Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#196711 - 10/05/16 05:40 PM how long will home dehydrated ground beef last?
toddfw2003 Offline
member

Registered: 01/08/16
Posts: 369
Loc: Texas
I leave on a two week backpacking trip tomorrow. I have dehydrated some extra lean ground beef. Also I boiled it in water to get the extra fat out of it then I dehydrated it and put an oxygen absorber in a zip lock back. Just curious how long will it be good for

Top
#196713 - 10/05/16 05:56 PM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: toddfw2003]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
In two weeks, you'll know. smile

(Sorry - long workday, stress relief needed, and I couldn't resist. I really don't have anything helpful to add)

Top
#196714 - 10/05/16 06:08 PM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: Glenn Roberts]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Check out "Sarbar's" Trail Cooking website.

I did this one year and had no problems with keeping. However, for long term storage, any dehydrated ffood is best stored in the freezer.

I did find the rehydrated results pretty crunchy (as was my dehydrated canned chicken). I also found that doing dehydrating extra lean organic ground beef cost more per serving than buying freeze-dried beef in bulk from Packit Gourmet, that comparison did not include the electricity cost for my dehydrator. That was 6 years ago, so I don't know if this cost comparison is still valid.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#196717 - 10/05/16 08:17 PM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: toddfw2003]
wgiles Offline
member

Registered: 05/19/14
Posts: 182
Loc: Central Illinois near Springfi...
There should be no problems with dehydrated ground beef over the short term. I have jerky that has been stored at room temperature for months that is still good. When I dehydrate ground meat, I first marinate it in something salty like Worcestershire sauce, then thoroughly cook it, rinse it with boiling water and dehydrate it. I normally get about 25% of the weight that I started with. After that, I vacuum pack it and freeze it. Frozen, dehydrated ground beef should last practically forever. When I dehydrate, I keep the meat separate from the rest of the meal ingredients. This is partly so that I can interchange the ingredients for more variety, but also to avoid contaminating the meal with spoiled meat. I think that the real concerns with dehydrated ground beef are rancidity and loss of nutrition due to oxidation rather than spoilage. I've experienced oxidation over the long term, but not rancidity.

Top
#196718 - 10/05/16 08:40 PM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: OregonMouse]
wgiles Offline
member

Registered: 05/19/14
Posts: 182
Loc: Central Illinois near Springfi...
Another good source for dehydrating information is:

http://www.backpackingchef.com/

One of his suggestions is to dehydrate canned chicken. Canned chicken is retort cooked (in the can, in a pressure cooker)and appears to rehydrate well. Normal cooked chicken rehydrates tough.

Top
#196719 - 10/05/16 09:20 PM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: wgiles]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Even using the canned chicken, the results are a bit crunchy, for me, anyway. If you don't mind a bit of crunch in your meal, it doesn't affect the taste!

wglies, I love your beautiful avatar!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#196720 - 10/06/16 04:50 AM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: OregonMouse]
Franco Offline
member

Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 1010
Loc: Australia
When I used to dehydrate meat I mostly did pork.
Oddly enough lean pork has almost no fat.
First cubed to sugar cube sizes (do they still exist ?) marinated lightly with some spiced sauce (cinnamon is a good preserving spice...) then fried in very little oil then dried and vacuum packed. Kept for over 1 year.
I also did beef but it needs to be from very lean meat.

If buying in bulk (and re-packing) freeze dry could be less expensive and re-hydrates much better.
With the DIY version you should soak the meat for an hour or so before cooking if you want something sort of tender.


Edited by Franco (10/06/16 04:52 AM)

Top
#196721 - 10/06/16 07:36 AM Re: how long will home dehydrated ground beef last? [Re: OregonMouse]
wgiles Offline
member

Registered: 05/19/14
Posts: 182
Loc: Central Illinois near Springfi...
That photo was taken about half a mile from my house. Sadly, the pine tree is no longer there.

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 170 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum