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The Dehydrated Food Thread

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    • Rasty wrote:

      Tuckahoe wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Tuckahoe wrote:

      Pineapple on the dehydrator is pretty damn easy.
      Tell me more.
      I like to take the fresh pineapple and cut off the top and base, then cut into slices about 1/4 inch think and no more than 3/8 in.
      I wait to remove the skin until after slicing, otherwise you end up with a slimy dangerous mess.

      Once sliced use a paring knife to cut around the meat and remove the skin. Then using the paring knife or an apple corer, remove the core. And you really do want to remove that core, its nasty and according to some its kinda toxic.

      Now you should have 8-12 pineapple rings to place on the machine. I usually cut the rings into quarters then dry for about 14-16 hours. Once at the 12 hour mark I check often until finished.

      The pineapple should be somewhat tacky/sticky and leathery.
      I use a sharp filet knife to peel a pineapple. First cut the top and base off then peel it using the filet knife. Next cut it into quarters lengthwise and then trim the core out. Flip it onto it's side and slice into the desired thickness. This provides the most efficient use of the pineapple and also provides a flat surface of pineapple contacting the cutting board except for the initial cutting of the top and bottom.
      probably is the best way to peel, but I always seem to end up with a slimy football.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Tuckahoe wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Tuckahoe wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Tuckahoe wrote:

      Pineapple on the dehydrator is pretty damn easy.
      Tell me more.
      I like to take the fresh pineapple and cut off the top and base, then cut into slices about 1/4 inch think and no more than 3/8 in.I wait to remove the skin until after slicing, otherwise you end up with a slimy dangerous mess.

      Once sliced use a paring knife to cut around the meat and remove the skin. Then using the paring knife or an apple corer, remove the core. And you really do want to remove that core, its nasty and according to some its kinda toxic.

      Now you should have 8-12 pineapple rings to place on the machine. I usually cut the rings into quarters then dry for about 14-16 hours. Once at the 12 hour mark I check often until finished.

      The pineapple should be somewhat tacky/sticky and leathery.
      I use a sharp filet knife to peel a pineapple. First cut the top and base off then peel it using the filet knife. Next cut it into quarters lengthwise and then trim the core out. Flip it onto it's side and slice into the desired thickness. This provides the most efficient use of the pineapple and also provides a flat surface of pineapple contacting the cutting board except for the initial cutting of the top and bottom.
      probably is the best way to peel, but I always seem to end up with a slimy football.
      dull knife?
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • LIhikers wrote:

      My hat's off to you folks who dry your own food for hiking. I have neither the time nor inclination to do it.
      When I need food for a hiking trip I just go to the supermarket and get what looks good to me at the time.
      I'm with you there. I had a small dehydrator for a while. Used it a few times, made some half-decent beef jerky with it. But cleaning the trays was a massive chore. I finally ditched it last year at a yard sale.

    • I was winging it and made a pineapple puree to dehydrate. I didn't add sugar so don't know how if it'll be like a fruit roll-up. It sounds weird but tasted great.

      Pineapple
      Honey
      Chai tea concentrate
      Apple pie spice
      Coarse salt
      Habanero sauce

      Also put some mixed okra, tomatoes, and corn on the lower trays.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Foresight wrote:

      Rasty wrote:


      Dull knife?
      I gotta hand it to chef's, y'all keep the sharpest knives of any crowd I've been around.
      good steel and a steady hand while sharpening and lots of practice. Dull knives are really dangerous.

      Also never letting another person ever touch your knives helps.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • The pineapple didn't turn into fruit roll ups.

      I scraped it off the trays, put it between parchment paper and rolled it out with a rolling pin. Then I rolled it like cannoli (it was still pretty thick). It's in the fridge and I'm going to slice it.

      The flavor is delicious...sweet with heat.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Rasty wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      Rasty wrote:


      Dull knife?
      I gotta hand it to chef's, y'all keep the sharpest knives of any crowd I've been around.
      good steel and a steady hand while sharpening and lots of practice. Dull knives are really dangerous.
      Also never letting another person ever touch your knives helps.
      When I lived on the Rock they had a guy on a tricicle that made his rounds on the Cape & Islands sharpening knives at resteraunts. at one point he missed the Island. Pizza & sub shop I normally had lunch at girls were putting their weight on the knife to slice the pizzas. Manager knew me & asked me to sharpen their knives. I picked them up at closing time & returned them the next morning, with the warning to remind everyone they were razor sharp. When I stopped in for lunch all the staff thanked & praised me for the sharp knives. They all also sported multiple bandaides! :D

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      Rasty wrote:


      Dull knife?
      I gotta hand it to chef's, y'all keep the sharpest knives of any crowd I've been around.
      good steel and a steady hand while sharpening and lots of practice. Dull knives are really dangerous.Also never letting another person ever touch your knives helps.
      When I lived on the Rock they had a guy on a tricicle that made his rounds on the Cape & Islands sharpening knives at resteraunts. at one point he missed the Island. Pizza & sub shop I normally had lunch at girls were putting their weight on the knife to slice the pizzas. Manager knew me & asked me to sharpen their knives. I picked them up at closing time & returned them the next morning, with the warning to remind everyone they were razor sharp. When I stopped in for lunch all the staff thanked & praised me for the sharp knives. They all also sported multiple bandaides! :D
      Often times the "professional" knife sharpeners do really poor jobs. They grind the edge at a around 20 degrees with mechanical sharpeners. The knife dulls really quickly at that angle. A better angle is 15 to 17 which stays sharper longer.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      Rasty wrote:


      Dull knife?
      I gotta hand it to chef's, y'all keep the sharpest knives of any crowd I've been around.
      good steel and a steady hand while sharpening and lots of practice. Dull knives are really dangerous.Also never letting another person ever touch your knives helps.
      When I lived on the Rock they had a guy on a tricicle that made his rounds on the Cape & Islands sharpening knives at resteraunts. at one point he missed the Island. Pizza & sub shop I normally had lunch at girls were putting their weight on the knife to slice the pizzas. Manager knew me & asked me to sharpen their knives. I picked them up at closing time & returned them the next morning, with the warning to remind everyone they were razor sharp. When I stopped in for lunch all the staff thanked & praised me for the sharp knives. They all also sported multiple bandaides! :D
      When I first read that I though maybe you spent some time at Alcatraz. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      Rasty wrote:


      Dull knife?
      I gotta hand it to chef's, y'all keep the sharpest knives of any crowd I've been around.
      good steel and a steady hand while sharpening and lots of practice. Dull knives are really dangerous.Also never letting another person ever touch your knives helps.
      When I lived on the Rock they had a guy on a tricicle that made his rounds on the Cape & Islands sharpening knives at resteraunts. at one point he missed the Island. Pizza & sub shop I normally had lunch at girls were putting their weight on the knife to slice the pizzas. Manager knew me & asked me to sharpen their knives. I picked them up at closing time & returned them the next morning, with the warning to remind everyone they were razor sharp. When I stopped in for lunch all the staff thanked & praised me for the sharp knives. They all also sported multiple bandaides! :D
      When I first read that I though maybe you spent some time at Alcatraz. :)
      that's what I thought as well...wouldn't make em a bad guy. :D

    • hikerboy wrote:

      sheepdog wrote:

      I dried a bunch of tomatoes this fall. We had a bumper crop. I chopped them up into dust in the blender. About a half bushel fit in a pint jar.
      so now what?
      gonna try making some trail meals. Should be good for soup around the house too. I smoked some chili peppers and dried them also. They will be ground into powder for meals and dry rubs.
      bacon can solve most any problem.

    • CoachLou wrote:

      My step and I like it HOT. Her mother made pasta the other nite, with Pepper jack cheese.

      She was complaining that it tasted more like cream cheese......where's the heat?!!!

      A few years ago my sister and I went to lunch at an actual Mexican restaurant. Took one of her older kids, he was about 28 years old at the time, with us.

      He started complaining about no hot sauce on the table.

      I saw Tabasco and a Habenero sauce. Too weajk he said.

      So my sister called over the server and asked him to bring out some of the sauce they eat their own lunch with.

      He was puzzled as to why we wanted some, but he accepted her explanation that her son wanted it for his lunch.

      So he brings out this foam bowl with a thin layer of hot sauce in it. I'm about 2 feet away from it, and I can feel my nose hair start to melt. I look over and see most of the restaurant staff watching. Evidently they wanted to see if he could handle it.

      He dumps it on his food and start eating. The server says something like 'Are you sure you want to do that ?'.

      My nephew turns red faced, starts sweating. He is asked by us and the server, who is Mexican, if he is okay.

      He says, "I sure am ! This is great !'.

      The server walks away shaking his head. But my nephew finished his meal.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • we were working on a ladies house in the pima indian reservation southern arizona on a mission trip from our church. There were some indian guys eating small green peppers out of a bowl. they had a sheen of sweat on their foreheads. they offered me and my friend a pepper. I declined and my friend ate one. they all looked at him with respect in their eyes as it had no effect on him. He than took a second pepper and started chocking and gasping for air. they all laughed. he said the first one must have been a dud.
      bacon can solve most any problem.

    • CoachLou wrote:

      My step and I like it HOT. Her mother made pasta the other nite, with Pepper jack cheese.

      She was complaining that it tasted more like cream cheese......where's the heat?!!!
      Once at an Italian place, my wife and I both ordered different pasta dishes that both had the little cherry peppers in the sauce.

      When the waitress came back to ask how we were enjoying it, she confessed that she'd misjudged and the dish she was having was way too hot for her.

      Waitress looked puzzled, and said, "That's funny, it's the same peppers that are in your husband's!"

      "But he likes them!", she wailed plaintively.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • socks wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      My step and I like it HOT. Her mother made pasta
      always wanted to make home made pasta, one of these days. I'm into a bread kick right now, which isn't helping my weight loss regime, still in down about 12lb.
      I'm a huge pasta fan and have made my own. However unless you must roll your own, it was not worth the time investment.. Most of the folks I served it to could not taste the difference from a quality store bought pasta.

      sheepdog wrote:

      Michigan just banded powdered alcohol. bummer I thought it would be great for hiking.
      as did Utah.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC