Dehydrated Vegetables
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I have been doing my own for years... I just realised how old this pic is, she was my organiser back then... College Sophomore now LOL.
its more than just soups you can use it for every for every day cooking . It is a process you should learn for your own storage plans. I go in spurts but try to put up as much as I can each year, and use some to keep in practice. It does require a learning curve, dry food wont cook it has to be completely rehydrated.
Winco has a lot of bulk dehydrated foods you can practice with. go with individual ingredients you get more versatility that way. If you want to practice dehydrating get a horizontal unit... buy frozen fruits and vegetables off the shelf, they have the prep work done and can go straight into the dehydrator.
Even if you dont LTS, you can extend viability for many months with just jars.
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Harmony House - https://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/Dried-Vegetable-Soup-Mix-12-oz_p_1867.html ..Highly Recommended.. 'Pricey' (though there are several sellers that have decent sales, online / eBay-sales, etc (just watch dates, etc) but tastes great, lasts near-forever, and just a tablespoon / two really livens up that 'white survival-rice' dish very nicely.. :thumb:
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jd
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jd
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It's like dehydrated veggies were made just for soups. Almost no better use for them.
Your source does count though. Some companies do it better than others.
Harmony House mentioned above is gold standard.
Also worth checking are spice vendors. They tend to sell limited but high quality selections at very good pricing.
Your source does count though. Some companies do it better than others.
Harmony House mentioned above is gold standard.
Also worth checking are spice vendors. They tend to sell limited but high quality selections at very good pricing.
Haven't purchased any yet. I'm mostly interested in the chunky type veggies. Not just for the dehydrated LTS, but the occasional use as well. There's just me, I live alone and I'm not on fixing big meals, though I'll fix a large pot of beans/stew, etc. about twice a month and put the rest in the freezer.
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I have a decent amount in storage with the plan to use them in soups/stews. I haven't used any of my stored veggies for that purpose yet but have had similar in soup mixes from the store. Surely not as good as fresh but I can deal with it. I find canned vegetables taste much better and keep them, too. Question is....which will I go to first? Canned or dehydrated? 
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We buy Winco dried veggie soup in the bulk bin, buy the pound. also pick up some veggie soup mix from walmart. I add it to Ramen noodles when I'm camping or in the trailer. I dehydrated a lot 10-15 years ago but never used it. It is still around.
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Moved back to VA from UT. Man I miss WinCo! Funny story, one time I was in WinCo, there was a lady walking around just in awe. I asked where she was from, she said PA. She said, "we don't have anything close to this where I am.".
That said, if anyone knows of a place like WinCo back east, I'd appreciate the input.
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I use dried veggies for soup all the time. I'm currently using up LTS I bought prior to the Y2K rollover from Ready Reserve Foods. I use the dehydrated vegetables with a blend of spices, dehydrated onions, tomato powder and either a picked chicken or turkey carcass or a ham hock and the soup is wonderful. Otherwise I use either beef or chicken flavored TVP or soaked dried beans. Around our house this is a winter staple, we make a large stock pot of soup every Saturday and lunch on it for several days. Great to carry in a wide-mouth thermos when on a deer stand.
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Yep, works like a charm for any slow cooked meal. We use dehydrated veggies all the time in the off season and anytime we are short on fresh.
BUT... for fun I have re-hydrated for things like a stir fry with excellent results.
In a SHTF scenario I imagine soups and stews to be the go to. However, special days need to be observed or moral goes to crap. Tricking dried foods to act like fresh is something I have been working on for years and it works. It just takes time. And there is no waste. :thumb:
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I have been to Winco twice. We have a new one 4 hours away from here. Most pricing I can beat locally if I look out for sales but, their normal pricing is fair.
They get a plus from me because of the bulk food bins. Fantastic selection at a great price.
Example: Aborio rice, 3 bucks a pound at the local place. .80 at Winco.
2 bucks for a pound of dried parsley instead of 4 bucks a half ounce, local.
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20 plus years, easily.
As it happered, I asked this question last night...dehydrated -vs- freeze dried, what's the difference?
MSN explains that freeze dried last longer because 98% of the water is removed, whereas only 80% is removed in dehydrated vegetables. Freeze dried is flash frozen and then exposed to a vaccum, which causes all the water in it to vaporize.
MSN explains that freeze dried last longer because 98% of the water is removed, whereas only 80% is removed in dehydrated vegetables. Freeze dried is flash frozen and then exposed to a vaccum, which causes all the water in it to vaporize.
...and freeze dried foods have a very long shelf life - often 20 years or more, but I think that dehydrated foods last, at most, a few years, depending on the food and the way you process it. Food dehydrators are relatively cheap - $100-200, but freeze dryers are in the $2,000 ball park.
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FD foods retain most of their original color and shape... When rehydrated they can come very close to fresh in taste and texture, a lot of salad bars use FD sides, mushrooms, peas,onions to name a few. I dehydrate with the living foods style methods, lower temps longer times. They retain much more of their original color and texture when rehydrated.
FD in a #10 can has much less product than dehydrated in same can, due to shape and volume. So you are paying a large premium if you are buying cans of FD vs dehydrated.
Almost 10lb of raw sliced carrots fit into a single 1 gallon mylar bag, (from memory should be close) I would bet it would be close to 2lb of raw if FD'd.
FD in a #10 can has much less product than dehydrated in same can, due to shape and volume. So you are paying a large premium if you are buying cans of FD vs dehydrated.
Almost 10lb of raw sliced carrots fit into a single 1 gallon mylar bag, (from memory should be close) I would bet it would be close to 2lb of raw if FD'd.
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FD vs Dehydrated
FD retains shape/texture/color better when rehydrated. Also retains more volume of original size. Cost per pound is much higher.
Dehydrated shrinks into a more compact shape. Better value per pound.
DIY favors dehydrated greatly in cost.
Certain veggies are more effected by the different processes than others.
Expected usage can help you decide. Soups and stews don't really need expensive FD. FD is better for lightly cooked versions.
Longevity is mostly irrelevant between styles if packed properly for LTS.
FD retains shape/texture/color better when rehydrated. Also retains more volume of original size. Cost per pound is much higher.
Dehydrated shrinks into a more compact shape. Better value per pound.
DIY favors dehydrated greatly in cost.
Certain veggies are more effected by the different processes than others.
Expected usage can help you decide. Soups and stews don't really need expensive FD. FD is better for lightly cooked versions.
Longevity is mostly irrelevant between styles if packed properly for LTS.
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