Instant potatoes

[Hazel in Sk]

I have eaten instant, dehydrated potatoes a few times. Thought they were better than going hungry! Today I spotted this site on my screen -

How to Make Dehydrated Potato Flakes from Scratch | The Homesteading Hippy

I'm finding it a bit tempting to try some. Has anyone here made this version of potatoes.?

Oh yeah - it is, in general, an interesting site.

[Glenn Baglo]

That's one way to consume a lot of energy. Is it that hard to find potatoes where you camp?

[steve dunham]

We have made homemade dehydrated hash browns because some of the commercial brands have an off taste from the preservatives they use. We carry a small amount of dried foods basically for emergency situations . Never tried to make our own dried mashed
potatoes.

[Eddie Longest]

Try Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes. A lot easier than making your own.
Hungry Jack® Mashed Potatoes | Made with 100% real potatoes | Hungry Jack Potatoes

[Steve L.]

I, um, "like" the Betty Crocker type instant mashed potatoes which are probably pretty much the same as Hungry Jack. 2 bags to a box. Much better than what I got in the Army, but that was years ago and they've come a long way. Boil water, add milk and butter, stir and it's very quick and passable. But then, I'm no gourmet and easily pleased.

Which makes we wonder some times. Who’s happier? The gourmet (wine, coffee, water, pizza, etc.) who must attain a higher (orgasmic?) satisfaction than me but in turn must be disappointed 80% of the time. I don’t get to that exalted level but I’m happy 80% of the time at some lower level.

[TheWanderers]

Originally Posted by Steve L.

I, um, "like" the Betty Crocker type instant mashed potatoes which are probably pretty much the same as Hungry Jack. 2 bags to a box. Much better than what I got in the Army, but that was years ago and they've come a long way. Boil water, add milk and butter, stir and it's very quick and passable. But then, I'm no gourmet and easily pleased.

Which makes we wonder some times. Who’s happier? The gourmet (wine, coffee, water, pizza, etc.) who must attain a higher (orgasmic?) satisfaction than me but in turn must be disappointed 80% of the time. I don’t get to that exalted level but I’m happy 80% of the time at some lower level.

Steve, I'm with you. It doesn't really take much to make me happy. Members of my family were discussing our youth when our oldest sister was responsible for fixing lunch for a group of six children and we thought we'd hit gold with buttered elbow macaroni. That was the high life to us then and I haven't changed much since.

[TheWanderers]

Originally Posted by Hazel in Sk

I have eaten instant, dehydrated potatoes a few times. Thought they were better than going hungry! Today I spotted this site on my screen -

How to Make Dehydrated Potato Flakes from Scratch | The Homesteading Hippy

I'm finding it a bit tempting to try some. Has anyone here made this version of potatoes.?

Oh yeah - it is, in general, an interesting site.

Hazel, what a great link and truly interesting person. Thanx for this link!

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by Eddie Longest

Try Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes. A lot easier than making your own.
Hungry Jack® Mashed Potatoes | Made with 100% real potatoes | Hungry Jack Potatoes

A lot easier to make? I'm sorry, but I just really have to laugh at this one. How tough is it to boil a couple of potatoes and mash them. Seriously?

Dehydrated food is great to reduce weight if you're backpacking. We have tow vehicles and trailers. Why do you need to eat cardboard? It's not like you have to carry the food around. You have trailers...

[MRClaus]

LOL

[Dick & Joanne]

Freeze dried hash browns
Hungry Jack or Orieda
Both good

[Jon Vermilye]

I use the Hungry Jack Hashbrowns & the various Idahoan packets when I want potatoes & am away from stores. Since I am only feeding myself, both make too large a serving & trying to cut the packaging in half is a pain. Still, easier to store than a big box...

[Glenn Baglo]

I buy canned cooked potatoes. Slice ( if whole ) and fry in butter/oil mix with onion ( partially cooked before adding to potatoes ).
Or, just heat them in water.
You could mash them, if you wish.
Half a can for supper and half the next morning as hash browns.

[Jon in AZ]

Instant mashed potatoes make sense to me if you're cooking inside a small trailer. No grease, no boiling (minimal condensation), and quick (less propane). Packs light and compact. Powdered milk substitutes for fresh in a pinch. Gourmet they ain't, but add-ins like sour cream, butter, crumbled bacon, green onions, cheese, garlic, Old Bay, and/or pepper make them quite palatable to my untutored tongue.

I'm not sure about making the instant mashed potato flakes from scratch, though. Too much trouble for me. If I were concerned about preservatives in the commercial flakes, I'd just make mashed potatoes the old fashioned way: from fresh potatoes. As Casita Greg says, it's not that hard.

If I want "gourmet," I slice fresh potatoes lengthwise, brush with oil and season, and grill them over charcoal, along with the day's meat and veggies. Leftovers can be cubed, lightly sautéed, and folded into a breakfast burrito or omelet the next morning.

[Hazel in Sk]

Hungry Jack products aren't available in our area. The brands of instant mashed potato we can buy all seem to have some sort of additive and we try to avoid them (can't recall the brand names right now).


When you live in a northerly area and travel further north to camp it means we are sometimes a good couple of hours from a tiny store - sometimes they don't have potatoes or real meat or cheese. We do watch our loaded weight - but when the spuds are gone they are gone!

[Jon in AZ]

Sounds like you've eliminated all the alternatives. I'd say give the do-it-yourself dried mashed potatoes a try and tell us how it works.

I know some people are very sensitive to food additives. I have a friend who can tell after a couple of bites whether the shredded cabbage came from a head of cabbage or a bag of pre-processed cole slaw mix.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Hazel in Sk

I have eaten instant, dehydrated potatoes a few times. Thought they were better than going hungry! Today I spotted this site on my screen -

How to Make Dehydrated Potato Flakes from Scratch | The Homesteading Hippy

I'm finding it a bit tempting to try some. Has anyone here made this version of potatoes.?

Oh yeah - it is, in general, an interesting site.

I was born & raised in Idaho in a family of potato farmers and don't know squat about instant taters. But I know I have to check out a site called "The Homesteading Hippy".

[Dudley]

Hi Hazel, you should invite some of our southern friends for see northern Saskatchewan. Some of the nicest camping around. Yes its a drive to the closest town for supplies but some very nice camping and fishing. Meadow Lake Provincial Park has everything from bush camping to drive through RV sites with 17 different lakes and some of the best beaches around. I would like to travel to some of the more northern areas and may do so next year.

Growing up, we lived on a radar base in Moosonee ,Ont and most of our food was ordered in from Timmins and brought in by train (the Polar Bear Express). Yes food can be a real problem. The town did have one store, the Hudson's Bay Store , but the prices were crazy and the food was sub par. I think my mother had to rely on instant everything which drover her crazy as she was a homec teacher and a great cook.

Hope you were not affected by the fires this summer. My neighbors friend lost his fishing cabin that he had built, flying in all the supplies himself.

[Vivian L]

Idahoan instant potatoes are available here in Canada. 4 or 5 different flavours in packs that make 2 cups. Boil 2 cups of water, add the product and you're good to go, and they are a world apart from the old tyme instant potatoes. We are never without them.

[Gilda]

Google "Recipes using mashed potatoes" and you come up with some pretty terrific ideas. Of course, being Italian, "gnocchi" is my favorite!
Why Leftover Mashed Potatoes Are The Best Kind

[Hazel in Sk]

We frequently camp at Narrow Hills Provincial Park which is a bit more than a hour from home to the closest of the lakes. Occasionally go to Greenwater PP which is also reasonably close to home. Then there is Great Blue Heron PP which is fairly new. We went once and probably won't return frequently - you have to pay for an electric site even if you don't want or need one! In the same area is Prince Albert National Park - when there we prefer to camp at the more primitive sites at Namekus Lake rather than the main campground.

We had quite a lot of smoke over several weeks from the forest fires. The first was very close to home and after that was the big one that roared over a lot of ground. Friends from La Ronge evacuated to our home town.

I enjoyed looking at the site with recipes for leftover mashed potatoes. We will be trying the waffles! I make an old British item that my family called Potato Cakes - leftover mashed plus cheese or other additives and flour. They can be fried or baked in the oven. We also make leffsa (not sure of the spelling) - hubby's heritage is Scandinavian so this stuff was a part of his childhood. Now another generation are making and serving it as our kids are raising kids themselves.