Dehydrating food is a great way to preserve it or make it more packable. You can take dehydrated food on long travels, while backpacking or on camping trips. Homemade dehydrated food is better than buying commercially prepared products because not only is it less expensive when you make it yourself, you can also control the ingredients, salt and fat in it. Refried beans are a tasty part of many dishes and a high-fiber source of protein. You can make your own dehydrated refried beans easily and with a minimum of equipment.
Instructions
1. Prepare the refried beans in advance and let cool. You can either make your own and buy cans of refried beans at almost any grocery store. Making your own is the best way to control the flavor and ingredients, but the process of boiling, mashing and frying will take some time. Buying cans is easier but you won't be able to control the flavor and consistency as well. If you do buy refried beans already prepared, try to get low-fat or the kind made with no lard. If you are making dehydrated beans from canned beans, skip this step.
2. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Anything from 110-170 degrees will work for dehydrating. The lower the heat, the longer it will take. Make sure the heat is high enough to dry but low enough to not cook the beans.
3. Spread the refried beans in an even layer onto a cookie sheet.
4. Put the cookie sheet into the oven.
5. Leave the oven door open 2 or 3 inches. This helps the water escape and the air to circulate. Some oven doors will stay open this much on their own, but you may have to place a rolled-up towel into the crack to keep the door open.
6. Dry the beans until the water is gone, about 10 hours. The beans will be stiff but not completely hard. Do not burn the beans. If it looks like the beans are cooking instead of drying (boiling, hissing), turn the temperature down.
7. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the beans cool.
8. Place the beans into re-sealable plastic bags for storage.
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