Self Dehydrated Meals

[Ray]

if your meat is not rehydrating well, then it does not have enough surface area (too large a particle). I don't dry a fully made meal. I dry a sauce and then grind it up into a powder in the food processor. Then I combine the powdered sauce and carb base in the bag. This helps with rehydrating with just boiling water and no need to cook. There will be a few small crunchy bits in the corners of the ziplock or vac bag, but they are small and eat fine.

 

[mfllood3800]

Problem with dehydrating meals with meat and veggies is they dry at different speeds
I remove the parts that are done and don't let some get over done at the expense of the rest

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[bwlacy]

I've had chicken take a lot longer than ground beef to rehydrate. I do prefer the heavy duty Ziploc freezer bags over the vacuum bags. Add water, close the top, put in an insulated cozee, use a long spoon to eat. I do vacuum all my other foods and snacks and then each days food goes into a large vacuum bag to take up less space in the pack.

I do have the AMR and it gets full too !!! A bigger bag just means that you can bring more stuff you don't need sometimes.

 

[mfllood3800]

I just ordered the AMR thinking, "now I won't have to cram everything in "....
lol

I guess the main reason I vacuum bag them is to prolong them in the freezer until I need them.

If I was gonna do a bunch of meals right before a hunt, I may just utilize a freezer bag too.

How ever you go about storage, I really feel the size of the meal particles and the heat range vs what you are trying to dehydrate is key. Meat calls for higher temps, but in doing my chili I had to make sure not to over dehydrate the beans, onions and other non meat items.

I also went in about 5 hrs into it and stirred and moved around the chili to get it equally done.
It took a total of just over 8 hrs, but that was 4 trays worth spread out about 1/2" thick.

I'm getting the cozee as well, but it isn't a mandatory item. But for the $$ and weight absolutely a key item in a hotter meal, especially at 12,000 when its in the 20- or 30's.

 

[seldomseensmith]

A couple of things I have learned:

Figure out how many portions you are dehydrating before you dehydrate it. Then it's easy to divide after.
If you are using zip lock bags just bring along a few extra because some of your bags will get holes.

Great thread btw.

 

[archer wapiti]

Do you store them in the freezer at home? I have been doing that on the assumption that any fats will be less likely to go rancid. I've not tried one of my freeze-dried meals yet though...

nevermind... just read page 2...

+1 for using some forms on insulated pouch and freezer bags.

I buy quart size deli containers like 100 of them for 8 dollars from a restaurant supply place. And I store all my dehydrated product in freezer and portion into freezer bags before trips. You could do vacuum seal bags.... but if your carrying out trash zip locs are a cleaner way to go. Plus I usually bring packet of soy sauce, coconut oil etc that I get from minimus and I use the bag to package all the trash.

I have some full meals. I also dehydrate any vegetable that's a few days from going bad and I make ground meat 3 different ways in large qualities, taco meat, ground with Italian. Seasoning, ground with barbecue sauce. Pretty cook and dehydrate rice but I cook it in beef stock. So I can take rice or potatoes add handle full of different vegetables and some ground and packet of soy, hot sauce, bbq whatever and have infinite options when I go to pack... call me a snob I just don't care to eat the same food every day.

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[clip]

if your meat is not rehydrating well, then it does not have enough surface area (too large a particle). I don't dry a fully made meal. I dry a sauce and then grind it up into a powder in the food processor. Then I combine the powdered sauce and carb base in the bag. This helps with rehydrating with just boiling water and no need to cook. There will be a few small crunchy bits in the corners of the ziplock or vac bag, but they are small and eat fine.

I do pretty much the same thing but will add extra vegetables etc that I dehydrate separately along with some greens powder, I add extras to my meals that the boys don't always want. I also rinse the ground meat before dehydrating it. lots of good recipes and tips on the backpacking sites.

 

[Bulldawg]

They sell zipper vacuum bags at cabelas and they are real hand to use, this and a cozy has made my meals come together better than anything else.

Cabela's Online Store - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear

 

[CareyJAF50]

Personally my favorite dehydrated meal I make is pot-roast and mashed potatoes. Ill take an elk, deer, sheep etc roast and drop it in the slow cooker seasoned up until it completely falls apart. I take that meat and spread it out on my dehydrator on top of butcher paper cut to fit my round one from Walmart. Dehydrate it thoroughly. Then ill take a cup of the dried meat, a cup of Idahoin instant mashed potatoes in your favorite flavor, then add a tablespoon of instant gravy power and any other desired seasoning. Boil about 16-20 Oz of water and drop it in your vacuum bag. I love the shit, got it from a dude on IG and modified it a bit to my liking.

 

[twall13]

I've always been a pot roast fan, I'm going to give this a try this year. Thanks for posting it up.

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[CareyJAF50]

I've always been a pot roast fan, I'm going to give this a try this year. Thanks for posting it up.

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Absolutely man! Its really damn good and hearty as hell. It definitely fills you up.

 

[Dinger]

Venison bolognese in the Thermomix with top top up vegies and olive oil accompanied by flavoured cous cous. Re-hydrates fast and is my go to DIY dehyd. Eat in the zip loc bag...the Jet Boil plastic base thing makes a good container to keep the bag upright.

 

[Dinger]

 

[mfllood3800]

Food plan looks sweet- nothing better than doing it yourself- awesome job

 

[406]

Anyone ever dehydrate pesto? Can it be done or it it too oily?

I'm sitting on a few quarts of pesto sauce

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[mfllood3800]

Not I

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[Nateinia]

tag

 

[Aries_Ranger]

Are the brown "Lunch" Pouches dehydrated MIL Rats?

 

[Aries_Ranger]

Are the brown "Lunch" pouches Dehydrated MIL rats? Nice pre-planning btw.

Venison bolognese in the Thermomix with top top up vegies and olive oil accompanied by flavoured cous cous. Re-hydrates fast and is my go to DIY dehyd. Eat in the zip loc bag...the Jet Boil plastic base thing makes a good container to keep the bag upright.

 

[Dinger]

Are the brown "Lunch" pouches Dehydrated MIL rats?

Yep, Aus issue dehyd's.....taste good and deliver a good chunk of calories.