Making your own dried food

I don't buy the freeze dried food. I know it is good because I have tried it. I make and 'repack' most of my food to save money. I have a Nesco food dehydrator that I use to dry jerky, beef, Albacore tuna, herbs, vegetables and fruit. I have tried drying pork and chicken but have been unhappy/unsure of the results so i just don't do it.

Dry some Beef



  • One of my favorite foods is the beef jerky. I wait until Safeway puts London Broil on sale, then I buy alot of it.  I trim off as much fat as I can, cut off a few good cuts for steaks and grind the rest to burger using a meat grinder I bought at a garage sale. I bag it five pounds each in a gallon freezer bag for jerky or dried beef for backpacking meals and freeze it.



  • For beef jerky I season with Nesco seasoning I buy onlinehttp://www.nesco.com/category_12e291b19e72/  25 at a time. Pretty simple from here, marinade it and dry it. I keep the bulk in the freezer even after drying because I don't like it too dry.


Drying plain beef is great for backpacking meals. I make several meals that are cheap.

Beef Stroganoff


  •  Buy a box of Farmhouse Stroganoff mix at Winco for about a buck. Repackage with a half cup of dried milk and a cup of dried beef. This is a full meal for two.


I carry a small amount of olive oil and add it to any meal with dried meat. It makes the rehydration better.

I have several other meals with beef but I like to add pasta sauce leather.

Make pasta sauce leather




  • Go buy the big can of pasta sauce, my favorite is four cheese. They are cheap and this is easy. Pour a can on a couple of cookie sheets 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Put it in the oven as low as it goes and let it cook till dry.


I add about a quarter can of dried leather to the boxed meals like enchilada and italian meals.

Ravioli


  • From the bulk foods at Winco I buy some dried cheese stuffed Raviolli. Also I keep stocked up on their dried cheese sauce. Combine these with dried milk, pasta leather and dried beef and you have a great meal. Bring Tums.

Au Gratin Potatoes


Speaking of the dried cheese sauce brings up my favorite side meal for backpacking. I say side meal because I question wether there is any nutritional value at all! In any case buy the dried potatoe slices at Winco Bulk, combine with cheese sauce and some dried milk. Many high mountain campsites will be warmer for this treat!

I carry a small amount of olive oil and add it to any meal with dried meat. It makes the rehydration better.

Corn Chowder


I use cream of corn dried like the pasta leather. Dry corn and peas and imitation crab in the dehydrator. Combine this with powdered milk.

Chili Mac Bake

Use macaroni, dried cooked beans, dried beef, powdered milk, powder cheese sauce (Winco bulk section), chili seasoning pack and pasta leather. This you will love.