DEHYDRATED FOOD
Salt preserves foods by creating a hostile environment for certain microorganisms. Within foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure and inhibits bacterial growth and subsequent spoilage. Salting fish made long-range explorations possible in the age of sailing ships.
When dehydrated, potatoes lose more than 25% of their weight but apples only lose 10% of their weight.
Instant mashed potatoes (dehydrated potatoes) were introduced commercially in 1955. Just add milk.
Bouillon cubes are compressed, concentrated cubes of dehydrated meat or vegetable stock.
In 1989 Stanford University buried 40,000 dehydrated meals in 12 locked holds at secret locations to feed its 8,500 students for two days in the event of another earthquake.
Source: Great Food Almanac (1994)
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