Dehydrators

[Grandpa]

More Time? Weights may vary with the item but it usually takes about 16 oz of water to rehydrate 4-6 ozs of dried food. I store mine in "food saver" bags. The meats go in the freezer. They are still acceptable after 1 1/2 years but have lost some flavor by then. Any food will loose nutrients over time. Not sure how dehydrating compares to freeze dry, but freeze dry with oxygenator packets has an easy 5 year shelf life.

Benny? Don't know about 2012, but astrophysists are warning a large solar flare could cause an electromagnetic impulse that would take out a lot of our digital electronics. They do have instances of small ones causing localized power outages. It's just one more something that could go wrong. I don't have all the survival answers but I am trying to at least know what some of the questions are and have some forethought how to cope. Smoking meat was the accepted way to store it BE. (before electricity) I want to learn as much about it now as I can.

[ChadTower]

Originally Posted by Benny

Never thought about it, but it's quite possible that something like this could come in handy. Especially since no-one knows about what might happen in 2012.

Kitchen use dehydrators aren't going to work in a disaster. They are electric.

[Grandpa]

Originally Posted by ChadTower

Kitchen use dehydrators aren't going to work in a disaster. They are electric.

Very true Chad. We have also played with solar dehydrating which also won't work in several scenarios such as a super volcano or radioactive problem. But knowing your options and playing with them now may give us the knowledge to deal with and adapt to what comes. The key for us is preserving food that we use in normal times as well. My backpacking hobby gives me a good test lab for the foods we do obtain through the old methods.

Having a half ton of wheat or rice or beans in the basement isn't going to solve much except give extreme gastrointestinal problems unless you know how and can process/utilize it. And life will be much better if you also have the companion foods to go with those grains.

[Pepsigal]

I have a dehydrator, but what is the best way to smoke things? Build a smoker? On the bbq? Some other way? I have never smoked anything in my life.

[Judy Ann]

SmokingMeatForums.com - Smoker and smoking meat forums and reviews

There are numerous ways to smoke meats and fish. You might enjoy this site for more information and ideas.