our pasta/rice dishes. Don't know if it still made or not. Supposed to be refrigerated but that didn't stop anyone. Didn't hurt me any. Olive oil is the oil of choice for most now.
Don't do the Squeeze Parkay CRAP. It's not even butter! It's margarine. Another chemical disaster. The ingredients of Parkay Squeeze Spread include hydrogenated cottonseed oil, liquid soybean oil, salt and water. It also contains artificial flavoring, benzoate, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and soy lecithin. Besides it's heavy and potentially much messier than dried BUTTER.
Rain Man
09-01-2013, 18:39
Back in the day almost everybody carried Sqeeze Parkay and put a shot in our pasta/rice dishes. Don't know if it still made or not.
I carried Parkay on my last AT section hike a couple of weeks ago. I put a small (6 oz?) amount in a small Platypus bottle with a twist top. Added a lot of creamy full flavor to some bland food. It was good even to squirt on crackers for a trail snack.
I will also try Butter Buds, now that they are so highly recommended.
Rain:sunMan
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If it's not too hot, just bring a stick of butter!! Heavy, but worth every ounce for me. Instant stuffing mixed with 1/4 stick of butter........ DELICIOUS!!
Rocket Jones
09-01-2013, 19:41
+1 on real butter in a sealed container. Just got back from a three day trip and took along more fresh food than usual, including eggs and butter. Well worth it.
max patch
09-01-2013, 19:48
I tried real butter on my thru also. It got really greasy pretty fast to feel comfortable carrying it in a ziplock. Anyway, I've switched to olive oil.
EVOO is better for you too. Still have to approach it as fat though so moderation is the key with it.