sauces (besides tomato)

Has anyone tried dehydrating different types of sauces such as bbq, teriyaki and sweet or sour? I have dried tomato sauce with no problem. When I tried drying sweet and sour, all it did was get really sticky. Even after twice as long as the tomato (about 8 hrs). Maybe it just wasn’t long enough? I have googled and searched, but can't find any info on this. Anyway I was hoping someone with experience could give me tips (times, certain brands that dry better, anything really). I own the nesco 700w if it helps any.

I dry my trail pizza sauce and also pepers and mushooms that I hydrate with it. Spagetti sauce drys nice. But not sauces with dairy products in them. Or to high a oil content. Hope this helps.

Back when I was young--forty years ago? we used to take a box of Instant rice and a bunch of Knorr's soup and sauce mixes. WE'd catch trout every day and add the sauce, then put it on the rice, and that was dinner.

I'm the only person I know who has eaten trout goulash, trout stroganoff, etc.

I would guess that high sugar sauces, such as sweet and sour, would turn into a sticky, jam-like ooze when dried.

That said, I've added the same ingredients as I'd put into teriyaki: soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, substituting Splenda for sugar or honey, to "Asian" vegetable mixtures and dehydrated those successfully. Over-season the veggies and maybe cooked meat or fish, dehydrate, and add to rice or noodles on the trail when its time to rehydrate them.

Similarly, I've dehydrated shredded BBQ meats successfully.

Hope this helps.

CamperMom

I'm guessing it is the sugar that is getting you. I wonder if you can find a recipe online for sweet and sour and find a mix of dehydrated ingredients that would work together.

With so many dried sauce mixes available, I don't bother dehydrating my own except for spaghetti sauce. I've found a wider (and possibly more healthful) variety of sauce mixes at health food stores--at least reading the labels of those doesn't turn my stomach!

yeah it looks like there are powder mixes available:

http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Luck-Sweet-Sour-Sauce/dp/B0007GD4MI

I looked up a couple recipes and it looks like sweet and sour sauce is usually: sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and ketchup (sometimes no ketchup and sometimes with pineapple juice). I was thinking vinegar would be the hard part backpacking, but apparently not:

http://www.firehousepantrystore.com/4whtvinpw.html

Thanks. The sugar content never even occurred to me. I will try the mixes that are available.

If you are drying commercial brands be wary if those with corn syrup - they can be an issue.

I dehydrated a bottle of Frank's Red Hot and it is awesome. You can break it up into little flakes and add it to your meal that way or you can grind it up into a powder and sprinkle it on like pepper.