Pssst....tomato soup

“Just wanted to ask what everyone's favorite soup on the trail is. My husband likes soup so when we do our first backpack trip, that's definitely on the menu.








Okay, now the guys are really gone, Muktuk.”

“Thank goodness. This is really about soup.

There is a company called Bear Creek that makes very good dehydrated soups. One can hardly go wrong. They sell them in the supermarket in my area.”

“They sell them in my area, too. I started eating them way before I went bping. They are great.”

“I eat those cup o'noodles chicken soup. I really should look into something else, maybe see if my area carries the Bear Creek brand. My grocery store carries some dehydrated better soups.”

“Potato leek soup is my favorite. For a little extra umph I'll rehydrate dried morel mushrooms in the water for the soup. Yum.”

“Thanks ken. I haven't seen them up here but when I'm in Florida in a few weeks I'll look to stock up on them.”

“Bear Creek stuff is too expensive -- trying making your own soups at home and then dehydrating them. Dehydrated texas style chili kicks ass. Save money and get exactly what you want and need.”

“You know I can only handle so many new things at one time. Dehydrating is going to have to wait. It's always better to make your own meals because you know what's in it, but right now I have to learn how to use all these new gadgets, build up my strength, etc.”

“Y&C, What new gadgets are you referring to? RE: building up strength, before you head out on your daily hikes/walks/runs/whatevers, just throw some stuff in the dehydrater or before you go to bed. It's really very simple, and doesn't cut into your time very much. Just make a double portion for your dinner that night, then throw the exra half into the dehydrater.”

“Dehydrator?s on my wish list. I know they?ve got cheap ones at Kmart, but I want one of those fancy Excaliburs. The wife will require some convincing. Maybe when my new mango tree starts producing fruit, she?ll see the need.”

“You can do a pretty good job dehydrating using a traditional oven. Put it on low, and leave the door open, with maybe a fan nearby to aid air circulation. You can also make your own for maybe 10 $US, using a light bulb and a computer fan.”

“WOW, a mango tree! We just got a Trader Joe's near here and they advertised frozen mango chunks. But an actual tree...yum.

Okay, Thundertrain, I guess a dehydrator is not that complicated. I make a great focaccia from scratch, so I'm not a wimp in the kitchen. It just seems like one more thing to play around with. My husband loves chili too, so some day I will get a dehydrator and dry some soup and chili, and see how it comes out.

So ken, you'll have to explain why the Excaliber is important, versus the Kmart special. Also, is there anything middle of the road that is worth talking about?”

“TT, I'll try it. I've made fruit leather in the oven by pouring the puree on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and leaving the oven on low and proped slightly open. I guess the same system would work with chili.

y&c, the Kmart special cannot handle multiple trays as well because of the placement of the heating element, and the way air flows through it. Please know that the wife accuses me of wanting the most expensive thing simply because it is the most expensive thing. Of course she's incorrect, but take into consideration that she thinks that.

I have heard that decent dehydrators can be fashioned by do-it-yourselfers.

Do a search on the threads. This topic has been discussed here before.”

“ken -- I use waxed paper on a cookie sheet, with a slight spray of Pam on it before I pour the chili on... the oil helps faciliate removing the dehydrated ingredients later... the chili will turn much darker than you would guess and doesn't really look that appetizing, but it sure tastes great. On the trail, I start presoaking maybe an hour before dinner so I don't need to use as much fuel in rehydrating with hot water.”

“NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!”

“ken, I have one of those K-mart special dehydrators. I haven't used it yet to dehydrate food for bping, but it has worked well for all the other things I made. I think your wife might be right. You're just going for the status dehydrator. HeHeHe”

“Y&C--I'm surprized anyone has the appetite to even TALK about any kind of soup!

We do have a dehydrator that was passed down to us from my hubby's grandmother. I can vouch for the fact that cheap is definatly NOT the way to go! I think this one is made by Ronco or K-Tel. The heating element is in the bottom and it is made of plastic stackable trays. I tried laying sheets of waxed paper on the shelves to dehydrate chopped onions...well, it got so hot that the plastic shelves started to warp. I should mention that there was a large hole for ventilation in the center of each tray so I thought it would be ok. I need something better.”

“bacpac soup

dehydrate
half an onion
half a stalk of celery
half a dozen mushrooms
half a cup of carrots
small roma tomato
beef jerky

While cutting up the ingredients for the dehydrator put the same amount in a pot for soup tonight.

To Prepare
Presoak dehydrated veggies and shredded jerky in two cups of water for at least an hour.

boil two bullion cubes in two cups water.
third cup of dried potatoes (Augratin pack)
third cup of rice
third cup of pasta
one dried red pepper (optional, handle with care)
half teaspoon of garlic powder
Drain the soaking dehydrated stuff and add.

boil for five minutes
add corn starch or corn meal to thicken
Wait 10 minutes & eat.

This makes a thick soup. Add more water and boullion, and leave out the cornstarch for thinner soup.”

“Miso!”

“Bacpac, that sounds pretty darn yummy!”

“Navigueser, I love instant Miso too. Try it with some rehydrated mushrooms.
Can anyone tell I have a thing for dehydrated mushrooms? LOL”

“I like oxtail soup. I havent been able to find it here in the states. i ate it all the time in Africa. Has any one seen it here?”

“adventuregirl, a friend of mine's mother used to make it for us. She was from the Philipines. It had peanut butter in it. Yum Yum!”

“adventuregirl, you should try looking for oxtails in a black neighborhood. Grocery stores cater to who lives in their area. Someone there may be able to give you a real authentic receipe.”

“Bacpac, your recipe sounds very good. I'm going to try to dry the vegetables in the oven since I don't have a dehydrator yet. Have you all had trouble with beef jerky growing fuzzies? I bought a package, opened it and ate some. Two days later the rest of the jerky in the package was covered with fuzz. I was so grossed out, I'm afraid to buy more.”