Dehydrating...share your fav's!

“Anyone that uses a dehydrator to prepare foods for backpacking, gimme your favorite recipes and uses. I just got a new dehydrator and am having a blast with my newfound toy.

I stumbled upon this one and though it didn't sound good, I tried it...yogurt. Flavored yogurt, of course. Peach and Strawberry (with bits of fruit in them) seem to work the best. I bet blueberry would be good too. I just dropped it on the sheet a spoonful at a time. Makes a tart that has more flavor than a fruit roll up, and easier to bag (flat as chips, size of a quarter.)”

“Oooh...that sounds yummy, any idea how long it would last in a pack or it's shelf life?

We are getting ready to fire up the dehydrators for our trip in June.

We're going to do lots of fruits and make lots of jerky!

Any other suggestions?”

“www.qnet.com/~sierramel/

Buy my book.

Shameless self-promotion.”

“hmm...perhaps I should clarify. I absolutely HATE taking time to really cook things on backpacking trips. Boiling water is enough for me. I really don't like reconstituting what I dry either. Lipton rice meals and mac & cheese are my staples.

What i'm looking for are some lesser known, grab-it-from-your-pack-and-eat-it things.

mountaindreams: I'm unsure of it's shelf and pack life, but I'm sure it's similar to fruit leather. Although it's a milk product, yogurt has a very high acidity, making it perfect for dehydrating. Part of making yogurt after all is allowing it to sit out. =) I'm sure that unless you're in really humid conditions it'll do 3-4 weeks or better at room temp. I'm refrigerating mine just in case until I take it on the trail. Of course, I do that with ALL of my dehydrated goods. Fridge or freezer until its needed...”

“I like chili's and sauces, especially with meat. I cook up some ground beef, with spices, of course, drain, rinse in hot water, dehydrate. Ya gotta get the fat out. It rehydrates pretty well.

Buy Mel's Book.

Shameless Friend-Promotion!”

“I've had a bunch of people email me about dehydrating and I've got a lengthy write-up of my experiences and techniques. Anybody wants it, just drop me a line. Yeah, yogurt's really good. Try watermelon, too - a melt-in-your-mouth burst of sugar and flavor!”

“Obi, you are a dear.
Stieny, too bad you don't write a book and make a little cash to cover your backpacking expenses.”

“saurkraut!”

“steiny - I'll take a copy!

Cindy_Lu turned me on to dehydrating cooked rice. Just dump in hot water to rehydrate. Works very well, with any rice, white/brown/wild.”

“i usually bring enough water to not get dehydrated.”

“Dehydrated watermelon? I have got to try that! Sounds YUMMY!”

“Pamster, if you like that Watermelon, you should try dried cantelope! Mmmmmmmmmmm”

“By the way... how do you dry it? I mean... the watermelon... do you slice it thin? Thick? In shapes, like bars, or silver dollars? What?”

“Bananas and pineapples dry really well if set at about 110 degrees.”

“wow - Thanks steiny for the info. You do know what you are talking about!”

“I wrote out my lentil and barley soup receipe for you but AOL cut me off and ate it. Anyway--use italian stuff in it. It rehydrates like new and is really good.”

“I like lentils - could you try again?”

“Strawberries are great,so is ground beef.broccoli turns out well and rehydrates fast.”

“my bananas got leathery instead of crisp. what did I do wrong?”

“I like banannas more leathery and chewy, cause any drier and they turn to rock.”

“1# lentils, 1 lg can chopped tomatoes, tomato can full of water, 1 med onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 T parsley, 1 t whole cloves, 1 t basil, 1 t oregano, salt and pepper, ham or bacon, 1 c barley


Cook lentils and everything but the barley till almost done. Add barley and cook another hour. You will have to add more water from time to time. This stuff is thick--not soupy. Remove the meat before you dehydrate. You will want to pick out the cloves as you spread soup on trays or you will have clove surprise when you eat.”

“It took me about 2 weeks to dry my boots, but they weigh 2 pounds less now. My bag, well, that was a one-weeker, and it now's down ta no more than it weighed when I bought it. The process took so damn long, though, with all my OTHER stuff, 'cause the damn DE-hydrater just ain't big enough for a pack and all my gear. So, I had ta cut it up inta teenier pieces-parts, and that worked pretty good... until I got done, and tried to RE-hydrate it. Packs don't do that real well, ya know... but my compass is 1/3 its usual size, so's my GPS. I had problems RE-constituting my maps, though... they were pretty mushy when I got done.

The easiest thing to do was my water filter. Now THAT REALLY shrunk down... problem was, when I went ta use it, it was so small, and my hands so big, I couldn't get hold of the handle to pump the durn thing.”

“This may sound like another crass commercial message, but I have Mel's book in front of me. Pages 9-12 are all about dehydrating fruit specifically--how ripe each type should be to start with, sizes and shapes to cut it up into, what to expect when done, what works best, etc. The book starts out with includes 33 pages on dehydrating information and then 75 pages of recipes and nutritional info. Even gives Mel's "Rocket Fuel" recipe. (Mel - Is your Rocket Fuel legal?)

I like the idea of dehydrating rice and bean type foods and then reconstituting them. It works good and has good energy.

I am going to dehydrate a can of S&W Chipotle flavored beans (If you can find them, they are very good). That with some dehyrated beef or chicken would make a great chili dish.”

“This has worked well for me for many years. The variations are endless and your favotite brands can be substituted anywhere. I hope you like it.

10 Bears? Back Country Burrito?s

Ingredients:
(1) 12 oz. Can of beef with gravy.
(1) 16 oz. Can of pinto beans with jalapenos.
(1) 6 oz. Can salsa.
� cup of instant rice.
� cup grated dry peppercorn jack cheese.
Two burrito size flour tortillas.
Makes two BURLY burrito?s

Add-ons:
Use some or all of the following ingredients to spice up the base recipe, or skip them altogether. These items are not required to make a tasty dish.
� cup dried black olives.
� cup dried white onions.
� cup dried sweet red or yellow bell pepper.
2 tsp. Cumin added to the meat or beans before drying.

Variations:
Canned chicken or turkey. Any of your favorite canned beans. Green or red salsa, of your desired heat level. Your favorite cheese. Your favorite veggies. Note: Corn is an item I have deliberately skipped, as it does not do well when cooking in a cup. If you must have corn, I would recommend freeze dried (cringe!).

Preparation:
The beef is the parboiled variety that comes canned with gravy. The canned meat easily shreds with a fork, and it should be shredded prior to dehydrating to make the drying more even and distribute the gravy evenly.
The beans described above are one of my favorites for Mexican food, and are sold under the Ranch Style brand name. Open the can and stir.
The salsa used for this recipe was the fresca style or Pico de gallo (sp?): tomato, onion, serrano chilies and cilantro. Open the can and stir
The cheese described above is a dry variety of Monterey Jack, and can be grated prior to packaging.
The olives mentioned in the add- on?s are the sliced and canned variety. Open the can and drain off the juice.
The veggies mentioned in the add-on?s are fresh. Chop them into approximately �? pieces, removing any seeds, and saut� in spray type cooking oil until soft but not flimsy. Add a splash of water if they begin to stick to the pan. Never saut� veggies in cooking oil.

Dehydrating:
Spread the ingredients evenly on separate dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate for approximately 7 � hours. My dehydrator does not have a temperature dial so no specific temperature is available.
Monitor your food every hour or so after 6 hours. After 6 hours if the food is dry only on one side, rotate it, wet side up to help with more even drying. When dry the meat is hard and crumbly, the beans are dry through and crumbly inside, the salsa is a thin film that flakes off the sheet and the add-ons? are dry through but still a little flexible.

Packaging:
Package all ingredients in separate ziploc bags except add-ons. These can be packaged together.
Package � of a sheet of dry salsa, or less depending on your heat tolerance, in a ziploc. If your not sure of how hot your burrito will be, go easy on the salsa. About 12 hours after you eat, you?ll be glad you did.
Note: This recipe can be made for one easily. Just halve the recipe when packaging.

In camp:
Use 10 Bears? Cooking in a Cup technique.
Layer in an insulated cup in this order: 1) rice 2) beef 3) add-ons (if used) 4) beans 5) salsa. Add boiling water to cover food by approximately � inch. Cover cup with its lid and let ?cook? for 15 minutes.
Remove cover after 15 minutes and stir ingredients together.
Spread burrito mix onto tortilla, top with cheese, and wrap burrito style.
Yummy!”

“dehydrate Jalapeno peppers and then add them to dehydrated spaghetti sauce. Home dried banannas area also good and full of energy. Has anybody tried dehydrating honey?”

“well...i dip my banana slices in a honey/water or honey/lemon mixture. the bananas are a bit more pliable than otherwise, and retain a little stickyness (moisture on hands more than anything causes this), and it works great, and tastes good.”

“What about just dehydrating honey. If you can do it with yogurt, why not honey? Someone willing to try it out?”

“Ran the dehydrator last weekend and got some goodies ready. I used Mel's book as a guide. It is great because it is geared specifically for trail meals.

I have some dehydrated peppers from Le subtil that are great. I used some already in other dishes...yummy.

Dehydrating left overs seems to be convenient and economical. Mel's book discusses that also. I dried some left over chicken and black beans & rice.

I am going to test some of this stuff out on my weekend hike.

The recent issue of Backpacker was one of the best issues I have seen in a while. It had a variety of useful stuff. They rated freeze-dried food. I found that helpful. I ate one of the dishes they rated high and agreed it was tasty. However, I think almost all the prepackaged foods need more pepper or some chili peppers...that's just me.”

“I forgot all about your peppers Phil - you liked them? This year's crop is doing quite well.”

“thanks phil for this thread....i have only dehydrated single items and would like to dehydrate some meals. I am assuming you use the fruit leather tray for meals. I have only one of those, but if you wanted to use the other trays (with holes) what would you use to place the food on. I am particularly interested in dehydrating spaghetti sauce.
I am sorry to say, i dont have Mels book...and too late to order i guess now.”

“My staple is drying fresh coconut in the window sill. (I don't own a dehydrator.)
I bust up a fresh coconut and break the meat up into small chuncks (1" squares). Leave the brown inner skin attached.
Put some aluminum foil on a sunny window sill.
Put the coconut pieces on the aluminum foil.
Wait a week.
Put in a zip-lock.
Ready to go.

I learned this in a 5th grade science class. Been doing it ever since.”

“OM - I dehydrated beef in gravy on the only "fruit leather" tray I had. I did rice and beans, chicken, and mushroom on other trays without much falling thru.

I believe you can use saran wrap if you don't have a "fruit leather" tray. Problem is there is no ledge to hold stuff in.

I emailed you a link to Campmor where you can order separate fruit trays.

Hopefully Mel will chime in.

Le Subtil - Yes, yummy. For Mother's Day I got my wife several flats of peppers for her garden (she requested garden stuff). We are anxious to see what happens.”

“Great thread,

Steiny Thanks for the info I greatly apreciate it.

Mel I will be ordering your cookbook looks great. BTW I used to manage Resteraunts i.e.Ruth's Chris/Charlies/Bottega etc. I have taken some short courses at CIA and Johnson & Wales. Great business although it will drive you insane sometimes;)

Im new here and have a thread introducing myself.

Later
Mark”

“www.qnet.com/sierramel~/

The cookbook is there.

What else do you need to know?

We should have out a "new and updated" version available by next spring.

There will be more recipes, and pictures I've taken.

It will also be slightly more literate.”

“Man, seedless, easy peal tangerines are on sale at the Safeway for $4.99 for a 5lb box. So, of course, I bought a couple boxes and am dehydrating one of them.

Man, are those suckers good! Like a sweet tart but natural!”

“did you slice them or section them or what?”

“I recently received a 5 tray dehydrator.

I tried dehydrating roasted Jalepenos and it ended in disaster. I ended up with charcoal.

I have not been able to find out exactly how to do this.

Any "HELP" would greatly be appreciated.

Also any websites that may explain how to dehydrate different items would also be a great help.

Pleas help a beginner!!!!”

“Does your dehydrator have a temp setting, or is it one heat setting?
One suggestion is to check every hour while drying and to stir the food often. Also, smaller is better, as it will dry faster.
I line my trays with parchment paper (I cut it to fit). It is reusable, and keeps food from falling thru.

I have some suggestions for times/temps on my website:
http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/gearstuff.htm”

“I have a Bee Beyer's “The Original” Food Dehydrator, Model # B B 50001.

There is no on/off switch and no Temp. Switch. I have large vents on the bottom with a Disk marked A, B, C, D, E. "A" closes off all the vents and "E" leaves all the vents open.

On the Lid of the dehydrator There are 5 holes labeled 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. These also are adjustable. If you place the adjustment on "0" all the holes are are closed off. If you place the adjustment on "4" then all the holes are open.

That is all the adjustment for temp. that there is on the dehydrator.

There are 4 removable trays and one permanent tray and the lid.

Last time I roasted the peppers and then dehydrated them. I read some where to put them in for over 24 hours on medium. I ended up with charcoal.

Any help would sure be appreciated. I would also like to dehydrate other veggie’s but want to be able to use what I dehydrate.”

“In all honesty, don't follow times in a book. Check every hour, and stir at the same time to rotate the food.

Frozen vegetables work well, as they are already cooked so don't need any prep work done. They also come back faster when rehydrating.”

“Sarbar, I've introduced several people to your Packers Cole Slaw, and it always goes over great, it is a real winner.

OT”

“I have a large bag of fresh Jalapenos. I usually roast them whole and then cut off the tops and take out the seeds and then use them in hot sauce.

To dehydrate them should I still roast them whole and then dehydrate them or cut them up like I usually do and then dehydrate them?

When will I know they are done?

Sorry to be asking so many questions but I have only done this once before and that last time was a disaster.
last edited: 5/08/07 11:43:36 PM”

“Since the skin on jalapenos is so thick and waxy, I think there needs to be a way to allow air to get to the inside flesh. I would recommend removing the tops to allow the air to circulate inside the pepper.

Usually, veggies are done when they resemble paper or a raisin.”

“also most veggies i've seen are chopped relatively small.

would you want to blanche them first rather than roast for dehyd purposes?”

“Roast, cap, chop, and dry.”

“Yeah, are you just trying to get the heat out of them or give them that roasted flavor? I would say if you halve them after roasting, you would be ok.”

“I thin slice my veggies and make them hike all day with no water. When they get delirious they are done.”

“Maybe somebody has already said this.
The best thing I've made in the dehydrator is pineapple. Fit a whole pineapple in a baggie. So good.”

“has anyone used dehydrated shredded potatoes?”

“Haven't tried them yet. I've used instant potatoes on occasion, though.”