What if you're considering de-hydrating for the first time?

[Ricky&Jack]

Heres what I know about de-hydrating food:
"You like... put food in a machine and it sucks the water out so it lasts longer. Then when you are ready to eat it, you add some water or something, and it's ready to eat"

That's pretty much all I know.

I'm wondering about hydrating food for hiking (and for general snacking). Do you all use expensive machines? Or are the cheap $50 machines at walmart good enough?

Do you regularly de-hydrate food for while you are home? Or do you basically just use it for the trail?

What do you think your average money saving cost is by dehydrating it yourself?

I'll be looking up youtube videos etc later on to see some demonstrations etc, but If you have any tips or words of encouragement or "pro/con" of doing it, that'll be appreciative.

[fiddlehead]

I built my own.
You can use your oven (or the sun) if you want.
I only do it for hiking.
Learn to take your food out before it gets TOO DRY! (tastes better that way, but won't keep quite as long)
Average money saved: MOst all of it as I grow my own, or buy when things are cheap (like harvest time) Tomatoes are a lot cheaper in Oct than they are in June! (get fruit when it's fallen off the tree, much sweeter then)
Bananas too: You don't want them black, but you don't want them green either. (can get them cheaper when they're ready to go bad)

You learn that the more sweet or tasty something is when you dry it, the more tasty it will be when you rehydrate it.
Good luck and have fun.

[rafe]

I used the $50 machine for a couple years' worth of section hikes. Made some good flank-steak jerky with it. But it was a lot of work and a PITA to clean up. Haven't used it in years. My wife's been bugging me to throw it away. I can make do without a lot of meat on the trail. Dried fruit can be purchased in lots of places these days.

[Namtrag]

Nesco cheapie on amazon is around $50-60 and free shipping. Works great. Make sure you get the square one with the motor on top.

[FarmerChef]

+1 on Nesco. I can dehydrate a ton in mine. Basically, now, I dehydrate vegetables and proteins. The other items I can easily buy in the store on resupply. With vegetables and proteins I can assemble meals not readily available in stores out of items I can buy in stores. This makes the resupply process easier, at least for me, and the net result is more delicious and packed with good for me stuff.

[The Old Boot]

Whether or not a dehydrator is useful to you depends more on your style of eating than anything else.

For example, I don't do fast foods, wouldn't know what the inside of Mickie D's even looks like. I'll tolerate a salad from a fast food joint if it's my only choice. I'm also lactose intolerant so most of those noodles in a pack are out of the question. I eat healthy at home and see no reason why I would want to eat unhealthy in the bush.

My closest hiking and yaking area has a total ban on cans and bottles in the interior.

For me dehydrating as much of my own meals as I can is absolutely essential. I cross border shop of my supply of meats in foil packs but that's another story.

I dehydrate parts of meals, whole meals, mostly for interior camping use. I also make jerky for my mom so she's not eating high sodium commercially made jerky, she's 88 and diabetic. I also dehydrate things like mushrooms when they're on sale and then use them in cooking at home (great for in spaghetti sauce and soups) and things like tomato paste because I seldom need a whole can at one time.

If you're not sure if you want to get into it, then sure a cheap dehydrator is a way to start or start with your oven. If you KNOW it's something you want to do for whatever your reasons, then get a good dehydrator to start with, you'll be further ahead.

Do some reading up on it, decide what value the benefits would have for you personally and take it from there.

[Rocket Jones]

To begin, try using your oven on it's lowest setting with the door propped open a crack. Try doing some fruit or veggies that way. From there, you can graduate to the round or square cheapies. They work well enough that I used one for years. Last year I bought an Excalibur 9-tray and I have to admit that it's light years ahead of the cheapies.

Myself, I build my own meals from dehydrated ingredients. I like having control over what goes into my food.

To buy already dehydrated food, try Harmony House.

For recipes and advice, try Trailcooking.com or BackpackingChef.com or HungryHammockHanger.com.

[Tipi Walter]

As always when I'm not out on a backpacking trip I'm at home dehydrating food. Even with a large 5 tray "professional" dryer it still takes me over a week to get all the food I need dried and ready for a 3 week trip. So, if you're really into preparing all of your cooked food at home to dry, invest in something substantial and NOT one of those small white round plastic jobs. Oh and get 5 or 6 large square silicone sheets (excalibur comes to mind).

TIPS
** Cook up a box of spaghetti at home and add sauce and mushrooms, etc and dried the whole wad. It will easily fill a gallon ziploc bag and be enough meals for over a week.
** Cooked brown rice generally does not rehydrate well so I recommend cooking a large pot, let cool, put in blender with some type of organic liquid soups like butternut, broccoli, tomato or mushroom and blend thoroughly, adding water to keep the blender blades turning. Dry and ziplock and then in the field bring some to boil with sufficient water (trail and error) and turn off stove and let sit in pot cozy for 30 minutes. I add dried spinach, dried falafel balls, dried tempeh (marinated or not), etc.
** Or do the rice thing and add canned items like refried beans (vegetarian of course), veggie chili, or any manner of canned items you find interesting---and mix in the blender with the rice.

** Get excellent tomatoes and slice to dry. These reconstitute very well in the pot cozy.
** Use your imagination, go thru the fridge or the pantry---DRY EVERYTHING.

Check out some of my "kitchen" pics---

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/keyword/kitchen/i-zrtP3r5


Dried organic butternut squash soup. Super light.


Already-cooked mac and cheese ready for drying. Precooking pasta therefore requires no cooking in the field, just bring to boil and let sit in cozy.

[Just Bill]

I would say your initial investment should be this-
http://www.rei.com/product/756809/ha...ackpacking-kit

Get some dehydrated food in hand, find out if you can use it to make meals (not everyone can cook, not every cook can assemble backcountry food). Play with this kit- the bonus being that you will spend money on actual food, find out what it should look like, and choose if you like to prepare your own meals.

[Rocket Jones]

I got that exact kit for Christmas a couple of years ago. You get a ton of dried goodies for the money. I'm still using it to supplement home-dried meals.

[redzombie]

@Just Bill. Thanks! I will definitely check this out

[Gray Bear]

Buy once, cry once. buy someting decent, you can get more done at once and they tend to dry more evenly. If it turns out its not for you a nice unit can quickly be sold, a cheap-o will end up a give away at your next yardsale. I bought the Excaliber 9 tray deal. we have a garden and dry everything we dont eat fresh. When berries are in season my whole clan harvests all we can and we eat them all winter long in oatmeal and yogurt. same for apples. buy the huge bag of baking apples cheap, dry them with some cinomon. Once you get into it you will never touch a Mountian House meal again.

[Tipi Walter]

Buy once, cry once. buy someting decent, you can get more done at once and they tend to dry more evenly. If it turns out its not for you a nice unit can quickly be sold, a cheap-o will end up a give away at your next yardsale. I bought the Excaliber 9 tray deal. we have a garden and dry everything we dont eat fresh. When berries are in season my whole clan harvests all we can and we eat them all winter long in oatmeal and yogurt. same for apples. buy the huge bag of baking apples cheap, dry them with some cinomon. Once you get into it you will never touch a Mountian House meal again.

Amen, brother. I went with a TSM 5 tray stainless steel thing and it's remarkable. My trips are long and so I need a constant big supply of home-dried items, and I have dried about everything except the dog. Five large trays are great but now I see I need the 10 tray model. Crazy, ain't it? Mt House et.al. are way TOO SALTY for my tastes, and anyway I prefer coming up with my own ideas---or using canned foods like Amy's organic soups and just drying the contents---it's as simple as opening up a can. Organic vegetarian chilis dry very well as does veggie refried beans.

And then if you're a real home-cook type you can cook up delicious meals and dry the whole finished wad. There's no limit to the fun, but I never eat this crap at home---the whole purpose of my dryer is to provide backpacking meals.

[Rocket Jones]

The only time I eat my dehydrated stuff at home is to practice something new before heading out. A lot of times though, I'll just wing it because I figure I can survive a weekend with botched dinners.

[rocketsocks]

Amen, brother. I went with a TSM 5 tray stainless steel thing and it's remarkable. My trips are long and so I need a constant big supply of home-dried items, and I have dried about everything except the dog. Five large trays are great but now I see I need the 10 tray model. Crazy, ain't it? Mt House et.al. are way TOO SALTY for my tastes, and anyway I prefer coming up with my own ideas---or using canned foods like Amy's organic soups and just drying the contents---it's as simple as opening up a can. Organic vegetarian chilis dry very well as does veggie refried beans.

And then if you're a real home-cook type you can cook up delicious meals and dry the whole finished wad. There's no limit to the fun, but I never eat this crap at home---the whole purpose of my dryer is to provide backpacking meals.

I really got to get away from these store bought, mass produced, last a hundred years meals. I'm sure there's better choices, less salt. Most of us as we age have some blood pressure issues, I do anyway. I know I'm only out for a few days, so it's probably not a big deal, but the effects can be cumulative, So....

[DLP]

I've dehydrated some cooked angel hair pasta in the sun in backyard, however, it is warm and dry here. I don't think that it would work in humid climates. Took about 6 hours.

I've also soaked uncooked pasta for 2-3 hours and then just heated it until boiling and let it sit for 10 mins and that worked great.

[rocketsocks]

I've dehydrated some cooked angel hair pasta in the sun in backyard, however, it is warm and dry here. I don't think that it would work in humid climates. Took about 6 hours.

I've also soaked uncooked pasta for 2-3 hours and then just heated it until boiling and let it sit for 10 mins and that worked great.

Can't remember who posted it, but I thought it was clever...I think it was a women, she pre-dried some food in a hot car to get it mostly dried...good idea.

[DLP]

I added the sun dried cooked pasta and some parm cheese to a Mountain house to turn 2.5 tiny servings into 3 large servings. I dried Barilla Plus Angel Hair as it has more protein and fiber than just plain old white pasta.

I've also had good luck with these lentils: http://www.amazon.com/truRoots-Organ...routed+lentils

I'm going to try presoaking a Mountain House. 8-10 mins is not enough soaking time for me. It is good (to me) after 20 mins but by then it is luke warm. I don't know if it is the altitude out here and the water boils at 180F. I'm going to soak it for 2-3 hours and then bring to a boil and see how that works.

I've thought of using the hot car... but haven't yet.

[rocketsocks]

I added the sun dried cooked pasta and some parm cheese to a Mountain house to turn 2.5 tiny servings into 3 large servings. I dried Barilla Plus Angel Hair as it has more protein and fiber than just plain old white pasta.

I've also had good luck with these lentils: http://www.amazon.com/truRoots-Organ...routed+lentils

I'm going to try presoaking a Mountain House. 8-10 mins is not enough soaking time for me. It is good (to me) after 20 mins but by then it is luke warm. I don't know if it is the altitude out here and the water boils at 180F. I'm going to soak it for 2-3 hours and then bring to a boil and see how that works.

I've thought of using the hot car... but haven't yet.

just had a "Mrs.Greens" food store open in my neighborhood, they have a ton of oats grain, and the like sold by the pound, haven't indulged yet though, pretty darn pricey, but I guess you pay for good food. Lot of it is Gluten free and organic, not something I've really ever payed attention to till hangin around here.

[DLP]

We had a Whole Foods open in Fremont. I haven't been there. Probably cheaper to shop at Safeway and buy a top of the line dehydrator. Shoot Mountain House might be cheaper than Whole Foods.

I did read a good dehydrating book that recommended every time you make spaghetti and sauce... make an extra serving and dehydrate it. Ditto with curry or chili or _____ or whatever it is we like to eat. That made sense to me. Just had to be low fat and meet safe "OK to Dehydrate" standards.

PS edit. I got the lentils at Grocery Outlet. Cheaper than Amazon. Don't think they are a national franchise.