Our modern food system relies on trucks. It relies on shipping and the ability to get trailer loads of product into supermarkets and retailers. So, what happens if something impedes those deliveries? Just how long would the people around be able to survive without the goods rolling in?
The common belief, amongst preppers, is that we are merely 9 meals away from collapse. Three days of breakfast lunch and dinner would put the average person in a dire situation. Beyond that, the stores would be picked clean by that time as well. The best way to avoid this risky source of food is to stop relying so heavily on it.
The only way you can find true food independence is by growing more of your own food. Of course, that presents problems, too. There is a growing season when the foods are ripe and delicious and then there is a season of the opposite. That’s where dehydrating comes in.
We are going to talk about 50 foods to dehydrate for your stockpile.
Fruits
Perhaps one of the best snacks you can get your hands on, dried fruit is the perfect thing to grab for when you are looking to avoid bad snacking habits.
- Apples
Few things dry as well as apples. Now, there are several ways that apples can be dried. If they are merely dehydrated they have a little chew to them but if they are freeze dried some of the crunch returns to them
- Strawberries
These little morsels dry well, and they are great to rehydrate for topping sweet treats.
- Blackberries
If you combine those strawberries with some freeze-dried blackberries you will have a great snack that travels well and can be combined with granola.
- Paw Paw
The paw paw is a tropical fruit that grows right here in the united states. They grow as far north as Virginia and they are like a banana meets a mango. There are big seeds in the paw paw but they can be halved and removed.
- Bananas
Probably one of the most notable dehydrated foods. Be careful if you purchase these bananas you assure they are not coated with a light sugar glaze. This helps with shelf life but adds unnecessary sugar.
- Pears
- Figs
Figs dehydrate well, and their unique flavor is intensified by the process.
- Plums
- Pineapple
Pineapple is another dehydrated food that can be coated with unnecessary sugar. Look for the best quality products you can or dehydrate them yourself.
- Papaya
- Grapes
Who could live without raisins? Drying grapes will create these shriveled little delicacies
- Fruit Leather
Pureeing fruit and dehydrating it on a pan will create a dried fruit leather that is delicious to carry and store. This will also save you Mylar bags instead of having to pack whole fruits in them.
Vegetables
Dehydrated vegetables may not make as great a snack as the dehydrated fruits, but they are still delicious.
- Green Bean
Though they can never be as delicious as a fresh bean off the vine these dehydrated beans add color and flavor to anything.
- Celery
- Onion
One of the base ingredients in most meals, the dehydrated onion is great ingredient to have around. Diced dehydrated onions are an important thing to store for many applications.
- Carrots
Carrots are a great little snack in their fresh form. They are also another base ingredient that makes up the French vegetable base called mire pox. Having them dehydrated in the diced form is a great convenience.
- Broccoli
A powerful vegetable filled with sulphurophane and calcium, broccoli is a terrific addition to any mean. It’s a staple in most home freezers so it would make sense to have some dehydrated as well.
- Peas
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
There are few things as delicious as a fresh tomato. While dehydrating them doesn’t offer that same flavor I assure you that what you dehydrate from your fresh garden tomatoes is better than any hot house fresh tomato you will get from the supermarket.
- Peppers
Peppers are one of those vegetables that do not store well. You can grill them and freeze them or roast and peel them. I think diced, dehydrated preppers are a great method of keeping them on hand all year.
- Okra
Dehydrated okra is such an incredible snack. It also grows like crazy!
- Mushrooms
Dried mushrooms have been medicine for thousands of years. If you grow your own mushrooms one of the best ways to store them is dehydrate them.
Herbs
Herbs are both an important thing to have around for flavor and medicinal purposes. The best thing about dried herbs is that they dry with just a little sun or even on a dry counter. I like to pick them and hang them upside down.
- Rosemary
One of the most effective and powerful herbs, rosemary dries well and as an added benefit it also smells great when you burn it. It’s a Cuban tradition to rid a room of evil spirits.
- Basil
One of the very best herbs to cook with, I cry a little each year when the first frost kills my basil plant.
- Lavender
Dried lavender is an incredibly relaxing herb. You can dry it and put it into teas or even soaps.
- Thyme
By far my favorite herb to cook with, thyme, is also a powerful anti-bacterial.
- Sage
- Lemon Balm
- Yarrow Root
Dried yarrow root, when powdered, is great for stopping bleeding.
- Chamomile
A great sleep aid and a powerful dried herb to add to tea.
- Rose Hips
Filled with Vitamin C the dried rosehip can help boost your immune system.
Roots
The power that comes from roots is amazing. I have chosen some very powerful roots to highlight how dehydrated roots can be of use.
- Ginger
Ginger is a powerful flavor for cooking. Its also packed with healing properties. When I am feeling under the weather there is nothing better than ginger, dried cayenne and honey tea.
- Turmeric
Natures anti-inflammatory, turmeric has been rediscovered as of late and people are using it to deal with that today. It’s a great root to dehydrate and even to powder.
- Dandelion
Many people don’t know that the root of the dandelion can be roasted and ground to make a drink that is like coffee. It does not have the caffeine but it’s a great taste.
- Echinacea
The powerhouse of the immune system, the echinacea root can be dried and used in tea during that cold and flu season.
Protein
You have got to have protein in your diet. Whether you are talking about a survival situation or day to day life. Here are three examples of protein that dry and dehydrate well.
- Duck Breast
Salted and dehydrated duck breast turns into something like ham. It’s delicious.
- Beef
Beef jerky.
- Fish
Smoked and dried fish have been helping mankind survive for thousands of years. With the technology of today fish can be smoked and dehydrated to create something great to eat later. I like to use smoked and dehydrated fish in chowders in the winter.
Powders
By dehydrating foods, you have the ability to run them through a spice grinder and create powdered versions of these powerful ingredients. Powders are great for adding to foods, teas and even taking as medicines.
- Cayenne
A known anti-inflammatory this is a great powder for food and for dealing with things like sinus inflammation and even mild pain from inflammation.
- Onion
- Garlic
Garlic and onion powder are great additions to your culinary toolkit. They add great flavor to food and store well.
- Ginger
Powdered ginger is one of those all-purpose powders that you must have around. When I am feeling down I always add ginger to my tea, I add it to my pumpkin pie and its also great to mix with other spices.
- Herb
Powdering herbs is another terrific way to add their essence to your food or to your overall health program. I like to make herb mixes in powder form. Herbs de Provence is a mix of lavender, thyme, savory and rosemary. It’s a wonderful mix to add to tons of things.
Meal Makers
45. Homemade Pasta
Have you ever made homemade pasta? Its incredibly simple. Its also delicious. You can dehydrate your homemade pasta to get more life out of it.
46. Cheese
47. Potatoes
Cooked and dried potatoes can slash the cooking time on these starchy staples.
48. Sauces
Powdering sauces gives you the option to begin packing up your own meals on the go. This allows you to create flavorful camping meals that you can rehydrate out in the wilderness.
49. Rice
50. Beans
Rice and beans that have been cooked can be dehydrated to carry and reheat efficiently. If you use brown rice with your beans you will be tapping into some serious nutrition with just two ingredients.
Start Building Your Dehydrated Stockpile
Rather than investing in foods that have been sourced and processed in areas and facilities that are unknown to you, start building a dehydrated foods stockpile of your own. By growing your own food, dehydrating it and storing it, you know everything about the food that your family is eating.
