system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How are certain foods made to be “instant”? Such as instant oatmeal, potatoes, pasta, etc.
gpt
Each product is prepared in a different way, but the general strategy is this: Do most of the cooking process, then dehydrate it so it will last in a package, then package it. That way when the customer gets it, they simply have to add hot water which will rehydrate it and finish the last 10% of the cooking process.