Dehydrator recipes!

copper_head

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 22, 2006
4,261
1
Hull
Thanks all for the advice and replies,

Here's my efforts so far.

001_zpsd98bc020.jpg


Cheers!
 
Last edited:

jacko1066

Native
May 22, 2011
1,689
0
march, cambs
Haha well it just so happens Lidl have got them coming up next thursday for £19.99.

Bargain I think!

Looking good kit!!!

Cheers for the heads up re the vac sealer!!

£20 is cheaper than getting mine looked at!!

Little tip I was told and use, when you are about to vacuum the food, put a bit of kitchen roll in there, and put the food in that, it stops the sharp bits in any dry food piercing the bag
 

PDA1

Settler
Feb 3, 2011
646
5
Framingham, MA USA
Re FB oatmeal. I make a mix at home and portion on sandwich bags if one pot cooking, or freezer bags if FB cooking.Both use cosies. I use 1/2 cup quick oats (4 fluid oz) a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch ginger and/or whole spice and nutmeg, tablespoon dried milk, tablespoon protein powder and a handful of dried fruit - usually raisins and/or cranberries and some crushed nuts.. Place in pot pour on 12 fl oz water, bring to boil, then place pot in cosie for ten minutes or so. Or, boil water and pour over meal in a FB in cosie. FB is better as can then boil more water for coffee/tea. On a wet windy day this is much more satisfying than a clif bar and a swig of water/Gatorade. Nutritionally, the bar and swig is probably just as good, and for adventure racers makes sense. Ring the changes of the flavourings to stop boredom setting in. BTW, any calories lost by pasta/rice dissolving in the boiling water can be saved by using that water in making the meat sauce
 

jacko1066

Native
May 22, 2011
1,689
0
march, cambs
Re FB oatmeal. I make a mix at home and portion on sandwich bags if one pot cooking, or freezer bags if FB cooking.Both use cosies. I use 1/2 cup quick oats (4 fluid oz) a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch ginger and/or whole spice and nutmeg, tablespoon dried milk, tablespoon protein powder and a handful of dried fruit - usually raisins and/or cranberries and some crushed nuts.. Place in pot pour on 12 fl oz water, bring to boil, then place pot in cosie for ten minutes or so. Or, boil water and pour over meal in a FB in cosie. FB is better as can then boil more water for coffee/tea. On a wet windy day this is much more satisfying than a clif bar and a swig of water/Gatorade. Nutritionally, the bar and swig is probably just as good, and for adventure racers makes sense. Ring the changes of the flavourings to stop boredom setting in. BTW, any calories lost by pasta/rice dissolving in the boiling water can be saved by using that water in making the meat sauce

Nice one PDA!!

That seems like a great recipe!!

I need to try freezer bag rehydrating as I normally just boil the food for a while and eat it!!

Sweet cinnamon is my favourite oats so simple flavour, can I ask though, are quick oats different to normal porridge oats? Does the above recipe make a good amount? I'm a growing boy ya see lol
 

PDA1

Settler
Feb 3, 2011
646
5
Framingham, MA USA
Over here (USA) there are "traditional" oats, quick oats and instant. Traditional are completely raw and need longer cooking, quick and instant have different levels of pre-cooking before rolling. Oh, there are also "steel cut" which are not rolled, but are chunky and need even longer cooking (or pre soaking). The uncooked varieties are said to be "better" as nutrients have not been lost due to the pre-cooking process. I circumvent the reduced value effect of most backpacking foods by taking a standard vitamin & mineral suplement pill each day alongside all the stuff I take to reduce the expectation of a heart event or stroke. My pill box is almost as heavy as my foodbag LOL. Let's face it, none of us carry fresh greens and fruit when backpacking (weight, go off in no time, especially in our summertime temperatures - may not be as true where you are if my distant memory of Wales and the Lakes are still valid:)
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
Over here (USA) there are "traditional" oats, quick oats and instant. Traditional are completely raw and need longer cooking, quick and instant have different levels of pre-cooking before rolling. Oh, there are also "steel cut" which are not rolled, but are chunky and need even longer cooking (or pre soaking). The uncooked varieties are said to be "better" as nutrients have not been lost due to the pre-cooking process. I circumvent the reduced value effect of most backpacking foods by taking a standard vitamin & mineral suplement pill each day alongside all the stuff I take to reduce the expectation of a heart event or stroke. My pill box is almost as heavy as my foodbag LOL. Let's face it, none of us carry fresh greens and fruit when backpacking (weight, go off in no time, especially in our summertime temperatures - may not be as true where you are if my distant memory of Wales and the Lakes are still valid:)

On longer trips we used to use Nalgene type bottles with a bit of cloth or kitchen paper inside as a greenhouse for sprouting grains. Only takes a few days and there's loads of nutrients in them and taste fresh. Just used to attach bottle to top of rucksack. Have a read up HERE. Adds a nice flavour/texture to dehydrated meals.

ATB,
GB.
 

AJB

Native
Oct 2, 2004
1,821
9
57
Lancashire
So my first batch of bolognaise came out great :).

Rehydrated a sample, and other than adding too much water (despite your warning Widu :rolleyes:) it tasted pretty good. So up next is going to be beef stew and I have a question.

In HHH's vid for beef stew he uses something called a 'fruit roll' tray, which is has no holes and the food is turned half way through drying. Now my dehydrator has only standard trays and I imagine my stew will leak through...

So can I use baking parchment to make a solid surface to dry my stew on, and flip half way through as per the 'fruit roll' tray?


Hello,

A question for you if you don't mind. When you say it came out great, did it taste like the original?

I've been dehydrating on and off for years, love HHH, and am now quite good friends with Clark. I started with a cheap German unit, that I concluded was too hot, progressed to an Andrew James unit against all the reviews, it went back after one use as it was worn out from four hours running and one wash - utter rubbish - then eventually went for the full on nine draw Excalibur. The Seal a Meal vac packer is awesome and anything that doesn't move in my house gets the treatment, but they are easily popped by sharp rice or dried mince (dehydrated cooked rice is very quick to rehydrate in the field compared to just taking rice), my best solution was to make a grease proof paper bag for the food and then vac pack it.

BUT after all that I've never made a full dehydrated meal that was acceptable when rehydrated. It never tastes nice. I don't know what I do wrong, it has bugged me for years, everything just tastes lousy. Component parts are great, I do lots of veg and jerky, fruits etc, but chillies, spaghetti bolls... Awful!

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope!
 

ADz-1983

Native
Oct 4, 2012
1,603
11
Hull / East Yorkshire
Thanks all for the advice and replies,

Here's my efforts so far.

001_zpsd98bc020.jpg


Cheers!

It looks like you bought a cheap sealer like me bud and instead of the packs been completely reduced of air they are just loose like crisp packets.

I tried over and over with mine but couldn't get a proper vacumed seal like they're supposed to be.

Think I'm gonna invest in better one.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 4
 

ADz-1983

Native
Oct 4, 2012
1,603
11
Hull / East Yorkshire
Remember that dried food can have 'sharp' edges and easily puncture a vacuumed bag.

Correct but its pretty pointless using a vacuum sealer if it doesn't vacuum. You may as well get some cheap sealable bags and save on electricity.

If your vacuuming something that could potentially pierce you can simply double bag or put something thick in with it as a barrier.

It also depends on which brand of bags you use as some are thin and some are thick and durable.


Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 4
 

jacko1066

Native
May 22, 2011
1,689
0
march, cambs
Like I said earlier putting a bit of kitchen roll in the bags stop the sharp bits piercing the bag. I've not done any dehydrating for Ages, i need to get some silicone sheeting first!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

copper_head

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 22, 2006
4,261
1
Hull
Hello,

A question for you if you don't mind. When you say it came out great, did it taste like the original?

I've been dehydrating on and off for years, love HHH, and am now quite good friends with Clark. I started with a cheap German unit, that I concluded was too hot, progressed to an Andrew James unit against all the reviews, it went back after one use as it was worn out from four hours running and one wash - utter rubbish - then eventually went for the full on nine draw Excalibur. The Seal a Meal vac packer is awesome and anything that doesn't move in my house gets the treatment, but they are easily popped by sharp rice or dried mince (dehydrated cooked rice is very quick to rehydrate in the field compared to just taking rice), my best solution was to make a grease proof paper bag for the food and then vac pack it.

BUT after all that I've never made a full dehydrated meal that was acceptable when rehydrated. It never tastes nice. I don't know what I do wrong, it has bugged me for years, everything just tastes lousy. Component parts are great, I do lots of veg and jerky, fruits etc, but chillies, spaghetti bolls... Awful!

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope!

Hmm well the is not as good as fresh but that's to be.expected I guess. I find the texture is the main issue, just different flavoured mush when rehydrated. Still I find it perfectly palatable. I try and use strong flavours so less is lost to the dehydration process, so extra garlic, herbs spices etc.

It looks like you bought a cheap sealer like me bud and instead of the packs been completely reduced of air they are just loose like crisp packets.

I tried over and over with mine but couldn't get a proper vacumed seal like they're supposed to be.

Think I'm gonna invest in better one.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 4

The ones in that pic were done on the heat sealer at my work, so no vacuum. I got a vacuum sealer from lidl (£20) worked fine so far, I got a roll of extra thick bags from a catering supplier.
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
Seconded! Strong flavours and spices are your friend. The part about differently flavoured mush made me smile as it is quite true. It is possible to to get a decent consistency but I've only ever managed it twice on the trot and never since!
 

SCOMAN

Life Member
Dec 31, 2005
2,607
458
54
Perthshire
I have two fruit roll sheets for a dehydrator that I bought in the states but unfortunately they didn't fit my dehydrator. They're made by a Canadian(?) company called open country and approx 32cm in diameter. They're free for a donation to the lifeboats.
 

Reverend Graham

Life Member
Jul 2, 2012
381
1
Grimsby
Has any one used Quorn, mince or chunks, instead of meat, ie Spag boll, then dehydrated it ? may have a go myself over the weekend and find out how it drys and re-hydrates.

Rev G
 

jacko1066

Native
May 22, 2011
1,689
0
march, cambs
On another note, for those that get a bit sick of porridge every morning for breakie, last time I was out I took some Jordan's granola in a pour and store bag mixed with a bit of sugar and dried milk, just poured in hot water and left for a while, it was bloody lovely and I will defo be doing it again along with the normal porridge and toppers!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

copper_head

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 22, 2006
4,261
1
Hull
Has any one used Quorn, mince or chunks, instead of meat, ie Spag boll, then dehydrated it ? may have a go myself over the weekend and find out how it drys and re-hydrates.

Rev G

No reason it shouldn't work in fact it would eliminate the need to rinse out the fat. You can get soya chilli/spag bol/mince and onions from ASDA all pre-dehydrated and ready to go. Flavour is lacking though, so its still probably better to make up your own.

On another note, for those that get a bit sick of porridge every morning for breakie, last time I was out I took some Jordan's granola in a pour and store bag mixed with a bit of sugar and dried milk, just poured in hot water and left for a while, it was bloody lovely and I will defo be doing it again along with the normal porridge and toppers!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good idea, porridge gets boring for me very rapidly. I recently picked up some 'Pronto Cornmeal Porridge, Banana flavour'. Dead easy to cosy cook, tastes good and a mighty portion. Got mine at ASDA for 74p.
 

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