Added: 1 year ago
From: usframe
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  • try this since 1oz of water weighs 1 oz. : Devide your meals in 1 person portions. Weigh the portion before you dehydrate them. after they are dehydrated weigh them again. This tell you how much water to use to rehydrate them. 16 ozs. wet portion to 7.4 ounces dried needs 9.6 ounces of water to rehydrate This keeps you from having overly wet (soggy)or pasty and dry meals on the trail

  • @delawarehiker thanks for post, we do have this info somewhere, on the chili meal, I think.

  • thanks!!! u inspired me to go out and buy a dehydrator and a vac sealer yesterday. just incase shtf and for my camping trips . i'll be some what prepared maybe?..if i never use them big deal it cost 20cent for the bags..my wife cooks for an army every meal she makes..we have 6 kids and have alot of leftovers i dont want to see waisted ! so thanks for taking the time of testing and doing the math on all of what your doing..it's a big help for me ..keep the videos coming

  • @1wicked2008 yeah, it's fun to make and carry DIY stuff out on a trail. lol, it'd cost you over 60 bucks a meal to feed everyone in premade stuff!

  • Looks good! One way to tell how much water to use for cooking is the weigh the food before and after the dehydration process. The weight difference will be roughly how much moister was lost. To rehydrate the meal add that much water (plus a little for evaporation during cooking).

  • @rmjones33 we've done some recent vids with weight and energy usage

  • This is amazing! I'm really enjoying all of the videos on dehydrated food. I'm really thinking of getting myself a dehydrator now.

  • @egc3729 You should. The benefits of owning one, (or two+), are immeasurable.

  • @egc3729 thanks for comment and watching!

  • looks good

  • I just bought my Nesco dehydrator earlier today and I plugged it in too see how loud it is. It is quiet, but it has a strong plastic odor. I have had it running about 90 minutes empty and it smells terrible....I'm running it empty until this strong plastic odor stops.

    Did you notice any strong plastic odors from your dehydrator when it was new? If so how long did it take to go away?

    Thanks

  • @WisconsinEric no odors... what about the extra trays? screens? honestly, I don't recall anything, and did use it the first day.

  • Looks great rehydrated on the trail.

    I just found out the Nesco Dehydrators are not only made in the USA, they are made right here in Wisconsin! As soon as I have the cash I'm going down to my locally owned Farm and Fleet store and buying a locally made dehydrator.

    I cant wait to do the trail food like this vid, but I already have a Weber smoker for my homemade jerky.

  • @WisconsinEric jerky from a smoker is fantastic!

  • Hi, I'm new to all of this. How do you store the food after it's vacumed packed? Freezer, shelf, fridge?

  • @metallicarocks123 shelf, no light

  • Awesome stuff... I thought dehydrators were just for fruit!

  • @OzClawhammer honestly, till I got one, I thought just a novelty item for gift giving.

  • Your video persuaded me to do this and take the dried spaghetti on my shakedown hike later in the week. I'm slow cooking my sauce and will add pasta then let it sit and soak up flavor overnight. If I like how it tastes I will be making and drying a large batch to take with me on my AT hike in March. Thanks again!

  • Thanks for answering, I have another question. I don't have a food saver to remove the air, how long would the dried food last if I just used a Ziplock and a straw to remove the air? I want to make food drop boxes before I leave but I don't want to mail myself food that is spoiled. Any ideas?

  • @TammyLoves2Read we have done that plenty, but only for the weekend, or upcoming week.

  • How would you store this? Let's say for a month.  Great video btw!

  • @tigermaples mostly I'd say in a vacuum sealed bag, we use a Save-a Meal unit

  • My dehydrator doesn't have that tray, is there something I can use instead? I'm preparing for the AT and want to do this. Thanks for posting. Looks great!

  • @TammyLoves2Read parchment paper should work fine

  • @TammyLoves2Read When I purchased my dehydrator, I got only one fruit roll up sheets. I haven't bought new roll up sheets yet so I decided to try using parchment paper like usframe suggested. I basically outlined the shape of the tray (like the one in the video) and the hole in the middle, and cut the parchment to fit the tray. Works like a charm.

  • are you guys married...lool

  • @dapappacn I think the wives would not permit this and PA law forbids the marriage of a father and son... Better luck next time sport

  • When using meat (as in your meat sauce) how do you know how long to dehydrate it to be "safe" to eat? Can you not dehydrate it (meat) long enough?

  • @HISIAM888RUHIS888 if unsure, we always extend the drying time. The food has a look/feel and you can tell when dried.

  • great video! Yinz got me wanting to go purchase a dehydrator ASAP

  • Can chili be dehydrated? How bout chili with noodles? Thanks I'm new to this just got my dehydrator 2days ago

  • @DirtyDansDANK o yeah, just spread it out thinly on the "roll up" inserts

  • @DirtyDansDANK just posted chili meal as a video repsonse

  • There are tons of meals you have at home that are easy to do in the dehydrator

  • @ivebeenrocked and we thank you for stopping in

  • Not to worry about too much water, makes it look like a thick soup.

  • aghhh you ALWAYS have at least 1 dislike :/

  • @MrDip02 yeah, most are from one visitor, a real big fan, watched and disliked about 50 vids in 8 minutes! ;)

  • @usframe hahaha:) well oh well at least thumbs don't always determine how good a video is :)

  • i usually dont give thumbs up or comment but wow i really like your videos.

  • @bwaldy1 thanks for visiting and the comment!

  • this is a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

  • how long would that last/store vacumm sealed?

  • @tigermaples we use everything in the short term, rotate alot, and have no experience over 6-8 months.

  • What is that bowl at the end called?

  • @IMAFUCKINGBADASS well, old, lemme go see.... alright, something rubbermaid had out about 20 yrs ago. Not exactly lightweight

  • What is the dehydrator your using called? Would love to get started on this

  • @Connman613 Nesco gardenmaster

  • good idea. it would pay to weigh pre and post to know how much water to add in rehydrating/cooking. i will try this. thanks

  • @spockady we will gather more data for future meals.

  • @jeremychiu06 that would depend on where we are and what resources are handy. We had bread along that day, and there wasn't much residue left on anything :)

  • this is magic. Plain fucking magic. I was about to stab 100 nuns till they told me their secrets but i know now.

  • @skiie Youtube's most EPIC comment. Ever. Still lol'ing.

  • I have only two questions, I like the idea of doing this for yourself. The questions are after the bagging, how long does it last? Second what is the average weight? Thank you.

  • @DennyRec good questions. we usually prepare for the short term, upcoming trips and so forth. From what I have read, this type of meal vacuumed packed at home should expect a year for storage. Truth is, nothing lasts very long around here:) As to the weight, we will try to get that info included from now on. That was not a concern of ours, but we do understand that many try to maintain certain pack weight, etc. Thanks for watching!

  • There is meat in it , should you keep it in the fridge? how long will it last in your pack without refridgeration!

  • @sunwarz if it is vacuum packed, should be no worries without refrigeration for the short term. The best info, to me at least, is a year for dehydrated, vacuum sealed foods with meat. Saying that, we always use within a month, and then make more because it is so easy to do. We have made some meals and just used a ziplock in the fridge when rehydration was within a couple days

  • have you tried adding beans and make it like a chili?

  • @thepisces1970 that sounds like a great idea!

  • isn't speghetti already dehydrated? why not just take as is and dry out other ingrediants to add to on trail?

  • @assman255 but it isn't cooked, Just not the same, much more water would be needed for boiling along with cooking times.

  • @usframe ahhh

  • great video. Thanks for posting. I recently did a video on dehydrating Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup you might enjoy!

  • Sorry to be a dick, but could you tell me how long it took to Dehydrate and what temperature you used to do it, I am very interested in doing this for my camping food :)

    Would be nice if you added how much pasta you used too :)

    Just looking for somthing nice to eat camping, not fussed how long it takes to make, I just wants to eat well and make it light, I am an Ultra light camper :)

    Cheers.

  • @paulpm1974 these things never seem to be the same twice, but if I recall, around 6 hrs at 135°. As far as volume, after cooking, put what you consider to be a serving separated within the dehydrator to make figuring package amounts easier to determine. Thanks for comments

  • @paulpm1974 Oh and how much did a package weigh ???

    Thanks.

  • Yes I have to try this one. Thanks so much for the information.

  • @MegaJackielynn thank you MegaJackie, hope it does well for you.

  • this is dumb as hell

  • @1983pun that is not really useful information, but we'll give you a chance to elaborate.

  • @1983pun why?

  • keep a bucket and toliet paper on the ready!!!

  • @Richdelacruz2000 always

  • you should make the bags longer,cut off the top pour in hot water ,serve them right out of the bag.

  • @werb1961 so far, my research is showing those bags will not take boiling water.

  • Great vid man! Im going try this in the fall. thanks for sharing

  • What brand name and model is your vacuum sealer, I am looking for a good one. I just got my dehydrator "Nesco", just getting started.

  • @karenchakey Seal a Meal, the around $50 model.

  • The Spaghetti was dehydrated when you bought it. Why rehydrate it then dehydrate it and then rehydrate it again. Why not just dehydrate the sauce?

  • @BIGMUDDYDOG that would be how it appears, but not so. It is uncooked when in the box, and needs the 10 minutes or so of time boiling. The dehydrated meal needs much less time and water. Give it a try, and see how the noodles react under both circumstances.

  • @BIGMUDDYDOG an uncooked noodle is not the same as a cooked then dehydrated noodle

  • @BIGMUDDYDOG Did you think ramen was uncooked noodles too? god damn son.

  • Wow, I find this amazing! Seriously its cool

  • you sound like the dad from tron

  • thanks man i was wondering if i could do that myself, how long can you store them?

  • @timothy6487944 with meat involved, caution is advised for long term, infact we throw those into the fridge. Honestly, we rotate the veg and fruit yearly. And most of the meals we make are for short term, hiking, camping, etc.

  • it sounds like my honda

  • "It's shifting gears!"

    ROFL!! That's exactly what I thought...

  • ooOOOOoo I see banana chips in the back. My favorite.

    Is that dehydrator machine hard to clean?

  • @zhaneranger not at all. My idea was to refrigerate dishes with sauce overnight, and everything then cleans up quickly.

  • @usframe im new to making my own food for backpacking but would a meal like this last for a week on a trip ifi vacum sealed it also could you send me some recipies?

  • @suphomieg2 vacuum sealed, it lasts for quite long. The meat is what in my estimation brings the shelf life down. we'll try to get some more food prep vids up asap. I just about wing-it in the kitchen with everything I prepare. Thanks for stopping by.

  • kick ass vid sir! Let me riddle you this. What do guesstamate the shelf life would be after vacuum sealing? awesome idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @1TacticalMedic anything with meat we use in the near future. Other prepped meals we use within a year. But, years are possible.

  • Prepare one bowl of Spaghetti and weigh it. After you dehydrate it you weigh it again to calculate the water weight.

    Add that amount of water to your meal and it should rehydrate perfectly. Maybe add a little bit more water to compensate for steam, etc.

  • I  cooked lasagna...yesterday. ..and my dehydrator came today! So, guess what I will be doing a video of tomorrow? You guessed it. I thank you for the inspiration and well, all you do to help others out here!

  • @imnotmadonna let us know how that works for you. I enjoy the theme of your videos. The art of shopping is an important study.

  • @usframe ~Thank you. It started out as a channel to support my blog...but, it has slowly evolved into a gardening, urban sustainable living, preparedness type of channel..not so much about spending..or even much thrift store shopping...but more of a "keep your money and do things for yourself" type of channel.

    That is why I am drawn to yours. I appreciate all your help...love my food sealer...combined with the dehydrator and breadmaker...my family and I are having some fun in the kitchen!

  • that looks yummy!! 

  • I saw a sealer in the background there...what brand is that....i expecting my gardenmaster dehydrater tomorrow...and am super excited. Thanks for the video my fellow prepper! Enjoy that spagoots!

    

  • @imnotmadonna Seal-a-Meal Vac Sealer, Model # VS106. Has worked fine for us. We also have the vacuum tube and attachment to seal mason jars, that has worked without issues, also.

  • I think you need to dehydrate the ingredients separately. It should give better result.

  • @newtubetubetube this method always has produced great results for us. I don't know what could have been better. Easy to prepare, easy to dry and package, and a fast cookup. Thanks for watching!

  • Mmmmm! I have to say that, that was some good spaghetti after a long day of hiking! Thanks for getting me hungry again! You wouldn't be able to send me some via email would you? haha ;D

  • @Beachhead556 we can work on that for you

  • If you like pasta al-dente, you won't even need to add water!

  • @DemonHide lol, I will send you one try!

  • Everytime time I pick up a MH meal from wal-mart I feel like I'm missing out on real meals like this.

    I was quickly reading through some of the comments on this video & it looks like you've lit a fire : ) Good stuff fellas

  • @CampfireTalk not only that, as a family of large appetites, a couple of those MH/person is all too real, and 20 bucks for lunch along the trail is just not gonna happen. Good to hear from you!~

  • Genius, guys! I love the idea. My wife is a great cook, and if I could take some of her leftovers on the trail with me I'd be eating VERY well. I'm definitely going to look in to this. Awesome, informative vid. Thanks.

  • @TheLateBoyScout we have been finding most foods to reconstitute into a good meal.

  • I keep meaning to get a dehydrator. I can never remember when I am at walmart :) Nice video!

  • Are you going to do any shelf life studies to see maybe how long home dehydrated foods will last in storage? That would be good to know. Thanks for the informative video!!

  • @docsimonson we have some items here in the year range. Trouble is, if it's food, nothing lasts very long around this place! Earlier research we had done shows a long shelf life, especially if in non-lighted dry storage. Many years is easily possible.

  • Making your own dehydrated trail food - that's a great idea!!

    Hey, what if we put a hiker him/herself into that machine - would be great to come out weighing so much less than before. Wow, now that's what I'd call true UL hiking ;o)

    Tim

  • Hi my friends, very cool idea to preserve meal and to saving weight for hiking. Fantastic, thanks for this. Happy Day Sepp

  • I have been very interested in dehydrated meals such as these. I am glad to see someone actually try it and see how it turned out. Thanks for sharing and posting for us to see.

  • I need to get me one of those dehydraters. Haha, that sealer sounds like our old glorified moped I use to ride.

  • Glad you got a sealer! I can't wait to try some of that on a trail some day :D

  • Beach and I thought it was great! I'll have some footage up soon.

  • @drzmanproject thanks! and I was thinking about these meals, how much the "original" dish needs to be somewhat tasty in order for the dried food to come out good.

  • Mmmm!! I could almost smell that from here!!! Excellent vid

  • @GunznGear now and again something works out well! thanks for watching

  • make a pretty turd

  • Here is a question for ya. Whats the differance between dehydrated and freeze dried foods? Did the spagehtti Taste any different or have any over crunchy parts?? TY for postin. PEACE!!!

  • @finaltom5 let me answer the 2nd part, no, nothing remotely crunchy or weird about the texture. And certainly not mush like the canned foods.

    My quick answer, freeze dried involves extremely low temps, which just is not going to happen in our kitchen(there is more,but no matter, since we can't do it). The dehydration process is a longer exposure to low temp heating, mostly 130-160 degrees for what we dry. It can be done outdoors with no equipment in good dry conditions, been done for ages.

  • @finaltom5 TO freeze dry something you bring it down to -20 F or so and then pull a strong vacuum. The water inside the food goes from a frozen state to a gas state without ever becoming a liquid. It preserves most of the cell structure that way and you get a better quality food than most dehydrated foods. Problem is that it is expensive to do.

  • @docsimonson Ty for the info!!! PEACE!!

  • Just in case you've never seen Doc seal stuff...are kidding me...Doc of the KING of sealing lol

  • @IsiahMorris I guess that was for the benefit of the guy that just got his first PC, logged onto the internet for the very first time, had no idea how to use a browser and ended up at this video.

  • How long did this take to cook? Im think that spaghetti is already dehydrated and doesn't need to be cooked twice. just add dehydrated sauce and cook on the trail?

    I dont know just thinking.

  • Looks good guys, I always figure 2-3 servings were tray and when I rehydrate I just cover with water bring to a boil and let set if too thick I add more water. Unless it's soup then I cover by 1/2 inch Try lasagna It's my favorite to do

  • @medicjimr lasagna is on the list, that's for sure. You thinking about the hang in Pine Grove in April?

  • @usframe Probably not already have a week trip planned for end of may in the UP of Michigen the painted rocks shore trail .

  • @medicjimr ah ok, this is somewhat near to home for us, and we are thinking of going out for at least a day. Was hoping to have a chance to BS with you.

  • nice i will try that some time

  • @RamJetGMC it really did work out good. Thanks for watching

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