[pct-l] Freeze dried or dehydrated food?

[sarah estrella]

Cat,
I am dehydrating food now! I used to go overboard and dehydrate everything, but that can get very time-consuming. You may want to spend the winter experimenting and allow plenty of time for preparing your actual meals. I have found that dried bean mixes and hummus from the store (bulk or boxed) are good and cheap enough (I am vegetarian). I also use instant rice and potatoes. I dehydrate things like shredded slaw (something more nutritious than iceberg lettuce, such as broccoli and carrots), red sweet peppers, and onions. These take only a few hours in the dehydrator, weigh hardly anything when dry, and really make a nice addition to meals. I add cold water to rehydrate and they are good to go in a few hours. I also do fruit leather. Just be careful you don't eat too much, especially if they are plums.
I often use the book "Lip Smackin' Vegetarian Backpacking". Not everything in there works well, but you can experiment.

One more thing: I freeze or refrigerate things if it will be months before they will be used. I have not tried leaving them at room temperature for 6 months.  

FreeRange



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I plan to go cookless on my 2015 PCT adventure and want to load up on a
variety of fruits and veggies in my resupply boxes. Unfortunately, I haven't
really used either freeze-dried or dehydrated food much (other than raisins
­ they count, right?). Which is better for nutrition and the "mold free"
factor ­ dehydrated or freeze-dried? How about taste? Do they all tend to
taste the same after awhile or do they retain their original flavors? Thanks
so much!
Cat