thanks for all the help i had with the dehydrating. I've done a couple of recipes now but i don't seem to be able to get everything rehydrated- crunchy beans and mince! my method is to wack the water in the bag, wrap it up in a section of rollmat and leave. i'm keen to perfect the bag/cosy method rather than the reheat method- deos anyone have any tips?
Hi Simon, we've found that everything has it's own rehydration time if you are using the water method. (Obviously this also depends on the size of pieces involved)
Our routine, especially when meat is involved (chicken and turkey take by far the longest BTW), is to boil water for the mid morning brew and, add the hot water to the bag in a Nalgene container to slosh around for the rest of the day.
The veg and sauce will probably be rehydrated by food time, however the meat may need longer. In which case slowly bring it to the boil in a pan with a bit more water (if needed) and then either cosy it while you put up the tent, or leave it to simmer while you put up the tent.
It works for us in 10 - 20 mins generally if needed, however most of the time, once heated it is ready to eat!
The other method involves more fuel, which is to bring it to a boil and then simmer it for anything up to 20 mins. Obviously this is much easier when using the Bush Cooker or Honey Stove, as it is part of the fun. However if fuel is precious, getting into the first routine, is by far the most fuel and time efficient.
It may be time efficient, assuming you want to eat as quickly as possible when you stop. Personally I like to settle in and look forward to dinner later, although that in itself doesn't preclude your method.
But is it really weight-efficient? Surely at mid morning you're effectively turning your dehydrated meal back into a hydrated meal, and for the remainder of your day you're carrying the weight of the water? (Sure, dehydrating isn't only about weight, it's about taking food of your choice too.) From our experience, for a 2-person meal that could easily be 500g of water, plus of course the weight of the nalgene bottle you're carrying for the purpose (does that have other uses too?). Even if it were less, maybe only 200g of water added at that stage, that's still the weight of a full 100 gas cannister, or a lot of meths or coleman fuel (can't say for wood-burning...?) - certainly far more than it would need just to go for the simmer and/or pot-cozy methods.
I see that the weight balance may change depending on the length of trip and scope for resupply of food vs fuel, but from what you've described I'm failing to see much benefit in rehydrating all day as you walk. Are there any other advantages - for instance, does rehydrating for an extended period make any difference to the final texture of the food, do you find?
2 people carrying each meal in a container which weighs a few gms (if not using a wood burner) yes I suppose weight could be 300 gm maximum. (I can live with that) However I don't suggest the full amount of water, just SOME hot water to start the rehydrating process off.
If using a wood burner, then there's no need to do it at all just add the water and simmer in the eveing to suit your needs.
At the end of the day, (literally) it all depends on your own personal preferences. We all carry things which make our personal backpacking experience more enjoyable. Items I carry may not seen important to others and vica-versa. However, I was doing my best to answer the original question.
Does it make a difference to the texture of the food? I've answered this several times over the last 12 months on OM. The dehydrated food will only absorb the liquid it has lost. The longer time you give it, the more it will revert to the orginal texture. Different foods take different times and it all depends on your total meal. Experience dictates that the eating experience benefits from not trying to rush the whole process.
If you are in a hurry then the freeze dried food is the way to go. Something we use when adventure racing and we are in a hurry. When we are not in a hurry, then this method described above works for us. No doubt Matt you have your own method which works for you with whatever food system you use?
There is no right or wrong. Just what is right for each individual. And experience, is the only thing that will give you that answer, plus a bit of helpful advice if starting from scratch.
Not meaning to pick holes Bob, so sorry if you took it that way, just curious to understand the different approaches, and to see the pros and cons of each. So far we've used the simmering and pot cozy approaches, and I've not been tempted to try the long, slow rehydration through the day. It makes a lot more sense to me now you say you only add some of the water for that phase, and if the longer approach may help the rehydrated texture then that's a benefit I'd be interested to experiment with. Thanks for clarifying.
