MicroMoment: Reconstituting vs. Rehydrating Dried Foods

[@tgardenchicken1780]

Thanks for the clarification. I rehydrate many veggies by just adding them to the soup/stew/chile and they soak up some liquid and thicken up the broth. Often adding them at the end after I have turned off the heat and allow the cooking to finish. Your explanation made so much sense.

[@justwannasay5454]

Same. They seem to cook quickly. Delicious. I add many dried vegetables to cooked chicken tenders in a skillet with butter, avacado oil and some cream sherry so the veggies are submerged. Everything tastes so good and it saves so much time. The only bad thing is running out of dehydrated veggies!

[@Aviarynut2338]

Happy Independence Day! God Bless America 🇺🇸 We are land of the free because of the brave 🇺🇲

[@marymccutchan3957]

Hello Pam I am addicted to your show! Normally, the information of processing food would be over my head. But because of the way that you teach, I learn quickly. For me that's saying a lot - I'm 76 years old. Overall, Pam, I like the kind of human being you are! I was drawn to you the first time I watched you. You are the Pied Piper of canning! Happy I discovered you!

[@vickihogan4398]

I have recommended Pam’s YT’s to many on other sights. She is so trustworthy!

[@elettramia6380]

Love and appreciate your content! As a 30 year old woman they didn’t teach us these thing! I am so invested in gardening and preserving our own food. I believe you have a successful life when you are self sufficient off the land. ❤️

[@crochetbitznknits2066]

I don't know one single other channel that has such random but extremely valuable information that I didn't know i even needed until I seen the video title. Thank you!!

[@mamie57]

What a stress reliever; so much easier than calculating how much water loss and how much water to add back in!! THANK YOU!

[@TheLadyLair]

This was so informative. Thank you! I purchased a Med Harvest Right freeze dryer because of your amazing videos. It should arrive in about 7 weeks. I’ve already got 2 Excalibur dehydrators and now I will have a freeze dryer too. Keep the awesome info coming…I so appreciate you both!

[@appalachiannana7975]

I'd love a freeze dryer but too pricey for me now. Enjoy your your machine!💕

[@firequeen2194]

Very jealous! I’d like one but my dream is to go off grid and that would pay for quite a few solar panels, lol. Enjoy and wishing you nothing but abundance!

[@gsdalpha1358]

After I got my freeze dryer last summer, I wound up selling one of my Excalibur dehydrators. I still use the Excalibur but much prefer the freeze dryer!

[@elizabethvoegtle46]

@@appalachiannana7975 HarvestRight has a layaway option. When you're shopping on their site, you select the layaway option. Then, you make payments. Once you're fully paid, they ship your freeze dryer to you. Though still pricey, you lock in the current price, and make manageable payments with an option that hurts the pocketbook much less in the long run as opposed to a massive upfront payment.

[@appalachiannana7975]

@@elizabethvoegtle46 I saw that. Still out of my reach right now. Maybe some day. I was going to get one a few years ago and hubby insisted we wait now it's too late things change. Oh well.

[@dexascan1]

What an Epiphany!! Wow, Pam, thanks for enlightening all of us!

[@teenyvirg]

I love your videos. I usually binge watch them. You are a great teacher. I am so green and new to this. I bought a dehydrator but I cannot afford a freeze dryer. I never learned to can. My mother used to can food; but back then I told her that it just wasn't my cup of tea. LOL Now here I am trying to learn. I don't trust those other people after watching your videos. Not to say they are bad, I just know that you know what you are talking about and you explain things so I don't have to rely on blind faith.

[@linkay6]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the extra trouble you go to to explain things. Getting out all those jars of food and going into detail of the how and why!. I love your videos! I always learn something.

[@09echols]

Powder some of your guacamole chunks and use it as seasoning for french fries or potato chips

[@jeanniewahine5443]

Great suggestion!

[@deniseh5268]

Love this content. Explained so well. I now have a much better understanding of both methods and how to apply each.

[@elizabethvoegtle46]

After calculating the water loss from dehydrating or freeze drying, a good rule to follow, whether rehydrating or reconstituting... The calculated amount of water loss should be looked at as not the exact amount to be used for reconstitution or rehydration, but a maximum amount that you don't want to exceed. Measure out the maximum, and add in small amounts until you've achieved the desired consistency. Any amount of remaining water (or other liquid) used for reconstitution/rehydration will be minimal, and can be discarded or repurposed.

[@karenshady8129]

Great info thank you

[@eyeswideopen5517]

Thank you Pam! I really appreciate your videos and found this very informative. PS. Turquoise is your color! 👍🏻

[@ruthberanek13]

Thanks for explaining the differences.

[@firequeen2194]

Loving your videos. Learned to make yogurt in my IP. If you haven’t tried, I fully recommend. My favorite way to use currently is to mix either savory seasoning or hydrated fruit powder for a sweet option. Add a little honey if you need it sweeter. Now, my co-worker wants to do it, lol. Save that whey! I dehydrated the whey as well for an unflavored protein powder. Nothing goes to waste in my house. Just pickled watermelon rind! Happy Independence Day!

[@dillodefense]

Happy Independence Day!

[@followyourheart7818]

This is wonderful, I feel I am armed with the information needed for both methods. Thank you so much!

[@fayeadamson896]

You are such a help with your info! I love when you laugh at yourse...f! Jim is such a help to you and you laugh together...

[@lisadupree1905]

Thank you. Just got a dehydrator

[@tonette6592]

Excellent, and thank you for teaching us to dehydrate eggs when they were still reasonable. I feel so much better having them put away.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Tonette: You are so welcome! Jim

[@buckonono7996]

I never thought about this before because I don't use my freeze dried food. I do use some of the things I've dehydrated but they have always gone in dry to the soup or dish I'm making. Your video will help me prepare better meals for my family when the time comes. Thank you so much!

[@cbass2755]

This definitely helps. I ordered a lot of Thrive Foods. Now I know what I need to do. Thank you!!

[@tinyacres2827]

Holy smokes! I went into shock when I heard you say $100 for a can of powdered eggs. I went out to Amazon--$116.00. I was always very leery of dehydrating eggs until I watched your video, and am I glad I did! My dehydrated eggs plus the 4 cans of powdered eggs I already had (@~$20/#10) should get me a long way! Well, this is why we prepare. 😁 Thanks for sharing all you do. Great stuff.

[@donnamoreau8998]

Lovely video! I learn so much. I have the old old round plastic dehydrater, I’m planning when I can to upgrade. I’m liking idea of dehydrating and canning. Bon appetite!

[@dimboolabladeworks7927]

G'day Rose , john from Australia here , with the things like your spiced pork i grew up being taught to weigh before and after dehydrating so we could rehydrate without wastage , so i do a curry chicken , i put in 1000 grams of the cooked spiced chicken it comes out around 250 grams , 1/4 of the initial weight , each time so i know to add water at a ratio of 3 times what i use in the pan , as 1 part of the chicken and 3 parts water equal the 4 whole parts (the last digit of the fraction is the total you seek to achieve) , thank you very very much for making all these videos , your way more articulate than me and so i can send folks your link to your videos and know they wont be overwhelmed or put off , or confused , my background here is as a waterbath everything person but am glad you do both sides , I'm actually buying a pressure canner this week ( presto 23 qt ) so look forward to rewatching your many videos on that process, i'm 67 so proving your never too old to learn new tricks or save a $ ( 4-6 hour water baths are tedious and expensive nowadays and a canner can do this in 90 mins ) The Good Lord's Blessings to you and yours there

[@Jeo_Momma]

Can you do a segment on dehydrating (not freeze drying) sour cream? And how to safely store it? Thanks .. PS Tried looking through KZbin. No good videos on dehydrating sour cream so I just ordered 5lbs dehydrated sour cream from Judee's Gluten Free.... $56 with 10% discount & free shipping.

[@karencovington9960]

I am no expert, but I have heard that you cannot safely dehydrate dairy.

[@rebeccaknudsen6190]

You can't keep sour cream in the food safe temperature zone while dehydrating so it's not safe because of bacterial growth.

[@darlenemassey6161]

Yes, you can't dehydrate. There are rebel canners out there that can milk with a pressure canner. Pam does not recommend that. But I have watched several videos and I am convinced it can be done safely.

[@tofan2622]

@@darlenemassey6161 Well all I have to say is that pressure canning milk is not rocket science. Just over kill it and do 15 PSI for 60 minutes at my sea level 0-1000 feet above sea level. We only use it for baking, its like condensed milk.

[@cynthiafisher9907]

@@tofan2622 Maybe you mean evaporated milk? Even then, it’s not evaporated or condensed, just cooked a long time.

[@homesteadinginnorthflorida]

You can use a glass fermenting weight to hold the meatballs under water. Or a half pin filled with water as a weight, as long as the other jar is a wide mouth. 🙂

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Sure--anything you can come up with to help them stay submerged! Great idea!

[@timothywilliams9678]

Hi Pam and Jim, love the video, as usual! I would love to see you make a cherry pie using freeze-dried cherries. Thanks!

[@teridavis5367]

Thank you so much for doing this video! You have clarified, not only if the items needs to be reconstituted or rehydrated....but also the techniques for instance putting items in the refrigerator overnight. It definitely depends on what outcome we are looking for. You are a wonderful teacher! Thank you so much!!!

[@karensimmons9127]

Happy 4th to you too!!! Very Proud to live in the USA 🇺🇸

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you! We are as well.

[@suesings6262]

Thank you! I love your videos and style of very clear teaching.

[@Tazzyfan]

This video is great - I sometimes use the terms incorrectly but know what I want as an outcome. I now will use the correct term for the process needed.

[@ChieftuckabuckawaysWife]

Well, I kinda flunked the reconstitute v rehydrate pop quiz. Re-viewed the video as in watched it again. It's not as difficult as the road my mind went down. Thank you for the definition of the differences.

[@AussieBrit]

Thanks for the programme. Cheers from Oz! 🦘

[@KarenWilliams-ql8gh]

Powdered will be reconstituted. Fruits are either way. Veggies rehydrated in soups or stews or eaten crunchy. Kind of how I look at it 🙂

[@jinglesh1398]

Thanks for the clarification, it all makes sense now. I do have both a freeze drier and dehydrator so it's invaluable information.

[@raejeanjordan5526]

So much good information! I actually never thought about the difference. Thank you so much.

[@hjkroeger1]

Thank you!

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thank you. Happy Independence Day! God Bless and stay safe.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Joey: Thank you. Same to you and stay safe. Jim

[@julibeswick-valentine3690]

Thank you so much, you have cleared up my confusion especially with the potato. I have yet to try dehydrating meat, I have been procrastinating on doing it.

[@tizmehere492]

This was an especially helpful video.

[@theoldguy9329]

Great info. I must admit I measure weights for not things....not so much fluids (and I cannot freeze before freeze drying). If I reconstitute, I usually add no more than 75% of the water that I took out, and usually at about 90% I am back to the original. You are absolutely right....you do need to be careful. Raw meats will generally suckmup the correct amount. BTW You might use a fermenting weight on those meatballs.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Brian: Thank you for your comments. A lot of the reconstituting is what you think is right for you. Jim

[@seekwisdom5102]

This is good! Amazing the stuff it can be freeze dried!!

[@mermer58]

Its surprising how much dehydrated food shrinks!! 😀 I'll have to remember to use caution when adding vegetables to soups or it may become too thick. 😁

[@stephanygates6491]

I find I have to simmer dehydrated shiitake mushrooms several hours to eliminate the chewy centers.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Stephany: I am not surprised. Thanks for the information. Jim

[@tammyhall3770]

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY Pam and Jim thank you so much for both your channel's

[@mmcdo61930]

Thank you! Appreciate late the information so very much!

[@REDCRANE1944]

Thank You! Will be reviewing this agani.

[@kathleenmoore535]

Lots to recall. Definitely need printed material to refer to. …..over 70 but still learning. Aren’t we all. 😬👍🇺🇸✝️

[@katzenaugen2]

Thank you for another i formative videoa i didn't know you can freeze dry kiwi !

[@AZCanner]

Thank you for all the information.

[@deborahnarendorf7106]

This was so informative! What a great teacher you are. The information was so clearly presented. Now to convince someone I know that I want a freeze drier. 😬

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Deborah: Glad it was helpful! Jim

[@lelaandrews5439]

Got to be one of the most informative helpful videos yet on this matter. Thank You much.

[@terrymanning5132]

You might purchase a French press coffee maker which you can use to press down solids in a liquid. It can also be used for small batch fermenting to keep your food submerged so it does grow mold.

[@terrymanning5132]

Does NOT grow mold.

[@karenshady8129]

This is such valuable information. Thank you x

[@dutchchic09]

Recently found this channel, love it so much! Appreciate advice from like-minded people .... homestead, homeschool, pay bills, prep etc vs. both of us getting ft off farm jobs to pay off land mortgage? Love life right now and hate to go back to a reg job, but would also be great to have no debt. Last 2 kiddos at home are 9 & 14.

[@lynsmith2698]

Thank you 🇨🇦🌷

[@garliclovers1416]

Very interesting. Thanks for the video.

[@jackieperkins8514]

You guys Rock! 😁

[@sherryrug]

I am sooo glad you did this video ! I always have trouble trying to figure out how much water to add to my dehydrated food. You are a godsent to people like me. Love your videos and when wanting to dehydrate something, I always check to see if you have done a video on it to be safe. Thank you guys very much.

[@Linda-kq8ef]

Great information, Thank You Pam !!! ✝️💟

[@jamee6]

All those meats were freeze dried, right? Not dehydrated. 😔 I don't have a freeze dryer.

[@Dotalina33]

I have stored many purchased #10 cans of dehydrated veggies etc that I have hesitated using for several reasons. Now that food and prices are skyrocketing your topic really got my attention. My new adventure proved a little iffy. I did something wrong when I added these veggies to my soup as they were kinda hard not soft like normally would be. I added them at the beginning so maybe wait til adding at the end would be better. Canned veggies besides corn or peas are not too appetizing so I have to get with it. Thank you so much for addressing these topics as they are spot on in timing. Happy Independence Day!!!!

[@gsdalpha1358]

I found out my dehydrated veggies need either a loooong soak before using or just use them in a slow cooker like a crock pot which will simmer all day. What's easiest is doing what Pam does for her meat products. Stick your veggies in a jar of water and place in fridge overnight. I've never had them get mushy, so you just drain them and throw them in whatever dish you're cooking the next day. You didn't do anything wrong! I'm guessing those #10 cans had NO instructions, and how would we know how to do it?

[@Dotalina33]

@@gsdalpha1358 thank you so much for your instruction. I never thought of restoring them or rehydrating them for such a long time. I’m on it!

[@forliberty1805]

With FD sour cream, once you have added your water back to it, let it sit overnight in the fridge. Then whip it with a stick blender and it whips up to more of a consistency of store bought.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you for the information. Jim

[@wendyburston3132]

Great video

[@sc12jcyt]

Thank you! Happy 4th of July !

[@connielogsdon6212]

Pam and Jim, thank you for the very informative video! This is so appreciated!

[@TruthAndLight4995]

Thanks for explaining the difference 👍🏼

[@zina6581]

You are so awesome!! Thank you so much!!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

You are so welcome!

[@amberk2124]

Thank You. God Bless

[@Lulu-he9dp]

Thank you so much for this explanation and examples! It makes it a lot clearer what to do with various food items.

[@audreynanapreps2543]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@jasoningram408]

This is great information, thank you Pam! Happy 4th of July!!!

[@gwendearling4139]

Thank you for an excellent explanation. This really helps.

[@teresadaigle6991]

Very well done!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

So glad to hear that.

[@sophiawright8688]

This is a great video. I'm going to watch it again so I can really get it because there's so much info packed in it!! Thankful for you!❤️

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Sophia: Glad it was helpful! Jim

[@irismora2]

I must confess that I find myself answering every time you ask a question in the video 🤣 thanks again for a great video, I learned a lot as usual ❤️

[@gsdalpha1358]

I love these types of videos! There are rarely hard and fast rules for using preps, so I approach it as my very own test lab. Every time - lol. And - yes - add water sparingly until the desired consistency is reached! It only took me once to learn that (the hard way). I'm going to have to make your Carnitas. One of the best meals I've freeze dried so far has been pork fajitas. That used a cheap Boston butt, too. Thank you!

[@valrycoltharp5123]

I throughly enjoy your program. Would you talk about the different ways of preserving cabbage. Thanks

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Valry: We did a video on sauerkraut, we put in the refergator. Cabbage is not recommended for canning. Jim

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

Extremely helpful, ma'am. Very thoughtful. Thank you.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

My pleasure 😊

[@SharaBinghamMills]

Thank God for this segment Pam. I had so many questions answered. You and Jim have a great 4th of July.

[@ediemurray1692]

Ty

[@whatyoucan.whereyouare]

On the meatballs, may I suggest using a glass puck from a mason fermentation kit? It's made to keep food submerged.

[@furmisl203]

Thank you! Great information.

[@wandaarnt234]

Happy 4th July ...🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 cheers from Pennsylvania 👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@fldotti]

Thank you Pam good info .Happy Fourth to you and Jim!

[@Thethingaboutknitting]

I love your videos and I always learn something new! You could maybe try a fermentation weight on the meatballs and sausage to keep them submerged while they’re rehydrating!

[@pamt3915]

Happy 4th of July Pam, Jim & community! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@bettypierce8050]

thank you

[@dalegaa4094]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@lynlyn4539]

Do you make your own sour cream powder? Very interesting. I'm learning so much you. Thanks Pam and Jim.

[@connieferguson430]

Use a fermenting weight for the meatballs or something else to weigh them down so they can soak dunked.

[@hadleywooten3689]

Awesome video! Could you do a short video on when to put the rings on jars and when not to?? I have rings on dehydrated foods but not on my water bath jars, I’m not sure when it’s ok to use the canning rings.

[@roberttainsh]

Happy Independence Day P&J. What brand of plates and bowls are used in your videos? Please allow me to thank the two of you for such an amazing service and for educating all of us newbies on food preparedness.

[@Tazzyfan]

Similar pattern and size at IKEA - bowl, plate and cup available, each sold separately and they come in blue & green. Very pretty and currently eying them for a future purchase.

[@audreylopez3851]

Chuckling at you eating the ice cream bites. Lol

[@vikkisoderquist6013]

Makes sense to me, thank you for sharing. I try to make notes on drying times etc, I just keep forgetting. Please stay safe and sending hugs to you both 💜😎 Happy 4th of July 🎉🇺🇲🎉

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks, you too!

[@teresaosment4488]

Ik you can answer this ? I vacuum seal brown sugar in mason jars . Someone said I can’t do that it will give me botulism. I jar it 2 months ago. Should I throw it out? Ty I’ve learn so much from you.

[@AZCanner]

I would throw the dry vegetables in a soup or stew and let them obsorb the liquid. Any thoughts?

[@KoniB.]

EXCELLENT INFORMATION!