Another annoying thing is that the dating was already a year lost as it was made Jan 2013, and I only just got it.
Unopended they are 25 years , so that would only be 24 years. I think when you buy this type of food the dating
should be better or it should be reduced pricing with dates listed on the web site you buy from so you know
what you are getting.

Goldie,

Sorry to hear things didn't work out as you envisioned. Though I never had freeze dried bananas, I often had dehydrated ones. I never tried to re hydrate them, rather just hate them as "banana chips". I would really doubt you would get sick from the crunchiness or the discolouration of them. As there are no other ingredients, you are simply eating dry bananas. As they are re hydrated, I would assume they would turn brown the same way a fresh banana would if left on the counter for 10 minutes after being thinly sliced.

You are right that any diet changes to MRE or FD/dehydrated would be rather drastic ands would take some time getting used to; but so is starvation!

It's unfortunate that you loss a year's worth of your storage. Perhaps you could contact the company, requesting a small store credit on a future purchase? That said, those prepper food have a rather small market and it would be extremely expensive of they had to throw away or heavily discount their goods everytime the cans/packages were more than 6months old. When you think of it, that is only 4% of the product's life expectancy.

You shouldn't get sick - they sell all kinds of FD produce as a munch-from-the-package snack.

Dehydrated bananas come back less than dehydrated apples, around here. The apples, given an overnight soak or some simmering, will turn into an acceptable dessert. The bananas ed up badly chewy, really mushy on the outskirts, and not really fun. I have mixed results rehydrating various dehydrated fruits, with goji and apples and apricots being best and bananas and strawberries returning to "normal" least.

The FD bananas we use get a tiny squirt of lemon or real orange juice and then sit 4-6 hours or overnight in the fridge to be used in pudding or bread, or sometimes I use hot-hot water.

I don't like most FD fruits - bananas, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, cherries. I don't like the taste dry or rehydrated (they seem very tart) and by the time the center is soft, it seems like the outsides are kind of dissolving away. I do like FD mango and FD apples (but dehydrated is so much cheaper and compact for the apples), and I will splurge on grapes (they don't come back to fresh grapes; more like a grape sauce of some kind). I really love FD corn and peas, and munch them as a snack. FD carrots are take-it or leave-it for me, although they make a nicer pasta salad than dehydrated carrot slices.

At this point, I just do dehydrated for most fruits and veggies. It's cheaper per cup of rehydrated produce, more fits in less space, and it leaves room for FD meats as a pick-me-up and some FD meals for fast food prep.

If you're not sure about something, consider going to Mother Earth Inc. or Nuts.com (assuming they ship to you) and get a sampler pack. They're $2.50-$3 USD at nuts.com, but it's better than spending a fortune on something you don't like. At nuts.com, you can get sample bags of the fruit cocktail or some other mixes, and try multiple things. Our Wal-Mart also carries several types of dehydrated and FD foods in the health food section and near the jerky. They're exorbitant, but I prefer to spend $3-6 on a tiny bag, learn my lesson, and pass it to the Mister (who eats like a goat) or use it in doggy oatmeal, than to buy a case of things it turns out I dislike.

The high cost applies to the just-add-water meals, too. It's $5-10 per 2-serving entree of Mountain House and other camping entrees at the area REI or Bass Pro and other marine and camping stores. For some stuff (1/2 price $15-20 stroganoff #10 can) I'll just get the can and serve it as a meal-meal. Others are expensive enough for me to get a single serving bag. Too, I can pick out meat and see how it rehydrates on its own before buying a bunch of FD meat. And the camping bags let me see if anybody is allergic to anything in there or gets grumpy tummies.
🙂

well the dating was Jan 2013 and I received it in Feb 2014. So that is why I say they should list the dating
on the websites so you know what you are getting , even if no discount. Maybe they only discount at 2 - 3 years .

But it tells me FD bananas may not be as popular as other FD products.

Everyone with a 9 row excalibur , do you have lots of people ? There is only me here. That is why I wonder
if I really need a 9 row or a 5 row. Of course perhaps having both a 5 row and a 9 row is an option , LOL

Just how many sliced 1/4" thick bananas fill one row ?

I currently have a 5-row for two people, only one of whom actually snacks on the stuff (he's a problem, but it's good for him). When the 9 tray clattered down 3 flights of steps and decided it had served its time, I didn't want to spend the extra $$$. I wish I had a lot of times.

I can get +/-2 bananas per tray, but I don't cut mine that thick anymore, because they take forever to dry (it's humid here unless it's dry enough for skin to crack). I aim for right in between 1/8 and 1/4. That leaves them thick enough to flip the plastic mesh upside down and pop them off easy without them melting into the mesh, but a little thinner so they dry completely faster. It takes about 1/2 again the book's drying time anyway for them to dry enough for storage with O2 in plastic.

With 5 trays MOST of the time I can work effectively, but with sensitive fruit, I just can't dry it fast enough to take advantage of good sales and U-Pick late season discounted rates or CSA "come and take it" days without freezing. Apples will usually hold, so will potatoes, and a few others like cabbage and onions.

The 5-drawer is an advantage for the latter, because if you try to do them in your house, you will gas your family. Cats sneeze, dogs' eyes water, humans go somewhere else so they can stop crying and get away from that cabbage smell. (Blanching helps, but "helps" becomes pretty relative.) It's easier to get the 5-drawer outside and do it there.

When peppers go on sale, I both chop and slice, and what I can do is let it start drying, rearrange some of the shrinking ones onto upper trays, and do another couple of peppers for the freed-up trays. I do the same with fresh and frozen bags of mixed veggies, potato cubes and shreds, peas, green beans, corn, and some berries. Carrots have a CRAZY shrinkage rate, even more impressive than celery or cabbage or broccoli. Like, holy Toledo. Start four trays, transfer to 2, then transfer all of them to one for the hard plastic storage level.

Apples and potato slices, citrus slices or halved wedges, strawberries, and a lot of my herbs just don't shrink enough to make that possible, so I have to freeze or hold them in my fridge (both of which are usually at max capacity already), or can. I really don't love to can. Jellies are worth it, acidic foods can be tolerated, but I'm unreasonably afraid of the pressure canner (phobia, I know, and yet...).

I can sometimes pre-slice and pre-blanch stuff to make it more efficient in clean-up and faster to add to trays or cycle trays. I used to fill in part or all of my last tray or so on the 9-drawer with whatever herbs, garden stuff or frozen veggies were laying around, which had some bonuses in boosting my storage.

I also noticed recently that it seems like my 9 drawer filled pint jars more evenly. I rarely had a spare "veggie mix" jar laying around, but now I do. And if the Mister is in snack mode, sometimes it's a never-ending battle. I'd rather he eat what I dehydrate because it's clean and safe and chemical free, and it's better for him than chips, but I used to be able to Tupperware some and seal about half, and he'd be good for a few days to a week of snacks and a fruit for lunches, and I could get a whole cycle for storage. Now it seems like a constant battle to try and keep up with him during harvest seasons.

Which is better for you is going to depend highly on how much of it you're eating.

I currently have a 5-row for two people ...

With 5 trays MOST of the time I can work effectively, but with sensitive fruit, I just can't dry it fast enough to take advantage of good sales and U-Pick late season discounted rates or CSA "come and take it" days without freezing. Apples will usually hold, so will potatoes, and a few others like cabbage and onions.

The 5-drawer is an advantage for the latter, because if you try to do them in your house, you will gas your family. Cats sneeze, dogs' eyes water, humans go somewhere else so they can stop crying and get away from that cabbage smell. (Blanching helps, but "helps" becomes pretty relative.) It's easier to get the 5-drawer outside and do it there.

It is almost sounds as if a 1 - 2 person household could use both a 5 and a 9 tray , bringing out the 9 for bigger jobs.

I do have a question MrsPrepwPets , have you notice that the 9 tray dried faster than the 5 tray model ?
The 5 tray is less wattage which is good for conserving hydro if they take the same amount of time and you are running a generator, or not filling the unit full.
However I am not sure if the higher wattage of the 9 tray dries faster , or if the higher wattage was needed to be able to reach all the 9 trays .

Also, when dehydrating outside, does it attract rodents or flies ?

And have you found the 5 tray the same amount of noise as the 9 tray ? or less noise ( possibly because of a less wattage unit ? )

Today I've tried the Freeze Dried ( FD ) bananas again. This time I first used lemon juice to coat them but they
still turned brownish in areas instantly upon contact with the lemon juice, just like with plain water.
I believe they must have used very ripe bananas or perhaps this is normal.

I dehydrate items that cost alot as a 1st priority(meat, onions, mushrooms) and 2nd are nutrional things such as bell peppers, peas, carrots and other mixed veggies. (Do the onions outside cause your wife will beat you otherwise).

I find just buying frozen hash browns and dehydrating them is less effort because I don't have to blanch them and chop them up. The effort isn't worth the savings. Same with banana chips. Store bought taste better than mine ever do and they too are cheap. ( BTW, I think they dip them in honey, which is good for you too).

I used often make jerky from moose, deer or beaver meat knowing the wife won't eat it anyway. If I plan on eating it sooner than later, I grind it into burger with pork for better binding and make it soft. If I want it to keep along time, I dry the crap out of it and suck and chew it when hunting. It's kept well for up 1 1/2 years without sealing bags( as I test for things like this) or freezing and when I figure it's lost it's appeal, it still amkes great dog treats. The soft chew with teriacki is far more enjoyable though. The old hard chew is sometimes slightly better than sucking on a rock....LOL!

Knuckle, Do you dehydrate the hash browns from frozen state or defrost first?

Knuckle, Do you dehydrate the hash browns from frozen state or defrost first?

doesn't matter too much either way cause they turn hard as rock(at least mine do) There usually 1/2 defrosted though most times. Almost anything you dehydrate takes 1:1 ratio water to rehydrate and soak until their back to normal state. If I oversoak the hash, no matter cause it taste the same when pan fried. i usually pre-soak them at 1/2:1 overnight if I remember to think of it. Then add more water in the morning to suite.

Please note that this stuff taste great outdoors but no so hot at home. I also use loads of bacon grease outdoors and dried onions and bacon bits too in my browns. Folks love my cooking outdoors but often state I suck at it indoors. It's the same crap but fresh air that seems to fool people's taste buds 😀

Today I've tried the Freeze Dried ( FD ) bananas again. This time I first used lemon juice to coat them but they
still turned brownish in areas instantly upon contact with the lemon juice, just like with plain water.
I believe they must have used very ripe bananas or perhaps this is normal.

Mine are always a little brown. So are my apples. Caulifower comes back pretty well to its normal color. Almost. I believe the lemon/OJ keeps them minutely less brown, slightly improves the texture, and almost improves the taste (I'm not much of a banana fan, but they're cheap and good for you and can be used as dog treats, plus I live with a guy and was raised by a guy who actually like grody vanilla wafer-banana-banana pudding dishes, so I keep them going for them).

I do have a question MrsPrepwPets , have you notice that the 9 tray dried faster than the 5 tray model ?
The 5 tray is less wattage which is good for conserving hydro if they take the same amount of time and you are running a generator, or not filling the unit full.
However I am not sure if the higher wattage of the 9 tray dries faster , or if the higher wattage was needed to be able to reach all the 9 trays .

I didn't notice a big change. I was coming from the SW and had only used my Exc. 9-tray a few times here before I moved again and it took its header down the stairs. The humidity change forced me to re-do all of my notes even with it.

Also, when dehydrating outside, does it attract rodents or flies ?

I didn't notice rodents. I did notice flies. I grow feverfew and lemongrass on the one deck, which I'm sure helped.
I have a hammock that's basically a rain guard with mosquito netting sides, and just arranged that so no parts are touching the dehydrator. Nothing has gotten in yet, but I also make sure to make an ant barrier (fly tape or borax-sugar; I'm **guessing** but not **saying** you could probably also mix either baby oil or petroleum jelly with some wasp-ant spray and paint a line around the underside of the table it's on, but you're only supposed to use those sprays exactly as listed on the instructions and only on the explicitly directed insects. Just. Saying.).

And have you found the 5 tray the same amount of noise as the 9 tray ? or less noise ( possibly because of a less wattage unit ? )

I didn't notice a difference in noise, I don't think. I vaguely remember some noise from the 5-drawer, but it turned out that sometimes the drawers push the metal back into the fans or motor or something, and you just reach in sideways with a fork (WHILE IT'S UNPLUGGED) and give it a tug if your needle nosed pliers seem to be hard on the little round holes, pull it forward, and presto - just the whooshy kind of hum.

And, on the subject of fresh/frozen potatoes:
I don't like the texture of frozen potatoes overly, whether dehydrated and rehydrated or not, but they work for me for latkes or cheesy bakes. I prefer the fresh-blanched for diced-baked, hashbrown patties, hash and potato salad. I watch football, so spud season is also couch season, and I have a fab-o planar grater and a mandolin that makes shaving taters into an ice bath pretty easy. I also do the potatoes with a little veggie "pasta" maker that just twists. It works, unless I need to be jumping up so the ref can hear me or jerking side-to-side willing a RB to the first down or goal.

I do the same pre-soak as knuckle with both types, or (if I forgot overnight) do them in the slow cooker or solar oven until I get home, then drain and use them for whatever recipe.
About a pound of frozen or refrigerated or home-shredded potatoes goes over 4 trays, fills two pint jars, and takes about 4-6 hours (notebooks are fabulous things). I called the 14-16 oz. bags 10 servings (not sure if that was from manufacturer nutrition info or not), and noted it as 1 meal/4 adults+pet carb with 1.5 cups left to add to a cream-of or cheese soup.

I have not noticed an appreciable time difference in the fresh, pre-shredded cooler-section hash brown shreds or cubes (when on sale), or the frozen hash brown shreds, slices or dices. I also haven't noticed an appreciable difference between mine and the stuff I buy, and the quality of freeze-dried potato cubes is not enough to make it worth the cost and storage space for me.

I also buy frozen veggies, especially my favorite oriental and mixed veggies when I have a discount for my wholesale club, and frozen fruit. They largely go straight from a bag to a tray (NOT mixed berries or peaches - they need to dehydrate in an elevated colander stuck in a BIG bowl at least 18 hours, and I crossed out 8, then 12 hours before I stuck with 18 as my minimum).

I do not own a cherry pitter. Acts of God and love alone motivate me to do cherries fresh. I can buy them frozen at comparable prices to organic U-Pick and save myself hate and discontent.

Great info,thanks. I had not thought of buying frozen vegies or fruit and then dehydrating them. However, they
do have the prep done, such as carrot coins are all evenly sliced. LOL

I think I've made the right choice with the 5 tray. I can do smaller loads, and not be wasting electricity
with vacant rows, and if I find I need more space I can buy another 5 tray , and there by have each unit cooking at a different temperature.

I just wish they were stackable .

"God, I feel like a rogue"(imagine a scottish accent when reading that) when I read MrsPrepWPets thread. She explains it like a mother does and I imagine everything taste as good the day it was made ....fresh and delicious! (I gotta show my wife this thread yet and maybe she'll finally start dehydrating). I figure my stuff taste great but I don't waste much time on the presentation 😳 I also never thought of dehydrating cauliflower, gotta try that too. Cloudy (wife) only dehydrates kale (and adds lemon juice too) and then eats it like chips.(yuk) and it leaves green crap on yer teeth too! 😀 Cloudy figures all the grease will kill me (but it adds flavour).

Stores here used to sell this tube of dehydrated veggies with a gravy base. It had potatoes, peas, carrots, string beans, maybe more stuff. I started guiding hunters at age 15(fishing guide at 12) and American tourists always said they have a story to tell because their guide carried a pellet gun. They hunted bear, moose and deer up here and I was usually there to keep them from getting lost. Since they already had the big game covered(and were paying for the tags), why would I need a gun? What they expect though is someone to cook them a meal and they don't want to eat things they get at home. As in fishing, we carry a backup can of Spam(using it was an admission that you suck as a guide)but otherwise I'd shoot a partridge or 2 for the pot. Even a .22 can scare away the big game, thus...pellet guns rule!

When I say folks thought I was a good cook...them tourists did! I just chopped and fried the birds and stirred in the tubes contents!(and maybe a little dirt here and there for flavour). I got tipped pretty well (for those days) and I didn't know much other than how to cook on an open fire without spilling the pan! My point is that I've been trying to recreate that tubes contents ever since because I haven't seen anything like it in 35 years.

Heres what I add today: (and I'm betting MrsPrepWPets is gonna help me out with suggestions after class)

1/ I buy (and eat) Lays Stax potato chips in a plastic tube. I keep the tubes as they are re-useable and pretty tough
2/ I buy Idaho scalloped potatoes (told ya I was lazy) as they have a sauce mix which I include too
3/ add 3/4 cup of mixed veggies dehydrated (frozen-store bought)
4/ add 1/4 cup dehydrated mushrooms (not in original mix to my recall)
5/ add 1/8 to 1/4 cup dehydrated onions (or sometimes I just add a packet of onion soup mix)
6/ 1 oxy cube - beef flavour or similar stuff wife has in cupboard

Tried it with moose meat and partridge so far.
Not bad but not as good as I remember it should be...
(maybe I don't stay out long enough to be tricked by the fresh air ):P 😳

lessons over
(suggestions????)

Goldie,
"Stackable" becomes relative once you find or modify a shelf that is large enough to go over one appliance and sturdy enough to hold the others. My printers are actually in old periodical filing cabinets with the pull-out drawers for paper jams. 🙂

Knuckle,
Never underestimate fresh air and tired/elated bodies for the ability to add flavor to food. I very, very happily consumed tuna in ramen any number of times I was backpacking, but you couldn't get me to eat ramen without stir frying it once some scar tissue between being poor and it being normal formed. (I do actually store it and rotate it by making it into a stir fry base.)

Mushrooms are gross, dude. There's your problem right there. 😉

Try adding some thyme, marjoram and parsley - a half teaspoon of the first and a full teaspoon of the second to 2-4 quarts of stew or casserole. Thyme is an enormous taste boost. Some black pepper or dehydrated and crushed nasturtium can help tons, too, and a pinch of garlic even if you don't normally "like" garlic (I make nothing without it) can add pizazz without actually affecting the flavor.

Knorr and McCormick sell gravy packets that might be more similar to what you originally had. They also sell pot roast and crock pot seasoning packets (usually in the same aisle as the soups or salad dressings, sometimes with the packets for taco and fajita seasoning but a lot of stores have a separate section for Taco Bell food), which I prefer when I use them for camping. I also prefer the loose-powder bouillon to cubes, just because they whisk/fork in faster. I use the French Onion soup mix as part of almost all my red meat meals that are getting done from packets - can't fault that a bit, brother.

You can put a tablespoon or two of instant mashed potatoes or pre-cooked, dehydrated, and ground beans in a smaller container, and use either as a thickener to give the soup/broth bases more "go"

Don't forget to grab bags of peas to add to your mix - there are never enough peas.

It isn't as wow-wie hearty-man type food, but you can take your scalloped potatoes and do a different version.
-A box of the scalloped or Betty Crocker hasbrowns
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup dehydrated broccoli (it makes most of to just over a cup, you can add more if you like)
-1/2 to 1 packet of macaroni and cheese sauce packet (in addition to the one with the scalloped potatoes, if it came with cheese; it's for the broccoli) - you can use the mac from it with tomatoes and onions and fresh cheese, or with a can/leftover chili and cheese, or make macaroni salad
-1-3 Tablespoons dehydrated onions
-Dashes, pinches, up to a tablespoon of black pepper and garlic
Add to cast iron or heavy steel skillet, allow to soak overnight (or, stick in Ziploc bag and be hydrating as you go through the day), set off to the side where bannock on a board would go for 30-45 minutes if mostly soft or over more direct heat and follow the directions for your potatoes. Boom. Trail food gourmet; you need to grow luffa to clean that pan.
If you really want to jazz it up:
-Shortly before you leave (less than a few days), dehydrate some sliced or small-cubed ham (equal parts ham and potatoes is apparently a bit extreme); add it to the mix for rehdrating
-BACON! (The cans are too expensive for me; I use the plastic packets in the salad dressing aisle.) About half the package gets mixed into the casserole, and half the package gets sprinkled on top. So it's pretty.
-Sliced green onion or chives on top (dehydrated or fresh or wild; to taste, some people don't dig it with the broccoli)

-Any bird is good with that one, too, but especially acorn-feeding birds (seems like). You will probably need to pre-cook them, or you can save the breasts for later, basically stew the bodies, cut them into smaller serving and "picking" pieces once the bones have done their work, and use that water to hydrate your stuff in. You can pan-sear them and cook them alone for pretty and crunchy skin, or just cook them in there. Add the broccoli, then add the potatoes/sauces as time is counting down for the original instructions.

Dehydrate2Store and Sage-something on YouTube have tons of fabulous make-and-can just-add-water camping-type meals.

You can increase fast-cooking camping food by pre-cooking beans, dehydrating them, and using them in addition to or instead of meats.
-With dehydrated peppers and tomatoes, minced dried onion, and corn if desired:
Make a rice mix, using the packets of taco or fajita or chili seasoning (and-or canned salsa at home, where you can sprinkle with cheese), or you can use Hamburger Helper type rice or pasta dishes as a base for them. You've got the beans, so even if you only get a squirrel or two for a good-sized group (or shoot blanks) 😉 you've still got good, hearty proteins. Some require milk, but I've found water is plenty when hungry or you could portion off the amount of powdered you need before you go.

Use them for faster-cooking toppings for a wild or home-grown salad to boost calories and protein

Add them to regular canned or pouch soups to increase calories and protein

Use them mixed with tomatoes, peppers and onions, rice, a flavor packet (chili, taco, fajita), and powdered eggs to make a fritada/fritata (Spanish eggs, dude) or mix the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and beans into salsa or chili seasoning, add chives, and served them over "flat" scrambled eggs or "empty" omelets (mac'n'cheese sauce to the rescue again for the trail).

Use them to make almost Cajun red beans and rice on the trail, with or without tasty fats from game bird skin and game organs.

Make a heartier protein version of ratatouille with dehydrated squared-slices of yellow/orange/green/red peppers, sliced tomatoes, eggplant, zuchinni, yellow squash, and onions (if you buy babies and stack them every-other when they go in jars, tubs, you can make it wicked pretty in a cast iron skillet or deep pie pan), with basil, pepper, parsley, and garlic, a pinch of thyme and oregano, and either wine, a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, a light lager, or rice wine vinegar (up to tastes and packing ease).

Happy eating!