CalicoKat Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 If you have done this can you please share your recipes? I have a dehydrator but the recipe book that comes with it doesn't say much about dehydrating spaghetti or other meals. I'm hopeful I can get recipes for at least 3 evening meals for our camping trips this summer from ya'll. :001_smile: Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm still saving up for my dehydrator. Have you tried looking at raw foodist books and websites? Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I am curious how long your going to be gone that you will want to dehydrate the food? Are you back packing in and need it to be light (is there water at the campsite-otherwise you will still have to pack the weight)? Are you really just wanting to try something new? There are a lot of simple heat and eat camping meals that you can do. To add water and rehydrate food, will require just as much effort as heating something up. Just curious what the advantage to dehydrating is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 If you have done this can you please share your recipes? I have a dehydrator but the recipe book that comes with it doesn't say much about dehydrating spaghetti or other meals. I'm hopeful I can get recipes for at least 3 evening meals for our camping trips this summer from ya'll. :001_smile: Thanks. My all time favorite dehydrating and backpacking cookbook is The Hungry Hikers Book of Good Cooking by Gretchen McHugh. It's available at REI. Some of the recipes include: Basic Tomato Sauce Basic Ground Beef Mix with gravy (my favorite) Beef Jerky Mock Shepherd Pie Spaghetti with both meat and tomato home dried sauces various stir-fry recipes Rice pilaf dehydrated cole slaw carrot and raisin salad (dehydrated) It does evaluate how well certain foods dehydrate (don't do chicken, purchase freeze dried for backpacking, canned for car camping), gives sources for exotic dried foods (oriental mushrooms, etc.), and the basics of dehydrating. It includes recipes for foods that you don't dehydrate yourself, such as a basic white sauce or great breads when weight isn't too much of a factor. For the poster without a dehydrator, it tells how to use your oven or how to make your own dehydrator. The only downside, other than the occasional recipe, is that the portions are a bit small if you're truly hungry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I dehydrated some spaghetti sauce this year, not for backpacking, just for home preserving. I really liked the results. I used Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook for ideas. The thing to remember with dehydrating is that oil doesn't dehydrate, so anything oily that is dehydrated will go rancid quickly. But if you defat ground beef, you can even dehydrate spaghetti sauce with hamburger added! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 I am curious how long your going to be gone that you will want to dehydrate the food? Are you back packing in and need it to be light (is there water at the campsite-otherwise you will still have to pack the weight)? Are you really just wanting to try something new? There are a lot of simple heat and eat camping meals that you can do. To add water and rehydrate food, will require just as much effort as heating something up. Just curious what the advantage to dehydrating is? It's been really nice to have meals in my freezer using the OMC approach. I'm hoping to extend this convience to my camping kitchen using the dehydrator. Our camping trips will be short this summer, 1-2 days and we're new campers. IF my meals aren't complicated, pour in water and cook, then I'll have time (and mental capactity) for the other unknowns I'm sure camping will bring for this family of 7. :) Who knows I might even find some more convenience foods for home that the kiddos can make. My logic is that if I have a meal already to go it's easier to focus on making sure I've got the other stuff I need for 7 people. Probably overkill for camping for these novices. But hey, I'm enthusiastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 It's been really nice to have meals in my freezer using the OMC approach. I'm hoping to extend this convience to my camping kitchen using the dehydrator. Our camping trips will be short this summer, 1-2 days and we're new campers. IF my meals aren't complicated, pour in water and cook, then I'll have time (and mental capactity) for the other unknowns I'm sure camping will bring for this family of 7. :) Who knows I might even find some more convenience foods for home that the kiddos can make. My logic is that if I have a meal already to go it's easier to focus on making sure I've got the other stuff I need for 7 people. Probably overkill for camping for these novices. But hey, I'm enthusiastic. That makes perfect sense. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I still don't get it.:confused: We've done a lot of prep-at-home meals for camping trips so nobody's left slaving over the stove or fire. I don't see how dehydrating would make it any easier than heating up, well, hydrated pre-prepped food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourOaks Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm a camper also and don't understand the purpose of this either??!! Why is dehydrating easier and more efficient? I'm always looking for great camping ideas, so please share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm a camper also and don't understand the purpose of this either??!! Why is dehydrating easier and more efficient? I'm always looking for great camping ideas, so please share. Even when weight isn't an issue, space often is. Even though my family is much smaller than the OP's, I sometimes find myself short on space. We pack everything. :tongue_smilie: Using dehydrated foods reduces or even eliminates the need for refrigeration. This gives me a wider variety of foods to select from without needing to worry about getting ice or going shopping during the trip. Also in many cases I prefer the taste of rehydrated food, especially home-made foods, to canned food. Also we aren't restricted to home-dried food. Grocery stores, specialty stores and asian stores often contain interesting foods already dehydrated that can be combined in neat ways. Camping stores also carry freeze-dried foods for foods that don't dehydrate well, such as chicken, peas, and corn, that you can combine with other foods. Good flavor, variety and no need for refrigeration makes it a great choice. And you don't need to carry only dehydrated foods, giving you even more menu variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Even when weight isn't an issue, space often is. Even though my family is much smaller than the OP's, I sometimes find myself short on space. We pack everything. :tongue_smilie: Using dehydrated foods reduces or even eliminates the need for refrigeration. This gives me a wider variety of foods to select from without needing to worry about getting ice or going shopping during the trip. Also in many cases I prefer the taste of rehydrated food, especially home-made foods, to canned food. Also we aren't restricted to home-dried food. Grocery stores, specialty stores and asian stores often contain interesting foods already dehydrated that can be combined in neat ways. Camping stores also carry freeze-dried foods for foods that don't dehydrate well, such as chicken, peas, and corn, that you can combine with other foods. Good flavor, variety and no need for refrigeration makes it a great choice. And you don't need to carry only dehydrated foods, giving you even more menu variety. I bolded a couple things said above that ressonate with my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourOaks Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Now you all have me interested in dehydrated foods for camping! My hubby is going to kill me. I'm always getting more "neat" ideas. But I sure do like the idea of not having to use so much ice to keep things cold! Is it possible to dehydrate without a special machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I always pack a baggie of quick oatmeal mixed with dried milk, cinnamon and some raisins. Add water and presto. I usually make lunches and dinners ahead and freeze them flat in gallon baggies. Then they all go in my cooler and keep each other frozen until it's time to heat one up for a meal. Instant potatoes and a pouch of gravy are an easy side. You can dehydrate all your veggies and mix them for a nice soup with some pouches of stew seasoning. I guess for snacks you could make fruit leathers, fried fruit slices, or jerky. Have fun! Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Now you all have me interested in dehydrated foods for camping! My hubby is going to kill me. I'm always getting more "neat" ideas. But I sure do like the idea of not having to use so much ice to keep things cold! Is it possible to dehydrate without a special machine? Yes, your oven can be used. You need to set it on it's lowest temp and prop the door open a little to allow air to circulate. Grease a flat pan or one with shallow sides and spread the food as thin as possible. It takes 6-8 hours for soups, fruit leathers, ground beef mixtures, canned green bean and vegetable purees. If you live in the right climate, you can also use the sun. Be sure to protect against insects. And if you decide you like dehydrating food, turn making your own dehydrator into a school project. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 My Mom cooked main dishes, such as beef stew, while we were at home, put them in plastic bags and froze them. When packed into the ice chest, they served as ice to keep things cool as well as being future meals. An added bonus to make cleanup easier -- you can pop the plastic bag into a pot of boiling water to heat. (I like to double bag if I'm going to do this, just in case.) Mom also froze milk and packed that into the ice chest when we went on longer trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 My Mom cooked main dishes, such as beef stew, while we were at home, put them in plastic bags and froze them. When packed into the ice chest, they served as ice to keep things cool as well as being future meals. An added bonus to make cleanup easier -- you can pop the plastic bag into a pot of boiling water to heat. (I like to double bag if I'm going to do this, just in case.) Mom also froze milk and packed that into the ice chest when we went on longer trips. I do this too. We camp four or five times a year, and I've never even thought of dehydrated food. We have one pot "camping meals" that are made ahead. The only time we have them is when we are camping, so my kids look forward to them and complain if we have something else. We also have a small grill we take to have grilled meat once while we're camping. I also freeze that to keep other things cool, and then use it when it thaws out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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