How to Reconstitute Dehydrated Foods

Learning to reconstitute dehydrated foods is an important camping skill. It can also, in times of economic distress or little food, be an important survival skill. In theory, to rehydrate a dehydrated food all you should need to do is add water. But there is a specific way of doing so that helps you get the best taste out of your dehydrated food.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Cookstove

Instructions

1. Cover the dehydrated food with water. If it's a root, stem or seed vegetable you should let it soak in the water for anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours. You can tell it's done soaking once it plumps back up to its normal size. Most dried fruit should soak in hot water; vegetables and tubers should soak in cold water.

2. Simmer the previously dried food once its done soaking. You can simmer it in the same water it soaked in, adding more water if necessary to keep the food covered. Simmer only until it is tender.

3. Eat reconstituted foods immediately. Drying does not kill all the microbes, so they will spoil quickly if stored.

4. Add seasonings like butter, spices, oil or honey to help improve the taste of your reconstituted food.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to add sugar to your dried food, wait until after it's fully reconstituted. Otherwise the sugar will toughen the food and make it hard to eat.