When you’re headed on a camping trip, you may want to consider bringing dehydrated food along for snacks and meals. Dehydrated food is a great option because it’s lightweight and easy to pack. Buying and using a food dehydrator for camping also offers you more meal choices. After all, there are only so many backpacking meals available, but when you make your own dehydrated food the options are endless.
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How to Dehydrate Food
Whether you’re wondering how to make jerky in a food dehydrator or just want to dehydrate some fruits and veggies, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to dehydrate foods in an oven or use a food dehydrator for camping.
How to Dehydrate Food in a Dehydrator for Camping
Dehydrating Fruit
- Cut pieces into a uniform size, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Soak fruit in a lemon juice and water solution to prevent browning.
- Dehydrate at 135°F.
- Drying time for fruit will vary, depending on the fruit. You can test for doneness by cutting a few pieces in half and squeezing them. If no moisture comes out, the fruit is done.
Dehydrating Vegetables
- Cut pieces into a uniform size, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Blanch or steam any vegetables that you wouldn’t normally eat raw, and tough vegetables like carrots.
- Place your vegetables in a dehydrator and set the temperature to 125°F.
- Allow the veggies to dehydrate until they are crisp or hard. This should take 4-12 hours.
How to Make Jerky in a Food Dehydrator
- Start with a lean piece of meat.
- Trim off all visible fat.
- Place the beef in the freezer for 1-2 hours to partially freeze for easier slicing.
- Slice the meat against the grain of the meat around ⅛ of an inch thick.
- Put sliced meat in desired marinade and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
- Remove meat from marinade and pat strips dry.
- Place beef strips in the dehydrator, making sure they aren’t touching.
- Set dehydrator to 165°F
- Allow to dry for 4-5 hours until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F.
- The jerky is done when it bends and cracks, but doesn’t break.
How to Dehydrate Food in an Oven
You may be wondering how to dehydrate food if you don’t have a dehydrator. Believe it or not, dehydration without any extra equipment is possible.
- Cut pieces into a uniform size, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Soak fruit in a lemon juice and water solution to prevent browning.
- Blanch or steam any vegetables that you wouldn’t normally eat raw, and tough vegetables like carrots.
- Arrange your fruits or veggies on the sheet. You can group them close together, but they shouldn’t touch or overlap.
- Set your oven to the lowest temperature – about 180°F – and put your sheet on the middle rack.
- Leave the oven door open slightly and let the food bake for at least an hour.
- When fruit is properly dehydrated, it will be slightly bendable but not sticky. Vegetables will be crispy like chips.
Why Dehydrate Food For Camping?
Dehydrating food lets you control your nutrition – if you have special dietary needs, you can plan your meals around that. Choosing to dehydrate your own food also ensures you keep many of the nutrients in the food you prepare.
On top of all that,dehydrating food can also be cheaper than using only pre-packaged backpacking meals, and it means you can safely bring a lot of foods that usually require refrigeration like meat along with you on your trip.
What Foods Can be Dehydrated?
There are certain foods that lend themselves to dehydrating, while others aren’t suited to the process.
Good foods to dehydrate include:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- legumes including beans and lentils
- rice, pasta, and other grains
- low-fat meat or seafood
- herbs
- sauces that don’t include fat, dairy, or eggs
There are other foods you do not want to dehydrate, either because the food will be unsafe to eat, or because it just won’t work.
Foods to avoid dehydrating include:
- food with fats in it – dehydration requires moisture to evaporate and fats do not evaporate. This will leave moisture in your food and it can spoil
- nut butters – these contain a lot of fats and for the above reason, aren’t a good option
- avocados – again, too high in fat
- olives
- dairy – you can find powdered products like powdered milk or sour cream powder that you can use instead
- eggs – trying to dehydrate eggs can lead to salmonella. There are some egg crystals and powdered eggs that you can use instead
Selecting a Food Dehydrator for Camping
Not sure how to select a food dehydrator for camping? There are a few things to consider as you shop.
Adjustable temperature settings
Really, this particular feature is non-negotiable. In order to properly dehydrate different kinds of food, you have to be able to adjust the temperature of the unit.
Timer
You’ll find that some dehydrators come with a timer that will turn the unit off after a specified amount of time. Unfortunately, it’s hard to predict how long some foods will take to dehydrate, rendering this feature a bit useless.
Fan Position
Fan position is something to think about. Front loading dehydrators have their fan and heating element in the back of the machine, resulting in even drying. Meanwhile, stackable dehydrators have their fans and heating elements on the top or bottom of the unit, resulting in less even drying.
That said, stackable units do have their own merits that may make it worthwhile to shuffle your food during the drying process.
Capacity
How much food will you be dehydrating? If you plan to dehydrate in large batches, a machine with a larger capacity will be necessary. However, most individuals can get away with a smaller machine.
Materials
Dehydrators can be made of either plastic or metal. Plastic is less expensive, but perhaps not as sturdy and not always dishwasher-safe. Meanwhile, metal dehydrators will hold up longer and can be put in the dishwasher. You may also find metal dehydrators with glass doors on the front that allow you to watch the food as it dehydrates.
Storage
Is space a concern? If so, you may prefer a stackable option, which can be disassembled and stored away.
Budget
Of course, you do also have to keep your budget in mind. Generally, plastic, stackable dehydrators are the cheapest option out there and really, they can get the job done just fine. That said, those who plan to dehydrate foods often may find that investing in a higher quality machine is worthwhile.
Dehydrator Recipes
Just because you’re roughing it doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor on your trip! Here are some delicious recipes for dehydrated meals you can make while backpacking.
Breakfast
- Oatmeal with Apples, Raisins & Cinnamon is a great way to start the day
- Strawberries & Cream Quinoa Porridge is a delicious breakfast recipe
Lunch or Dinner
- Dehydrated Risotto with Vegetables makes a tasty dinner meal after you’ve been hiking all day.
- Spicy Fried Rice With Thai Basil is another delicious option
- Beef or Mushroom Stroganoff makes a hearty meal
- Dumplings And Veggies Or Chicken
- Chicken or Veggie Pasta Primavera
Snacks
By now, you know everything you need to know to start dehydrating foods for camping and hiking. Why not grab a food dehydrator for camping and get started today?
