i detest dehydrating food. i've done it in the past, and it just doesn't seem worth it. i can buy most individual dehydrated ingredients to make my own meals that taste way better than pre-packaged, are much cheaper, and theoretically should have a smaller carbon footprint (bulk dehydration, i can package in (wax) paper instead of foil pouches/freezer bags, etc)

the only thing i can't seem to find that i need most often is cooked and dehydrated pasta.
the one thing i have tried is ramen noodles, crushed up and repackaged without the seasoning (if i'm making mac n' cheese, etc).

is there a magical source of dehydrated pasta i'm missing?
is there a source of bulk ramen noodles? (which seem to be cooked/dehydrated to me)

Ramen is precooked. Well and fried.

Can you get it non fried? Sure. That is Lo Mein/chuka soba noodles sold in some grocery stores and in all Asian grocery stores.

As for the whole dehydrating thing...honestly pasta has to the easiest and laziest thing ever to do ;-) And your oven works good at doing it!

Just remember that not all wax paper is equal and most of it is made with petro chemicals. If you can get it naturally made, great. But do question how it was made.

thanks sarah, i guess i can try dehydrating in the oven instead of building/buying a dehydrator...
i'll search, but i'm guessing parchment paper at really low heat?

fried and dried isn't a bad thing as it's probably more calories, but it probably imparts a different taste
is it common to find dehydrated lomein noodles?

i know all about the wax paper issue.
i believe we discussed this same issue when i asked how best to wrap my dried meals in paper, maybe a month ago?

for short trips i just wrap up in paper and i've been experimenting with wheat paste sealing.. i used to just fold over the top, but it's annoying to spill your only and carefully prepared meal...

Edited by er0ck on 05/13/2011 11:22:22 MDT.

The chuka soba noodles look just like ramen - but without the seasoning packet. In fact the package often shows them being added to say Pho like bowls - all it needs is 3 minutes time with hot water and you can eat it. It isn't fried so is lower in calories if that is an issue.


On the dehydrating, yep - lowest setting on oven. Stir every hour. If you have good baking sheets you can even get away with no paper underneath but the first stirrings you have to be pretty careful so you don't rip the pasta.

"On the dehydrating, yep - lowest setting on oven."

I used to do it that way... with the oven door open an inch.

A real electric food dehydrator works better. I run mine on solar panel power, so it doesn't cost me anything.

--B.G.--

how'd you get a free solar panel? ;-D

I live in Silicon Valley, and there are companies around that manufacture solar panels. If they have one that missed the quality control standard and it is only 90% as good as it is supposed to be, then they throw it out. I find they work good on the south side of my place, so I get a modest amount of solar power easily.

--B.G.--

Cous-cous! It's a form of pasta that takes up very little room in your food bag or canister. I now use it for nearly all of my pasta needs. It's practically instant right out of the package. Available in white or whole wheat (I use the latter).

It does look a little strange with spaghetti sauce, but if you close your eyes it tastes the same! The whole wheat version tastes a lot better than most whole wheat pasta.

Edited by hikinggranny on 05/13/2011 15:29:53 MDT.

Couscous, absolutely.

I carry a mixture of couscous, dehydrated quinoa, and instant rice.

--B.G.--

I happened to get/test some "no salt added" somen (Hakubaku) from the asian market. They seem fine to me, maybe a little al dente, after adding boiling water and a 3 min wait.

Each ounce has 101 cal, 1.3g fat, 39g carb, 7g protein, sodium 0.1g

I'm not such an expert that I'd advise how to flavor them.

(I understand the regular somen can have a lot of sodium)

Edited by JohnJ on 05/13/2011 17:38:43 MDT.

I make my own linguine, use any fresh pasta recipe, roll it flat, then roll it into a roll like a cinnamon roll, then use a knife to slice it, then let it air dry. You could then dehydrate it I guess, but it already weighs pretty light and will cook in four minutes. You could also just buy "fresh pasta" at any Whole Foods kind of store.

How does fresh pasta do without refrigeration? I've made it at home, but never carried it on a hike. It seems like a logical alternative to dehydrating, at least for a day or so, but you're dealing with raw eggs. Maybe a light coating of oil or a sprinkle of vinegar to keep it from spoiling? Or in a bag that would breathe and let it dry? Anybody have any experience here?

I find that angel hair or other thin pasta cooks quite well with just almost boiling water and as stated previously so does couscous.

Instant 5 minute rice, cornmeal(polenta), instant mash potatoes, even crumbled Pringles and many other staples work as well.

Hey Brain.

Regarding fresh pasta. If you make your pasta without egg, it will last a very long time.
The fat in the eggs can go rancid especially at warmer temps.

I have taken my homemade egg noodles and homemade dehydrated eggs on shorter hikes, but would not trust them on multiple day hot summer hikes. They would probably be fine, but when I backpack, I can't afford to throuw away food that has gone bad, so only use ingredients that I know can do the miles.

Fresh dehydrated pasta can last a very long time, but I end up breaking it up into a fine powder and so stick with store bought angel hair pasta for my trips.

Edited by brooklynkayak on 07/06/2011 05:47:00 MDT.

Couscous rehydrates perfectly even with cold water - it makes excellent "salads" I might add :-)

I believe some kinds of hamburger helper include parboiled pasta or rice. Although, it has also been forever since I've eaten that kind of junk food so maybe my memory is hazy. Either way, dehydrating pasta is pretty easy. You can also always cold soak things prior to heating to cut down on fuel/cook time.

I've got to put in a plug for couscous, too. I made Freezer Bag "Spaghetti" for a trip last weekend usuing couscous, and it was really excellent (would have been even better if my husband wouldn't refuse to east mushrooms....)