Cook then dehydrate pasta?

Posted by: Cole Pendell

Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/02/12 11:19 PM

I have been doing a lot of reading about recipes and I see that it is common to cook pasta, then dehydrate/freeze. I assume it helps it rehydrate quicker on the trail... But why does it do that? Why would pre-cooking help it absorb water quicker the second time?
Thanks
~Cole
Posted by: lori

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/02/12 11:45 PM

Why don't you test it out? Just add hot water to regular ol' pasta and see what happens.

There is a change in the pasta that happens during cooking - when you boil pasta and then dehydrate it, then add hot water to it (no boiling the pasta in the pot) on the trail, you have a just-add-water meal. No pot to scrub. Adding water to dried raw pasta (what you get from the store) will result in moist dry pasta, or a sticky glop, depending on how hot the water is and how long you soak it.

BTW, I don't freeze it. Dehydrated cooked pasta will keep a good long time if stored in a sealed container.
Posted by: Cole Pendell

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/03/12 12:03 AM

That would make sense! Thanks for the reply
Posted by: sarbar

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/03/12 11:38 AM

Pasta is not a cooked product in the store - it is a raw food. So by cooking at home and dehydrating you get a ready to use product (just like when you cook and dry rice!). Also, it removes the starch so you don't have to contend with starch filled small pots of water that love to flow over.
The other key thing is your pasta is now basically "instant" - it need only soak in hot water for 5 to 15 minutes (depending on how big your pasta is, then drain and carry on. This means no big pot, no messy cleanups and no boil overs.

Also, once cooked and dehydrated pasta has a shelf life of a year or so with no issues. You want it bone dry.

On freezing? You only need to freeze dehydrated foods if they are combined with meat, dairy or oil - as these items can go rancid in storage over time, freezing stops that. But alone, no.
Posted by: Chad from WV

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/07/12 02:02 AM

I got a dehydrator for Christmas and have been drying everything I can making practice meals...it's kinda fun and you never know what you're going to get. Got some taco meat, rice, and beans drying away now smile
Posted by: Heather-ak

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/09/12 02:01 PM

I got a food sealer (vacuum) and nothing is safe in the house!
Posted by: under10kg

Re: Cook then dehydrate pasta? - 01/19/12 05:06 PM

I tried cooking brown rice and they dehydrating it. It took ages but this worked well.