# homemade MRE ?



## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

I am getting started with dehydrating this year. Fun stuff, not as fun as canning but it has its charms:thumb:

What I want to do is dehydrate a selection of veggies as they come available, and then use my foodsaver to vacuum pack a veggie selection with some dehydrated herbs to have something that could be added to broth or rice or stew or whatever. Anyone do this and have tips? I want to store the packages in the basement in 5 gallon buckets to have some emergency food. I have read the backpacker site that has good recipes but was looking to see if anyone here has done something similar. Thanks!


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

I haven't done anything like this yet, but on a whim this morning, decided to use my dehydrator and make vegie and fruit mixes, in these folger coffee cans I have been saving. 

My idea was to do a mix of, say, onions, garlic, peas, beans, tomatoes, and anything else that pops into my head that I would throw together in a "normal" soup. Then I am going to put it all into a coffee can, and put it aside. Same thing with the fruit, although because fruit is bought less often here, it'l' take longer to fill up my can (if we get it full, My son and me seem to be eating it as fast as i can dry it!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

I do a veg. mix that I add to soups, but not with the herbs.
Now I do do a minestrone mix for Christmas presents (save a few for myself) with veg. dryed hamburger, herbs and pasta. Because of the pasta it is not a mix and eat, you have to let it boil a while.

Now that I think of it, it has to boil longer for the veg and meat to rehydrate than for the pasta to cook. HMMMM


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I've mentioned this site before but if anyone is interested there is a site called, www.freezerbagcooking.com. I like her mixes but I didn't like rehydrating in freezer bags. It gave an off flavor to me. This lady hikes ALOT and makes her own dehydrated mixes from home to carry. She has lots of really good recipes.
tyusclan momma


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Mosey on over to this page. It's got a lot of mixes. Not exactly MRE's, but will give you some ideas.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=151824

It's probably 90% sweets (ccokies and cakes) but if you filter those out you may find some ideas.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I have a great book on this topic. It's called "Backpack Gourmet" and gives all kinds of recipes for making all sorts of dehydrated MRE type foods. Everythng from breakfast meals to lasagna to desserts.

I originally got the book thinking it would be great for making meals for our Boy Scouts on backpacking trips; but there's so many great meals in the book that I'm doing them to keep handy for any type of emergency or for our 72 hr. kits, etc.


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## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

Kroger has the frozen bags of vegetables, all of them, even the mixes for stir frys and such for .88 a bag. Got a few of those to get me started until the garden kicks in. Thanks for the ideas gang.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I started out keeping each food separate, then decided to make mixes for stews, soups, etc. I add spices/herbs/seasonings and put them in mason jars. I've run low on jars and started packing them recycled store jars and in zip lock baggies. I'm out of rolls of sealer plastic for the vacuum sealer or they would be vacuum sealed. 

I learned the hard way not to vacuum seal dehydrated potatoes and other foods with sharp edges. They often cause the bag to lose it's seal.


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## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

I was told by the co. that made my dehyd that I could get meat from the store deli sliced 1/4" thick can dehyd it to use in soups and stuff but the draw back is it only lasts for a few months and not to mix it with anything else until you cook it wondered if it wouldn't be better [not to mention more expensive] to by freeze dried meat for emergencies stash any ideas on this


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Spinner, have you tried vacuum sealing in jars? Sharp edges aren't a concern - and those that are trying to keep plastic from contacting their food can have it in glass. I think I probably vac seal more in jars than in bags!


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

Marilyn said:


> Spinner, have you tried vacuum sealing in jars? Sharp edges aren't a concern - and those that are trying to keep plastic from contacting their food can have it in glass. I think I probably vac seal more in jars than in bags!


This is what I like to do as well. You just buy the little gizmo that goes on top of a canning jar and lid, hook it up to the vaccu-sealer (I have a Foodsaver brand) and it sucks all the air out of the jar....no vac--u-seal bags to buy!  I cook up browned seasoned deer burger,rinse it well, dry it and then put it in qt jars and seal it with the vac-cu-sealer. I can put the equilavent of 2# of hamburger in a qt jar. And if you are careful,..you can reuse the canning jar lid you pry off the jar when you open it. WONDERFUL invention!   I try very hard to not let my food sit in plastic and this is a great way to do it.


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## cindy71 (Jul 7, 2008)

tyusclan said:


> I've mentioned this site before but if anyone is interested there is a site called, www.freezerbagcooking.com. I like her mixes but I didn't like rehydrating in freezer bags. It gave an off flavor to me. This lady hikes ALOT and makes her own dehydrated mixes from home to carry. She has lots of really good recipes.
> tyusclan momma


This lady has some great ideas, but I noticed that she says alot to put it in the freezer to store. I don't put my dehyrated items in the freezer. I dehyrate to keep from putting it in the freezer. I'm I the only one that has this way of thinking? Cindy


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

I guess it all depends on how quickly you use the dried foods. I freeze all mine. They keep MUCH longer that way and it eliminates any concerns about molds and such. It also has the advantage of shorter drying times. You can half-dry some things like tomatoes, then freeze them, then when ready to use they re-hydrate much faster and have more flavor.

Dehydrated items take up much less freezer space than if you freeze the item itself without drying it first.


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