This guide provides information on how to dehydrate common hiking meal ingredients. Use this time and temperature chart for your next dehydrator recipe!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to click on the links and purchase a product that I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
What is a Dehydrator?
A dehydrator is a device that cooks food at a low temperatures to remove its moisture content. Dehydrating preserves nutrients, and makes food last longer. This is a common method for making hiking meals, as the ingredients take up less space, and do not require refrigeration.
Dehydrated meals are easy to make, and taste much better than a granola bar on a long hike (in my opinion)! They provide plenty of protein and nutrients to fuel your body for any adventure. Most hiking meals only require boiling water to cook, making them easy to eat anywhere.
The best way to cook meals on a hike is using a camp stove. There are plenty of camp stoves to choose from, but any compact, propane fueled camp stove will do.
Dehydrator Tips
- lay out ingredients in a single layer
- make sure all pieces are roughly the same size to ensure even dehydration
- use a jerky gun*
- use a mandolin slicer for thin, uniform fruit and vegetable slices
*this is a product I recommend spending the extra money on. Less expensive options typically break easily, speaking from experience!
How to Dehydrate : Time and Temperature Guide
| Ingredients | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | 135° F | 8-12 hrs |
| Bananas | 135° F | 8-12 hrs |
| Pears | 135° F | 8-10 hrs |
| Strawberry Slices | 135° F | 6-12 hrs |
| Mango | 135° F | 6-12 hrs |
| Pineapple | 135° F | 12-16 hrs |
| Corn | 125° F | 8-10 hrs |
| Beans | 125° F | 8-12 hrs |
| Tomatoes | 125° F | 12-14 hrs |
| Onion | 125° F | 6-9 hrs |
| Potato | 135° F | 8-12 hrs |
| Mushrooms | 125° F | 6-12 hrs |
| Peppers | 125° F | 6-12 hrs |
| Green Beans | 125° F | 8-10 hrs |
| Meat/Jerky | 165° F | 6-8 hrs |
This time and temperature chart is a rough estimate for typical ingredients. Time will vary based on size and thickness of each food. Thinner slices dehydrate faster, while thicker cuts take longer to dehydrate.
As a good guideline, every fruit and vegetable is done when there is absolutely no moisture left. This typically means the vegetables will break, not bend. Most fruits will become leathery when done.
If jerky is dehydrated too long, it will become too dry and tough. If jerky is not dehydrated long enough, it will not be shelf stable. Click here to learn more about dehydrating jerky and meats.
Every dehydrator is different, so some may take more or less time than directed. This gets easier with practice!
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