Another Fork in the Trail. Laurie Ann March
in a pot of boiling water for a few moments. Then put the strainer with the vegetables still in it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. You can also use your microwave to blanch vegetables. Simply add the vegetables and a little water in a microwavable bowl or steamer bag. Cook them on high for about 2 minutes in a 750-watt microwave. Reduce the time for higher wattage units. Frozen and canned vegetables can be put directly on the dehydrator because they are blanched before freezing. Use either a solid liner or a mesh one depending on the size of the pieces.
Be sure to measure the food before you dry it and write this measurement down so you will know how much liquid to add back when you rehydrate the food. To this note you may want to add the name of the meal or food, the number of servings, and the date you dried it. Pack this with the food in a freezer-grade ziplock bag.
If dried properly and packaged well, these items will last for up to eight months in your freezer before flavor loss occurs. Unfrozen, the shelf life is several months, as long as the package remains tightly sealed and is stored in a cool, dry place.
Rehydration Basics
One of the benefits of vegetarian and vegan foods on the trail is the ease of rehydration when compared to meals that contain meat. Tofu is the only exception to this. It does not rehydrate well at all. You can rehydrate foods in one of several vessels—such as a large, wide-mouth Nalgene; a ziplock freezer bag; or a pot. My preferred container is the wide-mouth Nalgene, but I do use the others from time to time. Many of the foods, especially lunches, can be reconstituted with cool water, thus saving time and fuel weight. Rehydrating with cool water will lengthen the time with some foods, so pay careful attention to the “At Camp” instructions, as I will mention water temperature there if it will make a difference. Also, take a copy of your menu with you. I suggest listing the foods by meal, so you can refer to it in the morning to see what you have planned for the day. This lets you know if you will need to keep your stove handy because you’ve decided on a hot lunch, and also allows you to position your lunch in a convenient place when you pack your backpack. It also lets you see if you need to add water to your lunch meal at breakfast, if you aren’t planning to use your stove at lunch. For example, if you are having the Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad for lunch, you will need to rehydrate it in the morning. Let’s say you started with 2½ cups and now have 1½ cups of dried mix. Because it is morning and you do not need this until lunchtime, you can use cold water and let the mixture rehydrate as you travel. Put the dried mix into a Nalgene or other leak-proof rehydration container and add a little less than 1 cup of water to end up with close to a full 2½ cups. It is always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to adding water. You can always add more water later if needed. Place the container in the top of you backpack or clip it to the outside of your pack.
At lunch you will have a Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad that tastes just like it did before you dehydrated it at home—and you didn’t even have to pull out your stove. If the dish is thicker than you like, just add a little more water. You can also plan to add water to your dinner at lunchtime, and the meal will be rehydrated by the time you are ready to eat. If you reach camp and the meal hasn’t come back, which is rare with vegetarian foods, put the contents in your pot and bring the meal to the boiling point. Remove the pot from the heat, replace the lid, put it in a cozy if you have one, and place the pot in a safe spot to allow the final bit of rehydration. The heat will speed up the rehydration. You can put a rock on the lid if you like so it doesn’t get knocked off. If you decide not to initiate rehydration of your dinner earlier in the day, you can add boiling water at camp, and then place the food container in a cozy to speed up rehydration. If you use boiling water in a Nalgene bottle, it is advisable to open the bottle on occasion to release the pressure from the steam. It is this pressure that makes the Nalgene my favorite container for rehydrating foods. The pressure seems to help the food take in the water better.
I have one Nalgene bottle just for rehydrating our meals. When I do the dishes, I wash it well and rinse it thoroughly with boiling water. I do bring a few ziplock freezer bags too, as they are handy when rehydrating meals with multiple ingredients. When using very hot water with a ziplock bag, you will need to be careful so that you do not burn yourself from the water or the steam.
Multi-ingredient Rehydration
Some items will produce flavored water that may overpower the dish you are rehydrating. Dried mushrooms, green peppers, and olives are examples of foods that can overtake a meal pretty quickly. I have indicated in the recipe if ingredients need to be rehydrated separately. The best way to do this is to use freezer bags for the smaller ingredients and a wide-mouth Nalgene for the portion of the dish that requires the largest volume. Be sure to let the steam out of the Nalgene as the food expands. I can’t stress enough the care you need to take when pouring very hot water in a ziplock bag. If weight and bulk aren’t an issue, you could take a few small plastic containers for multi-ingredient rehydration.
Commercially Dried Foods
There are times where spontaneity means that there isn’t time to prepare foods for a trip. Generally I try to keep some home-dried meals on hand, but there have been times where I’ve had to pick up a commercially dried meal. They can be pricey, but some brands will do well for a last-minute addition to the pack. The following companies have vegetarian and vegan options.
| • | Alpine Aire—has a variety of meatless meals |
| • | Backpacker’s Pantry—offers fare for the vegan and vegetarian as well as organic meals; also clearly marks allergens on the packaging |
| • | Mary Jane’s Farm—the Outpost line of foods has a great selection of vegetarian options that are also organic |
| • | Harvest Foodworks—most of its line is vegetarian but requires a bit of cooking time as the ingredients are dehydrated rather than freeze-dried; this Canadian company ships throughout North America |
Sometimes purchasing specially dried ingredients will help you with your backcountry cooking. Availability may vary by region but many companies offer online ordering.
| • | Powdered vegan egg replacer |
| • | Powdered soy, almond, or rice milk |
| • | Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables |
| • | Tomato powder |
| • | Peanut butter powder |
| • | Dried soup base |
| • | Powdered vegetable shortening |
| • | Dried mushrooms (Asian grocery stores are a great resource for these) |
| • | Honey powder |
| • | Instant wild rice |
| • | Dried sliced potatoes |
| • | Dehydrated legumes |
| • | Maple sugar and maple flakes |
Grocery Store Finds
| • | Shelf-stable tofu |
| • | Textured vegetable protein |
| • | Muffin mixes |
| • | Cake mixes (look for single-layer varieties) |
| • | Gluten-free baking mixes |