[pct-l] Freeze dried Vs. dehydrated

[jerrygoller at backpackgeartest.org (Jerry Goller)]

http://www.BackpackGearTest.org : the most comprehensive interactive
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-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of
CMountainDave@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 7:05 PM
To: pct-l@backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Freeze dried Vs. dehydrated


While visiting the "be prepared" web site I noticed they sell both
freeze 
dried and dehydrated food. Anybody out there who has tried both, say,
F.D. corn 
and dehydrated corn? I see that it takes much longer to hydrate the
dehydrated 
corn, but that is not a concern since I use a wood stove so fuel
rationing is 
not an issue. What I am really wondering about is taste and texture. Is
there 
much difference? 

### The freeze dried tastes much better than the dehydrated, to me. I
actually use the fd veggies in my lunches. They will rehydrate in cold
water in just a few minutes. You can make all kinds of pasta salads and
tuna/chicken/turkey salads with hard tack or crackers that just require
a little water in a Ziploc on the trail just before you're ready to eat.
BTW, the Just Bell Peppers and Just Tomatoes are great in these salads.
They don't reconstitute in time but are great anyway. They aren't freeze
dried.


How about eggs?

### The freeze dried are not as bad as I expected. I don't believe I'd
walk across town for them, but they aren't all that bad. I imagine it
varies by brand. The house brand from Be Prepared are the only ones I've
tried.


   I don't care for freeze dried meals. I like to make stews with canned

chicken, baby potatoes and fresh veggies such as onions, bell peppers,
squash, 
habenero peppers and cherry tomatoes. I thought I'd go with dehydrated
veggies 
such as corn and peas as well. I've been offered them as crunchy snacks
(maybe 
they were freeze dried?) and they were delicious but I'm not sure if
they would 
be as good rehydrated in a stew. The ones in the packaged freeze dried
meals 
are kind of rubbery 

### I don't care for the commercial fd meals either but the ones I make
at home are great. The freeze dried onions and green peppers are so
great I keep bell jars of each on the counter by the stove for my
morning eggs at home. 
Some of the ones from Just Tomatoes are freeze dried and sold as snacks.
Not all of their products are freeze dried though. The corn and peas
are, I know.  They taste even better rehydrated. I started out with them
but then went to the stuff from Be Prepared because it tasted better and
was cheaper.

Jerry
 
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