Just thought I'd pass on a little "survival" trick that I use .
Every year I grow my own veggies and do several things for long term storage . I will just discuss one though .
I pick out carrots , onions, peas , potatoes , and assorted herbs and put them aside . I place each in a dehydrator and remove as much moisture as possible (till they are crisp and could actually be powdered) . Then I take amounts from each to combine for a 3 person "meal" .
Then I mix the ingredients and using my vac sealer , I make up individual meal pouches .
Black sharpie for date made , and off to a cool dark place for storage .
I have used these "meal packs" for camping , hunting , etc . and they work great . They are basically used in stews . Just add them to some water to rehydrate , add whatever meat you could capture/kill ,and instant stew ! I also keep some bullion cubes aside to add for a "broth" .
Some recommend doing a pre cook of the veggies prior to dehydrating . I have yet to have any problems doing this straight from the garden , but I can see why it might be done .
Not sure of shelf life of these , but for me , I use up the last of my pouches just as harvest time comes around . So , essentially mine are used up within a year . They may last longer .
People that have camped/hunted with me and have tried my stews using this process have commented on how good they were. It takes a little time to tweak the portions of each veggie/herb , but once you get the right combo , you'll surprise yourself and probably look at canned stews as inferior .
Every year I grow my own veggies and do several things for long term storage . I will just discuss one though .
I pick out carrots , onions, peas , potatoes , and assorted herbs and put them aside . I place each in a dehydrator and remove as much moisture as possible (till they are crisp and could actually be powdered) . Then I take amounts from each to combine for a 3 person "meal" .
Then I mix the ingredients and using my vac sealer , I make up individual meal pouches .
Black sharpie for date made , and off to a cool dark place for storage .
I have used these "meal packs" for camping , hunting , etc . and they work great . They are basically used in stews . Just add them to some water to rehydrate , add whatever meat you could capture/kill ,and instant stew ! I also keep some bullion cubes aside to add for a "broth" .
Some recommend doing a pre cook of the veggies prior to dehydrating . I have yet to have any problems doing this straight from the garden , but I can see why it might be done .
Not sure of shelf life of these , but for me , I use up the last of my pouches just as harvest time comes around . So , essentially mine are used up within a year . They may last longer .
People that have camped/hunted with me and have tried my stews using this process have commented on how good they were. It takes a little time to tweak the portions of each veggie/herb , but once you get the right combo , you'll surprise yourself and probably look at canned stews as inferior .