@@KevinOutdoors Great video. I've never dehydrated anything in my life. I didn't realize that dehydrated meats needed to be kept in the freezer. I was just looking into this for a camping trip I plan to take in the spring.
There is a small step to understand the process of dehydrating and rehydrating: Before you put any prepared stuff into your dehydrator, measure the weight of your ingredients very precisely. Do the same thing after the dehydration process is done. The difference of weight in between your before and after measurement is exactly the amount of water that you need later for rehydration being outdoors. Note it on every bag you fill. The trick is not to use more or less water, but being precisely to reconstruct a perfect meal. Let it sit closed in the calculated amount of hot water for 15 minutes. You can always add a SMALL amount of water if you think it`s too thick for your taste. I recently dehydrated 10 eggs about L size giving me 100 grams of egg powder. I needed exactly 55 grams of warm water for 20 grams of egg powder for a perfect scrambled egg. Just double powder and water if you want a scrambled egg of 4. Cheers from Germany, Bernd
Thanks, interesting process and makes complete sense. I find it's easy to just cover a meal with water in the pot. If it is a soup or stew then I add about an inch extra water. Regardless of pot shape or size this seems to work.
Once you have dehydrated it and put it in the package. Do you have to keep it in the freezer? I thought that once you dehydrated it, it didn't have to go in the freezer. If its sealed tight like that wouldn't it be good in the cupboards or in the pantry?
I’m not sure why YT recommenced this as if my frail self is ever gonna go backcountry camping, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t watch the whole thing and enjoy every minute of it 💜
@@KevinOutdoors Love this super simplle--- but question!!---how long once vacuum sealed, do these last?? Also do you HAVE to keep them in the freezer? Just worried about longevity if I mass prepare food for thru-hiking🙏🙏🙏 Appreciate your videos my friend
Love your delivery. No idle chitchat and you get straight to the point. You are clear, articulate and interesting. Thank you! Wonderful little helper, too!
So nice seeing a dad teach a daughter how to cook for hiking in the back country. Sweet memories. And that's how to start a family tradition loving the great outdoors.
LOVE IT. Enjoy seeing that you've got your child involved. ALSO easy to follow and no extra talking. No one likes that. So the video was well done. Cant wait to show my husband.
As a city girl who is becoming more of the outdoors type thanks to my significant other's influence, thank you for your straight forward presentation! It helps so much. I have to subscribe to this channel and learn more way to dehydrate food and make simple recipes. Love the Spanish rice! Great for a weekend camping trip with friends and family.
Ok please take this comment comedically. Stop being so smart with excellent processes. And stop being such a good dad getting your daughter involved. I obviously am joking. Love your videos. You bring my meal game to a whole new level. Thanks for the video!
This was 5 years ago... I'm curious- has camping, prepping for camp inspired your Daughter or children to do the same? I have only seen this one video since I just got a dehydrator after being without for years, so you may still be making them and had updates. I think it was cool that you pulled her into the process! At that age the things Dads do with their kids can make a lifelong impact. Hope everything is well, thanks for taking the time to show us your approach to homemade "MRE's!"
I appreciate your concept in combining the carbs and veggies together to dehydrate... then adding the protein and spices. Thank you... very concise method.
Thank you for posting this video. Makes things clearer than many others out there. It was awesome the way you involved your daughter as well. Well done sir.
This is awesome. My family has always struggled with going camping because it just gets too hot to keep ice in the coolers and it's messy. This will help us make good food quickly and without carrying unneeded ice and coolers. Amazing. I've just recently started dehydrating foods and I'm absolutely loving it.
Thanks Karoo Blue! I appreciate the purchase. If you purchased directly from the publisher I have noticed that delivery times are a bit exaggerated. My own delivery of books was forecasted at 4 weeks but they arrived in a week. SA is a bit far but I hope they arrive in 2-3 weeks for you! Thanks again!
@@KevinOutdoors No Thanks to YOU for this amazing book. Here is SA purchasing through "Amazon" is a nightmare (import taxes, delivery issues etc). I bought I through a reputable and reliable source "Takealot". I know it will be worth the wait :-) Keep safe.
Thank you. Hubby and I are really wanting to do more back woods camping but have found over the years that our gear just keeps getting more and more. Time to go back to basics. Hello from North Bay.
I'm getting a lot of requests for this so I guess I need to make a video. In the mean time check out my video titled "How Long will my Fuel Canister Last?" I show how to rehydrat a meal there. I also show this in some of my backpacking videos. Check out my Coastal Hiking Trail series I cook a meal or two in nearly every episode. Thanks for watching!
Coming to the discussion late. Question: is the meat dehydrated when raw or is it cooked before dehydration? And if when raw, when you rehydrate, is it cooked through properly?
I noticed that as well. Hoping we see a future video. New subscriber here. Thank you for the info. I'm a fairly new prepper and homesteader so anything I can learn is awesome.
Amazing video!! Love how you separated the meats and veggies, most I see doing them together and they come out chewy. How long should these meals last when dehydrated in the freezer/pantry (or on trail) when vacuum sealed and not vacuum sealed? Great video, thanks for the info!
Good question Lexi, it depends on how dry they are and how good a job you do of removing fat and keeping them out of the air. I would say benchmark easily 6 months. If you vacuum seal and keep them out of sunlight they can easily last a year or longer.
Thanks so much Kevin for all your great info. We tried dehydrating meals for a camping trip recently and it worked great! It saved space, and allowed us to eat healthier too and not buy prepackaged dehydrated foods. Thanks Kevin!
Thanks for this video, i tried the pre made foil packets and they are absolutely horrible, i never thought of dehydrating myself, or realised this was a more efficient way to carry food while hiking and camping, thanks for the solid advice
@@miroslavmajer5155 Yes, for sure. I am not a pushy salesperson and I do want to 'give away' all the content with videos but that will take a long time. If this is your thing then the book has all the info in one place. Happy dehydrating.
Kevin, very nice video. Thank you. I have always been interested in how to put the meals together. Just one critic... I really wish you had shown the whole process of adding the water and how much to add. Then maybe allow your daughter to tell us how it tasted. I not only want to learn this for long term SHTF storage, but also to be able to prep better lunches & dinners for my husband and son to take to work. They are very picky eaters.
Thanks Suzy, fair comment and good suggestion about having my daughter do a taste test. It gives me some ideas of videos to make over the winter months. In the meantime check out some of my camping videos. In particular I make a lot of food in the 'Coastal Hiking Trail of Lake Superior Provincial Park' series. I actually thought I may have showed too much trail cooking and might bore the audience :) Another good dehydrating food channel is 'Babblefish5' he doesn't' seem very active these days but his method of cooking is similar to mine. He does one meal episodes and his vids are of high quality. I could copy his style and make a lot of videos but I figure if somebody has it right why copy. Instead my goal was to demonstrate the concept rather than illustrate individual recipes. But you got me thinking - I may come up with something. Thanks!
If completely dehydrated you can measure out and put in a Mason jars and vaccum seal either food saver or use brake bleeder to suck all the oxygen out...It will save freezer room! I also vaccuum seal mylar bags/or food saver bags via weight, label and store in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid! Major space saver! Keep in a cool/dry place.=)
Thanks Kevin. I appreciate the simplicity of your video. First one I've ever watched. I'm a canoe/ kayak camper and will be trying this myself instead of high priced dry meals from the store. Again,, thanks. By the way keep your helper. She a must have. 🙂
Good question Ivory. It all depends on how well you remove the air, water and fat and if you keep it out of the sun. If you do a good job at all those things then I would say easily 6 months to a year.
This is some really good information and appreciated. To be clear for my own understanding - so each 150g portion is for a single (one person) serving, not a single meal for the entire family, correct? Thank you.
Hi Kevin I wanted to thank you for your recipes and instructions. My family and I just got back from a ten day hike on the La Cloche Trail in Killarney and we fed ourselves with your recipes. We never ate better in the outdoors. We especially enjoyed the Shepard’s Pie and the Spanish Chicken. I also noticed in another video of yours that you hiked through Tonquin Valley in Alberta, my family and I will also will be doing the trail in July and I was wondering if customs make any issues when you are crossing the provincial border from Ontario to Alberta with food? Also whether you shipped your food separately or had it all in your bag when you took your flight?
Thanks Jack. I really like to hear comments like that. I am happy the meals worked out for you. No worries about taking food across provincial lines in Canada. We don't have any customs between provinces. I presume you are coming from the U.S. both Canadian customs and U.S. customs (depending on your direction) don't like perishable foods, milk, eggs, fruit and raw meat are sometimes rejected at the border. When I first started backpacking south of the border (in the U.S.) I called ahead and asked and if the meals are cooked and dehydrated they don't get too worried. Have a great time in the Tonquin Valley! It is a great place for backpacking!
I was actually also wondering if you had any experience rehydrating food with a Jetboil and a pot cozy? I have recently been thinking of purchasing the Jetboil minimo
I have never used a Jetboil. The people who like them really like them. They look like too much 'extra stuff' to me and not as versatile. It seems like most of the systems come with one pot and one stove. I prefer to be able to use different pots depending if I am solo or in a group. Again, I haven't used them but I have seen a trend in experienced hikers who initially start with a Jetboil eventually go to a simpler stove.
Hi Allie, Yes, if you cook the spices and then dehydrate them you will lose a lot of the taste when it dehydrates. You really smell the aroma in the dehydration proces if you do. It works just fine but putting the spices in at the end seems to work better. Probably even better would be to add some spices at the begining and some after dehydration. Indian cuisine is like that, it gives more flavour notes from the same spice.
Kevin Outdoors I was also wondering if you ever portioned out seasoning packets separate for the meals. I was just thinking it might allow you to refresh/replace the seasonings only since they may lose flavor faster than some of your meals if you are storing them for long periods of time. I’m thinking about doing some backpacking meals which I would probably eat pretty quickly but if preparing emergency meals I might separate it. What are your thoughts?
THANKS, KEVIN!!!! Attention all Preppers! It's 2020 now....four years later. Considering the "mess" we are all in... This idea would be perfect for prepping for SHTF situations such as "food shortages". I just got my dehydrator back out! Glad this one popped up on my feed. I subscribed!
Thanks for the question. Dehydrated food will last a very long time on its own. Likely a year or more but nothing lasts forever. I throw it in the freezer because 1) I have the space and 2) peace of mind. My meals may be in there for a year or two before I decide to go camping on short notice.
Susann Minall I believe it's because when you add egg, fats, real meat, or milk products that it lowers the shelf life. Everything lasts longer in the freezer. ;) It can be tricky for this reason to make your own mixes. Just as long as you know your ingredients shelf life then it works great!
We know that beef jerky sealed correctly will last 1-2 years on the shelf. Even canned meat doesn't last longer then that. The only way to extend this more is to use freeze dried meats, but they are very expensive. According to this website I found..."Keep dehydrated meats in an unrefrigerated area for no more than two weeks, the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends. After that, place the jars in the freezer or refrigerator for use up to one year after dehydrating." Reference: www.livestrong.com/article/537106-how-to-grill-ground-deer-sausage/ I suggest using low fat content, a long term egg substitute like gelatin, no dairy, and freeze dried meats to have dehydrated meals last up to 40 years. This would be the longest shelf life possible if that's what you wanted or needed for your storage purposes. Otherwise, Rotating, is necessary. ;)
Hi! Thank's for Your excellent videos! ONE question that nobody in Sweden where I live can give a good answer to is just what You talked about here: If I do everything correctly, put all the "bone-dry" things together, and vacuum seal them You say that they keep for several months, sometimes up to a year. Put them in a freezer and they last for several (two?) years. So my question is: If I use this method of preparing food ("prepping"), what would YOU think about how often it is time to recycle them, to use them and Exchange them with new ones…? You know what You are doing, but people in Sweden, even Heavy Preppers, don't - and instead they use freeze dried food with "best Before" date on them. That is something we can't do in my family due to allergy and so on that get us really sick). Best regards to You, and hope for Your thoughts in this matter! Christer from Sweden
This was great I have been wanting to learn how to make meals and I was afraid to try it Now I will try it thanks for sharing One question do you know how long it last after you vacuum seal it ?
Hi Mayra, vacuum sealing will definitely extend the shelf life of the meal. How long all depends on how dry your meal is and how much fat you have removed. If you do a good job, easily a year or more.
I know this is an old video, but I just made this recipe (with dehydrated seasoned tofu instead of meat for my vegan friend) and we enjoyed our soba up on Painswick Beacon here in the UK this past weekend. Thanks for inspiring me to start cooking for my dehydrator and making my outdoors experiences even better!
Yes many videos often leave out the portions. I think lots of folks carry more than then need. I did when I started. Now I weigh each item in my pack before and after a trip. That's how I arrived at 150g for my portions for a hard working day.
I love this clever way of cooking and storing nutritious food for camping or just in case. Im just about to leave on a 3000 kilometre fundraising walk with Epilepsy Australia (Seymour, vic - Cairns, QLD) and have been able to cook and store a months worth of evening meals which reduce bulk and weight and leave me something delicious to look forward to each evening. I have purchased your e cookbook and have added some of these recipe's also to my kit - a fantastic must have book for any serious hiker / camper. Thank you Kevin🙂 Matt Stear, Australia
This look so good.I will try these recipe.I am going to buy a food dehydrator .I will be making some meals for my son and daughter great for college kids. also for shut in . Thanks so much . I was going to only make fruits but now I will be doing much much more like also making to give as gifts .THANKS. Also your Daughter did a good job.
Thanks Kevin, this is awesome! I went wild camping in the highlands of Scotland last year totally unprepared. You can only learn the hard way. This is exactly what I’m doing for this year! I can’t give you enough thumbs up
I love dehydrating my own food for canoe triping. It's the only way to manage keeping the weight and bulk down on a long trip with the family while managing expenses. I thought I knew all the good recipes i needed to know, but I think I just added to my repitoire - thanks for a great video - subscribed!
Thanks so much Mama B! That is a great compliment. Yes that is completely how I got into dehydrating. You gotta go there if you want to do an extended trip especially with a family size group. Thanks for the sub. I see you are also a 'content creator' I'll be checking out your channel!
I do... th-cam.com/video/csUDPFOmm4A/w-d-xo.html. And I have a number of other videos on the subject of dehydrated meals. Even a book Backcountry Eats. www.Backcountry-Eats.com
I tried cooking my meals directly in that vacuum bag and it works great. Took some time to find the bags which can withstand boiling temperatures. Saves you doing the dishes
Hello there and thank you 5 years later for sharing this excellent information. I was curious if you could tell me which dehydrating and which vacuum sealing machines you would recommend today and why?
Hi Steve. In this (old) video I use a Nesco dehydrator. I know also have an Excalibur which is arguably a slightly better dehydrator but is much more expensive. IMO the Nesco is the best value and you can get handy fruit roll trays like I use here. I have a simple and relatively cheap FoodSaver vacuum sealer. It works fine.
Excellent food dehydration instruction!
Thanks WT!
@@KevinOutdoors Great video. I've never dehydrated anything in my life. I didn't realize that dehydrated meats needed to be kept in the freezer. I was just looking into this for a camping trip I plan to take in the spring.
@@chrisb9960 Well you don't have to freeze them but they will last almost indefinitely if you do.
@@KevinOutdoors Thank you for the explanation and the video. Enjoy your weekend.
There is a small step to understand the process of dehydrating and rehydrating:
Before you put any prepared stuff into your dehydrator, measure the weight of your ingredients very precisely.
Do the same thing after the dehydration process is done.
The difference of weight in between your before and after measurement is exactly the amount of water that you need later for rehydration being outdoors. Note it on every bag you fill.
The trick is not to use more or less water, but being precisely to reconstruct a perfect meal.
Let it sit closed in the calculated amount of hot water for 15 minutes. You can always add a SMALL amount of water if you think it`s too thick for your taste.
I recently dehydrated 10 eggs about L size giving me 100 grams of egg powder. I needed exactly 55 grams of warm water for 20 grams of egg powder for a perfect scrambled egg. Just double powder and water if you want a scrambled egg of 4.
Cheers from Germany, Bernd
Thanks, interesting process and makes complete sense. I find it's easy to just cover a meal with water in the pot. If it is a soup or stew then I add about an inch extra water. Regardless of pot shape or size this seems to work.
I just received a dehydrator as a gift and this advise will be very useful later, thanks!
What do you do to turn it into powder?
German precision, great!!
Once you have dehydrated it and put it in the package. Do you have to keep it in the freezer? I thought that once you dehydrated it, it didn't have to go in the freezer. If its sealed tight like that wouldn't it be good in the cupboards or in the pantry?
I’m not sure why YT recommenced this as if my frail self is ever gonna go backcountry camping, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t watch the whole thing and enjoy every minute of it 💜
Thanks abb9987!
And now you can dehydrate your favorite soup to use when you're too tired/lazy/not enough time to cook!
Seems silly to freeze as the purpose of dehydrating is instant food if the power goes out or off grill.
It's a way to preserve your food that takes up less space, and is quick to fix. Something to consider should your utilities go out. Just boil water!
@@KevinOutdoors Love this super simplle--- but question!!---how long once vacuum sealed, do these last?? Also do you HAVE to keep them in the freezer? Just worried about longevity if I mass prepare food for thru-hiking🙏🙏🙏
Appreciate your videos my friend
Love your delivery. No idle chitchat and you get straight to the point. You are clear, articulate and interesting. Thank you! Wonderful little helper, too!
Thanks so much!
I second this
So nice seeing a dad teach a daughter how to cook for hiking in the back country. Sweet memories. And that's how to start a family tradition loving the great outdoors.
Thanks, I appreciate the comment!
LOVE IT. Enjoy seeing that you've got your child involved.
ALSO easy to follow and no extra talking. No one likes that. So the video was well done. Cant wait to show my husband.
Thanks Crystal, much appreciated!
The best dehydrating videos on you tube...👍
Thanks so much, this is now becoming an old video. I do my best. :)
As a city girl who is becoming more of the outdoors type thanks to my significant other's influence, thank you for your straight forward presentation! It helps so much. I have to subscribe to this channel and learn more way to dehydrate food and make simple recipes. Love the Spanish rice! Great for a weekend camping trip with friends and family.
Thanks, I love to hear that people are having success with these meals.
Ok please take this comment comedically. Stop being so smart with excellent processes. And stop being such a good dad getting your daughter involved. I obviously am joking. Love your videos. You bring my meal game to a whole new level. Thanks for the video!
Thanks Andrew, much appreciated.
I love this video.
Dehydrating foods is how native people and settlers saved food for winters.
Thanks Windigoking!
Excellent father for including your daughter in your videos. I bet she was happy.
This was 5 years ago... I'm curious- has camping, prepping for camp inspired your Daughter or children to do the same? I have only seen this one video since I just got a dehydrator after being without for years, so you may still be making them and had updates. I think it was cool that you pulled her into the process! At that age the things Dads do with their kids can make a lifelong impact. Hope everything is well, thanks for taking the time to show us your approach to homemade "MRE's!"
So happy to see you teaching your daughter to do the process. Thanks for both of you providing this video.!!!
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Thank you Kevin for your hands on demonstration.
My pleasure!
Wow I’m just learning how to dehydrate You have just opened up another door with doing these meals. Awesome video thank you
You are welcome! I am writing a dehydrator cookbook that will be out in 2020. Stay tuned!
That was extremely useful; I'm getting ready for a month-long car camping trip and trying dehydrating for the first time.
Glad it was helpful!
Kevin, I dehydrated ground turkey today!!! Thank you for the lesson. You are teaching us so much good stuff. :)
Great to hear Martin!
Awesome to have your daughter helping!
Thanks Anita, yes it was fun to have her help.
I'm just getting into dehydrating and this has been a great easy to follow video. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Check out my book at www.Backcountry-Eats.com
I appreciate your concept in combining the carbs and veggies together to dehydrate... then adding the protein and spices. Thank you... very concise method.
Thanks robyn, this method works for me!
An excellent video. I agree on the concept of doing the meat separately from the veg & pasta/rice.
Thanks Barney. Much appreciated!
Thank you for posting this video. Makes things clearer than many others out there. It was awesome the way you involved your daughter as well. Well done sir.
Thanks Dan. Glad you liked it.
Thanks for posting. You've inspired me to break my dehydrator again as Mountainhouse meals are getting old.
Hey, glad to be a source of inspiration. Thanks!
This is awesome. My family has always struggled with going camping because it just gets too hot to keep ice in the coolers and it's messy. This will help us make good food quickly and without carrying unneeded ice and coolers. Amazing.
I've just recently started dehydrating foods and I'm absolutely loving it.
Thanks I really appreciate that. Happy to help your family go on longer trips and deeper into the backcountry!
I made a few of these meals and they were awesome after walking in the backcountry! Thanks again,, and more recipes please. God bless💖
Thanks much appreciated!
Never knew how this worked, looks pretty straight forward! Thanks for the explanation, will definitely try
Thanks you. Please do give it a try.
love to see someone work the scale like a pro!!
LOL - yep I pride myself on that ;)
Super simple. Super helpful. Perfect demo for beginners. Thank you! Spanish chicken is my favorite recipe I’ve found so far
Awesome! Thank you! If you liked that you might want to check out my cookbook at Backcountry-Eats.com
Regardless of the length, your vids quickly get to the point. Thanks for all of the valuable info! I subbed after 1st video!
Awesome, thank you!
Really helpful to a beginner, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Its so awesome to see a kid learning how to make whole food and learn some skills i wish I'd learned as a child
Thanks, She has fun doing stuff with her dad.
agreed
Based in South Africa this book will add so much value to our great outdoor life. 6 weeks to go for delivery .... But in time for summer. 🎈
Thanks Karoo Blue! I appreciate the purchase. If you purchased directly from the publisher I have noticed that delivery times are a bit exaggerated. My own delivery of books was forecasted at 4 weeks but they arrived in a week. SA is a bit far but I hope they arrive in 2-3 weeks for you! Thanks again!
@@KevinOutdoors No Thanks to YOU for this amazing book. Here is SA purchasing through "Amazon" is a nightmare (import taxes, delivery issues etc). I bought I through a reputable and reliable source "Takealot". I know it will be worth the wait :-) Keep safe.
Thank you. Hubby and I are really wanting to do more back woods camping but have found over the years that our gear just keeps getting more and more.
Time to go back to basics.
Hello from North Bay.
Thanks, glad this was helpful!
Loved having your daughter help, gives me hope that maybe I can actually do this!THANKS
Good luck Mark! It really is quite easy once you get the hang of it. Happy Trails!
This should be taught in schools before summer when the kids go camping
I've seen a lot of videos on Dehydrating, but no one ever tells you how to re-hydrate your food. Could you make a video on it please?
I'm getting a lot of requests for this so I guess I need to make a video. In the mean time check out my video titled "How Long will my Fuel Canister Last?" I show how to rehydrat a meal there. I also show this in some of my backpacking videos. Check out my Coastal Hiking Trail series I cook a meal or two in nearly every episode. Thanks for watching!
Will do. Thanks for the quick reply.
Coming to the discussion late. Question: is the meat dehydrated when raw or is it cooked before dehydration? And if when raw, when you rehydrate, is it cooked through properly?
You MUST cook the meat prior to dehydrating.
I noticed that as well. Hoping we see a future video. New subscriber here. Thank you for the info. I'm a fairly new prepper and homesteader so anything I can learn is awesome.
Thank you very much, Kevin. Easy and simple explanation of the process.
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing video!! Love how you separated the meats and veggies, most I see doing them together and they come out chewy. How long should these meals last when dehydrated in the freezer/pantry (or on trail) when vacuum sealed and not vacuum sealed? Great video, thanks for the info!
Good question Lexi, it depends on how dry they are and how good a job you do of removing fat and keeping them out of the air. I would say benchmark easily 6 months. If you vacuum seal and keep them out of sunlight they can easily last a year or longer.
@@KevinOutdoors Wow thats great, thanks for the tips! Love your videos!
Thanks so much Kevin for all your great info. We tried dehydrating meals for a camping trip recently and it worked great! It saved space, and allowed us to eat healthier too and not buy prepackaged dehydrated foods. Thanks Kevin!
Sounds great! I love to hear that!
Thanks for this video, i tried the pre made foil packets and they are absolutely horrible, i never thought of dehydrating myself, or realised this was a more efficient way to carry food while hiking and camping, thanks for the solid advice
Thanks Michelle! Have fun on the trail!
Lol, I came back to this video after 6 years. I am finally having the food dehydrating machie :)
Glad you like it enough to come back. In the mean time I wrote a book on the subject. Check it out www.backcountry-eats.com
@@KevinOutdoors awesome, good job!. Will you continue with video making as well?
@@miroslavmajer5155 Yes, for sure. I am not a pushy salesperson and I do want to 'give away' all the content with videos but that will take a long time. If this is your thing then the book has all the info in one place. Happy dehydrating.
Kevin, very nice video. Thank you. I have always been interested in how to put the meals together. Just one critic... I really wish you had shown the whole process of adding the water and how much to add. Then maybe allow your daughter to tell us how it tasted. I not only want to learn this for long term SHTF storage, but also to be able to prep better lunches & dinners for my husband and son to take to work. They are very picky eaters.
Thanks Suzy, fair comment and good suggestion about having my daughter do a taste test. It gives me some ideas of videos to make over the winter months. In the meantime check out some of my camping videos. In particular I make a lot of food in the 'Coastal Hiking Trail of Lake Superior Provincial Park' series. I actually thought I may have showed too much trail cooking and might bore the audience :)
Another good dehydrating food channel is 'Babblefish5' he doesn't' seem very active these days but his method of cooking is similar to mine. He does one meal episodes and his vids are of high quality. I could copy his style and make a lot of videos but I figure if somebody has it right why copy. Instead my goal was to demonstrate the concept rather than illustrate individual recipes.
But you got me thinking - I may come up with something. Thanks!
Excellent content packed into a no frills video. Thanks!!
Glad you liked it!
Useful info. Thanks for the video.
Thanks!
Man.. you're from the future! You're the Game Changer. Really appreciate your videos 👍
I appreciate that! Stay tuned, I have a cookbook coming out in a couple of months.
THIS is EXACTLY what I needed to see! Thank you so much!
Can the dehydrated food be stored in Mylar food bags for long term storage?
Yes, absolutely.
Great video. Thanks for the info. And the really cool thing is to see you passing it along to your daughter.
Thanks Retrodog! Thanks for the comment.
I am curious, why do you store in the freezer? If it’s dehydrated can’t it go in the pantry? Thank you
These meals will last a long time of properly stored in a cool dark place. If you store them in a freezer they will last almost indefinitely.
If completely dehydrated you can measure out and put in a Mason jars and vaccum seal either food saver or use brake bleeder to suck all the oxygen out...It will save freezer room! I also vaccuum seal mylar bags/or food saver bags via weight, label and store in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid! Major space saver! Keep in a cool/dry place.=)
@@amyziesmer5189 z
Thanks Kevin. I appreciate the simplicity of your video. First one I've ever watched. I'm a canoe/ kayak camper and will be trying this myself instead of high priced dry meals from the store. Again,, thanks. By the way keep your helper. She a must have. 🙂
Awesome, thank you! FYI - I have a dehydrator cookbook coming out in a couple of weeks.
If you don’t place them in the freezer what is the shelf life of your dehydrated food
Good question Ivory. It all depends on how well you remove the air, water and fat and if you keep it out of the sun. If you do a good job at all those things then I would say easily 6 months to a year.
Your video is the best visual source of diy dehydrated backpack food
Thaaaaanx a lots
Thanks, I really appreciate that.
This is some really good information and appreciated. To be clear for my own understanding - so each 150g portion is for a single (one person) serving, not a single meal for the entire family, correct? Thank you.
Family size, if you are a family of crickets.......
Wow very informative thank you!
My pleasure!
Hi Kevin I wanted to thank you for your recipes and instructions. My family and I just got back from a ten day hike on the La Cloche Trail in Killarney and we fed ourselves with your recipes. We never ate better in the outdoors. We especially enjoyed the Shepard’s Pie and the Spanish Chicken.
I also noticed in another video of yours that you hiked through Tonquin Valley in Alberta, my family and I will also will be doing the trail in July and I was wondering if customs make any issues when you are crossing the provincial border from Ontario to Alberta with food? Also whether you shipped your food separately or had it all in your bag when you took your flight?
Thanks Jack. I really like to hear comments like that. I am happy the meals worked out for you. No worries about taking food across provincial lines in Canada. We don't have any customs between provinces.
I presume you are coming from the U.S. both Canadian customs and U.S. customs (depending on your direction) don't like perishable foods, milk, eggs, fruit and raw meat are sometimes rejected at the border. When I first started backpacking south of the border (in the U.S.) I called ahead and asked and if the meals are cooked and dehydrated they don't get too worried.
Have a great time in the Tonquin Valley! It is a great place for backpacking!
Kevin Outdoors nice that makes it easy then :D Thanks again Kevin!
I was actually also wondering if you had any experience rehydrating food with a Jetboil and a pot cozy? I have recently been thinking of purchasing the Jetboil minimo
I have never used a Jetboil. The people who like them really like them. They look like too much 'extra stuff' to me and not as versatile. It seems like most of the systems come with one pot and one stove. I prefer to be able to use different pots depending if I am solo or in a group. Again, I haven't used them but I have seen a trend in experienced hikers who initially start with a Jetboil eventually go to a simpler stove.
Kevin Outdoors really well if they’re switching over to the standard pots that is a good indicator then. Thanks again Kevin!
Just what I was looking for. Meals with meat. I’ll probably sauté the spices with the onions instead of adding at the end to cut the heat for me. 👍👍👍
Thanks Karl!
Thanks for the video! Curious--is there a reason not to use the spices when cooking the veggies, etc?
Hi Allie, Yes, if you cook the spices and then dehydrate them you will lose a lot of the taste when it dehydrates. You really smell the aroma in the dehydration proces if you do. It works just fine but putting the spices in at the end seems to work better. Probably even better would be to add some spices at the begining and some after dehydration. Indian cuisine is like that, it gives more flavour notes from the same spice.
Kevin Outdoors I was also wondering if you ever portioned out seasoning packets separate for the meals. I was just thinking it might allow you to refresh/replace the seasonings only since they may lose flavor faster than some of your meals if you are storing them for long periods of time. I’m thinking about doing some backpacking meals which I would probably eat pretty quickly but if preparing emergency meals I might separate it. What are your thoughts?
THANKS, KEVIN!!!! Attention all Preppers! It's 2020 now....four years later. Considering the "mess" we are all in... This idea would be perfect for prepping for SHTF situations such as "food shortages". I just got my dehydrator back out! Glad this one popped up on my feed. I subscribed!
QUESTION: If everything is dehydrated, why are you placing sealed meals in the freezer? Aren't they shelf stable, dehydrated and vacuumed sealed?
Thanks for the question. Dehydrated food will last a very long time on its own. Likely a year or more but nothing lasts forever. I throw it in the freezer because 1) I have the space and 2) peace of mind. My meals may be in there for a year or two before I decide to go camping on short notice.
Thank you for the speedy response, it was greatly appreciated.
Susann Minall I believe it's because when you add egg, fats, real meat, or milk products that it lowers the shelf life. Everything lasts longer in the freezer. ;) It can be tricky for this reason to make your own mixes. Just as long as you know your ingredients shelf life then it works great!
We know that beef jerky sealed correctly will last 1-2 years on the shelf. Even canned meat doesn't last longer then that. The only way to extend this more is to use freeze dried meats, but they are very expensive.
According to this website I found..."Keep dehydrated meats in an unrefrigerated area for no more than two weeks, the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends. After that, place the jars in the freezer or refrigerator for use up to one year after dehydrating." Reference: www.livestrong.com/article/537106-how-to-grill-ground-deer-sausage/
I suggest using low fat content, a long term egg substitute like gelatin, no dairy, and freeze dried meats to have dehydrated meals last up to 40 years. This would be the longest shelf life possible if that's what you wanted or needed for your storage purposes. Otherwise, Rotating, is necessary. ;)
Hi! Thank's for Your excellent videos! ONE question that nobody in Sweden where I live can give a good answer to is just what You talked about here: If I do everything correctly, put all the "bone-dry" things together, and vacuum seal them You say that they keep for several months, sometimes up to a year. Put them in a freezer and they last for several (two?) years. So my question is: If I use this method of preparing food ("prepping"), what would YOU think about how often it is time to recycle them, to use them and Exchange them with new ones…? You know what You are doing, but people in Sweden, even Heavy Preppers, don't - and instead they use freeze dried food with "best Before" date on them. That is something we can't do in my family due to allergy and so on that get us really sick). Best regards to You, and hope for Your thoughts in this matter! Christer from Sweden
A little Hollywood star in the making great video thanks
Thanks Colin, she had fun making that with me.
Be aware that dehydrated elbow macaroni can hold air whereas flat pastas do not. This is important when vacuum sealing the meals.
Excellent tip!!!
very impressive. High quality meals without all the cost. and your assistant cool. thank you for the video.
Thanks Nel!
This was great
I have been wanting to learn how to make meals and I was afraid to try it
Now I will try it thanks for sharing
One question do you know how long it last after you vacuum seal it ?
Hi Mayra, vacuum sealing will definitely extend the shelf life of the meal. How long all depends on how dry your meal is and how much fat you have removed. If you do a good job, easily a year or more.
Thank you so much for this video!! This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. Your daughter is adorable!
Thanks, glad this was useful to you.
I know this is an old video, but I just made this recipe (with dehydrated seasoned tofu instead of meat for my vegan friend) and we enjoyed our soba up on Painswick Beacon here in the UK this past weekend. Thanks for inspiring me to start cooking for my dehydrator and making my outdoors experiences even better!
So glad these recipes are working for you!
Absolutely exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a million. Love ur helpful lil girl too. Great job.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
Nice, your meals look yummy! Your daughter did a great job getting everything mixed up & filling the dehydrator tray. 👍👍
Yes! Thank you!
Great video. Glad to hear the comments mention portions.
Yes many videos often leave out the portions. I think lots of folks carry more than then need. I did when I started. Now I weigh each item in my pack before and after a trip. That's how I arrived at 150g for my portions for a hard working day.
I love this clever way of cooking and storing nutritious food for camping or just in case. Im just about to leave on a 3000 kilometre fundraising walk with Epilepsy Australia (Seymour, vic - Cairns, QLD) and have been able to cook and store a months worth of evening meals which reduce bulk and weight and leave me something delicious to look forward to each evening. I have purchased your e cookbook and have added some of these recipe's also to my kit - a fantastic must have book for any serious hiker / camper. Thank you Kevin🙂
Matt Stear, Australia
Sounds like a great adventure and a worthy cause. I am so glad to have helped in a very small way. Best of luck to you!
I love you easy receipes, and tasty,they dehydrate so easily. Thankyou
My pleasure 😊 Glad you liked them!
In Germany its called „einfach geil“ !! Great meals and easy to make. Thanks a lot
Glad you liked it.
Thank you that was very informative, especially giving the quantities of dried ingredience.
Glad it was helpful!
Your daughter is really cute. Bless her heart!
Thanks Jai, all grown up now!
Great video. Thank you and thanks to your assistant👍
Happy to help!
Extremely talented prep cook! 👍🏻
Thank you 😋
Great 👍 idea! I am following all of your recipes. 😋🙂😊
Thanks so much 😊
Hi from Aussie great info nice soft music at just the right time .. Wonderful little helper.. Liked the way you involved daughter
Thanks so much. Nice to get viewers from the other side of the planet! :)
What a pretty assistant you have!!
She certainly is, 15 now.
Great video. Loved that you had you kid do the prepping, it teaches her and shows us that we can do it to :)
Thanks so much!
Thanks for the inspiration. Best team.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you Kevin, I wasn't going to store it long, but, didn't want to waste my time. I'm learning a lot from your videos.
Thanks Frances! Good luck!
This is very useful information. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I will put it to good use.
Glad it was helpful!
i loved how you made the mixed the meals!!
Thank you 😋
This look so good.I will try these recipe.I am going to buy a food dehydrator .I will be making some meals for my son and daughter great for college kids. also for shut in . Thanks so much . I was going to only make fruits but now I will be doing much much more like also making to give as gifts .THANKS. Also your Daughter did a good job.
Thanks Beulah - I appreciate the comments.
Very useful with some good ideas. Great video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks fro watching!
Thanks Kevin, this is awesome! I went wild camping in the highlands of Scotland last year totally unprepared. You can only learn the hard way. This is exactly what I’m doing for this year! I can’t give you enough thumbs up
Hey thanks Sean! Stay tuned, I will have a cookbook coming out later this year.
Kevin Outdoors sign me right up buddy!
Wow ! Love it, I will be trying this method tomorrow ! Thank you for the video
Hey thanks! Much appreciated!
Awesome video! My fave was the vacuum sealing at the end. So cool. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, much appreciated!
I love dehydrating my own food for canoe triping. It's the only way to manage keeping the weight and bulk down on a long trip with the family while managing expenses. I thought I knew all the good recipes i needed to know, but I think I just added to my repitoire - thanks for a great video - subscribed!
Thanks so much Mama B! That is a great compliment. Yes that is completely how I got into dehydrating. You gotta go there if you want to do an extended trip especially with a family size group. Thanks for the sub. I see you are also a 'content creator' I'll be checking out your channel!
Thanks you saved me a lot of time! I will be coming back to get these recipes.
No problem. Check out some of my other recipe videos!
Thanks, do you have a video where you show the rehydrating process and what they look like after?
I do... th-cam.com/video/csUDPFOmm4A/w-d-xo.html. And I have a number of other videos on the subject of dehydrated meals. Even a book Backcountry Eats. www.Backcountry-Eats.com
This is a very fun and informative video. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
That’s awesome! I can’t wait to make some for my family. Thanks! 😊
Hope you enjoy!
I tried cooking my meals directly in that vacuum bag and it works great. Took some time to find the bags which can withstand boiling temperatures. Saves you doing the dishes
Yes, many people do that, it has never been my thing.
Just found your video. Wow!! Excellent tutorial. I've just bought a dehydrator and will use your recipes. Thanks very much 👍🏻
Thanks for letting me know. Hope you enjoy. I have a cookbook coming out in 2021 so stay tuned! :)
Great video; thank you very much! Your pretty little girl is a good little worker too!🙏🎶😊👍 grandma in WA state
Thanks, she has grown up a lot since then!
Fantastic video. Very good instructions.
Thanks!
That's a very straight forward demonstration. Thank you. (subscribed)
Thanks, these were some pretty early recipes, I have a lot more content related to dehydrating food and a cookbook Backcountry Eats.
Wow what a very interesting video thank you so much will be making some of those thank you again from the UK
Thanks Edna, You are so welcome!
Hello there and thank you 5 years later for sharing this excellent information. I was curious if you could tell me which dehydrating and which vacuum sealing machines you would recommend today and why?
Hi Steve. In this (old) video I use a Nesco dehydrator. I know also have an Excalibur which is arguably a slightly better dehydrator but is much more expensive. IMO the Nesco is the best value and you can get handy fruit roll trays like I use here. I have a simple and relatively cheap FoodSaver vacuum sealer. It works fine.
This has been my favorite video of yours thus far, that I have seen. 🏆 🏕 🍛 🍴😍
Thanks, this one really sets out the method I use.
You have a great helper there
I do (did) she is growing up fast!