Dehydrater
Just got my dehydrater today can't wait to try it out. I have been wanting to make my own style of liptons. Homemade is always better!!!! So any suggesttions to try?
Try every last thing that you like to eat. Most hikers I've camped out with, eat the same crap every day. It's no wonder they have to flee to town at every road crossing. You no longer have to, you can eat like a king. Congratulations.Originally Posted by krazychefkurt
I've had good luck with jerky. I have a turkey dinner and take left over breast meat (dark does not do well - too much fat), cut it into strips, marinate it in a slightly watered down LaCHoy Sweet & Sour sauce, and dry it for a day or so. Also beef jerky (flank steak - very lean) with teriyaki sauce.
My best fruit is pineapple slices (in own juice). Don't overdry - should be bendable. Much better than commercial as commercial dry pineapple always ahs a ton of sugar. I save the elftover juice from the cans. I core apples, cut rings (thick about one quarter inch) with the skin s, dip them in the juice, and dry them (skin on) very dry so they are crunchy. I did grapes once. I had to dry them almost a week. Although they were better than SunMaid, they weren't worth the hassle of all the turning.
I store dehydrated stuff in freezer in frezer bags, and take out when needed. They keep well.
Frosty
turning fruit
Hey, Frosty--do you turn all your fruits throughout the drying process? I only do that with my jerky--should I turn my apples, kiwi(THE BEST!), bananas? Thanks.
Kyle
One suggestion before you use it is if it doen't have a temperature setting, and you can, take it back and get one that does. Mine doesn't and some things I can't make because it is just a little too warm. Dried fruit doesn't work well for me.
I like to dry cabbage, carrots, leeks, and bok choy and throw them into Ramens. Veggies can be dried separately and mixed and matched later. Some veggies need to be blanched first, green beans come to mind.
Jerkies are great because a straight shot of protein is a good fix for snack breaks. It's easy to overload on sugary snacks, especially when you get tired of the nuts. Like Blue Jay said, many of the foods you eat at home can be dehydrated. Small uniform pieces are the key to quick drying and easy rehydration. Also, it helps to cook down any sauces to a real thick consistency.
My suggestion is to make a lot of stew. Boil potatos, add canned tomatoes, veggies, spices, meat if desired, and a hearty grain (rice, quinoia), and beans or lentils. It dehydrates and rehydrates well, and you can make extremely large amounts at once.
Another great turkey method is to coat in maple syrup - the real stuff! I am from new england. coat it twice once as you put it in the dehydrator and 1/2 way through. it also helps preserve it.
another one I am doing is turkey chilli and tomato sauces - I like the turkey because its fat content is much lower than beef - the more fat the more likley for spoilage.
Dry your veggies seasoned - example - dried tomatoes with crushed garlic salt pepper and fresh basil
Blister "Bitchen" Sister
Be careful with beans in the dehydrator because they do not rehydrate well. I learned that lesson the hard way in my last batch of chili through eating hard beans. I ended up having to cook my rehydrated chili next to a fire for an hour for the beans to absorb an acceptable amount of moisture.
Dehydrated food
A good book is "Backpack Gourmet" by Linda Frederick Yaffe. I/my wife dehydrated a lot of fruit and pasta dishes. Also one of those vacuum sealing machines is good.. Made a bunch in advance and froze it.
Homemade spaghetti is one of my stand-bys. Have it for supper at home one night; When you're done eating, fix another plate like you just ate and put it in your dehydrator( it helps to break the spaghetti noodles into @ 2" pieces before cooking ). Package in a quart ziplock and store in the freezer.Good stuff.
Skids
Insanity: Asking about inseams over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, (attributed)
Beans do their best if you mash or puree them before drying, from my experiences.
One of the easiest, quickest rehydrating, nutritious and tasty meals to take is lentils. Sarbar - I believe a while ago I sent you my notion of initially cooking the lentils in pot roast stock. Don't know if you've tried this yet but it produces the most marvellously seasoned lentils. It's become one of my staples and I always have a couple of thiese meals ready to go.
cheers,
PKH
Youth is wasted on the young.
I dehydrate hummus. It will be easy to eat for lunch on the trail. I just carry a small 1 cup container, add water and in 1/2 hour it's good to go. A great source of protein, fat and carbs.
I also really love to dehydrate applesauce. It makes great fruit leathers and you can just add water and it turns back into applesauce in 1/2 hour.
wow ... the seasoned veggies sound great ! but the turkey you are refering to. is this left over, fully cooked turkey ?
"In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I like to saute some onions, garlic, and jalapenos, then add some ground beef(lean). cook then drain the grease off, add a can of tomato paste then the meat back to the pan cook down for a little while then dry it out. Great rehydrated as sloppy joes or add to ramen with some veggies. works great.
i think i am going to try and dehydrate a can of beef stew this weekend. what do you guys rehydrate in ? i tried a zip-lock srew top container this past trip and it worked well but it leaks if turned upside down. what i really want is a 1 liter wide mouth nalgene cut in half, if you follow me. the .5 liter nalgenes do not have the same diameter as the 1 liters. they are definitely leak proof and you could eat right out of such a bottle.
"In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yep, and they are dang good!!
Some REI's carry Lexan jars by Nalgene in vivid colors with white lids-that are scew on's. Might check that out at least-or go to the Nalgene website, they used to sell on it, a couple years ago at least!
Me? I just use freezer bags...works good enough-and if you are in camp, no spillage issues
i have looked as those and they claim to be for dry storage only. i expect them to work about as well as the zip-lock screw type. they also seem a little more fragile. what i am going for, is to rehydrate my dinner while i hike, in a container, stuffed in my pack. then i just have to warm it when i reach that nights destination. some meals rehydrate quickly, others (like beans) take some time.Some REI's carry Lexan jars by Nalgene in vivid colors with white lids-that are scew on's. Might check that out at least-or go to the Nalgene website, they used to sell on it, a couple years ago at least!
Me? I just use freezer bags...works good enough-and if you are in camp, no spillage issues
"In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you can bear the weight, REI has a 4 cup measuring cup with handle and screw lid. It even has a hole in the handle for adding your own cord for hanging. Doesn't leak. You know, I've got one I'll sell if anyone is interested. $6 with shipping.
Turtle2
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