Is it possible to dehydrate honey or maple syrup or something like that in my Nesco dehydrator?

I'm asking so I can have a convenient sweetener (besides sugar) for various shakes I see at trailcooking.com.. some recommend taking a packet of honey along but this isn't convenient on a long hike where I want lots of the stuff.

Is there a particular reason you don't want/can't have sugar? If it's because you totally dig the taste of honey or maple syrup, then right on man. But there are sugar alternatives you can take!

Edited by T.L. on 06/29/2010 21:43:43 MDT.

I won't say that it can't be done, but I sure don't know how to dehydrate that stuff. I tried honey and molasses and got nothing working. There are molasses powders and all that if it is just flavor that you want.

I gave up and got a box full of Turbinado sugar in packets. That isn't too much different from light brown sugar.

--B.G.--

sugar is just fine with me but it feels like the taste of maple syrup on the trail would be heaven..

i do maple syrup powder from frontier but it comes in 1 lb bags..

Yeah, like Bob, I simply don't know if you could do it.

Just to throw this out there, organic whole cane sugar, unrefined and unbleached, has a much earthier and molasses-like flavor. We have the brand Rapunzel. Something to consider. Good luck with your quest.

PSSSTTTTT! You can buy both of them in dehydrated form! There is maple sugar that can be turned back into maple syrup, granulated honey, granulated molasses.....

Go check out packitgourmet.com for them. Though the honey you can find it in Asian grocery stores (yet it is US made!) and maple in many natural food stores.

Ok. Sarah wins.

Sarah, I think the question was how to do it with a home food dehydrator.

Personally, I find it way too much trouble to mail order what is, in essence, a small bag of flavored sugar.

--B.G.--

If I remember right they freeze dry the powders - something we cannot do at home (or at least most of us!)

I love internet shopping I will admit - though I rarely just buy one thing. When I order from PIG I get around $100 or so a time and stock up quarterly. :-)

Honey is pretty concentrated already, how much more water weight can be removed by dehydrating?

Tohru, this is Backpacking Light!

Grams exist to be removed.

--B.G.--

The dry isn't messy to say the least ;-)

The only real problem I have with carrying honey or molasses is that it always spills or leaks or gets all over my fingers and clothes.

If I really need to carry molasses or honey for some recipe, I load it into plastic soda straws with the ends taped.

--B.G.--

Isn't maple sugar essentially dehydrated or freeze-dried maple syrup? You can buy that at specialty cooking stores. Most of it is imported from Canada...

I haven't tried this, but could you dilute honey/syrup etc in water, and then create crystals along a wick like rock candy ?

"Grams exist to be removed."

Duh, forgot where I was. I'm partial to taking demerara or turbinado sugar, it adds richness to tea...

> Grams exist to be removed

Unless they are in camera equipment.

Sorry Bob, I couldn't resist :)

yes it is BPL but I was asking because it is a mess to pack honey / maple syrup in liquid form, esp. for 35 days.

maple sugar sounds interesting.. will look into it.

i did see maple syrup powder online but it was expensive and in a rather large portion and that's what prompted me to ask this question..

anyway, brown sugar and maple sugar both sound good to me..

http://www.amazon.com/Stakich-HONEY-POWDER-5-LB/dp/B001LR2CP2

They have smaller bags also. this is soooooo good

Edited by djjmikie on 07/01/2010 12:08:51 MDT.

"anyway, brown sugar and maple sugar both sound good to me.."

They both occupy the same dietary niche, but maple sugar tastes sooooo much better. You really should try and pick some up to test. Be careful, though; it's addictive. There should be some good sources in Michigan, where I grew up and also Vermont, to name a couple of major producers of syrus/sugar. Also Canada.

Oops, I just googled it and it's really pricey, like ~$17/pound. :(