Dehydrated Meals for Long Term Storage

Once you’ve tried them, and have decided that you like them, triple the recipe and store them by vacuum packing with an oxygen absorber enclosed. Remember that these foods are dehydrated, NOT dried.  Dried foods retain a certain level of moisture, which will ruin food storage.

Note:  Only use broken spaghetti pieces for meals that call for pasta.  Other forms will not vacuum pack well because of the air that can be trapped inside.  Also, use these mixtures within a year to be safe.  Many will last much longer than that, but don’t try. Rotate them out.  

When storing the mixes, the milk and bouillon cubes, make sure they are opened and kept in bags separate from the main meal to prevent spoilage. 

For detailed dehydration techniques, please see Gardening and Food Storage, With an Introduction to Medicinal Herbs.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

            1-cup rice

            1 packet sweet and sour sauce mix

            ½ cup dehydrated sliced and diced pineapple

            ¼ cup dehydrated diced green pepper

            ¼ cup dehydrated diced onion

            2 chicken bouillon cubes

Beef Stew

            1 ½ cups cubed, dehydrated potatoes

            1 packet beef stew mix

            ½ cup dehydrated sliced carrot

            ¼ cup dehydrated diced onion

            ½ cup non-fat, dehydrated milk

Chick or Beef Teriyaki

            1-cup rice

            1 packet teriyaki sauce mix

            ½ cup dehydrated diced broccoli

            ½ cup dehydrated diced onion

            ½ cup dehydrated diced cauliflower

            2 beef or 2 chicken bouillon cubes

Chili with Beef Mac

1 cup spaghetti pieces

1 packet chili sauce mix

 ½ cup dehydrated diced onion

1 teaspoon dehydrated powdered garlic

¼ cup dehydrated diced green pepper

2 beef bouillon cubs

Chicken Noodle Soup

1-cup spaghetti pieces

½ cup dehydrated diced carrot

¼ cup dehydrated diced celery

¼ cup dehydrated diced onion

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Chicken and Rice

1-cup rice

1 ½ cups dehydrated vegetables of your choice

            (Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, lima beans, celery, onion, etc.)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

            1-cup spaghetti pieces

            1 package spaghetti sauce mix

            ¼ cup dehydrated diced onion

            ¼ cup dehydrated diced green pepper

2 beef bouillon cubes

Potato Soup

1 ½ cubed, dehydrated cubed, diced potatoes

¼ cup dehydrated diced onion

½ cup dehydrated diced carrots

¼ cup dehydrated diced celery

1-cup non-fat, dehydrated milk