dehydrated meals

[zelph]

We use foodsavers for everything for the freezer/dehydrating.I used to pack and ship Hotwheels cars(in rows) in the US and cameras to Japan in them for ebay...I got some "OUTSTANDING!" feedback on ebay..!

You make me want to get out my foodsaver and ship some stoves that way

[realityguy]

Sidebar...
When people bought multiple hot wheels for their collection,I'd vacuum pack them all in a row..They said they were going to leave them that way all sealed and protected from moisture and chips.,.but still visible.I used to gather up old busted and beat up ones..say 5-6 at a time and sell them as a "redline wrecking yard".People would pull them out as they needed parts to restore others.5-6 busted up old cars would net about $40-50.Fairly decent ones with some "play"(minor paint chips,bent axles..all parts there)go for about $25-35.Mint go $$!
For those not "knowledgeable"..redlines were the first to come up,with "redwall stripes"(as whitewalls) on the wheels.They were produced in 1968 to about 1971..mostly the more normal copies of production cars at the time with custom mods(hood scoops,etc)..like mustangs,amx,cougars,mavericks,lincolns,etc..with a few full custom ones(that kind of copied car models).Anyway..If you run across the hotwheels at garage sales..pick up the ones with the red sidewalls.bear in mind that if the bottoms of the cars look shiny and elaborate with showing mufflers and things..those are probably newer reproductions and not worth much on ebay.The older bases were rather plain and dated in the late '60,early 70s(The repros are dated those years also!..but shiny bottoms..the most common repro I've seen is the 1956 Chevy Nomad wagon..dead giveaway on that car)
I had the privilege to go through a bag the other day at Deseret thrift store that one of the elderly ladies bought "for her grandchildren to play with".I told her "You gotta be kidding!"..there were 11 "redline" series cars in there..worth over $300+.. Those kids now will get the 50 NON-REDLINES to chew on.. while her son sells the RLs on ebay.
That's one of the biggest scores of old hotwheels I've ever seen..for $10.

Okay..back to dehydrated foods..

[cadyak]

I have read about people dehydrating soups and other liquids, but I havent tried it myself. I got my dehydrator from Habitat for humanity for 5.00 and it is the kind without a fan. I also only have one tray that is made for liquids.
I have always wondered what the powdered Egg drop soup tastes like. Maybe dry some peas, mushrooms, and scallions and add them to the mix? I am going to have to do a taste test on the mix.
I have had one on my shelf for at least a couple of years. I may need to toss it and buy another.
Lets see, I would also like to be able to make/dry a brown sauce like my local restaurant has in their Beef and Broccoli.
I know that will take some experimenting to get it right.
All in the pursuit of good trail grub.

[zelph]

I have always wondered what the powdered Egg drop soup tastes like. Maybe dry some peas, mushrooms, and scallions and add them to the mix? I am going to have to do a taste test on the mix.

That would be an interesting project for today. it's cool and rainy today................soup weather for sure. Got Soup!!!!

I will make some kind of soup to day for sure.

[dimeotane]

Interesting thread!

Cadyak do you dehydrate your own cooked brown rice use instant? I found brown instant rice worked alright for FBC meals, so I've not bothered cooking and dehydrating rice. If you cook it, does it turn out better?

One of my favourite FBC meals to make at home right now is meat, beans and rice. I measure a mix of the dehydrated ingredients for a single serving into a vacum seal pouch, make a bunch of them, and store them in the freezer until needed. I think it'll last a looooong time stored like that. I've liked them so much I've brought them to work and eaten them for lunch or an emergency late dinner at my desk.

I pressure cook the beans and meat. In the pressure cooker turkey or chicken breast comes apart into shreds easily. The broth gives nice flavour to the beans and safe it for cooking the beans later or I often cook the beans under the chicken breast. When I cook black eye peas, it's for about 10 minutes and then I let sit till depressurized. Chicken or turkey sausage works well too as well as grounnd meats.

Best results with little to no fats, for dehydrating and storage. The fat goes rancid quickly and it won't store for as many months. When I dehydrated bits of lean deli ham and kept it at room temperature in a bag, in a few months it no longer looked, or smelled appealing, but the bits I'd kept in a ziploc in the freezer were still perfect. That convinced me of the need to get a vac sealer so I can prepare meals in advance at my convenience and store them longer.

I typically flavour ground chicken beef or turkey with spices like a taco seasoning mix.
Sometimes I've added dehydrated cheddar cheese and cheddar cheese to the mix with good results. When cooking on the trail, a little bit of olive oil added is nice too. I found a great vegetable seasoning mix from Costco in a huge jar that I add to almost everything. Garlic powder, onion powder are excellent to add.

[zelph]

That convinced me of the need to get a vac sealer so I can prepare meals in advance at my convenience and store them longer.

Same thing convinced me. 2 years ago I picked up a nice sealer at the thrift store.

Your description of foods and spices made me hungry for soup

[cadyak]

Hey there Dimeotane,
re: brown rice, wild rice,
I do cook it first and then dehydrate it. I started out by using leftovers but figured out that it does seem to rehydrate a little more evenly, quickly when it is precooked. I also like Success brown rice straight out the bag, but it takes a little longer to rehydrate and you are left with water afterwards. I add a little olive oil to just about everything too when I rehydrate.

This thread is timely as I am just starting to gear up for a week long fishing/hunting/camping trip to one of the barrier islands off the coast of Georgia. Ill be doing a 3 day recon of my new route through the marshes in 2 weeks time
In my boat I can take a lot of gear and the plan is to take some kind of homemade grill/smoker that I can break down and fit in the hatch of my kayak. One large enough to hold at least a ham/backstraps.
Twice now I have given up a whole hog minus the backstraps because I had no way to cook large pieces or to bring it back to the mainland. This year I plan on coming home fatter than when I leave.

[zelph]

because I had no way to cook large pieces or to bring it back to the mainland.

Tow it behind your kayak in a little dingy

[Ridgerunner]

Maybe you could dig out a fire pit and cook your meat in ground

[cadyak]

dang. thats a good idea. Maybe just wrap it up real good in foil? I guess you would need a pretty serious fire to have enough coals to cook some hams.