Dried and smoked Foods

Hi, everyone

I was wondering if anyone dries fruits/ veggies, or smokes meat for your trips? If so, do you have any tips or tricks of the trade? Any preferences or recipes? I'd love to hear them!

Right now we smoke a few different kinds of meat (like pork, turkey, beef jerkey, and pastrami), and dry some fruits. We use an electric smoker, and a homemade "drying rack" with some wood, using a box fan for drying. Tortilla and veggies chips we just broil in the oven.

How about you guys?

 

Well, I can't help you out because we don't do that. However, I'm intrigued! What does smoking meat do? Does it make is last longer?

 

It just makes it so it doesn't need to be refrigerated afterwards. (And tasty!) After it's smoked you can use it like jerky and eat it plain, or mixed into stews, reheated or toasted over the fire, to snack on while you're hiking, as a treat for your dog...and as a teether for fussy babies! You can vary the flavor depending on what wood you use to smoke, if you marinade it, and depending on what spices you add.

 

I am all about dried or smoked foods - the only thing however that I personally do are like granola for cereal, smoked venison (in various forms), and like dried fruit/ fruit jerky. I can give you recipes for that I guess... Oh! I also make up pouches of dried ingredient for like chili and stews sometimes, but they can be a bit hit and miss.