Dehydrating questions

[Jillybean]

Hi, I've had my dehydrator for about a month now and love it. So far it's mostly been used for fruit leather and dried fruit. Long term storage is not an issue as my youngest loves them.
Some of my questions ...
1) meat. I seem to read that this is only 3 months storage, which to me is a lot of effort for a short time. Anyone have experience with longer storage?
2) I want to make just add water meals. What's to stop me making a bit batch of pasta sauce and dehydrating it, making it into powder and storing? If this is possible could I not just make larger amounts of vegetarian meals and dehydrate some? (Still worried about meat ones).
3) dehydrated eggs. Can these be used in making cookies or cakes, or is it just scrambled eggs?
Thanks

[Deeps]

I've not tried making a sauce and powdering it but I do dehydrate normal meals, usually veggie curries or Quorn mince based stuff like bolognese or chilli. It has sharp bits when its dried so when I vacc seal it I double bag it with a bit of kitchen towel inbetween them.

I've dried meat that's lasted a good bit longer than 3 months, beef with as much fat removed as I can and dried until its stiff, really stiff. Probably still have some from a good few years back.

Hope that helps.

[Jillybean]

Thanks that does. I think I might just experiment whilst I have the luxury of time.

[jennyjj01]

2) I want to make just add water meals. What's to stop me making a bit batch of pasta sauce and dehydrating it, making it into powder and storing? If this is possible could I not just make larger amounts of vegetarian meals and dehydrate some? (Still worried about meat ones).
3) dehydrated eggs. Can these be used in making cookies or cakes, or is it just scrambled eggs?
Thanks

Hi JB and welcome.
2. I think you'll find making complex dried ready meals is somewhat advanced. AIUI, The dried instant meals that you can buy have separately dried ingredients, such as tomato powder, dried diced carrots and peppers etc. which are then dry mixed. If you try to dehydrate something like a ragu, you can expect it to rehydrate with all the wrong textures. That said, if you do succeed, let us know how you did it.
3. Dehydrating eggs is tricky. Unless you can get quality eggs super cheap, I'd suggest you buy ready dried egg powder from http://www.internationalegg.co.uk They are excellent value with recommended shelf life of a year, but I'm happily using 4 year old stuff. You can use in anything, cakes, biscuits, omelettes, scramble.

Apart from fruit leathers, I thoroughly recommend deydrating chopped onions, diced carrots, diced peppers, sliced tomatoes*, sliced mushrooms, garlic and anything you will use lots of, or anything where you'd usually buy too much. Buy them when you see them cheap, and certainly dehydrate anything languishing in your fridge for a day or two. Also dehydrating frozen veg can save masses of freezer space and you can keep the food in jars or tupperware, thus saving freezer space for meat or meals.
The great thing about carrots etc is that you can shrink a couple of kilo down to fit in a mug sized jar or bag ( I use coffee jars ) A sack of onions can fit in a sandwich box. Soak 20 mins to an hour or so and you are good to use as normal. With tomatoes, you can blitz down to a fine powder and use in place of puree or passata.
It's a bit of an addiction. Build the dehydration into regular regime. Practice cooking with your dried produce.
Remember that when you re-hydrate, a few ounces will make a massive meal.

[Jillybean]

Thanks.
I have tried peas and already used some. I also did some carrots, but after the extra effort I have bought frozen veg to try.
I'm waiting for warmer weather to do the onions having read many times how it stinks out the house so I can do it outside in my workshop.
The dehydrator was on most days until I got a virus (not that one!) So I've been using stores. It has made me think about food groups. And the need for wholesome food that's fast and little effort to cook.

Never thought about dehydrating and freezing but that's a good idea.

My mum can get me a huge box of farm eggs for less than in the shops, so I might experiment.

Just need feel better so I can crack on, but I will let you know how the experiment the go.

[Deeps]

Thanks.
I have tried peas and already used some. I also did some carrots, but after the extra effort I have bought frozen veg to try.
I'm waiting for warmer weather to do the onions having read many times how it stinks out the house so I can do it outside in my workshop.
The dehydrator was on most days until I got a virus (not that one!) So I've been using stores. It has made me think about food groups. And the need for wholesome food that's fast and little effort to cook.

Never thought about dehydrating and freezing but that's a good idea.

My mum can get me a huge box of farm eggs for less than in the shops, so I might experiment.

Just need feel better so I can crack on, but I will let you know how the experiment the go.

I see what you did there.

Hope you get well soon, let us know how you go with the eggs.

[jennyjj01]

Never thought about dehydrating and freezing but that's a good idea.

I didn't mean to dehydrate and then freeze veg. I meant dehydrating veg that would normally fill up the freezer and then liberate freezer space by keeping the dried stuff in jars at ambient temperature.

My mum can get me a huge box of farm eggs for less than in the shops, so I might experiment.
Just need feel better so I can crack on, but I will let you know how the experiment the go.

Eggsperimenting is what makes prepping fun.
Get well soon.

[ForgeCorvus]

If you're looking for inspiration as to how to use your home dried stuff, Jenny's thread "Ration list to meal plans" has some tempting meals...... And you know its safe as J's already tried to poison herself with them

[jennyjj01]

If you're looking for inspiration as to how to use your home dried stuff, Jenny's thread "Ration list to meal plans" has some tempting meals...... And you know its safe as J's already tried to poison herself with them

Lol. thanks. Link to thread
Incidentally, About that toxic rissotto....
I revisited each of the individual ingredients of my toxic risotto. To remind, it was mostly my own dehydrated mushrooms and onions with a few other bits, and combined together to make a nourishing but explosive laxative . I'd suspected the mushrooms, but so far NONE of the ingredients cooked separately, has done me any harm.

And serving 3 year old Uncle Ben's sauce and later, 3 year old powdered eggs to MrJ did not lead to my arrest for attempted murder.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[Jillybean]

If you're looking for inspiration as to how to use your home dried stuff, Jenny's thread "Ration list to meal plans" has some tempting meals...... And you know its safe as J's already tried to poison herself with them

Lol. thanks. Link to thread
Incidentally, About that toxic rissotto....
I revisited each of the individual ingredients of my toxic risotto. To remind, it was mostly my own dehydrated mushrooms and onions with a few other bits, and combined together to make a nourishing but explosive laxative . I'd suspected the mushrooms, but so far NONE of the ingredients cooked separately, has done me any harm.

And serving 3 year old Uncle Ben's sauce and later, 3 year old powdered eggs to MrJ did not lead to my arrest for attempted murder.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

lol. Thanks, I will have a look. Will avoid mushrooms as I really don't like them.
Currently I have orange peel dehydrating to make vitamin C powder. I've ordered some gelatin to make gummies to see if the added boost will help boost immune systems.