Where can we buy dehydrated ingredients? How do we go about dehydrating ingredients ourselves?

	Ask the Expert Dorcas Miller Outdoor cookbook author Dorcas Miller believes ingredients should have zing - or they should stay at home. Ask Dorcas a question Meet Dorcas Previous Answers

These questions cover a lot of territory. I'll start with the simple answer now and fold in more information in future answers.
First, go on a walking tour of your supermarket, prowling each aisle. It's surprising how many dried foods are on the shelves:

Beans
Instant refried beans: Reconstitute and heat for breakfast, along with refries and eggs or use in dinner burritos.
Instant black bean powder: Ditto above.

Fruit
All kinds: Use exotic varieties to perk up standard dishes; for example, use mango instead of raisins in rice pudding.

Vegetables
Dried mushrooms: They are expensive, but they add wonderful flavor to soups and stews.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Ditto above.
Instant hash browns: Rehydrate, fry, and serve with eggs, or use in a dinner stew.
Instant mashed potatoes: A backcountry standby; organic or all-natural products taste better than the routine fare.
Onions: Look in the spice section, but be aware that onions bought this way are relatively expensive.
Tomato-veggie mix: May include ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, shallots, celery, bell pepper, and spices; add some protein and serve over or with the grain or pasta of choice.
Soup starter: Vegetables are in chunks rather than slices, so they take longer to rehydrate—perhaps an hour or more.

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