Have you ever considered using a dehydrated vegetable in your cooking? I personally use them all the time. I sort of fell into the use of these nifty ingredients quite by accident but found them so convenient that I often continue to use them.

The first two I fell into were onions and garlic. I hate chopping onions with a passion, might have something to do with my hatred of crying or strong odors. I often find that the fragrance of a raw onion is far too much for me to handle. For this reason I found a jar of dehydrated onion at my local grocer one day and decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I made that decision.

Without realizing the ramifications or implications of that decision I brought home the jar of this dehydrated vegetable and found that I could add the flavor of onions to my favorite dishes without enduring the process, which I found so distasteful. At first it did seem a little bit like cheating, but I quickly got over it as it created less mess to clean up as well (I really loathe washing dishes). I also began to realize that I have at times used another dehydrated vegetable or two without even thinking about it. Some of my dry soup or skillet meal mixes often have peas or carrots or peas and carrots mixed in with the other dry ingredients.

If you aren’t at all put off by the idea of a dehydrated vegetable on occasion and if your family does a good deal of camping out, you might be interested in taking a dehydrated vegetable packet along on your next camping trip. I was more than slightly in awe at the wide assortment of dehydrated goodies that are on the market these days. Gone are the days when the selections were completely reminiscent of army rations and MRE’s (meals ready to eat). Today you can find a dehydrated vegetable or two, beef stroganoff, spaghetti, even an ice cream bar or cheesecake among the selection of meals in a bag that only require the addition of water.

If camping is something you can foresee in your families future you might seriously consider picking up several packets of these dehydrated dinners. You can find them in most outdoor supply stores and sporting good stores as well as your local army surplus or supply store. They even have meals that are designed to feed families of four. It’s a great way to surprise your children. They still have to have a dehydrated vegetable before they can have the dehydrated Eskimo pie.

Whether you choose the ingredients you choose for convenience cooking at home or to have available and accessible while traveling, camping, or in emergency kits for road trips, it is a great idea to have a selection of dehydrated foods on hand at all times. I highly recommend them for anyone that will be traveling as you never know when a dehydrated vegetable can make all the difference in the world.