Freeze Dried Food

Freeze dried food has become very popular in the last 25 years. You can buy it in 1 or 2-serving pouches or #10 cans. The pouches are a favorite of hikers and some campers because of their light weight and the preparation consists of just adding water - hot or cold - and they're ready to eat instantly.

For these same reasons, this makes this type of packaging ideal for your food storage. Sealed in nitrogen flushed #10 cans, they have these great survival food benefits:

How Do They Freeze Dry Food?

FREEZE DRYING PROCESS —"Freeze drying" is a unique process that provides product characteristics that cannot be achieved with any other food processing method. We start by using fresh or cooked foods then flash freeze them in a special vacuum chamber that reaches -50°F. As low-level heat is applied (much less than dehydrating), the ice crystals evaporate without going back to the liquid phase. This process, called "sublimation", removes approximately 98% of the moisture and prevents the food from spoiling. The ultimate long term storage.

WHY IS FREEZE DRIED IMPORTANT? — Freeze drying provides very unique benefits and advantages over other food processing methods. Frozen foods maintain their fresh flavor, but they must remain frozen. Dehydrated and canned foods are shelf-stable, but their high-temperature processing reduces their flavor, texture, color, and nutrients. Freeze drying combines the best of these methods—it locks in the freshness, color, original shape, texture, and aroma of frozen food while providing the shelf-stable convenience of canned or dehydrated food.

Try Before You Buy — Comparing Brands

This year I was able to attend the Self Reliance Expo where I taste tested many different brands of freeze dried foods. This is my review of some that I tried.

Saratoga Farms - The taste is every bit as good as Mountain house but they have some different food combination varieties. At the Expo I tasted the corn and the peas. These were not rehydrated — they were right out of the can — and they were delicious. The peas tasted slightly sweet but the corn was almost like candy! Tasted like fresh veggies . . . umm . . . but dried.

Saratoga Farms are less expensive than Mountain house and have more servings per can. If you prefer real meat rather than TVP (textured vegetable protein), be sure and read the labels (available online) as some meals have real meat and some have TVP.

SOLD AT: The Ready Store

Provident Pantry Foods - This private label brand includes both freeze dried and dehydrated foods. There are plenty of the usual fruits, vegetables, and meals, but their specialty is individually packaged products, such as shortening, butter, potato slices, instant chocolate pudding, gourmet mixes, legumes, grains, pasta . . . and many more. At the Expo, Emergency Essential provided tastings for some already prepared foods as well as the unprepared types. I found them both to be delicious.

There is a new size (4-1/16 x 4-11/16) at Emergency Essentials labeled Provident Pantry MyChoice™ that is perfect for camping or short term easy rotation, although they have the same long term shelf life as all other freeze dried and dehydrated foods in #10 cans. The choices include butter powder, instant milk, whole egg powder, banana dices, peach chunks, and strawberry slices.

SOLD AT: Emergency Essentials®

What about nutrition?

Freeze dried foods retain most of the nutritional value without the added chemicals and additives found in store-bought foods.  Because many bulk foods are packaged in an oxygen-free environment, there is no need for additives or preservatives to keep the food fresh.

You may find that freeze dried foods are the "best of the best" when it comes to food storage or quick meals while camping. Why? Because some contain all the ingredients and seasonings needed for a complete meal. Nothing more is needed, just a little cook time in hot water and they are ready to eat. They are pre-seasoned, pre-cooked and pre-mixed with other ingredients, making them the fastest, easiest and tastiest foods available.

There are many package sizes to suit your budget, your space requirements, and your needs, whether you're using freeze dried food for storage, camping, boating, hiking, or even brown-bagging at work.

If you choose to fill your food storage with freeze dried foods, it's best if you try the pouch size first to find out what your family likes. You may actually have to eat it some day should a crisis arise and it's best to be sure you have the varieties everyone likes.

What brands have you tried?

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