Freeze-dried food has undergone a drying and freezing procedure to remove most moisture. This way, food can be preserved for a long time without going bad. Because it is portable, simple to store, and has a long shelf life, freeze-dried food is frequently utilized by hikers, campers, and disaster preparedness organizations.
So let’s start! But how long does freeze-dried food remain fresh? In this post, we’ll examine the shelf life of freeze-dried food and offer some advice on how to store it correctly to keep it as fresh as possible.
What Exactly is Freeze-Dried Food?
Freeze-dried food is a type of preserved food that has had most of the moisture detach through freezing and drying. This process helps to preserve the food by preventing the growth of microorganisms, which can cause spoilage.
Because it is portable, simple to store, and has a long shelf life, freeze-dried food is frequently used in emergency preparedness packs and by hikers, campers, and tourists. Freeze-dried food normally begins with freezing, followed by a vacuum extraction process to remove moisture.
Freeze-dried food can be rehydrated by adding water and letting it sit for a short while. The remaining moisture is then sublimated out of the food by freezing it in a freeze drier. After drying, the food is sealed in an airtight container to prevent moisture from reentering and spoiling. The meal will retain its original flavor, texture, and nutritional content when this happens.
How Long does Freeze-Dried Food Last?
Freeze-dried foods are excellent for emergency nutrition or use in locations without refrigeration. They don’t need to be preserved to be stored. While freeze-dried meals won’t stay as long without refrigeration as canned items (approximately 12–18 months), they still have a relatively long shelf life.
Freeze-dried food typically has a shelf life of 25 to 30 years, whereas food that has been dehydrated can last for 15 to 20 years. Use freeze-dried food within a month of opening it and exposing it to oxygen. Store any opened freeze-dried food in a cold, dark location and handle it as canned products.
Several factors affect the shelf life of freeze-dried food. These include temperature, humidity, and air quality. While the shelf life of a particular item may vary, certain practices will ensure the best use of your food storage. Unopened packages of freeze-dried food should be carefully sealed with an airtight seal or placed in storage bags before being kept for a lengthy period.
Using an airtight container will protect your food from spoilage. This is particularly important when storing available freeze-dried products. By keeping oxygen out, you can also extend the shelf life. Food-grade plastic buckets are a good choice for long-term storage. These containers are stackable, allowing you to store multiple items.
What is the Difference Between Freeze-Dried Food vs. Dehydrated Food?
There are some significant differences between dehydrating and freeze-drying food, both of which involve reducing the water content of the food.
Freeze-Dried Food: The process of freeze-drying entails first freezing the food and then vacuuming it. The ice in the meal sublimates or skips the liquid stage and transitions immediately from a solid to a gas, resulting from the vacuum.
Freeze-dried food can be reconstituted with water while preserving its original flavor, shape, and texture. The food is then placed in a package that is sealed to keep out moisture and preserve it. Freeze-dried food is frequently utilized in emergency and survival circumstances because it is portable, lightweight, and simple to store.
Dehydrated Food: On the other hand, dehydration includes drying out food by heating and ventilating it. The food is often cut into slices or cubes and set on a rack or tray in an oven or dehydrator, where it is allowed to dry until the required moisture level is obtained.
By adding water, dehydrated food can also be reconstituted. However, it might take on a different form. Food that has been dehydrated has a more leathery or crunchy texture than food that has been freeze-dried, and it might not have as much of its original flavor. For foods like fruit leather, jerky, and trail mix, dehydration is a more inexpensive food preservation technique.
The fundamental distinction between freeze-dried and dehydrated food is the preservation technique used and the meal’s subsequent texture and flavor. Freeze drying retains the food with little alteration to its original form and flavor, whereas dehydration produces a more leathery or crunchy texture and may lessen flavor.
How should I Store Freeze-Dried Food?
When storing freeze-dried food, a few things need to be considered. The first consideration is the type of container you’ll use. The second is the amount of room you have in your cabinet or storage location. Preppers typically employ sealed plastic containers, vacuum-packed bags, and Mylar bags as their primary container types.
Because they strike a balance between price, usability, and accessibility, the first two are the most often used. Many big box retailers sell sealed plastic containers in bulk, and you can also buy them online without the inconvenience of leaving your house for a good price.
Many retailers sell mylar bags. The drawback is that even while they could be more affordable per unit of volume, you have fewer options for storage because they are a little larger. However, depending on your living arrangement, you may need more room to keep and organize the additional materials required for vacuum-sealing food.
Mylar bags provide the most selection in terms of container type. They will provide enough moisture protection while obstructing light from entering the container. Due to their strength and thinness, you can store more bags side by side in a smaller area than you can with sealed plastic containers. Store in a cool, dry area to prevent moisture buildup and contamination.
If humidity levels are a concern, consider storing items using desiccants or oxygen absorbers. Do not keep in direct sunlight or close to any heat sources (such as radiators or stoves).To help keep a vacuum seal, use oxygen absorbers. A great way to store freeze-dried foods is in a cool, dark place. This will enable the product’s lifespan to be increased.
However, storing the product in an airtight container is still important. This will keep the product fresh and prevent it from spoiling. Invest in a can sealer if you store your food for longer. These are commercial units that will create an airtight environment. They also make a nice decorative item.
Conditions for Storage:
Several important storage factors greatly affect the shelf life of freeze-dried food.
- Oxygen: Food’s vitamins, minerals, flavor, and color can all be adversely affected by airborne oxygen. Microorganisms like bacteria may develop more rapidly as a result. Food in storage must have an airtight seal to maintain shelf life.
- Moisture: Additionally, moisture fosters the growth of bacteria, which leads to the rotting and degradation of freeze-dried food. Food kept in a moist environment has a much shorter shelf life.
- Light: Proteins, vitamins, and minerals in food can become less effective when exposed to light. Make careful to keep your products in a dark place because this can quickly cause discoloration and bad flavors.
- Temperature: High temperatures alter preserved food’s color, flavor, and odor by causing proteins to disintegrate and degrade vitamins. The shelf life of food stored in a warm environment will shorten very quickly.
How can I Detect if Freeze-Dried Food is Bad?
Food that has been freeze-dried needs to be kept at room temperature, or about 20 degrees Celsius, in an airtight container. It has gone bad and needs to be thrown away if the package is not sealed or the contents feel damp. If you can’t uncover any other indications of rotting and the substance seems dry to the touch, it can still be edible.
Food should be thrown out immediately if it has noticeable dark stains or mold since these indicate that bacteria have grown and damaged the goods. Airtight packaging has failed and should be discarded if freeze-dried fruits have come into contact with fresh vegetables while being stored.
What Happens if you Eat Spoiled Freeze-Dried Foods?
Eating spoiled freeze-dried foods or any other type of spoiled food is not safe. Food poisoning, which can produce symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever, can be brought on by consuming rotten food. Food poisoning can sometimes result in more severe side effects, such as organ damage, electrolyte imbalances, and dehydration.
Freeze-dried foods have a long shelf life and can be retained for several years if kept in a cold, dry environment. To prevent food from spoiling, it is crucial to verify the expiration date on the packaging, store food appropriately, and handle it carefully.
Food exposed to moisture that has been opened or damaged in the packaging or has been opened at all should not be consumed. It is suggested to stay on the side of caution and toss a freeze-dried item if you are unclear whether it is safe to eat.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if freeze-dried food is properly stored, it can survive a very long. Food type, processing method, and storage method are just a few factors that affect how long freeze-dried food will stay fresh. In general, freeze-dried food can last 25 years if kept in an airtight container and in a cool, dry location.
It is advisable to use freeze-dried food within a few years of purchase because, as mentioned earlier, its nutritional content might deteriorate with time. Freeze-dried food can be a practical and durable choice for unexpected situations, outdoor activities, and regular meals with the proper handling and storage.
