Eating well and hiking - is it compatible?

My own drive to get out into nature is usually linked to food or coffee - so the answer is a resounding yes! Even if I have to carry food for several days and low weight is a priority, I make sure that what I carry with me creates a golden edge on the mountain hike! Freeze dried really goes away on its own - zero enjoyment...

At the end I offer 3 quick dishes where you can dry a couple of ingredients for quick, tasty and cheap hiking food.

You can dry most of it yourself! The easiest are fruit snacks, vegetable toppings for dishes or whole dishes like stews, soups or risotto. The idea is that it can be cooked later on by putting it in water (pizza goes away...). You can dry meat as well as vegetables! Fruit can be thinly sliced and dried, as can vegetables. Root vegetables can be sliced, blanched and then dried.

Cooking food in turn is best done in a food mash or directly in a pan. Add hot water and leave to stand for 10-30 minutes. (Lunch can be prepared at breakfast)

RULES OF CONDUCT

Fat goes rancid. If the dish contains a lot of fat, e.g. is fried in a lot of oil, contains cream or similar, then avoid it in the cooking but include it to have when reheating. Small amounts of fat are fine.

Small pieces. Everything dries faster if it is cut into small pieces, large pieces can easily double the drying time. The same applies to 'cooking' which takes longer the larger the pieces. Think thin and small!

Runnydishes. If you choose a soup or runny stew, it will dry faster if it is reduced, or reduce the amount of liquid already in cooking.

DRYING

Dry in a conventional oven, hot air oven or drying oven. Spread out/place what you are going to dry on a baking sheet on a tray. A finished dish is spread out thinly. In a regular oven, set the door ajar, use a wooden spoon in the oven door.

Vegetables are dried at about 50 degrees, eggs and meat at 70 degrees. We use the low temperatures to preserve as much nutrients and flavor as possible and the food should not be cooked, just dried.
Dried around 8 - 15 h depending on the dish, how small pieces etc. You can look, feel, taste to determine if it is dry. Portion pack to take on a trip!

Observe good hygiene when handling food to extend shelf life. Food with more fat in it can be stored in the fridge or freezer to extend the shelf life before the trip!

COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS

Couscous, rice and pasta among others are already dry and ready to take out! So to create easy dishes, you can dry 'topping' to dry carbs.

3quick dishes!
Couscous + dried vegetables, bouillon cube and oil.
Rice noodles + dried halloumi, dried curry paste and peanuts.
Powdered mash + beer sausage, butter and roasted onions.

Last tip for this time... When you have food left over in your day - instead of putting it in a box in the fridge or freezing it, dry it instead! This way, you'll slowly build up a stash to take out for luck without requiring a lot of extra time.

Enjoy your trip!

Mountain greetings /Amira


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