Canned Food Dehyration

[corvus]

Has anyone had a go at Dehydrating say Campbells Chunky Soups could be a good and easy way for non cooks ,wonder how a dehy Country Label Minestone would turn out I am going to try their Irish Stew example I think I also on occasions I like Baked Beans any one tried doing them.
There are loads of canned goods out there ready to eat but a wee bit heavy to carry so if you have experimented with any don't be embarrassed please feel free to share
I am about to make all of our dehy meals for our Winter OLT Stroll and just thought something else would be may be a nice change from my own cooking
corvus

[Orion]

I've dehydrated a lot of canned curries, both indian and thai. Technically these were in metalized pouches, but it's the same as canned food even if the container isn't rigid. There's no reason why it wouldn't work. The only thing is that dehydrating doesn't improve the food so it will still taste no better than Campbell's soup tastes when "fresh" from the can. I have also dehydrated (homemade) soup and, as you might expect, with all the liqud it takes a while.

Go for it.

[matagi]

Why would you go to the trouble of dehydrating canned soup when you can already buy dehydrated soups eg Cup-a-Soup?

Actually, the concept of dehydrating any canned food sounds pretty unappetising.

(I should declare that the only canned foods I ever eat/use are baked beans, fish and tomatoes, so I am somewhat prejudiced)

[neilmny]

I've dehydrated canned fruit and that works really well.
I started with a can of peaches in mango that I bought by mistake (I don't like mango)
I didn't want to chuck it away so into the dehydrator and ended up being really a nice snack.

[rogo]

I've dehydrated canned fruit and that works really well.
I started with a can of peaches in mango that I bought by mistake (I don't like mango)
I didn't want to chuck it away so into the dehydrator and ended up being really a nice snack.

A friend has done that as well and thought the results we very good as well.

I have dehydrated baked beans with much success. The beans took a long while to dehy and rehy but it was great. I am leaving in a few days and I went dehy mad. I tried olives (not a great success, but something I will practise until I perfect it), canned chickpeas, pre-made sauces like biriyani as well as all the fresh food that is fairly common.

[Orion]

Why would you go to the trouble of dehydrating canned soup when you can already buy dehydrated soups eg Cup-a-Soup?

Because you can't find an Irish stew cup-a-soup? Or a chunky noodle?

Actually I'm in your camp and never, ever eat canned soup anymore. But I've also had some pretty bad instant soups (some in Tasmania were horrible) and now mostly just eat miso soup when walking. But if you like it, why not dehydrate it? You could probably dehydrate dog food.

[matagi]

Why would you go to the trouble of dehydrating canned soup when you can already buy dehydrated soups eg Cup-a-Soup?

Because you can't find an Irish stew cup-a-soup? Or a chunky noodle?

Actually I'm in your camp and never, ever eat canned soup anymore. But I've also had some pretty bad instant soups (some in Tasmania were horrible) and now mostly just eat miso soup when walking. But if you like it, why not dehydrate it? You could probably dehydrate dog food.

And add it to your instant soup to make Irish stew?

I'm a fan of miso too - quick, easy and tastes great.

[corvus]

Oh yes heaps of nutrition in instant Miso (that also I enjoy) per 18g serve ?
energy 117kj
protein 1.6g
fat total 0.8g of which 0.2g is saturated
carbs 3.6 g of which 3.1g is sugars
sodium 809mg
And other than a wee bit of seaweed not much to chew on after a nice long hard stroll
corvus

[MartyGwynne]

Hi I too have dehydrated canned baked beans. They do take a day or so to do but they rehydrate back pretty well.
I was so impressed in fact that I made my own 'baked beans' and dehydrated them. They re-hydrated quite well on sunday morning up near Mt Howit (let them soak overnight).
Which brings us back to why would you use canned food to dehydrate. Dont be lazy and make what you want to dehydrate then dry it. At least you know what goes into it.
Marty.
OOPs just re-read your first part of the post OK "Non-Cooks" then yes go for it, it will have to taste better than you cooking it then drying it. ))))

[roodeny101]

Why would you go to the trouble of dehydrating canned soup when you can already buy dehydrated soups eg Cup-a-Soup?

Because you can't find an Irish stew cup-a-soup? Or a chunky noodle?

Actually I'm in your camp and never, ever eat canned soup anymore. But I've also had some pretty bad instant soups (some in Tasmania were horrible) and now mostly just eat miso soup when walking. But if you like it, why not dehydrate it? You could probably dehydrate dog food.

All right you may not eat canned soup any more but you might want to try Hinze squeeze and stir soup sachets i prefer the big red tomato soups . They aren't dehydrated but they come close and taste better than many i have tried .

[neilmny]

I always have a squeeze and stir in my pack with some Macoroni and a "cup a soup" minestrone as well. It's my "emergency" rations.
Not spectacular but very edible any time, but in about 10 minutes I've got a hot "tasty" drink and a feed.

[photohiker]

I couldn't help myself looking in this thread

So buy canned food, dehydrate it, carry it into the middle of a beautiful wilderness, rehydrate it, then enjoy consume a somewhat degraded canned food meal in natural surroundings?

Train wreck. LOL.

[Orion]

I couldn't help myself looking in this thread

So buy canned food, dehydrate it, carry it into the middle of a beautiful wilderness, rehydrate it, then enjoy consume a somewhat degraded canned food meal in natural surroundings?

Train wreck. LOL.

It's dehydrated food, not fresh. And not all canned food is so degraded to begin with.

I routinely dehydrate canned black beans for use in the wilderness. Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between rehydrated dehydrated canned black beans -versus- rehydrated dehydrated home cooked dried black beans. Can you?

So I don't bother spending the extra hours that it takes to cook them first.

[photohiker]

Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between rehydrated dehydrated canned black beans -versus- rehydrated dehydrated home cooked dried black beans. Can you?

Good point. I doubt I could tell the difference, this is not one of my staple foods. Given the canning process, do you think there would be a nutritional difference?

I was thinking of whole meals rather than a can of black beans...

Most of the canned food I have eaten was Army rations in Cadets. That definitely 'flavours' my point of view on canned food.

[Ent]

Go for it Corvus, while some might be critical without trying your approach it adds to options for meals. My aim is to avoid where possible overprice and rather tasteless commercial dehydrated meals more by hunting high and low for long lasting foods such as convenience food to supplement normal food.

Cheers

[photohiker]

Agree. More than happy for Corvus to eat rehydrated dehydrated canned food.

There are a lot of varieties to choose from, I'm always amazed at the range in the canned food section of the supermarket.

[corvus]

Most of the canned food I have eaten was Army rations in Cadets. That definitely 'flavours' my point of view on canned food.

I guess from your comment that you rarely eat any canned /foil packed food ?so how can you comment on what others eat and your mention of Army Rations when in Cadets is a bit of a longbow to draw owing to what I believe would have been your limited experience ,in my Army days (40+ years ago) the canned ration food was balanced and nutritious OK some better than others but it did introduce me to McConnachies Irish Stew which was nice and so much better than the School Dinner version I had to endure 10 years earlier
Speed forward to now and I am an avid amateur cook with pride in my efforts across a cuisine range and I am also well experienced in Dehydrating all sorts of food so having a go at doing canned food will be an interesting experiment.
As an aside my wife cannot believe that I actually eat and enjoy some canned /foil packed food perhaps a reflection back to when I grew up in Scotland and Food Rationing was still in place and "hunger was good kitchen"
corvus

[Nuts]

Your frozen vegie idea was great Corv... bulk corn, beans, carrots, sooo much easier. Probably just as nutritious. It had never occurred to me I guess.

[corvus]

Why would you go to the trouble of dehydrating canned soup when you can already buy dehydrated soups eg Cup-a-Soup?

Because you can't find an Irish stew cup-a-soup? Or a chunky noodle?

Actually I'm in your camp and never, ever eat canned soup anymore. But I've also had some pretty bad instant soups (some in Tasmania were horrible) and now mostly just eat miso soup when walking. But if you like it, why not dehydrate it? You could probably dehydrate dog food.

Orion why were your instant soups "especially some in Tasmania " horrible and you smarty pants comments regarding Dog Food betray a modicum of immaturity as Dog Food is already available in a Dehydrated form (as if you did not know)
corvus

[photohiker]

Most of the canned food I have eaten was Army rations in Cadets. That definitely 'flavours' my point of view on canned food.

I guess from your comment that you rarely eat any canned /foil packed food ?so how can you comment on what others eat and your mention of Army Rations when in Cadets is a bit of a longbow to draw owing to what I believe would have been your limited experience ,in my Army days (40+ years ago) the canned ration food was balanced and nutritious OK some better than others but it did introduce me to McConnachies Irish Stew which was nice and so much better than the School Dinner version I had to endure 10 years earlier
Speed forward to now and I am an avid amateur cook with pride in my efforts across a cuisine range and I am also well experienced in Dehydrating all sorts of food so having a go at doing canned food will be an interesting experiment.
As an aside my wife cannot believe that I actually eat and enjoy some canned /foil packed food perhaps a reflection back to when I grew up in Scotland and Food Rationing was still in place and "hunger was good kitchen"
corvus

Never assume, corvus.

I don't eat much by way of canned food. I prefer fresh. I do eat foil packed fish on walks though, and I have had the luxury of Norwegian and Swedish dehy food which is a class above what is available here. Please eat whatever you like, just don't be surprised when people raise their eyebrows at your culinary preferences. As you say, even your wife thinks it strange, so you should not be surprised if some on the forum agree with her.

At least you're keeping with the Scots stereotype. Canned food is cheap.

[Orion]

Orion why were your instant soups "especially some in Tasmania " horrible and you smarty pants comments regarding Dog Food betray a modicum of immaturity as Dog Food is already available in a Dehydrated form (as if you did not know)
corvus

We have bad dehydrated soup where I live too. I think the Tasmania soup stuck in my mind because we weren't familiar enough with what was what and bought some soups that were particularly nasty.

As for dog food, surely you jest? Dried dog food is in no way comparable to canned dog food, even rehydrated dehydrated canned. Ask any dog!

[neilmny]

I couldn't help myself looking in this thread

So buy canned food, dehydrate it, carry it into the middle of a beautiful wilderness, rehydrate it, then enjoy consume a somewhat degraded canned food meal in natural surroundings?

Train wreck. LOL.

Photohiker,

I would be very interested to hear some facts on the level of degradation in canned food
in particular where the degradation occurs.
I also prefer fresh food but it is doubtful that anything we buy today is actually fresh.
I suspect that a lot of vegetables are treated in some way with chemical cocktails of god knows what.
One example of this is cabbages, I have put cabbage leaves in my worm farm that haven't even changed colour
after a week or more. That aint natural. Beware of what you are really consuming.

[Miyata610]

I would be very interested to hear some facts on the level of degradation in canned food
in particular where the degradation occurs.
I also prefer fresh food but it is doubtful that anything we buy today is actually fresh.
I suspect that a lot of vegetables are treated in some way with chemical cocktails of god knows what.
One example of this is cabbages, I have put cabbage leaves in my worm farm that haven't even changed colour
after a week or more. That aint natural. Beware of what you are really consuming.

Cabbages were traditionally stored for an entire season. They'd keep through a winter and were often the only fresh food left by the end of the season.

Many veggies are chemical free. Buy locally grown, not from a supermarket, only in season.

Canned food is degraded by the extreme heat used in its preservation.

[neilmny]

OK so to what level are they degraded compared to say fresh beans which have been handled by several people (pickers/sorters/packers) before even the customers
fish through them with their bum scratching and nose picking germy hands.
I accept that canning does degrade the food to some degree but the degradation is limited by the process.
I want some of those chemical free Tassie veggies Mayata610 there certainly aren't chemical free here on the north island.
I think the benefits of fresh and "chemical free" are only realised where you have control of the product, in other words grow your own.

[photohiker]

neilmy, I was referring to the degradation of canned food by the dehy/rehy process, not that canned food itself is degraded (which it obviously is to some extent)

Fresh > Canned > dehy/rehy canned.

Wikipedia says much of the nutrition is retained and sometimes supplemented to make it so. Canning process can alter taste and texture as well.

[Orion]

I thought by degradation we were talking about taste, texture, and color.

In terms of nutrition, canned food has historically been an important source of dietary lead. Although lead solder has been banned in many countries it is still present in some canned food. In addition the liner in a can of food often contains BPA. And of course canned food usually contains sodium by the truckload, but that's true of most commercially dehydrated food as well.

Probably safest to eat fresh food while in the bush. What's the best way to serve leeches?

[corvus]

ed food usually contains sodium by the truckload, but that's true of most commercially dehydrated food as well.

Probably safest to eat fresh food while in the bush. What's the best way to serve leeches?

Mixed with cooked Barley herbs and spices and served up as Black Pudding
corvus