Dehydrating rice problems

[Joe Federici]

I recently tried dehydrating rice I had cooked myself because I wanted to use a better brand then uncle bens but I’m not getting good results when rehydrating it. The results tend to either be mushy or hard and crackly. I’ve not had this problem when using instant rice for bag recipes

Should I not completely cook the rice before dehydrating?

Any tips?

Thanks

Joe F

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

How often are you breaking up the rice when drying?
Another thought is how you are cooking the rice beforehand? Do the grains look separate when cooked? Or are they more mushed together?
One idea you might try is to cut back the cooking water a bit. If you do say, 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, instead use 1 3/4 cups water. That will make a firmer rice. Still cook same amount of time.

[Joe Federici]

Sarah-

First off let me say I love the book. I’ve got the first addition and after recommending it to a friend (who also loves it) noticed you have a new addition or new cover? Either way I’m a big fan!

I've been using it along with almost 100% of my own dehydrated fruits and veggies and meats for 2 seasons and everyone I meet backpacking with asks me about my meals.

What I did when drying was to spread it out on the trays then dry. After it was done it was clumped together so I put the clumps in a plastic bag and hit on the counter a few times. I then vacuumed packed into 1-1/2 cup amounts.

JFF

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Joe, my husband decided last year to put a new cover on the book-he also fleshed it out a bit more :-)

Book #2 is being worked on. It's recipes are done, we are just figuring what angle we want the book to go! :-)

On the rice, I treat it like I do hamburger-I rub any clumps between my fingers every hour or so, to break it up. A bit of PIA but it helps.

[Joe Federici]

I'll give it a try breaking it up as I go, thanks.

I've gotten in the habit of using my dehydrator on a timer so I can leave it running while at work. With things like fruits, veggies I've got the times pegged. I’m just now trying things like rice and pasta so I’ll need to go back to running it while I’m around.

I Personally really like the ethnic food recipes, as they tend to have the most flavors. My recent favorite is pad thai and a simple side of dehydrated edamame. I’ve used Ramanon noodles in the past but considering drying the real thing.

JFF

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

When I worked at the Asian food importer (I left in the spring) they carried "instant" Pad Thai that had rice noodles that only needed to be set in water for 3 or so minutes. They worked very well, and I used them in other items as well. They look like packages of ramen.

[Joe Federici]

I'll take a look around in the markets here in NYC. We have so many Asian markets that I'm sure I can find it somewhere.

thanks for tip.

Joe F.

[George Matthews]

Hi Joe

I've learned alot from Sarah's book.

Instead of Ramen noodles, I use dehydrated pasta – Barilla Plus angel hair and penne (there are other shapes, too). It is nutritious and tastes great.

Glad you asked the rice question because I'm planning to try it next time. My first attempts at dehydrating new things usually don't work out. I'm sure I would have made rice like lice or worse.

[Joe Federici]

At least for me, cooking rice just nice is way harder then pasta and I think that's most likely my down fall.

One think I've learn with dehydrating is you really need to start with the best of the best. The fresher the fruit and better the cut of meat really effects the end product. The same seems to be true with pasta and rice.

Joe F

[Steve O]

Joe,
Are you thoroughly rinsing the starch out of the rice in the 1st cook? This may sound silly, but many people don't know how to cook rice. You need to rinse many times (until the water stops becoming a cloudy-white color).

Also, you need to "par-cook" the rice the 1st time, so it won't get super mushy the second time. It will continue to cook a bit as long as it stays warm, so factor that in as well. Consider using less water than normal for a partial cook because the grain won't soak it up. The ratio for normal rice is 1 part rice, 2 part water, so maybe consider a 1:1.5 ratio. The grain should still be just a little bit crunchy when you proceed to dry it out.

I haven't tried this yet, but after spending a few years as a chef, it only seems logical. I have, however, par-cooked rice (risotto, etc) before, and it is a very similar concept.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Steve, take a look at my recent thread here where I did a pictorial on cooking and drying rice :-) It came out nicely.

[Laurie Ann March]

Steve,

When you par-cooked the risotto may I ask how you did that? Was it the same as what should be done for rice? The reason I ask is that I've been trying to create a risotto recipe for the second volume of A Fork in the Trail and it is giving me a bit of difficulty… any help would be greatly appreciated.

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