Algonquin Adventures / what kind/brand of freeze dried to you like and why?

**Posted by swedish pimple** 3/07/2017 10:09 am

what kind of freeze dried or brand of freeze dried food do you like? do you have a go to entree??
   also do you take a herb/spice kit with you to add flavour to your meals?
  i am also looking for neat food suggestions. i do not have a dehydrator
   thanks

**Posted by basilthegood** 3/07/2017 10:25 am

Nothing revolutionary here, but Mountain House lasagna with meat sauce is the go to for me. Also tried their turkey tetrazzini last year, which was enjoyable.

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 3/07/2017 10:37 am

Before we got a dehydrator I relied on the bulk barn a lot. They have good dried ingredients you can mix and match without relying on the pre-packaged stuff (which I shunned almost entirely out of cheapness). Just be careful to take the little info card with you when you get stuff for instructions. I was always interested in their dried soup mixes but they always required too long of a cooking time. Although with a pot cozy, that wouldn't be a problem.

The alfredo sauce powder is great. Bring some milk powder and/or butter (or ghee) to make it creamier.

We used to do a lot of good pasta dishes pre-dehydrator days. You can make a simple oil sauce tasty with some garlic powder, basil, sun dried tomatoes and sausage (or shelf staple bacon).

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 3/07/2017 10:38 am

I have a few favorites that have stayed that way for years, like Mountain House Chili Mac.

2-3 years ago MEC started carrying AlpineAire. I can honestly say that after having tried many of them since that time, I've enjoyed every single kind I've tried. It's definitely my go-to brand now.

**Posted by tentsterforever** 3/07/2017 11:42 am

Like uppa, alpineAir is one of our favourite brands. It suits our taste and portions are generous. We eat quite a lot, and one meal package feeds both of us.
Other then that, like canoeclaire, many easy made meals can be prepared at home. Any pasta Meal we take has a packaged knorr seasoning in the zip log too. Grocery store has them, 22 grams, name: Knorr pasta seasoning Roasted Garlic and Herbs or Sundried Tomato Parmesan. Both are made with water and a tablespoon of oil, add to pasta meal. Simple, very tasty. In the isle with the gravies etc. We don't use dried meat, but pieces of different kinds of jerky or shelf stable bacon, (grocery store has that)
For rice meals I hydrate soup veggies, bought in package in grocery store,jerky, and a package that makes a sauce of some kind.
I live in a hamlet and do not have a bulk store anywhere near me.
Besides the easy stuff I like to bake breads too.
AlpineAIr brands are our go to meals. We usually bring 4-5 of those on a 14 day trip. We do not take a spice kit, the envelopes of seasoning have everything allready in it.

**Posted by JB** 3/07/2017 1:28 pm

I've had them all, my least favourite being Harvest foodworks - more so the bakeables. Just too many steps involved and can be messy.
Alpineair has some great options, I love the Shrimp Pad Thai.
The premiere for us is the Mountain House Breakfast Skillet. I'm not sure why but, we can have that everyday. Just be sure to go a little light on the water.
As above, there are also A LOT of options you can do without going to the pricey prepackaged dehydrated/freeze dried meals. Check out - http://www.backpackingchef.com/ or even MyCCR has some great options where you don't need a dehydrated.
That being said, I'm SO happy I got one. Best thing ever, and during the down months gives you something to get you amped up for the coming season!
Enjoy,
JB

**Posted by Doug.Singlemann** 3/08/2017 9:49 am

CanoeClaire wrote:
I was always interested in their dried soup mixes but they always required too long of a cooking time. Although with a pot cozy, that wouldn't be a problem.

Being from the states the dried soups from Bear Creek are my favorites, and we use the cozy with great success. They make enough for four people so I have to split them (its normally 2 of us) and it doesn't seem to affect the taste. We also use dried Dashi and soba noodle (which we add trout to) for a great tasting meal, I purchase them at a local Japanese market. There are plenty of off the shelf stuff (at least here in the states) you can get that are dried which can be mixed to your taste. Don't dis the organic section of the market either, you would be suprised what is out there.

**Posted by scoutergriz** 3/08/2017 3:14 pm

I honestly can't remember the last time I bought FD food! It must be at least 20 years
I dehydrate my own- sauces, chili, stews, ground beef, veggies, fruit, etc. Sometimes I'll dry a whole meal, sometimes just various ingredients, and sometimes it'll be leftovers.
Another good book is "A Fork in the Trail" by Laurie March, I've been lucky enough to be a guinea pig on some of her stuff, and it's really good!

**Posted by basilthegood** 3/08/2017 6:12 pm

For those of you who dehydrate your own food, how do you know how much water is needed to bring the meal back to life? Is it a matter of putting it in a pouch similar to the store bought stuff? Also do you divide it into portions prior to dehydrating it?

**Posted by PaPaddler** 3/09/2017 7:44 am

BasilTG,

None of this is rocket science; you'll find it all quite simple...

Recipes will indicate amounts needed and then you adjust (add more water) based upon how well it re-hydrated. You also get a feel for it over a few times...generally add enough water as you would milk in your breakfast cereal so the dehydrated food is not swimming in water, but resting on it and soaking it up.

You can put it in a pouch (i.e. ziploc baggie) or in a cup, pot or container based upon your need and intended use. For instance, if I am re-hydrating stuffed peppers for dinner, I'll do that in a pot so I can heat it over the fire to enjoy it.

I don't divide into portions prior to dehydrating because I don't prepare bulk amounts. For instance, if I am going to make olive tampenade, I will make a full recipe (more than enough for a couple people) and dehydrate it. When we're at camp I will remove some of the dehydrated product and place it in a cup or bowl to hydrate. If we're still hungry or want more after eating that, it's a simple matter of hydrating a little more.

The more challenging aspects are that some foods (meats) require longer to hydrate and other foods require more water (hummus, for instance, tends to be quite porous and soaks up water like a sponge). It's a matter of trial and error...and if you have added too much water, pour some out.

**Posted by basilthegood** 3/09/2017 3:49 pm

PaPaddler - It's all new to me until I do it myself!

Thanks for the rundown. I was looking into dehydrators last fall to turn some game meat into jerky but I guess I can double down on uses now.

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 3/10/2017 10:01 am

PaPaddler's advice is spot on.

When I dehydrate I usually store it in zip loc baggies with enough for one trip. For example, I'll dehydrate a pot of chilli and store in zip loc bags with enough for 2 people. To do this, I remember how much chilli I put on each tray for a close estimate on how much it will serve once dried. I dehydrate throughout the year and store in the freezer until we need it.

Some people measure how much it was prior to dehydrating so they know how much water to add after it's done. This seems like too much work for me and I just eyeball the water adding like PaPaddler.