Dehydrating your own foods 101

[Kevin]

Last weekend I was 'turned on' to dehydrating meats for trail food. Gary (wildernessphoto) brought some dehydrated ham and it was truly awesome! Not just in taste, but in the realization I could bring a bag of dehyd meat into the woods for a few days during the summer without fear of it spoiling!

I went to walmart today and bought one of their generic 500watt dehydrating machines.

I'd like to know if others also dehydrate, what they dehydrate, and if they have any tips/recipes involving dehydrated food stuffs .

[Dick]

We started dehydrating with beef jerky, then expanded to turkey, chicken, bananas, oranges, strawberries, spaghetti sauce, sour cream -- you can do just about anything. The wonderful aromas permeate the entire house. Meals are easy: pre-package, boil, and eat. Fruit tastes like candy. We've never done fish, but I hear it doesn't do well. Allow enough time to rehydrate the food. The biggest problem is being tempted to eat up the jerky before a hike!

[RonandJon]

Great cookbook for back country cooking

Kevin

This book is great Gives tips about dehydrating, talks about ingredients, gives techniques and has a bunch of good recipes Backcountry Cooking: From Pack to Late in 10 Minutes by Dorcas S. Miller.

http://www.mgear.com/pages/product/product.asp/level1_id/422680/level2_id/422692/level3_id/422704/item/505513/level2_title/Books/level3_title/Cooking

Everything from snacks, breakfast, dinner, desserts to pizza. For when you get tired of oatmeal, pb&j and ramen.

Try Barnes and Noble or Borders locally to see if you can sneak a peak for free. Let us know how you make out with your culinary adventures!

[lumberzac]

Did someone say jerky?

Thought I would share this recipe for the beef jerky

1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Crushed red pepper
2 tsp. Garlic powder
2 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Ground black pepper
1 tsp. Cracked black pepper
1 tsp. Brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
3 lbs. lean Beef (sandwich steaks cut in strips across the grain work well)

Mix ingredients together and marinade for at least 6 hours. Dehydrate at 145 for 5 to 10 hours."

[Kevin]

Thanks for the info (and book recommendation)

Zac, what do you use to portion out the jerky?

[lumberzac]

Ok I'm a dummy but what do you mean Kevin?

[redhawk]

Kevin, I will be more than happy to volunteer to test your dehydrated food.
At no charge even.

[Kevin]

Ok I'm a dummy but what do you mean Kevin?

Well, I've seen "spreaders" that look like cookie presses, you put the meat in and squeeze it out in the shape you want (in this case long, flat, and 1/2" wide).

[now get your heads out of the gutter]

Redhawk, you'll be my official taste tester! You supply the coffee .

[Wildernessphoto]

Apples

I've got a friend that has me dehydrate "Granny Smith" apples for the trail. A good trick is to put the apple slices in lemon juice as soon as you cut them. They don't turn brown when you dehydrate them if you dip them first.

On the Ham...
Ham is already soaked in brine, and cooked when it arrives in the store, so all you have to do is slice it and dry it.

On Veggies...
I've found that the canned veggies work better then fresh when you dehydrate them. They rehydrate faster in your pot, and the canned veggies have salt added already. I've put 6 cans of veggies in a dehydrator, and can fit all 6 cans in a small zip-lok bag when there done. very light!

The flavor of freshly dehydrated foods is intensified. The apples especially. Very good flavor!

-Gary-


The Photography of Gary F. Dean

[Kevin]

Awesome tips, thanks! (didn't know the lemon trick, but now I do... and granny's are one of my favorite apples )

[redhawk]

Actually. Lemon is a great seasoning for most green vegtables and a great salt substitute.
If you rub a melon with a lemon wedge it will be sweeter.

[redhawk]

I'm curious as to why dehydrating foods is under "survival tips and experiences" unless of course you post an antidote!

Perhaps I should rethink the old taste tester routine?

[RonandJon]

If the Royal Taster.....

tastes the food before the King does, what does the "Royal Mountie: do?

[Kevin]

Perhaps I should rethink the old taste tester routine?

What RonandJon said.

[lumberzac]

Kevin, I normally cut the meat into strips that are about 1/4" to 3/8" thick. I try to make my cuts across the grain of the meat so that it breaks apart easily once it is dried. I also cut off any fat that is on the meat, as the fats will cause spoilage sooner. 3lbs of beef makes about 1lb of jerky.