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skookum ouzel
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skookum ouzel
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PostWed Apr 02, 2003 1:29 pm 
I am interested in making my own dehydrated meals for use on the trail. Being lazy, I don't want to wash dishes, and I really like those "cook in the bag" meals as are manufactured by companies such as BackPacker's Pantry and the like. Due to dietary constraints, I simply can't eat the prepackaged items. They all contain corn or wheat products - neither of which I can eat. I would like to make my own meals, package them in a bag, and cook them on the trail by adding boiling water. Has anyone done this? Care to offer any tips? I am about to start experimenting on my own at home, but thought I would put this out there for advice. Some questions I can think of off the top of my head include: 1. Can I use Ziploc bags? Will they tolerate this kind of use? 2. Are there tougher reusable bags out there I can purchase? (I've never run across such creature before)

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Rick
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PostThu Apr 03, 2003 8:43 pm 
Food in a pouch!
Hi, I really enjoy my homemade meals especially since the method I use does not involve dish washing! Here is how it works: 1. 1/2 cup dehydrated Adventure Foods, lentil, split pea, or black bean soup mix, found in health food or co-op stores. 2. 1/4 cup quick brown rice, 3. 1/4 cup dehydrated hamburger or soy product 4. 1 tsp Essence by Emeril, found at grocery store, wonderful spices, 5. about 1/2 cup boiling water. 6. pack all the dry contents in a freezer bag, 1 quart size, at home (I prefer Glad) 7. place the bag in a home made pouch from closed cell foam, 1/4", I held the pouch together with duct tape, 8. after adding the hot water, seal the bag and pouch, shake it up, wait about 5 minutes and you have a delicious dinner, the only thing to be cleaned is your spoon. Actually, I put my hot chocolate in a freezer bag as well and use a straw to drink the cocoa. It stays very hot for a long time and I do not have to carry an insulated mug. Enjoy, Rick

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Quark
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PostThu Apr 03, 2003 10:45 pm 
This is a little off of your question - but I'm sold on home-made dehydrated fruit. Store-bought stuff doesn't even come close to it's quality, even that from natural foods stores. I can take 4 mangoes, 2 bananas, a coupla apples, pears, orange slices, strawberries and even thin-sliced cantelope slices in my pack when I'm out for a week. The taste can't be beat, it's much more lightweight and compact that the storebought stuff - this is important because now I have plenty of room for Tootsie Rolls and Twinkies! Allison had good luck with slices of watermelon too, but I have not tried dehydrating watermelon. I sorta do what Rick does - mix n' match stuff from the bins at natural foods stores. QFC has a killer lentil soup mixture. I have tried dehydrating chunks of ham - it works fine - but I'm even lazier than you are, and so ended up eating them right outta the bag, all dried up. Raisin-Ham.

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Laughed Wing Pinkie
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PostThu Apr 03, 2003 10:55 pm 
I like mixing my own food too. That freeze dried stuff is heavy, salty and expensive. But I don't like the baggie idea -- kinda creates a lot of garbage and leaves too much valuable calories sticking to the baggie. Garbage is for right wing irresponcible gun gnuts. So I cook in a pot. Most foods don't stick if they are the boiling water into the mix type. Wipe out the pot with your finger, swirl water around drink it boy scout style. Yum! I carried it. I'm gonna eat it -- all of it.

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Snowkeeper
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PostFri Apr 04, 2003 1:28 pm 
I too have been curious about those bags... I have disregarded using ziploc types because I just dont think they will hold up. However, I do have an idea I have not tried yet. I used to receive vacuum sealed foods from a friend of mine. And the bags were very very strong! I am soon to buy a vacuum sealer, and I plan on trying them out this way. I dont see why it wouldnt work. If you do plan on going this route, and have not yet bought a sealer, dont buy a cheapy! Buy quality bags as well! As I stated before, this is only an IDEA, and has not yet been tried. If anyone else can tell me if this idea wont work I'd be grateful! smile.gif

Proverbs 3:5
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skookum ouzel
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PostFri Apr 04, 2003 1:51 pm 
I have also been considering the sealer and bag angle. I just don't see how the ziplocs (or glad, or whatever) would hold up. Have you looked into the cost of bags and a sealer yet? I've been afraid to look! lol.gif I'm going to experiment with Ziploc freezer bags. See how they hold up to boiling water. See if I can't dehydrate a meal I cook at home, bag it, and reconstitute it in the bag. I recently bought a dehydrator. It was an el-cheapo which I am sure I will be itching to replace by summer's end... but hey, it seemed a bargain at the time. It occurs to me that I could avoid being one of those
Quote:
irresponcible gun gnuts
by bagging the dehydrated meal at home in a ziploc, then reconstituting it in a Nalgene bottle by adding boilling water. hmmm... a little water after my meal swished around would clean the bottle and capture 'lost calories', and I could reuse the bag on my next trip. Oh, the possibilities seem endless!!! up.gif biggrin.gif LOL!

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allison-
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PostFri Apr 04, 2003 2:30 pm 
When I borrow Quark's dehydrator, I always do ground beef. Cook it up as usual, using the leanest GB you can find. Season any way you like. Dry in dehydrator. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but all of this stuff has to be reconstituted. Soak for an hour or a day.

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Snowkeeper
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PostSat Apr 05, 2003 7:17 pm 
I found a vacuum sealer at costco for $159. It looks like a descent one. I will probably end up getting that one. I am going to a sportsman show tomorrow and see what else there is. Somebody at the sportsman show may know if the concept will work. Soon as I buy one, I'll try it out as we have spoke about, and see if it works. I'll let you know of the results. Wish me luck..LOL. By the way, I bought a cheapo dehydrator at Walmart 3 years ago.. Its still going and i'm still pleased! Its definately paid for itself! And when it dies I'll buy another cheapo so the racks will still match up and I'll have extras without buying them. Sometimes I prefer to buy quality, other times I go cheapo.

Proverbs 3:5
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Newt
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PostSat Apr 05, 2003 7:33 pm 
If it's the Food Saver 1050 like I think it is, it's a pretty good one. I have used mine to seal veggies for soup. I also have the American Harvest Snackmaster that has done a great job. Have fun. NN smile.gif

It's pretty safe to say that if we take all of man kinds accumulated knowledge, we still don't know everything. So, I hope you understand why I don't believe you know everything. But then again, maybe you do.
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skookum ouzel
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PostMon Apr 07, 2003 8:50 am 
Good luck Snowkeeper!!! Speaking of 'el cheapo' dehydrators, I bought a Ronco dehydrator off Ebay some months ago... it came with no recipe booklets or direction, so (in the name of science) we'll be experimenting a little bit this week - always fun!

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Newt
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PostTue Apr 08, 2003 7:18 pm 
Here's a link to a pretty good recipe. Bacon & Potato Chowder I tried this and have a few suggestions. I used dried bacon pieces from Costco and then sealed the remainder and put in fridge. The dried potatoes can be home dried or from Costco also. You may want to add some seasoning to taste otherwise was a bit bland. Also when putting into a quart Nalgene I found it rehydrated to the max. I thought it was going to pop the cap and was also difficult to remove. Maybe rehydrate longer than a couple of hours if possible. NN smile.gif

It's pretty safe to say that if we take all of man kinds accumulated knowledge, we still don't know everything. So, I hope you understand why I don't believe you know everything. But then again, maybe you do.
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Mike E.
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PostThu Apr 10, 2003 3:13 pm 
If you folks have a bag sealer and want to use a heat resistant bag then I'd get the polypropylene "oven" bags. They will seal with a sealer and they can easily take the heat of boiling water. These are used to sterilize materials for growing mushrooms and can be autoclaved at 265 degrees or so indefinitely. The zip lock type bags are polyethylene and weaken dramatically in boiling water.

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skookum ouzel
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PostThu Apr 10, 2003 3:37 pm 
good info - thanks!

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Quark
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PostThu Apr 10, 2003 3:38 pm 
Mike E. wrote:
The zip lock type bags are polyethylene and weaken dramatically in boiling water.
Gosh, I love it when things weaken dramatically. Comedic weakening is OK, so long as it's done right, which it rarely is - but dramatic weakening - it's an art!

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Mike E.
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PostThu Apr 10, 2003 4:01 pm 
They not only weaken dramatically, but sometimes weep uncontrollably and have even been known to "spill their guts".

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