Quinoa — will it work in a freezer bag?

[Rob Weaver]

I have done an extensive search and found some great quinoa recipes. There are a lot of recipes that involve dehydrated quinoa. BUT — I would like to know whether regular qunioa can be cooked freezer bag style with a cozy. Will this be edible after about 15 minutes in the cozy? Thanks.

[Laurie Ann March]

If you precook your quinoa meal and rehydrate it in a freezer bag it will work but you won't have much success with uncooked quinoa I'm afraid. Quinoa from its raw state takes 10-15 minutes of simmering to be edible. I even tried using a thermos… no luck.

The Quinoa and Spinach soup found in the following article works very well as a freezer bag meal…

Seattle Backpackers Magazine – Quinoa – A Superfood for the Trail

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

For best results cooking and drying at home is preferable. Then it is a matter of simple rehdyration……that is why instant rice (or basically any rice you cook at home and dry if want) works where regular rice doesn't.

Although you know FBC is my baby, this is an easy way to make Quinoa from scratch on the trail:
http://www.trailcooking.com/recipes/fuel-saver-quinoa

[Rob Weaver]

Thanks. I just found a Nesco 700 watt dehydrator on a craigslist, so maybe I will try drying it out after all. Quinoa obviously offers an advantage over minute rice in terms of protein and nutrition, which is why I'm interested.

I've read the recipes that at least one of you has posted in other threads and this has inspired me. I think I am going to attempt some sort of taco tasting freezer bag meal with quinoa, ground turkey, cumin, chili powder, and cheese added on top.

[Laurie Ann March]

sounds yummy!

I'm sure you'll be happy with the Nesco 700 watt. That's what I used for years and it is still going strong. You'll be creating all sorts of neat things for the trail now!

[David Noll]

Rob,
As the food Mavens stated that once dried quinoa works great. I have been substituting it for rice for the last two years. With your new dehydrator you can make camping meals out of nearly anything you cook.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

You will do great, that sounds like a great mix of a recipe :-)

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