Backpacker - Issue August 2022

Page 42

Hiker’s Handbook

LEVEL UP

DIY (Dehydrate It Yourself) A home dehydrator might be the handiest kitchen tool you never knew you needed. Upgrade your backcountry cooking with these drying (and rehydrating) tips. By MEGAN MCDUFFIE and MICHAEL VAN VLIET

Backpackers cannot survive on freeze-dried meals alone. OK, you probably can, but if you don’t want to spend every trip picking from someone else’s menu, it’s time to invest in a dehydrator. These devices, which retail from $40 to over $400, help you prepare meals fit for a dinner party, dehydrate them to backpacking weight, and then rehydrate them under the alpenglow in a matter of minutes. There’s no better way to elevate mealtime on the trail.

DRY THIS AT HOME First, the bad news: You can’t dehydrate all food (sorry, bacon). The good news? Using dehydration-friendly ingredients, you can save money and make meals you’ll actually enjoy, with enough meat to satisfy carnivores. Foods that can be dehydrated: 2 Fruits 2 Vegetables 2 Grains, such as pasta and rice 2 Legumes, such as beans and lentils 2 Fully cooked meat, such as lean ground beef and chicken

Can you dehydrate full meals? Yes! Soups, stews, curries, and casseroles are good candidates for drying. When cooking, use minimal amounts of fat and oil. To dehydrate a complete dish, spread the entire meal out in a thin, even layer. Follow the temperature guide on the next page, deferring to the warmest temperature required for your combination of ingredients. For example, dehydrate a stew with beef, beans, and veggies at 145°F.

40 Backpacker

| SUMMER 2022

P H O T O B Y A N T O N I VA N O / A D O B E S T O C K

Foods that can’t be dehydrated: 2 High-fat and oily foods 2 Dairy products or eggs


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