Dehydrating risotto

[bibtracker]

Hi. I'm new to this excellent group and to dehydrating.
As my experience grows, I'd like to dehydrate a risotto (not a meat one).
Any reason why not? And has anyone done it successfully?
You would, of course, have to protect it from anyone else sharing your campsite and planning to eat a packet meal for dinner!

Cheers, Tony.

[corvus]

G'day bibtracker,
For sure you can dehydrate risotto including ones with meat content but meatless will be better however don't condemn the add boiling water to the bag brigade (which I am one of) as I spent many years dehydrating all sorts of meals some good some not so good and now that I am in my lightweight mode I just use the add hot water thing

[frank_in_oz]

Hi bibtracker,
We always dehydrate a few meals and have been pretty successful (now we have learnt to cut up any meat REALLY small - or use mince) 1 cm cubes of chicken breast take a long time to rehydrate! (we now use minced chicken)

Have a few photo's on our blog of what we have done but I reckon one of the best resources is a US site called Freezer bag cooking. This is the link to the rice dishes section http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/dinnerricedishes.htm

[bibtracker]

Greetings.
Thanks for the replies, guys.
I'm certainly not knocking the add boiling water brigade ... I've joined it. I have Sarah's book and the print-outs from her web site (and a pot cosy to fit Aussie freezer bags).
I'll be drying some tinned fruit and some refried beans this weekend as part of my dehydrating apprenticeship, then I'll try bigger and better things, moving on to jerky and risotto.
It all seems so simple, and very tasty, to boot.
I think those packet meals I used to take bush were what put me off bushwalking for several years! (Not to mention a Macpac Cascade rucksac packed with things I didn't really need that weighed about 30kg).
Now, approaching retirement/pension age, I've gone for a GoLite Gust, a White Box metho stove and other lightweight stuff. What a difference!
With a bit of luck, next year the Overland Track.

Cheers, Tony

[corvus]

G'day bibtracker,
Where did you get your F/bag cosy and which band of F/bags do you use please,good luck with your dehydrator its a lot of fun especially if you like to cook.
Jerky is easy and its the only thing I use my dehydrator for now but even doing plain rice saves on cooking time at camp.
When I retire soon I may get back into selective dehydration of my own veggie garden produce as I know that Zucchini work well so I suspect that other veggies will do the same
corvus

[bibtracker]

Hi Corvus,

I got the cosy from Sarah's website. It's the "British" model, shorter and broader than the US model. The material does not look thick enough to provide much in the way of insulation, but I'm sure she knows what she's talking about. Failing that, I'm thinking about making a copy out of, perhaps, an old closed cell foam mat.
I also got her book (rather small and slightly disappointing), but the stuff on her site is really good. Excellent service, too and the goods arrived quickly.
She was also the source of the White Box stove (which I have not yet tried, lack of *&%$#! time!).
The cosy fits the Multix "small" freezer bags that I found here (Perth). They are good quality and have a gusset on the base, so you can stand them up.
I have not actually tried rehydrating meals in it yet (lack of time!)
When I do, I'll report back.

Cheers, Tony

[corvus]

Tony,
Thanks for that info I will search out the bags and I have a freebie Yellowglen 2 bottle bag for cosy which I will cut and shut ,as uncut it only weighs 56gms and folds up small,I may even leave it uncut and use it to put my 2lt water bladder in .

[tasadam]

The cosy fits the Multix "small" freezer bags that I found here (Perth). They are good quality and have a gusset on the base, so you can stand them up.

Well done on that discovery, Multix freezer bags are great! I use the medium bags for everything when I walk, cereal, tea bags, milk powder, scroggin.......
Sorry, Off topic.

[corvus]

The cosy fits the Multix "small" freezer bags that I found here (Perth). They are good quality and have a gusset on the base, so you can stand them up.

Well done on that discovery, Multix freezer bags are great! I use the medium bags for everything when I walk, cereal, tea bags, milk powder, scroggin.......
Sorry, Off topic.

Tasadam have you tried this brand of bag to reconstitute meals

[tasadam]

I did say "off topic"...
No, I don't dehydrate, sorry. Shouldn't stick my 2 bob's in where it is irrelevant. Just that I am inpresseed with the durability of those bags and I see I am not alone.

[frank_in_oz]

Hi Corvus,
I also got her book (rather small and slightly disappointing), but the stuff on her site is really good.

A mate also bought her book and was a bit disappointed. (just so you don't feel lonely) The website is a great resource

[whiskeylover]

I find that instead of drying whole meals as a single unit .I dry meals as individual ingredients instead then use them to prepare meals .I use a little more fuel than most as I am generally particular with what I cook and tend to fry things in butter or oil to help with the flavour as this caramelizes the sugars and brings out the flavour. As an example i dry thinly sliced blanched potato,garlic and onion . I soak both in hot water on arrival to camp ,after soaking for a while and they have rehydrated quite a lot i drain off the water ,It can be used for soup or to cook pasta in .In a fry pan heat a bit of oil or butter and add the potato stir gently until cooked shouldn't take long and potato should still be aldente .Some salt and pepper can be added to help with flavour .

Dehydrated food seem to loose a bit of flavour curries seem to suffer a lot .Carrying a few containers of herbs and spices add a bit of excitement to an otherwise boring dish . I carry garlic,chilli,basil,fresh ground black pepper (done the night before going yes it makes a difference) ,coconut cream powder.soy sauce,icing sugar (for the pop corn)
Sorry if i have got a bit off subject I will get back onto it .
with the risotto you could try taking seperate bits ,soak the ingredients in hot water when you get to camp ,onions garlic,are a good start then maybe mushrooms ,carrots .peas,leeks tomatoes what ever takes your fancy ( no brussel sprouts ).drain excess liquid reserve for later,heat oil or butter fry ingredients then add rice and fry a little ,then add reserved liquid and a the ammount of water you think it will need ( different to risotto at home) Bring to boil let cook for a few minutes then turn off and leave with lid on to conserve fuel ,leave to cook for a little while in it's own heat ,( go set up the tent) .turn back on the heat and cook till ready .you can top it with a little parmy cheese ( not the dried spu cheese ,Fresh grated you can even have it on your biscuits for lunch) .

hope that gets a few people thinking ,have a play at home you can still use the dried food at home and practice with your risotto at home get it right and you will be extremely happy when you go walking .Mr whisky

[corvus]

Wow do you go to all that bother I used to do the full dy-hy at home (still do Jerky)and produce nice meals for every trip, now that I am a solo walker as such (no children to look after)and totally self sufficient I buy nice meals that only need boiling water added to the bag,eat scrunch the bag wash my long handled titan spoon and I am done .
Yes I know they are expensive but really no more than a take away ,use next to no fuel to reconstitute weigh BA and best of all help the NZ economy (keeps them there)
whiskylover I know you wont take my comment to heart so for the sake of those who dont use "bag meals" keep you ideas coming as we do have learners visiting.
PS anyone interested the store (hardly what) that always has dicounted electrical stuff has a good quality DeHydrator on sale for around $90:00.

[whiskeylover]

Dear Mr Whisky,
I told you people would think it was too much bother. I know it's really not, but it's just like when you try to tell me what to do in the kitchen - too many instructions at once. All they need to know is it's easy and it tastes great and you don't need lots of fuel.

Dehydrated sliced potatoes rehydrate with a little warm water just like they were fresh and fry up with butter or oil beautifully. Yum.

So do many other fruit and vegies done at home, blanched first (so half cooked already). Not like the weird super dry stuff you buy, that gives me a stomach ache.

Many dehydrated meals are fairly tasteless so take the spices seperately - I'm already converted.
Lots of love Mrs Whisky.

[corvus]

Many (most) home re hydrated dehydrated foods cost an arm and leg to produce through purchasing,preparation ,cooking , dehydrating ,packaging,rehydrating , re cooking , washing up , most added boiling water meals don't need any additives especially if you pick the right ones and you eat out of the bag and have no washing up
As an avid home cook and foodie I care what I eat and don't tolerate mediocre food, my recommendation of commecial freeze dried meals does not come lightly(just packs so) and as a dehrator of tens of kilos of meals for both personal and a Scout troop over many years I can claim some degree of expertise .
By all means if you can do your own thing with a dehydrator enjoy but dont knock the commecial Freeze Dried stuff especially if you have not sampled the full range because not every one can cook nor do they like us own a dehydrator

[whiskeylover]

I must admit that some of the prepackaged freeze dried meals are of exceptional quality ,don't need any additives. A few years ago I prepared, dried and pasteurised (heating to a high temperature for 3 minutes and cooling, kills many bugs) this was labor intensive, time consuming and ended up being not that cost effective. The meals were really good and tasty before drying, but after drying and reconstitution they ended up losing a lot of flavour and being quite bland.I dry mostly fresh veg straight from the market when in season, as this is cheap. Being a chef I can cut it up quickly and blanch it if need be, then leave the rest to Mrs Whisky as she has more patience than me for laying out the trays. I use these on the walks to make different meals from pasta to risotto and stroganoff. I don't dry meats as too much hassle and takes ages to rehydrate.
With the risotto I would prefer to take along seperate ingredients and use the recipe as in previous post ,I'm happy to go meatless nothing wrong with being vego for a few days .I haven't tried a packaged risotto so can't comment on them .
It is all personal preference and with a bit of practice all sorts of things can be used .

[Son of a Beach]

I like to dehydrate my own meals, and usually prefer to dehydrate ingredients separately and combine them into a meal at camp (feels like 'proper' cooking then!). However, I try to plan this in such a way that it is of little expense and of little effort. For a few weeks before a long walk, I'll just take a few bits out of whatever we're cooking at home (if it's suitable for dehydrating and bushwalking), and whack it on the dehydrator. Takes virtually no effort, and only the cost of electricity for a few hours (we got the dehydrator as a gift).

Having said that, I'm also a big fan of the (good quality only) freeze dried meals. I find that these vary a LOT between brand, and between variety. Some a great, some are terrible. But the collaboration in another topic here is helping me get some idea of which ones to go for - some more input on that would be appreciated.

However, I find the cost of the freeze dried meals to be very prohibitive for me. Additionally, I find that one packet is not enough after a long hard day of walking. On my last long walk of 11 nights, we only took 2 of these each, because it was beyond our means to afford more than that. The rest was a combination of home-dried meals, a small amount of fresh food, and a couple of dirt-cheap rubbishy pasta-and-sauce packet (or similar packet rice) meals.

[Son of a Beach]

I'm happy to go meatless nothing wrong with being vego for a few days.

The best thing about dehydrating bushwalking food is the jerky. No need to rehydrate... just eat it as a delicious snack. This way you don't have to go meatless (it's just that you have meat for snacks instead of at your main meals).

See:
Jacks Jerky etc
Biltong (Sth African Jerky)
Jerky

[tasadam]

Dear Mr Whisky,
<snip>
Lots of love Mrs Whisky.

LOL I have sent an email to my wife in the past as a way of communicating, just for fun.
But never a post on a forum... <chuckle>
I bet there are post-it notes on your dehydrater ??

Sorry Nik, I know these comments tend to throw things off topic

[alex]

I too am moving towards the freeze dried meals cuisine, but used to do a lot of dehydrating.
For risotto i found best results if you dehydrate the vegies/whatever individually and you DEHYDRATE YOUR RICE.
cook it normally, then dry it, dead simple. Takes about 5 minutes to cook and soaks up all the flavour nicely. Saves you the trouble of sitting for 20mins in the rain adding more and more water. Rehydrate vegies, add flavourings, add rice and take a stock cube for the water. fairly simple and i have found it to be really effective.

[corvus]

True to my Scots birthright I only buy Freeze Dried when my club card gives me 25% discount then I buy up big