@@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.
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
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?
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.
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!
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.
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. 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.
@@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.
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 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
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.=)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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. 🙂
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.
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!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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.
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!!!! 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!
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.
I generally don't do dairy in any of my meals. Occasionally I will dehydrate some 2% yoghurt or cottage cheese but anything with a higher fat content doesn't dehydrate well.
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.
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
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?
You know what stands out most to me, and is the coolest part?
You got your kid involved. That’s so damn wholesome and cool. Good on you
Thanks Phoa, she is almost 17 now but she had a lot of fun making that video with me.
@@KevinOutdoors amazing how quickly time flies. Wishing you and yours all the best, and a big thank you for the tips on dehydrating / rehydrating
@@iyetisnipe Thanks so much.
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!
The best dehydrating videos on you tube...👍
Thanks so much, this is now becoming an old video. I do my best. :)
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.
Excellent father for including your daughter in your videos. I bet she was happy.
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!
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.
I love this video.
Dehydrating foods is how native people and settlers saved food for winters.
Thanks Windigoking!
Wow very informative thank you!
My pleasure!
Really helpful to a beginner, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
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!"
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!
Thank you Kevin for your hands on demonstration.
My pleasure!
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
Awesome to have your daughter helping!
Thanks Anita, yes it was fun to have her help.
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!
So happy to see you teaching your daughter to do the process. Thanks for both of you providing this video.!!!
Thanks! Much appreciated.
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!
Excellent content packed into a no frills video. Thanks!!
Glad you liked it!
An excellent video. I agree on the concept of doing the meat separately from the veg & pasta/rice.
Thanks Barney. Much appreciated!
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!
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!
Never knew how this worked, looks pretty straight forward! Thanks for the explanation, will definitely try
Thanks you. Please do give it a try.
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!
Absolutely exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a million. Love ur helpful lil girl too. Great job.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
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!
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.
love to see someone work the scale like a pro!!
LOL - yep I pride myself on that ;)
Thank you very much, Kevin. Easy and simple explanation of the process.
Glad it was helpful!
Useful info. Thanks for the video.
Thanks!
very impressive. High quality meals without all the cost. and your assistant cool. thank you for the video.
Thanks Nel!
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!
Great video. Thank you and thanks to your assistant👍
Happy to help!
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
Great 👍 idea! I am following all of your recipes. 😋🙂😊
Thanks so much 😊
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!
Thank you that was very informative, especially giving the quantities of dried ingredience.
Glad it was helpful!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.......
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!
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.
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.
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?
I love you easy receipes, and tasty,they dehydrate so easily. Thankyou
My pleasure 😊 Glad you liked them!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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
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
Be aware that dehydrated elbow macaroni can hold air whereas flat pastas do not. This is important when vacuum sealing the meals.
Excellent tip!!!
Your video is the best visual source of diy dehydrated backpack food
Thaaaaanx a lots
Thanks, I really appreciate that.
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.
A little Hollywood star in the making great video thanks
Thanks Colin, she had fun making that with me.
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 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!
Nice, your meals look yummy! Your daughter did a great job getting everything mixed up & filling the dehydrator tray. 👍👍
Yes! Thank you!
This is very useful information. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I will put it to good use.
Glad it was helpful!
Very useful with some good ideas. Great video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks fro watching!
Thanks for the inspiration. Best team.
Thanks for watching!
i loved how you made the mixed the meals!!
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.
What a pretty assistant you have!!
She certainly is, 15 now.
Extremely talented prep cook! 👍🏻
Thank you 😋
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!
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.
Wow ! Love it, I will be trying this method tomorrow ! Thank you for the video
Hey thanks! Much appreciated!
That’s awesome! I can’t wait to make some for my family. Thanks! 😊
Hope you enjoy!
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!
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! :)
This is a very fun and informative video. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
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!
In Germany its called „einfach geil“ !! Great meals and easy to make. Thanks a lot
Glad you liked it.
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! :)
Your daughter is really cute. Bless her heart!
Thanks Jai, all grown up now!
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!
You have a great helper there
I do (did) she is growing up fast!
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.
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!
Great video!
Thanks!
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.
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!
Fantastic video. Very good instructions.
Thanks!
Great instructional video.
Hey thanks Wesley!
This has been my favorite video of yours thus far, that I have seen. 🏆 🏕 🍛 🍴😍
Thanks, this one really sets out the method I use.
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!
Great video. You have inspired me to give it a try!
Love to hear that! Good luck and happy trails!
Wonderful! Thank you. I can not do dairy. Any suggestions/substitutions? I guess I will just have to skip it?
I generally don't do dairy in any of my meals. Occasionally I will dehydrate some 2% yoghurt or cottage cheese but anything with a higher fat content doesn't dehydrate well.