Using Freeze Dried Foods

Isabel Lee, a member of our stake, has been working with freeze dried foods for about 15 years. Here is one of her favorite recipes.

Chicken Salad

1 cup Thrive chicken(freeze dried)
2 Tbs onion Thrive (FD)
2 Tbs celery Thrive (FD)
1/4 c peas Thrive (FD)
1/4 c corn Thrive(FD)
1 Tb chicken bouillon Thrive
In a pan put water and add all the ingredients. Let boil for 5-10 minutes.
Drain the water. Add mayonnaise, pace medium sauce or any other ingredient that your family likes. Put in refrigerator to chill. Enjoy.


Freeze dried food is very convenient to take camping, hotel, car, lunch, etc. Nutritious, convenient and easy.
For more recipes and ideas please contact Isabel and Wayne Lee.

Wayne also has a lots a tips on how to grow a garden.

belsinha@q.com
801 785 7219

Advance Healthcare Directive

One of the important things you can do to prepare for the future is to create an Advance Healthcare Directive. If you wait until a health emergency happens, it may be too late for you to control what is done on your behalf.

An Advance Healthcare Directive allows you to name another person to make healthcare decisions for you when you cannot make decisions or speak for yourself. It also records your wishes about your healthcare in the future.

Here is a link to a site where you can fill out the Advance Healthcare Directive that applies to Utah. Each state has different requirements for this document to be legal and so it is a good idea to use the appropriate form for the state in which you reside.

Utah Advance Health Care Directive

Automobile Emergency Protocol

What is the best way to handle an auto accident? Here are suggestions from Steve Wager:

Light – To alert other drivers (batteries)

Tools/Gloves – Depending on skill level

            Duc tape, zip ties, screwdrivers, pliers, bailing wire, shop towels

First Aid Kit/blanket – For accidents

Jumper cables – For a dead battery (?)

Water/Food – For distance travel

Fluids – Oil, coolant (for distance travel)

            Oil/coolant – verify the proper type

Proper maintenance on vehicle –

Good spare tire, jack and lug wrench

Fuel tank never less than ½ full

Cash to pay for fuel – DO NOT carry fuel in vehicle

Auto Emergency Kit

Here are some suggestions from Steve Wager on what you should have in your vehicle for emergency situations.

Light – To alert other drivers (batteries)

Tools/Gloves – Depending on skill level

            Duc tape, zip ties, screwdrivers, pliers, bailing wire, shop towels

First Aid Kit/blanket – For accidents

Jumper cables – For a dead battery (?)

Water/Food – For distance travel

Fluids – Oil, coolant (for distance travel)

            Oil/coolant – verify the proper type

Proper maintenance on vehicle –

Good spare tire, jack and lug wrench

Fuel tank never less than ½ full

Cash to pay for fuel – DO NOT carry fuel in vehicle

Food for 72 hr. kits

MRE’s – These are lightweight and there is no need to add water or cook.  You can heat them in the sun or use a small pan if you prefer them warm.  Rotate every 4-5 years.

Canned Food – These are heavy (pop tops are lighter but can explode if not packaged carefully).  There is no need to add water, in fact you can drink the liquid of fruits, etc.  Must have a can opener or use pop tops.

Instant food packets – (oatmeal, hot chocolate, soup mix, etc) – These are lightweight and the drink mixes can add flavor to your drinking water.  These will taste really good but you must have extra water to prepare them.  Water is heavy.

Dried Food – (beef jerky, dried fruit, etc.) – These will taste good and they are lightweight, but you again need to drink extra water with these for proper digestion.  You don’t want to add cramping to your emergency situation.

Freeze-Dried food – These taste good and are very lightweight.  They do need extra water to prepare them.  Might be worth packing some as extra food in case water is not a problem .

Crackers – These will also taste good but may cause extra thirst.  Use spreads to add flavor such as jams, cheese spread, peanut butter, etc.  Pack carefully so they don’t disintegrate.

Hard Candy – These will taste good and can help quench thirst.  They also can help reduce stress for kids.

Infant Formula – Even if you are a nursing mother you need to include canned ready-to-use-formula.  Stress can lesson your ability to feed your baby.  Also include the disposable bags for bottles so you don’t have to wash them.  A nursing mother needs extra food and water also.

Medications – don’t forget to include any needed medications!

Keep in mind that in a high stress situation your body will need extra calories!

Do what works best for your family and your situation!

Include 3 days of food for each person

72 Hour Kit

Your survival priorities are:  1.  Shelter  2.  Water  3.  Fire  4.  Food

If these are covered you can survive!  Everything else is for comfort.

SHELTER:                               Starts with your clothing and works out.

                                                1 complete change/person (include underwear) wrap in trash bag

                                                Rotate clothing for season, if desired, and for growth of child

                                                Include diapers as needed

                                                Sleeping bag- zip 2 together and put 2-3 people in for warmth

                                                Tent and ground cover

WATER:                   At least 1/gal/person/day – so 3 gallons.  Carry as much as you can

                                                At least 2 ways to purify the water and equipment necessary

                                                i.e. pot for boiling

FIRE:                                       Waterproof matches, backpackers stove, cooking fuel

                                                White gas type fuels will burn in extreme cold.

FOOD:                     Lightweight – no added – be careful of dried foods

                                                MRE’s need no added water and can be eaten w/ or w/o cooking

                                                Baby formula – use ready-to-feed and plastic bottle liners

                                                Include foods needed for special diets

                                                Equipment for food – depends on the food you pack

                                       Include any needed medication!

SANITATION:           Trowel for burying waste – 24-30” deep – 100 ft. from water

                                                Airtight container – TP – disinfectant – sanitizers

                                                Plan for some kind of privacy

                                                Care with sanitation is extremely important – improper care can be deadly              

                                               

FIRST-AID:                               Place in water-tight container – use common sense

                                                Include good 1^st aid manual

HYGENE:                 Baby wipes, toothbrush and paste, comb and brush, fem. Hygiene

                                                Soap, possible shampoo, shaving gear.  Your personal hygiene

                                                could make a real difference in how you feel!

EQUIPMENT:           Flashlights w/extra batteries (1/person), radio w/extra batteries

                                                Rope, pocket knife, sewing kit, safety pins, garbage bags, tools,

                                                Paper, pen, pencil consecrated oil, childs leash, whistle

                                                Survival manual or Boy Scout Handbook

                                                Try to keep the car at least half full of gas

MORAL

    BOOSTERS:        Scriptures, card games, coloring books w/crayons, small toys

IMPORTANT

     PAPERS:            Place in fireproof box or CD or with trusted friend not from your area

TIME LISTS:            A prioritized list (placed in a convenient spot) of items that can be

                                                grabbed according to time available and ease of transportation

                                                i.e. extra water, a child’s security blanket, extra equipment, etc.

Drying Meat

Here is information from Wendi O'Keefe on drying meat:



Drying Meat
Dehydrating meat can be as simple as slicing up some lunch meat from the deli and drying it for a few hours in a food dehydrator. Once dehydrated, strips of deli ham, turkey, and roast beef can be eaten like beef jerky, or broken into pieces for use in a backpacking meal.
With a little more effort, you can also dry ground beef, turkey, or chicken. Read on for pictures and instructions. First we’ll cover deli meat, followed by ground beef, shrimp, and tuna.


Only Dry Meat in an approved Meat Dehydrator!


How long will dehydrated meat last?
Dehydrated meat will last at least two months if stored in a low humidity environment or up to a year if you use a vacuum sealer.


Dehydrating Meat: Deli Style
Choose lean ham, turkey, roast beef, or chicken with fat content less than 10%. I prefer dehydrating meat that has not had any “solutions” injected into it, because that usually means high sodium. Ask the server to slice your deli meat thick, around 1/16 of an inch.
Cut deli meat into one inch strips and place on the dehydrator trays. Dehydrating meat takes about six hours at 125° using my Excalibur Dehydrator. If any oil droplets form on the outside of the meat, blot off with a paper towel. When the meat is completely dry, you will easily be able to break the strips into smaller pieces for use in backpacking recipes or leave as is for snacking.
Try munching a few slices of dehydrated deli ham with your oatmeal when backpacking. You can eat it cold and crunchy, or put it in your pot with a little water and heat. After a few minutes of warming and rehydrating, you’ll enjoy a chewy, near bacon experience. The photo at right shows how I include dehydrated ham in my recipe for Ham and Vegetables with Rice

Dehydrating Meat: Ground Beef & Turkey
The one problem with dehydrated ground beef and turkey the meat didn’t fully rehydrate. It was tough-- so the secret to dehydrating meat so that it turns out tender every time… bread crumbs! When you add bread crumbs to ground meat before you dehydrate it, more liquid will penetrate the meat when you cook it in your pot, resulting in tender meat.
Use only lean or extra lean ground meat. Meat with high fat content produces beads of oil as it dehydrates which you have to blot off throughout the dehydration process. Also, fatty meats may spoil, so stick with the skinny stuff. Pork is not recommended for dehydrating, with the exception of lean ham, because of its high fat content. Ground turkey breast is naturally low in fat. Check the labels for ground beef and shoot for a fat content less than 15%, preferably in the 7% to 10% range.
For each pound of beef, sprinkle ½ cup of bread crumbs evenly over the meat. Work the bread crumbs into the meat with your fingers. Unseasoned bread crumbs work well, but if you plan to use the beef in a pasta recipe, try Italian seasoned bread crumbs..
Break the meat into small pieces and stir continuously in a skillet over medium high heat until the beef turns slightly pink or brown depending on your taste. Remove from heat and blot off any remaining liquid with paper towels.
Place small pieces of ground beef on the dehydrator trays. Set the thermostat at 145° for the first two hours and then reduce the temperature to 125° for another six hours. There should be no moisture remaining in the meat when you break a piece in half.
Dehydrating meat with bread crumbs following these instructions will yield 2 ½ cups of dried meat per pound processed.


Dehydrating Shrimp
To save time, buy frozen, pre-cooked and peeled, medium shrimp. Thaw shrimp, pinch off the tails, and rinse. Slice each shrimp into four or five pieces, arrange in a single layer on dehydrator tray, and dehydrate at 145° approximately six hours until hard and firm. There should be no moisture remaining when you cut a piece in half. Store shrimp in an air-tight container or refrigerate until ready to use.


Dehydrating Tuna
Dehydrated canned tuna for tuna casserole recipe. Use only Solid White Albacore Tuna packed in water. Fattier varieties of tuna and tuna packed in oil may spoil. Break the tuna up into small pieces and spread out in a single layer on the dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 145° for six hours until crispy. Dehydrate tuna on the front porch during the day to avoid stinking up the house. Don’t try it at night or a raccoon might steal your tuna. Six ounces of tuna will weigh a little over an ounce when dry and yield about half a cup.


 MAKING SAFE JERKY IN A HOME DEHYDRATOR
Dried meat, commonly called jerky, has been a popular food for thousands of years. Jerky has traditionally been made by drying meat at low temperatures (130°F ‐170°F) for a long period of time. These processing conditions can make it difficult to manufacture a safe product, especially using a home dehydrator. It is important to reach a sufficient temperature in the jerky‐drying process to kill pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 which may contaminate the product.

Based on research begun at the University of Wisconsin in 1998 and continuing in 2009, the University of Wisconsin‐Extension recommends that manufacturers of jerky using a home dehydrator follow these guidelines:

Preparing the Meat

Use only lean meat in excellent condition. For jerky prepared from ground meat, use meat that is at least 93% lean. For whole muscle jerky, trim meat of excess fat and slice no thicker than ¼”. Partially freeze meat to make it easier to slice. Slice the meat with the grain if you wish to prepare the chewy jerky preferred by most mid-western consumers. Always choose clean, non‐damaged meat from deer or other wild game.

Maintain meat under refrigeration or keep frozen until use. If marinating meat, do so in the refrigerator. Whole muscle jerky is most often marinated in an acidic mixture containing spices and seasoning. Jerky made from ground meat is not marinated, but is mixed with dry spices and cure before forming into strips. Research has shown that the spice and cure (nitrite) in marinades and dry seasoning mixes will help in the destruction of pathogens.

Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods. Store raw meats on a plate or bowl in the refrigerator to catch drips. Wash hands and surfaces with hot soapy water, and rinse with warm water, after handling raw meat. Sanitize cleaned and rinsed cutting boards with a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach per quart of water. Allow to air dry.

Setting up the Dehydrator

• Determine the true temperature of the dehydrator or oven when it is operating empty.

Do not rely on the dehydrator’s temperature settings. Determine your dehydrator’s drying temperature using a dial‐stem thermometer as follows:

o For an oven or a horizontal air‐flow dehydrator, place the thermometer inside the unit and close the door.

o For a vertical air‐flow dehydrator, stack 2 to 3 trays on the base and place the thermometer between the top 2 trays such that the dial is sticking out between the shelves.

o Turn the dehydrator on to its maximum setting; set your oven to

Dial Stem Thermometer

155°F. Record the temperature once it has stabilized. In order to safely dry meat at home, your oven or dehydrator must be able to maintain a temperature of at least 145° to 155°F (see below).

o Do not test the temperature when the dehydrator or oven has product in it. Evaporative cooling occurs as the product loses moisture and this will give you an inaccurate temperature reading.

• Use only dehydrators with temperature control. Do not use dehydrators with factory preset temperature that can’t be controlled. Recent research at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison (2008) has shown that dehydrators with factory‐set temperatures that can’t be adjusted, such as Nesco’s Jerky Xpress, do not reliably produce a safe product and are not recommended.

Safe Drying Methods

In our research we tested 3 home‐style dehydrators: the Gardenmaster (#1010) and Jerky Xpress (#28JX), both from Nesco/American Harvest, and the Excalibur (#3900).

Choose one of the following recommended drying methods:

Dry meat at 145° - 155°F for at least 4 hours followed by heating in a pre-

heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes. Drying meat at a temperature below 145°F will produce a product that looks done before it is heated enough to destroy pathogens, and before it has lost enough moisture to be shelf-stable. Only a few dehydrators currently on the market will maintain the necessary temperature of 145° - 155°F: the Gardenmaster by Nesco/American Harvest and the Excalibur are two such units. Each of these units has a large heating element, strong air flow, and adjustable temperature setting. Dry for at least 4 hours (6 hours is preferable) and remove jerky from the dehydrator. Place dried strips on a baking sheet, close together but not touching or overlapping. Heat in a pre-heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes to an internal temperature of 160°F – strips thicker than ¼” (when raw) may require longer to reach 160°F. In our research, strips removed from the oven were sizzling hot. Remove oven-heated samples from the oven, cool to room temperature, and package. Always include the post‐drying oven‐heating treatment as a safety precaution.

Steam or roast meat strips in marinade to an internal temperature of 160°F before drying; heat poultry to 165°F (internal temperature) before drying. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline currently recommends this method for making safe jerky. The pre‐heating step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed before drying and a lower dehydrator temperature (130° to 140°F) can be used. After boiling, dehydrate meat for 4 to 6 hours. No post-dehydration oven-heating is necessary. Since it can be impossible to accurately measure the internal temperature of a thin strip of meat, consumers can boil meat in marinade (or water) for 5 minutes before drying. Unfortunately, this USDA‐recommended method produces a dried, crumbly product that would be judged inferior by Wisconsin standards for chewy, flexible jerky.

Dried jerky can be stored for 1 to 2 months at room temperature; in the freezer for up to 6 months. Vacuum package jerky to extend the shelf life of jerky. Barbara Ingham, University of Wisconsin Extension Food Scientist. bhingham@wisc.edu March, 2009.

Geanie Matthews

Use this recipe on beef, venison or other game meats.

Jerky

4 Tbs. soy sauce

4 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 sm. can grape juice concentrate

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. liquid smoke

1 tsp. curing spice (salt & Sodium nitrate)

2 cups water

Marinate the sliced meat 4-6 hours.

Place on trays to dry.