Freeze dried vs. dehydrated

Be careful with home-dehydrated veggies. I once dehydrated a dish containing peas and took it out without testing it at home. I cooked and cooked the food for over 20 minutes (the rest was mush), but the peas were still the consistency of buckshot, hard enough to break a tooth. Now I buy freeze-dried veggies and add them to the meal after dehydrating it. Spinach dehydrates well at home; just break it up so there are no large lumps afterwards.

I use freeze-dried fruits on long trips because they are lighter, but I really prefer the dehydrated kind, if I can get them without sulfur dioxide.

If you haven't checked out Sarah's website, http://www.trailcooking.com/, I suggest you do so. I've become an enthusiastic fan of hers, since freezer-bag "cooking" (really rehydrating rather than cooking) eliminates a chore that I hate, washing dishes. She has lots of ideas for dehydrating as well as using readily available foods.

We've written up quite a few articles here:

http://www.packitgourmet.com/Culinary+Camping+Tips-sp24.html

These two articles in particular may be helpful:

Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Explained
Backpackers and campers oftentimes struggle with choosing between dehydrated or freeze-dried ingredients when planning a backcountry menu. Learn about the pros and cons of each type of food.

Fresh/Dry Equivalencies
Ever wonder how much an ounce of freeze-dried or dehydrated spinach really is? Check out our chart to find out how much fresh corn it takes to make a single ounce of dried corn.