Dehydrated food is a must have in your emergency supplies list. Whether you are preparing for a disaster or simply preparing for a camping trip for a few days, dehydrated food should always be included.
What is Dehydrated Food?
As the name suggests, it is food that underwent the process of dehydration or drying. This is done to the food in order to preserve it. The water is removed from the food, which keeps the growth of microorganisms and prevents decay. Dehydrating food can either be done through sun drying, wind drying, air drying, or smoking. Through these processes, the shelf life of it is increased.
Dehydrated food is usually taken as survival food. It can food preppers be brought in camping trips, outings, and the like. It is also one of the most common choices that are included in emergency survival kits. The foods that are usually dehydrated include beef (beef jerky), pork (prosciutto), vegetables, and fruits.
Advantages of Dehydrated Food
Dehydrated food can be critical in terms of your survival. Since you cannot go on for so long without getting food into your system, dehydrated food is ideal for camping trips, outings, and other activities that require you to stay long outside without the comfort and convenience of a refrigerator. It is also essential in preparing for disasters such as earthquake, fire, and storm where electricity might be down. You can basically store your food without having to worry much about spoilage.
Dehydrated food is also healthier than the food that went under other preservation process such as freezing and canning. Dried food only has a minimal effect in the nutritional value of the food. It is also free from chemicals. Other than being a healthier choice, it is also a tasty choice. The preservation process keeps as much flavor that it can.
Another advantage of it is its convenience. You can easily carry them around with you. The food is light and compact so you can conveniently stash them inside your bags and kits. You can save some space on your storage. You can also eat it anywhere. Since you do not know when the power will come, when your gas supply will run out, when you can get out, or when you will reach the nearest fast food chain, you can simply munch on the dried food that you took with you whenever you are hungry. You can feel full and energized without having to cook.
It is also easy to make. You can basically do it yourself at home. The dehydration process does not demand much effort and time as compared to other preservation methods such as canning. There are also food dehydrators that are available in the stores.
Saving money is also a sure thing with dehydrated food. Since it lasts for a long time, you can cut your budget for food. Dried food can easily be rehydrated by adding water and dehydrated again so you basically have control over how much you can spend on food. It is also readily available in different stores so you can save more by buying in bulk.