If you went camping, you probably know how difficult it is to carry a heavy backpack for many kilometers in a row. Therefore, when picking luggage, everything matters. Bread, stew and cereals - this is the main tourist diet. If you can’t argue with the cereal component, we recommend that you review the remaining two points. Crackers and freeze-dried meat weigh much less, but at the same time supply the body with the same amount of protein and carbohydrates.
Modern technologies or methods that came from the depths of centuries
The problem of preserving foodstuffs has been acute for humanity almost always. And the fact that the meat can be dried, I guessed far from you and me. Nomadic peoples procured semi-finished products thousands of years ago so that products, firstly, did not spoil, and secondly, did not take up much space.
Therefore, it is safe to say that freeze-dried meat was invented for a long time, but modern technologies have made this process faster and better. Today we want to tell the reader what this process in production is and how we can repeat it at home.
What can we buy in the store
Just a few words about this so that you can understand what the original product represents. In fact, the sublimation process is a vacuum drying process. It’s already becoming a little clearer. That is, the product is dried without oxygen. It is a concentrate, but it retains all the original properties of the product. At the same time, it will calmly lie on the shelf for 72 months, weighs almost nothing, but is quite expensive. In stores you can buy not only freeze-dried meat. It can be berries and fruits, vegetables and herbs.
The process itself looks elementary. Products are pre-frozen to very low temperatures, while all the water inside becomes ice. Adherence to technology does not allow tissue cells to rupture. And then the products are placed in a special chamber where, at low pressure, the ice evaporates and settles on the condensers. Then they are placed in sealed packages and inert gas is injected inside, which prevents decay. To repeat this experience at home and cook real freeze-dried meat is almost impossible. However, there are ways to create an analogue.
Salting and drying
This is the easiest option that anyone can use at home. However, it turns out jerky. Sublimated is very different in weight and taste, it is lighter and does not contain additives (salt, spices). But if you have a trip, then it is quite possible to buy a couple of kilograms of fresh beef or chicken, cut into layers and generously sprinkle with large salt. It is best to perform this procedure in the spring when it is not hot and there are no insects.
After two days, the meat must be hung on a rope in a blow dryer. It is very important not to allow direct sunlight. In addition, the dryer is equipped with a net so that insects do not spoil the product. Sublimated meat prepared in this way will be quite light and dry, and can be stored for up to a month.
Moisture evaporation
Experienced tourists also know other ways of how to procure a valuable product for the long term. Freeze-dried meat can also be cooked in the oven. To do this, you need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But the result is worth it. On a hike, remember yourself more than once with a kind word in halts.
You will need to buy fresh, high-quality meat and clean it of the films. Now go to the "dehydration":
- You need to cut the product into small pieces, approximately as for beef stroganoff.
- Put it in portions on a dry frying pan, do not water and do not cover with a lid.
- When the juice starts to stand out, you will need to salt and pepper.
- Boil for approximately 40 minutes on low heat until the juice dries.
- Put in a cup to cool and repeat the process.
As you can see, freeze-dried meat at home is cooked for a long time. The operation can be repeated several times in a row. After that, the pieces are passed through a meat grinder, brought to complete drying in the oven.
About 300 g of powder is obtained from one kilogram. In this condition, the product will easily last a month. In the campaign, the bookmark of products for one person is 20 g of sublimate. When cooking, it swells, like an ordinary porridge.
Just add water
If you plan a trip in difficult conditions, where it will not always be possible to make a bonfire and cook a full meal, then change the technology a little. This will make it possible to make freeze-dried meat from a piece of boiled beef. The process is very simple, but also takes time. After boiling the meat, cut it into strips and dry in the oven. Then grind the product with a blender and place it in the oven again. In this case, you only need to pour boiling water over the powder, add instant noodles, and the nutritious chowder is ready. In the summer, such a sublimate is stored for a month in plastic bottles.
We use a dryer for vegetables and fruits
This unit is equipped with a fan and heater, as a result of which the product is perfectly dehydrated. However, the strips prepared in this way are very hard, and even after cooking they do not swell much. You will need to take a piece of beef, slightly freeze and cut into strips. Then they are laid out in the dryer section, set to 68 degrees and turned on for 8 hours. If you are looking for a way to cook freeze-dried meat with minimal time, then this is the best option.
Tender Camping Stew
Previous recipes have one minus: the resulting meat, even during cooking, is not very soft. Therefore, tourists were still looking for a new way to dehydrate the protein product. Now we will tell you how to cook freeze-dried meat at home to preserve its natural properties.
To do this, you need fat, which will act as a kind of filler for the fibers. Cut the meat and put it in the pan. Melt the fat separately, for which you need to heat the lard. You have two pans ready with the contents, you can proceed.
The meat needs to be filled with most of the fat, leaving a little for capping. On low heat it is necessary to evaporate the contents until it decreases by 4-5 times. The resulting product cools and fits into a plastic container. Top covered with melted fat, which instantly hardens on cold meat. Such a product weighs slightly more than dried powder, but differs in excellent taste. And it is stored for a very long time in any weather. Porridge cooked with such a stew will be an excellent end to the day.