Lori wrote in to say she was wondering if food prep might be faster if she dehydrated her cooked pasta, and then packaged it for long term storage? She added that instant rice came to mind.
Faster Pasta Prep and Energy/Water Savings
She said it took about three hours to dehydrate her cooked pasta (not surprising, considering the amount of water it absorbs while cooking!) She even tried dehydrating the pasta at different temperatures: 150F and the usual 135F. “Both turned out about the same,” Lori noted.
Less Water Is Needed to Rehydrate
Unperturbed, Lori asked around the backpacking circle online and they mentioned that less water is needed to rehydrate it. But, they added, if too little water is used, the noodles get too starchy and they start to stick together.
My thought? Ugh, we can get those kind of results out of a can of spaghetti in tomato sauce!
Lori’s Rehydrating Pasta Conclusion
From Lori: “Maybe the real benefit and savings to re-hydrating pasta is with water usage and not fuel consumption. In a particular scenario, like people hiking or camping, and to all those people out east after the hurricane and now have no electricity and their drinking water may be questionable and difficult to acquire, potable water resources could be an issue.”
She continues, “I’m guessing that the investment in dehydrating cooked pasta will have value for the weekend warrior or casualties of mother nature – people whose need is outside the box of the typical money-saving homemaker.”
To Lori, Her Pasta Trial Was a Success!
She told us, “I only needed to boil one cup of water for my (one) cup of small macaroni pasta – and had a small amount of water leftover! Additionally, the hikers used ziplock-style freezer bags to reconstitute their dehydrated food. This means no pots and pans! After adding water to their ziplock bag, they put the sealed bag into a ‘cozy’ (used for keeping teapots warm) and this kept the food warm enough until ready to eat.”
Let Spaghetti Bolognese ‘Stand’ Overnight
Nick wrote in from Wales and said, “Cooked up my own spaghetti bolognese and left it to stand overnight to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce before dehydrating. Once dry and brittle, I added boiling water to a vacuum flask and screwed on the lid. Hey presto! I found it to be a successful way to take a nutritious packed lunch to work!”
Since December of 2010, Susan Gast has operatedEasy Food Dehydrating, a website dedicated to dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooked meats. Susan teaches you how to safely store your goodies too – for long-term food storage. Keep your pantry full – whatever the reason or season! To read all of Susan’s posts, please visitthis page on MOTHER EARTH NEWS.
Photo credit: Pixabay
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