Dehydrating and Rehydrating a meal of Baked Beans, Potatoes and Hamburger

[@1fanger888]

Next time you cook the burger to dehydrate it, boil it in plain water. The fat will rise to the surface and the meat will naturally separate into fine little pieces and will dehydrate that much quicker. I did this with 10 lbs. of burger from my last half cow I bought. After cooking it and letting it cool overnight, I just took off the fat in large pieces from the surface of the pan, and saved it for soap making, then drained off the burger and froze the broth for soup stock. The burger dried beautifully and I just kept it in a few mason jars.

[@valholla4499]

Wow, I’m going to try that!

[@NoTSoEpic1979]

add breadcrumbs too to eliminate that gravel meat :)

[@omasadventures8236]

I dehydrated this meal (times 2) and took it with me this past weekend. Oh My Goodness! The husband ate his and attempted to eat part of mine. BTW The tines of a spork can be used as a temporary weapon when necessary! LOL! Thanks for the tasty, filling recipe!

[@MaddyTheGoose]

You're very welcome, so glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrStandana]

one tip so your hamburger rehydrates into soft hamburger instead of those hard little chunks - add 1/2 bread crumbs from the store to each 1lb of hamburger. Then when you rehydrate it it rehydrates soft and tender. The bread crumbs draws the water into the hamburger.

[@07triman]

+Stan Hanson thanks for the tip. When do you add the breadcrumbs. Before you dehyrate or when you rehydrated? I realize this may be obvious to most but I am pretty new to this. THANKS!

[@deannastevens1217]

I think they mean mix while it is raw. Mix very well. Then cook/dehydrate/ package> when dehydrating the bread would draw the water back into the meat... Just a thought. It's a concept of meatloaf ....

[@jessjoeking]

as much as I like a softer hamburger, I refuse to add bread crumbs before cooking, as the crumbs absorb fat. Fat causes your meat to go rancid. I avoid the fat as much as possible, and that means no fat soaking fibre.

[@colleenpritchett6914]

I cook and rinse with boiling water. Fat gone no issues, no additives!

[@squirrelcovers6340]

@@jessjoeking you're using a very low fat content meat. It doesn't go rancid with breadcrumbs.

[@jimdeveau4025]

Thanks Troy... You've been a great teacher / trail guide for me and my family. We've been watching your videos in preparation for a trip in a few weeks (11 sleeps to be exact). I have no questions, just wanted to say thanks. Hope you and Maddy are well...

[@raindog98546]

When trying to break up ground beef into as fine a texture as possible, a potato masher works brilliantly while it's cooking. Beats jabbing at it endlessly with a spoon or spatula. Cheers!

[@joannelube4336]

Thank you!

[@snippetsofvictoria]

Jake Rebol This worked brilliantly. Thanks for the tip :)

[@MaddyTheGoose]

Great tip!

[@ve3yjt]

If you mix the raw meat with some hot water, immediately when you put it into the pan and break it up before it starts to "fry", it will break up into TINY bits, into a fine almost puree that you can stir, rather than poking/breaking with a spoon, until the water evaporates off... If you really want it "browned" you can pour off the excess water, then fry it until it is browned a little, but IMHO, it's unnecessary when dehydrating, as the dehydration will give it a flavour similar to browning it in a pan. Not the best endorsement, but it will almost resemble Taco bell meat.... I find it works great in dehydrated meals.

[@bereantrb]

Good tip. They also make a utensil just for that. Search "hamburger meat chopper". I wouldn't go out of my way to order one but if I happen upon one in the store I'd nab it.

[@MsNailgun]

Great video. I'm about to take a stab at dehydrating meat. I like how you show not only dehydrating, but re-hydrating as well.. Thanks.

[@juliacampbell5881]

Great video Sir, Just a little tip here. If you want to break down the ground beef into what some call gravel, and anyone from the south well tell you, add water to the pan. About 1/4 cup per pound will help break it down better because it will pull the fat out of the meat so you get the smaller (gravel) instead of chunks while your cooking it. Easier to wash clean after also. This is an older video, but I just thought I would add that in case you did not know.

[@MaddyTheGoose]

+Julia Campbell Great tip, thanks!

[@ammymorales1501]

Yep .. we sure do!! That's the only way we cook it.

[@HamishMackenzie7]

Big fan of your videos. I use parchment paper instead of cling wrap. I also cook my beans first and add a little Lea & Perrins, pepper, and chop up a little onion.

[@mikew1960]

That is a great video I never thought of doing that. That will cut back on the weight and ice on our next canoe trip. Thanks

[@roosterdawggwoof5253]

I live, camp and hike in the PNW, where water is not in shortage. Thanks for posting the best MRE I have ever seen! I'm not a chef, but have been often referred to as the "camp chef", starting in 'boy scouts' 25 years ago...i love making good food, especially with limited resources. (just add water for a fine meal= awesome!)

[@robinconkel-hannan6629]

I like doing a variety of one dish dried meals.. Mashed potatoes are good so is rice, beans, mac-n-cheese, pasta.. All kinds off herbs can be added as well as dried leafy greens, onions, garlic.. The sky's the limit.. Oats can be packed with a variety of fruits for a hearty breakfast..

[@alizaday]

This is really great, great for camping with the kids, they would love to be able to cook this up.

[@matttoney6542]

you just convinced me to go out and buy a dehydrator 👍

[@BradMitchellPhoto]

Thanks for sharing. We have made this a couple times and it has become a family back-country favorite. One tip on preparing the ground beef: use a paper towl while cooking the beef to soak up and remove fat.

[@troygaylord5844]

That's awesome, glad to hear you like it as much as I do! Great tip with the paper towel too, I've taken a lot of heat for the way I handled that grease haha.

[@Mike70005]

I use a convection oven all the time to dehydrate. It works well. The fan circulkates air nicely prety much like the dehydrater does. Previously, I used a regular oven with the door propped open. That worked fine, too. Just need to open the oven periodically to air it out.

[@13speurder13]

glad see you back greetings from The Netherlands.

[@JonJaeden]

When prepping ground beef for dehydration I keep a pot of beef stock going on the stove. Instead of washing all that flavor down the drain, I put the cooked ground beef in the stock and let the fat rise to the surface where I skim it off, strain the stock -- now much richer -- and proceed with dehydration. I just can't make myself throw away flavor like that.

[@marcushoward6560]

I have dehydrated plain beans before, but I never thought to dehydrate baked beans. I love this idea.

[@troygaylord5844]

That's great. They came out better than I expected, I hope you enjoy them on your trips!

[@deniecedonnafield1460]

I truly enjoyed this!

[@savgal1211]

I Have that Excalibur dehydrator. I have made Beef Jefrky in it ( For Husband). I am Vegetarian, so I will try this for him!! I have aPressur Canner an dhave canned beef stew and chilli for him and roast beef and pork roast, he opened a can of stew the other night that was 5 yrs old, and it was satill GOOD! It is great to have meals already cooked out of the jar, especially if power goes out, it does not need refrigeration!

[@peterfenwick2540]

Just received a dehydrator for Christmas and this video was very inspiring. your hint about washing the meat under hot water had never occurred to me before, much appreciated!

[@MrDaveAAA]

Thanks for the Vid. I am definitely trying this in a few weeks when I go for a hike.

[@Browneyes0911]

OMG it looks so good, Great video. Thanks :-)

[@gussygatlin3093]

Thanks for all the great tips!!!

[@jchiar]

great video!

[@GreencampRhodie]

Love all ur vids, have learned alot and been inspired re dehydrating. Thanks. We are all missing ur vids. Hope we get to see u and maddy very soon

[@Swazi1337]

wicked meal idea. Thanks bro. Also, love the canoe vids!

[@Ghostkamo]

Excellent, now I want a better dehydrator. That's a great camp meal.

[@JDB3144]

if your getting a lot of soot on the bottom of your pot it most likely because you dont let the MSR flame go blue before you put it on if you dont care about the extra cleaning then just ignore it but just a tip

[@robinconkel-hannan6629]

Rubbing soap on the pot bottom makes clean-ups easier.. Or just wipe pot bottom on the grass..

[@JBtheExplorer]

just notices you finally posted this new video! cant wait to see some more adventures!

[@TamsyAndHerCrazyHouse]

That is very interesting. I have only dried my herbs. I think I may try to dry some food for camping. It would make a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing.

[@user-vl6ye5jf4s]

Great video.

[@MaddyTheGoose]

Thanks Eve, I appreciate that.

[@FredBushcraft93]

Hi hummmmmmmmmm I must thank you for sharing try .I have subscribed my friend.

[@MaddyTheGoose]

+Fred.Bushcraft.93 Glad you liked it, I always enjoy this meal in the woods. Thanks for the sub!

[@canesser1]

Great looking recipe. How much in terms of beans did you add before add the water to make 200mL? How did you make the potatoes? Removing the fat from the meats is necessary but without the fats, absorption of nutrients becomes a problem. Good to see you balanced the meal with the ghee. Beauty.

[@marygarcia5449]

Thanks for sharing on how to dehydrate beans 🫘

[@phase866]

This was very informational :) I hope to be able to do this someday.

[@agaul]

Glad to see you're back!

[@register1430]

nice you did the full turn - water out >>>> water in. And the weight saving calc. Well done.

[@BasicPoke]

Nice video, thanks for the info. I would like to know what the potato product is that you used.

[@troygaylord5844]

The potatoes are just potato flakes from the grocery store. You just add water and powdered milk and butter/ghee and you're good to go. The brand I use is Idahoan, I have no affiliation with them but they're quite good, although isn't everything better at camp? :)

[@imalwayslast3170]

This video is awesome. it really shows the full in-depth cycle of what you are doing. I did kind of cringe when you put the hamburger grease/fat down your drain. I have the exact same dehydrator and it is amazing. Thinking of making some Tandoori Chicken jerky soon...just to try something new. I had never thought to do baked beans though. Thumbs up buddy.

[@ThirdEyeGoat369]

Pretty awesome. Didn't see how you prepped and dehydrated the potatoes though? :(

[@raymondmarshall8497]

Great video 👍

[@Rashiuable]

For some reason I really like this guy.

[@jaymarthers]

Great video

[@thelifeofjools8384]

Bloody great info...thanks man 👍

[@timdemond1396]

I use ground beef like you showed, I feel it is best for soup, maybe I left it too long as it was not the best texture. I have also tried Budig meat, super easy.

[@nj4x4fever2]

Great video, just answered some of my questions! thanks again!

[@pamwarren24]

I HATE camping but you make it look tasty. LOL

[@YTSKI]

Now that is a great video. I learned a lot. Thanks!

[@jenericfarmsranch4547]

Great Video. How do you portion out to food so you know how much water to add. please

[@jenocean824]

That's what I was wondering.

[@troygaylord5844]

Good question. For something like beans you weigh them before you dehydrate them and then you weigh them after (make sure the can isn't involved in any of this). The difference is the weight of the water you need to add back in. Now, weigh that much water and see how many cups it is and you have the answer you were looking for. Hopefully that doesn't sound more complicated than it is. It's always best to add less than more. It's easier to add more water than it is to take it out. If it tastes too strong and seems to thick, just add a little more water. For something like gravel (dehydrated ground beef), you don't have to be as precise since all of the water isn't going to be absorbed anyways. You can put in too much and be alright but something to consider is some of the flavour goes into the water so you don't want to dilute it too much. You can use the water you have left over and add it to your mashed potatoes for more flavour. That's something I forgot to do in the video. Hope it works out for you should you give it a go!

[@jenocean824]

Thank you so much!

[@edwardheredia4817]

Jen Ocean

[@kan-zee]

Question : Would PARCHMENT PAPER be better than the CLINGWRAP? Good Vid..TY

[@buzzbarnes8691]

If you cook hamburger in water it will come out in granules like for tacos Then strain it and put it in the dehydrator until totally dry. Use the flat circle that you make fruit roll ups. the hamburger will be put in a jar.

[@DDMAT2008]

Hope all is well Troy...your videos are great and everyone is hopeful of your return....

[@HeadNorthMikeMcKay]

Great video, thanks for the tips

[@david_onthetrail]

Love this meal, I also add a gravy packet to my meat and potatoes just that little bit extra yummy.

[@OutdoorAesthetics]

for the gee do just take normal butter and melt it down then poor it into a container for backpacking?

[@flashmanv3260]

Great video,. I have to try making beans, they look like they re hydrate well. Do you make your own ghee? I make clarified butter to take with me when I backpack, especially when it's hot out. I know ghee is close. That is chop meat where I'm from. Thanks for posting the video, enjoyed it.

[@frankenstein3163]

How do you dehydrate without a large utility bill ? My air fryer uses a ton of electricity. Is there a cheep way like building a passive solar mettle box with a small fan ? What was that you pot with the potato's geah ? Also what gas does that stove use. If it's propane that would be prefect for me wen I go camping on a budget.

[@NuttyDaveMadeThis]

How/where do you store your dehydrated meat during trips? In the fridge or external? Vacuum sealed? Thanks ... I did not know you could dehydr meat. The beans are a great idea, too.

[@IISPLURAL]

I miss you!!! Your vids get me through the winter! Please upload more:(

[@ericsgranny8933]

Excellent!

[@tomaszbaran]

By straining and rinsing the meat with water, you trow a lot of the taste away. Would be a great base for a sauce or soup! :)

[@mcwaiting152]

Tomasz Baran ...because this is a cooking channel.

[@floppinfish]

This guy hordes his empty toilet paper rolls. Dont listen to him. Dam horders.

[@joes.1168]

And he’s going to need a plumber if he does it often.

[@wanderingcalamity360]

Straining and rinsing the beef does remove some of the flavor, but it's also removing a lot of the fat (which is arguably the source of said flavor). When dehydrating food, especially meats, for camping, fat is your enemy. It retains water and tends to go rancid, ruining your food. So, while it's unfortunate, you benefit from removing the fat and flavor from the meat. You can always add extra seasoning to the meat after rinsing.

[@robbabcock_]

Nice! I love making burger rocks (aka gravel), too.

[@davidmaldonado3909]

Question I'm thinking of ordering my dehydrator...how long can you store dehydrated food .

[@imalwayslast3170]

it really depends on the food and how you store it. If you are making jerky I would eat it quite quickly as it will go bad quicker than store bought. Herbs will last a long time. If you have a vacuum sealer or can your food properly you can make some stuff last well over a year. It is kind of an experiment and finding out thing with certain foods. I would also recommend not going cheap on your dehydrator. I have a commercial one, and it is brilliant. It tells you exactly what temperature each different thing you put in should be done at. Hope this helped. Also invest in a dehydrator book for a few bucks...they are pretty helpful to get started.

[@davidmaldonado3909]

Thank you. really apriiciated your reply I would take it to account .

[@imalwayslast3170]

@@davidmaldonado3909 No problem...we gotta help each other out. Took me a while to get used to mine so may as well pass the information along.

[@smoothitalianleathereater6045]

Mice video man, keep up the good work!

[@maxsdad538]

The problem with rinsing off cooked hamburger is that you also rinse off a tremendous amount of flavor. I drain it thoroughly and sometimes I press excess fats out... but I don't rinse it off anymore.

[@kosh2001]

FYI - boil water drop the hamburger in the boiling water, it breaks up into very little pieces as it boils then drain( that gets rid of the fat/grease) then if you want finish cooking in a pan instead of boiling the meat which I don't like.

[@ColHatley]

new sub, great video

[@TheBluenoser76]

Great video and tips, thanks. I'll skip the ketchup on the ground beef though..

[@MrHDChevy]

wow great video you must have camped near water

[@robinconkel-hannan6629]

T make ghee, melt butter then pour off the clear part.. Save the milk solids to brown for flavoring food at home.. It's nutritious..

[@ginaleefarber2422]

May I inquire if those are collapsible bowls your using and if so what brand they are? I just built my own two burner sterno stove ( two big V-8 cans and two corn beef hash can!) and trying to make a kit for me and my wheelchair.

[@kullcraven]

great vid man , very nicely done, im new to dehydrating, tho know about fat content. I took a cpl cans of beefaroni and dried them, tho im using them with in a week, but low fat and would last a yr im sure. Vacuum sealed and placed in the freezer as well

[@robinconkel-hannan6629]

I rehydrate hamburger in with veggies.. Package compatible foods together and rehydrate them in one container, such as a plastic bag..

[@latremorej]

No trips this past summer? I've been watching re-runs off you past trips in anticipation of a new one.

[@FabioSpelta]

I read on a ultralight backpackers book that food can be rehydrated in their (boiling water safe) bag. Have you ever tried that? I am trying to learn how to rehydrate food mostly to save weight, so the silicone bowls wouldn't be a neat option. Do you have any tip? Thanks!

[@shannjess5223]

Oh so hamburger meat in NZ is called mince I wandered what it was

[@Adam_Outdoors]

+Shann Jess It's called Mince here in UK but it doesnt take a brain surgeon to work out what "hamburger meat" is lol. They're both beef, mince is a describing word so "minced beef" is blatantly obviously "hamburger meat". Hamburgers are made from minced beef, just shaped into burger patties.

[@shannjess5223]

True I was tossing up between sausage meat vs mince, we have chicken, pork, beef and lamb mince here.

[@GamerKidEdits]

Still the, OG. Fab content.

[@sailingsolar]

Dry up some cooked rice and add the three into one package for one pot meal.

[@scotthammond6265]

What amount of beans did you put in to have it hydrate back to 200ml ? Can you convert to cups ? 1 cup of beans to 1 cup of water ? Or ? Please let me know.

[@Adam_Outdoors]

+Scott Hammond , Just cover whatever beans you need to rehydrate with about a cm of water above. Let them soak up water, if you need to add more just add some more and give it a stir.

[@brandenrowland2800]

I am thinking about getting a dehydrater. How do you know how much water to add to rehydrate?

[@MaddyTheGoose]

To know how much water to add back, weigh whatever it is you're about to dehydrate. Once it's dehydrated weigh it again then subtract the second weight from the first. The result is the weight of the water you should add back. I'll then see how many cups that amount of water equals for easier measuring on the trail. Once you've done a lot of dehydrating it's easier to just play it by ear. Hope that helps and enjoy the great meals you have ahead of you on your trips!

[@brandenrowland2800]

It did. Thank you

[@brianwraight6200]

Try work about one big tablespoon / pound of flour into your meat before cooking. The meat will break down into very small pieces and will re-hydrate a lot faster. Rinse and dry as usual. I like to cook some onions, peppers etc and maybe add some herbs or even a pouch of gravy to the cooked meat before dehydrating.

[@thecanadiankid8071]

sweet video. just curious how long this stays good for once you dehydrate it?

[@Thesweetdemonisdead]

Adam Jones it depends on the food some veggies can last up to 20 years or so if stored right. You are gonna have to KZbin it.

[@Swazi1337]

couple things i noticed... might wanna drain most of the fat from the meat before rinsing it in the sink.... as someone who worked in the sewer industry :( I know that grease in your line can easily cause your homes sewer to backup. Also, I would use wax paper instead of plastic as a way to stop the beans sauce from spilling. Cheers

[@colleenpritchett6914]

Chris Schilbe no wax paper, it will melt, use parchment paper

[@nicholasvalencic3059]

What kind of mess kit/cook ware do you use in the video?

[@MaddyTheGoose]

Here's a video where I run through a kit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4nEdX2tgaeFjpI. I also have a new video on the way with a few changes to it. Stay tuned!

[@MrKalash74]

Where do you get the ghee, and is it shelf stable for long trips?

[@davesinclair617]

Hi Troy can you suggest a good GPS to use canoeing I am going to temagami in a week

[@CampSmarts]

I have the Excalibur too :) I've been dehydrating my ingredients separately and then rehydrating them and cooking them in camp much like you're doing here, keeping the fat content to a minimum. That's what I've always read! However, I've been noticing that a lot of people (i.e. MrBabelFish5, Sousaville) are cooking their meals and then dehydrating them, making prep time at camp minimal. What are your thoughts on that? Btw, great to see that you're back! - Christine

[@jmotazedi]

@maddythegoose isn't it about time for another trip. I'm anxiously waiting to see your next adventure.

[@kassieme]

ur vids make my mouth water lol

[@harmony331000]

Can you add spices to the burger after you’ve rinsed it?

[@MaddyTheGoose]

I think that would be fine. Although I haven't done it myself I have dehydrated chilli without a problem and there are plenty of spices in that. Let me know how it works out if you do and thanks for watching.

[@harmony331000]

MaddyTheGoose thanks 👍and I will let you know!

[@opal777]

I am thinking of doing the hamburger for my husband. What is the shelf life if you use Oxygen absorbers in a vacuum sealed bag?

[@MaddyTheGoose]

I'm not sure what the maximum shelf life would be but I've used hamburger I've dried 8 months later and it was fine. It was left unrefrigerated in a ziplock bag.

[@opal777]

MaddyTheGoose Thanks for replying! :-)

[@rhosteph]

Great video!

[@timothyjones9430]

I have rehydrated dried beans many times.. I have never had them rehydrate that fast like this video portrays. .....

[@Trashfished]

Cool stuff!

[@tomsitzman3952]

If you happen to still have an old gas stove with a oven pilot light they make a great food dryer. Make sure you crack the door with a thick pot holder to let the moisture escape.

[@fepowson]

Have really enjoyed your canoe trips and Maddy is a Star. I Have subb'd you.

[@TheHartley1776]

I love it! Thanks!!!

[@Erasmus11381]

is there a book on how to do this where do i learn to do this?

[@PaddleCamperJoey]

WELCOME BACK!!!!

[@liquidbombs]

hey troy, id like to meet you in Algonquin sometime maybe this summer any summer trips planned this year?