Freeze Dried Foods - Additional Information
Freeze Dried Foods - Additional Information
Processing and Shelf Life:
Our freeze-dried meats, vegetables, and fruits are safely processed in raw, uncooked form. We feel this provides our customers the best range of preparation options with the ability to use any recipe just as you would with fresh store-bought products. Most freeze-dried food is sold precooked or crumbled and we feel this limits the flexibility of preparation and greatly reduces the types of recipes used.
WE DO NOT PROCESS OR PACKAGE ANY NUT FOOD PRODUCTS IN OUR FACILITIES!
All raw food products should be rehydrated and then properly cooked before consumption.
Freeze Drying Process:
The freeze-drying process basically removes all moisture from the food. The process is called sublimation. The food is frozen and then a vacuum is applied into the chamber. The food is then gently heated and this releases the moisture at the cellular level. This process retains the nutritional value and flavor of the food when properly packaged using Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. It is for this reason that freeze-dried food, properly packaged can have a shelf life of 10-15+ years. Our foods are not tested for shelf life but it is generally accepted that the sublimation process and proper packaging extend shelf life for safe long-term storage.
Re-Hydration of Freeze-Dried Foods:
Freeze-dried meats will only rehydrate as much moisture as was removed during the freeze-drying process. For best results and from previous customer feedback, we recommend adding some salt to about one cup of clean room-temperature water to rehydrate a pound of meat. If the meat absorbs the liquid you may add more to make sure it's fully hydrated. Most meats should re-hydrate in a few hours. Place the meats into a freezer bag or other container, add water, salt or broth and re-hydrate for several hours.
Remember, meats will not rehydrate more moisture than was removed. Once the meat is rehydrated simply blot the remaining liquid with a paper towel then cook as you normally would!
Another method to rehydrate meat that we have tested is to use beef, chicken, or vegetable broth instead of water. You may also add some salt to taste.
You can also rehydrate your meats in soups or stews as it slowly cooks. Just add more liquid to offset the moisture hydrated back into the meat.
Freeze-Dried vegetables rehydrate very easily in soups and stews with a little extra liquid as they cook. If using vegetables as a side dish, place the desired amount into a bowl and fill it with water to cover the vegetables. Let stand for about 20 minutes and then cook normally as you would fresh vegetables.
Freeze-dried Dairy (Ice cream) is normally consumed as it is out of the Mylar bag. Other foods like candy and certain fruits are best consumed in the dried state. Fruits like applesauce can be eaten out of the package or rehydrated by adding water in a 1:1 fashion or as to taste.
Freeze-dried eggs are processed in scrambled form and then powdered. The product may have larger clumps, simply break them up to powder before use.To rehydrate we find it about 1:1 or a bit more water than egg. The powdered eggs will rehydrate to look and feel exactly like freshly scrambled eggs. You can cook them as scrambled eggs or use them in baking recipes in powder form.
Shipping:
Our freeze-dried foods are carefully packaged in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and shipped in a box. We can not control the shipping process, please understand that "broken" meats are not considered unsafe as long as the original Mylar packaging is intact. As an example, Ground beef is processed in a one-pound flat form. When shipped, it is one "Flat" of ground beef. If the flat breaks inside the Mylar bag, this does not affect the quality or usefulness of the ground beef. When hydrated, it is all simply ground beef.