Salsa:
Spread evenly on a parchment lined tray. 16 ounces will fit one tray nicely. Dry at 135* till dry. Half way through, when tacky (but not gooey wet), pop off paper and flip over. You want pliable dry with no sticky, wet or tacky spots. It will be similar to fruit leather. Run through a blender to make small pieces. Rehydration ratio is 1:1, then if needed, add more water slowly. You can use cold or warm water. Store in your freezer in freezer bags till trail time. Do not vacuum seal, as it will turn it into a hard lump.
Spaghetti & Pasta Sauce:
For jarred or can sauces (24 to 32 ounces), spread evenly on two parchment lined trays. Dry at 135*. Half way thru, when tacky (but not gooey wet), pop off paper and flip over. You want pliable dry with no sticky, wet or tacky spots. It will be similar to fruit leather. Run thru a blender to make small pieces or to powder. Store in your freezer in quart freezer bags till trip time. Do not vac seal the powder, as it will become a hard lump.
1-4 servings (based on the average 3 cup size of most jars).
To rehydrate:
For each serving (1/4 of the powder), add 1/2 cup boiling water, stir well and put in a cozy for 5 minutes. Add up to another 1/4 cup water to reach the right mix. Toss with pasta!
Notes:
Homemade sauce is also nice to do. If it is a chunky sauce, process it a bit to make smoother. Excellent with lean hamburger, mushrooms, onions, etc. added.
“Vodka” sauces are not a good choice for drying due to the higher fat content from added cream.
To make a really good creamy sauce, pack in a small packet of cream cheese (1 ounce or less) and add it to your sauce. It gives a creamy sauce! You can use the foil one serving packets for overnighters, and you can also find shelf stable cream cheese by Rondele Cheese, sold in some grocery stores near the fresh bagels.