dehydrating odd things.

[seekeroftruth]

Ok someone in another thread posted a comment about dehydrating soups, sauces, etc.. for camping. ( i was thinking along the lines of freeze dried)

Well i asked them how they did it, but they never replied to me so i guess they dont log on often. So ill put it out to ya'll.

Can you dehydrate soups, sauces, etc.. to the point where they will (1.) keep, and (2.) be easily rehydrated with boiling water?

I would like to do that and vacu-seal them if its truly possible.

Any thoughts would be pleasurable to read.

Thanks
b

[Shamrock1121]

"Backpack Gourmet" by Linda Frederick Yaffe is a book that you may find helpful. Check your local library for a copy, or have them get it through inter-library loan.

Check out this web site for some good information: http://www.hillmark.com.au/recipes/ezidri_dehydrated_delicacies/outdoors

You can spread things like spaghetti sauce on the fruit-rollup inserts (or spread it on plastic wrap if you don't have the fruit-rollup sheets) and dehydrate. Make sure it's spread very thin and set the dehydrator at 135-140°F and dry thoroughly (3-4 hours). You can crumble it up, or stick it in a blender and pulse into a powder. Store in a jar or zip-lock bag. I like to store dehydrated foods in a vacuum-sealed bag or jar using my FoodSaver. Dehydrated foods easily rehydrate (which can lead to mold) if you live in a place with high humidity.

Here's some recipes from "Making & Using Dried Foods" by Phyllis Hobson for making mixes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix
1 c. (250 ml) dried mushrooms
1/2 t. (2 ml) dried onions
1/2 t. grated dried lemon rind
3 T. (45 ml) all-purpose flour
1 t. (5 ml) salt
1/8 t. (1/2 ml) black pepper
1 c. (250 ml) dry milk powder

Combine all ingredients and store in a tightly sealed container. To use, add to 1-1/2 quarts (1-1/2 liters) boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Cream of Celery Soup Mix
1-1/2 c. (375 ml) cried celery slices
1/4 c. (65 ml) chopped dried onions
2 T. (30 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 t. (2 ml) salt
1/2 c. (125 ml) dry milk powder
2 chicken-flavored bouillon cubes or 2 t. (10 ml) chicken-flavored bouillon granules

Combine all ingredients and store in a tightly sealed container. To use: add to 1-1/2 quarts (1-1/2 liters) boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes more. Serves 6. (To make cream of onion soup, use 1 c. (250 ml) dried onion and 1/2 c. (125 ml) dried celery. Dried carrot: 1/2 c. (125 ml) - is a nice addition to this recipe.)

Beef & Potatoes in Foil
2 c. (50 ml) dried beef cubes (note: you can dry cubes of cooked meat - lean cuts only - in a dehydrator)
1/2 c. (125 ml) dried peas
1 T. (15 ml) dried onions
1 T. (15 ml) beef broth powder
1/8 t. (1/2 ml) dried garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients well, except salt and pepper. Divide onto four pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Seal foil squares. To serve, open each foil package just enough to add 1 c. (250 ml) water to each. Season with salt and pepper and reseal tightly. Cook over hot coals or in a camp oven for 1-2 hours. Serve in flil packages.

Campfire Stew
1 c. (250 ml) dried beef cubes
1/2 c. (125 ml) dried potato slices
1/2 c. (125 ml) dried onion slices
2 T. (30 ml) all-purpose flour
1 T. (15 ml) beef-flavored bouillon granules, or 3 beef-flavored bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealable, plastic freezer bag. To serve, add to 2 quarts (2 liters) water in a stewing kettle. Simmer over hot coals or on a camp stove over low heat for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until dried foods are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

-Karen

[docjered]

I dehydrate spaghetti sauce every time I have spaghetti for dinner and then dont do the dishes until the next day (LOL). But seriously, you can dehydrate such sauces by spreading a thin layer on waxed paper or dehydrator sheets made for fruit leathers. It would just take a lot of trays of this to reconstitute... I would rather dry the individual ingredients then mix with tomato powder and some dehydrated tomatoes... you can find tomato powder (tomato bullion) anywhere that has a hispanic population influencing grocers... I actually found quart jars of it at Big Lots for 99 cents each... had to buy a case, of course. This product, however, is a bit salty, so use it sparingly. Also Walton Feed ( www.waltonfeed.com) sells pure tomato powder if you dont want to dehydrate a couple of bushels of tomatoes in advance. If you have an abundance of tomatoes, slice thin and dehydrate, then crush loosely and pack in quart jars to add to loads of soups, pastas, etc later.

Hope this helps!!

Jered