Freeze Dried Food - Just Add Water

Freeze Drying is the process used to remove most all water from food. It removes on average 98% of water content. The freeze dry process is different from dehydration. The main difference between dehydrated and freeze dry food is how it is dried. Although the process is more complicated than the few steps that I'll detail the basic process of freeze dried food is that it's first flash frozen and then put into a vacuum chamber that dries the food. When dehydrating food, the food is also placed into a drying chamber where air removes the water. Both techniques yield great results and either method is used depending on the type of food that needs to be dried. Different foods are better suited for freeze drying vs. dehydrating and visa-versa. Fresh vegetables work better to freeze dry where noodles are better dehydrated. Here are some of the key benefits:


State - It keeps the foods original flavor, nutritional and dietary value and it's food color, size and shape. The food is maintained just as it was before the freeze dry process, just without all of the water.

Size - This process reduces the size of the food and in turn the amount of space required to store it. This allows for companies that make food freeze dried to package the food in unique and often space saving packaging.

Weight - With nearly all of the water removed, the weight is dramatically reduced. This creates a very portable product. Something you could stick in a backpack for an overnight camping trip and not even know it's there.

Shelf Life - In the freeze dry state, the food can carry a very long shelf life. It greatly reduces food spoilage. For this reason, bulk freeze dried food is commonly used for emergency food storage.

Another huge benefit is when it comes time to prepare a meal consisting of freeze-dried ingredients, water is all that is required to reconstitute the contents back to its original form. The process of freeze drying food has to be done right and it's essential to look for a dried food supplier or manufacturer that is reputable and can provide this long term food storage option. Some of these companies are taking the freeze dried and dehydrated food products and using professional chefs to create gourmet food entrees and meals specifically designed for the dried freeze process. In summary, freeze dried food has a lot of benefits even for the everyday Joe like myself and believe it or not, it can actually taste really good.

A great resource for Freeze Dried Food - http://www.survivalistfood.com