Dehydrating Your Own Backcountry Meals

[Fl0und3rz]

This and other posts got me thinking.

  I like  those little cans of Venna sausage, and a can of spam tastes pretty good when you been living on dehydrated meals for a week or two, but mostly I make all my meals my self with fresh ingredients, invest in a good commercial dehydrator and your meals will be as good as home cooked, seal up a complete dinner for 4 that weighs a pound, 99% of what you eat for dinner at home can be dehydrated and packaged up for back packing or hunting trips, plus it cost almost nothing except your time.

I have been intrigued by this for some time, but never really tried it.  I'd certainly rather have my own cooking than prepacked, but don't know where to begin.  I'd especially like to have my own soups and stews. 

So offer up your expertise.  Equipment? Methods? Dehydrate ingredients and then combine to make a meal or dehydrate already prepared meals?


Thanks.

[syoungs]

I don't have a lot to add, but searching survivalist sites will yield a wealth of knowledge on dehydrated meals, they got it figured out to a science lol

[mossy8352]

Take a look at this site for some ideas and recipes. I have tried some of his combinations including sauerkraut with success.

http://www.backpackingchef.com/

[Fl0und3rz]

Thanks, Syoungs.  There are sites other than hunt-wa?  How do you get off hunt-wa?  No joke on you.


My biggest problem to date with dehydrating is say, with a veggie mix, the mix not rehydrating in a reasonable amount of time, or say, the different veggies dehydrating at different rates.  (So the green beans were overhydrated, and the carrots were underhydrated.)  I think it pays to dehydrate them separately, then make the recipe.

But then there's proper rehydration technique.

When I tried using them in a soup at home, the green beans and celery were pathetic analogs of what they once were. 

[mossy8352]

Thanks, Syoungs.  There are sites other than hunt-wa?  How do you get off hunt-wa?  No joke on you.


My biggest problem to date has been with dehydrating is say, with a veggie mix, the mix not rehydrating in a reasonable amount of time, or say, the different veggies dehydrating at different rates.  (So the green beans were overhydrated, and the carrots were underhydrated.)  I think it pays to dehydrate them separately, then make the recipe.

But then there's proper rehydration technique.

When I tried using them in a soup at home, the green beans and celery were pathetic analogs of what they once were.

I do two things one for individual cooking, carrots potatoes green beans I dehydrate separately and uncooked and then for a soup mix of vegetables I buy the large frozen mixed vegetables trying to find them without lima beans and microwave cook them (no sauce) before dehydrating them. The soup mix rehydrates faster and with everything pre cooked it works for me. The lima beans take a long time to rehydrate before the are ready to eat so it is best to leave them out of any mix. I also store all of my dehydrated items in quart jars vacuum sealed so I can use what I want and also so I can see when I need to dehydrate any item as it is getting low.

[dmv9]

I've done spaghetti with great results! Get a Nesco dehydrator (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090WOCN0?keywords=dehydrator&qid=1454355266&ref_=sr_1_1&s=instant-video&sr=8-1).

Just make your sauce and mix in the cooked spaghetti, then spoon it into the Nesco and let it whirl overnight and it's much better for you than anything you can buy.

And you can control the salt!!!!

[Karl Blanchard]

Tagging

[whacker1]

tag

[NRA4LIFE]

I have made dehydrated meals out of almost everything.  Chili works great, stews and soups also.  The key is to have zero fat from meat in anything dehydrated.  Very lean venison and trimmed up chicken breasts work very well in anything.  I weigh each portion before and after dehydrating to know how much water to add back in when reconstituting.

[whacker1]

I have made dehydrated meals out of almost everything.  Chili works great, stews and soups also.  The key is to have zero fat from meat in anything dehydrated.  Very lean venison and trimmed up chicken breasts work very well in anything.  I weigh each portion before and after dehydrating to know how much water to add back in when reconstituting.

Is there a formula you would like to share for knowing how much water?

How long do these keep once dehydrated?  I know MH and others give a shelf life, which I am sure is greatly enhanced by the preservatives and sodium involved in compared to those created and dehydrated at home.

[300rum]

Well worth it to just buy the pack of MH and be able to cook it in it's own bag so I don't have to do any dishes.  This way I get away with only having one Ti kettle to do everything.  Save's weight and save's water.  Half the time I'm short on water, don't like what I have to do to get to it, or it's dark by the time I get back to my hidey hole.   

[NRA4LIFE]

Whacker,

I take the weight differential and translate it to water volume.  1 cup of water to approximately 8 ounces.  After I dehydrate, I vacuum seal the dried food.  I never have kept them for more than about a month as I use them up. 

[fisheral87]

Tag, I plan to buy a nesco and try some recipes out. I'll update y'all when I do. Maybe we can get this thread sticky worthy. 

Al

[whacker1]

Whacker,

I take the weight differential and translate it to water volume.  1 cup of water to approximately 8 ounces.  After I dehydrate, I vacuum seal the dried food.  I never have kept them for more than about a month as I use them up.

Thank you

[Wanttohuntmore]

Tag