Freeze dried foods

[hanhan]

I absolutely adore my dehydrator and wouldn't be without it. It pairs up with my mason jars and very cheap mason jar vacuum tools.

Sounds like you have got this all worked out Yes bananas were exactly like chewing gum! How long do you put the onions, garlic and mushrooms in for to get them to the right texture? How long do they tend to last for once they have been dehydrated before going off?

It depends on how they are chopped. For mushrooms and onions I usually make 3-4mm slices. Carrots I Dice, slice or matchstick. Garlic I chop to 1mm. Onions, just chop how you would normally as size doesn't seem critical. In all cases, I give about 6 hours then inspect. If leathery, they won't keep as long. So they go back. It usually ends up between 6 and 12 hours at 55C. Once whatever it is will snap or crush, it's ready for bagging or jarring. Garlic can overcook and go brown, then get discarded. I suppose onion could over-do. $:o(
Lately I've been experimenting making veg crisps. Cucumber and beetroot sliced with a mandolin, vinegared then dried till they snap. Pop in a ziplock and salt to taste at the last minute. Hmmmmm. moreish.
Only dehydrate good stuff. If it's already deteriorated, use or compost now. That said, yellow sticker stuff can be just fine.
Honestly, my onions, carrots, garlic, chillies, mushrooms and sliced tomatoes seem to last forever. I'm still using onions from 4 years ago. I did have some leeks that spoiled and went like tobacco colour. I think they might have needed a quick blanch. I hadn;t vac sealed the jar. Bell peppers can discolour too after about 6 months. Sliced fruits get eaten far too quickly to go off.
Youtube is full of tips, including when to blanche, when to dip in lemon juice and when to just pop it in.
As I said, for items to be kept LONG term, dehydrate and then vac pack to stop spoilage. I suppose we could Freeze the vac bagged stuff for super longevity.

Thank you I will try those timings. It's incredible that some of that lasted for 4 years. I'm going to dig the dehydrator out over the next week or so and give it another go.

[jennyjj01]

Honestly, my onions, carrots, garlic, chillies, mushrooms and sliced tomatoes seem to last forever. I'm still using onions from 4 years ago.

Thank you I will try those timings. It's incredible that some of that lasted for 4 years. I'm going to dig the dehydrator out over the next week or so and give it another go.

Incredible indeed
My apologies. I'd had a senior moment and exaggerated. My oldest onions were from Jan 2019, so 2 3/4 years. That said, I'd confidently keep most stuff indefinitely.
Note that for drying onions and garlic, I do it in the garage as it can get a bit stinky.

[hanhan]

Honestly, my onions, carrots, garlic, chillies, mushrooms and sliced tomatoes seem to last forever. I'm still using onions from 4 years ago.

Thank you I will try those timings. It's incredible that some of that lasted for 4 years. I'm going to dig the dehydrator out over the next week or so and give it another go.

Incredible indeed
My apologies. I'd had a senior moment and exaggerated. My oldest onions were from Jan 2019, so 2 3/4 years. That said, I'd confidently keep most stuff indefinitely.
Note that for drying onions and garlic, I do it in the garage as it can get a bit stinky.

Still pretty impressive! It's a great skill to perfect and one that is likely to come in very handy over the years to come.

[Frnc]

The Fuel Your Preparation individual meal pouches have a shelf life 7 years normally*, but the big tins can be 25 years, and some pouches are only a couple of years. I have three 7 year pouches in my bugout bag, plus a 7 oceans ration pack which is about 5 years.
* this is quite long, longer than your typical back packing brand.
Good tip, carry a few thick freezer bags that can stand up and hold boiling water. This enables you to split the pouches into several meals in a bugout situation. "Sealapack - Reusable Food Pouches Pack Of 7" do this job. Some of the meals are 600 cals so easily splittable.