An Essential Component to Emergency Food Storage

Freeze-dried foods aren’t just relevant to you when you buy Astronaut Ice Cream for your kids at the amusement park. This is a food preservation process used for removing the moisture from foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and almost any other ingredient, food item, or meal. Because these foods are lighter and much less likely to rot or spoil, they are used for emergency preparedness, quick-prep meals, and backpacking.

Hikingware.com offers a fine selection of freeze dried items on our food storage website page.  

History
Modern freeze-drying was developed during WWII. Blood serum being sent to Europe from the US for medical treatment of the wounded required refrigeration, but because of the lack of simultaneous refrigeration and transport, many serum supplies were spoiling before reaching their intended recipients. The freeze-drying process was developed as a commercial technique that enabled serum to be rendered chemically stable and viable without having to be refrigerated. Shortly thereafter, the freeze-dry process was applied to penicillin and bone, and lyophilization became recognized as an important technique for preservation of biologicals. Since that time, freeze-drying has been used as a preservation or processing technique for a wide variety of products.

How it works
If a freeze-dried substance is sealed to prevent the reabsorption of moisture, the substance may be stored at room temperature without refrigeration, and be protected against spoilage for many years. Preservation is possible because the greatly reduced water content inhibits the action of microorganisms and enzymes that would normally spoil or degrade the substance.

Freeze-drying also causes less damage to the substance than other dehydration methods using higher temperatures. Freeze-drying does not usually cause shrinkage or toughening of the material being dried. In addition, flavors, smells and nutritional content generally remain unchanged, making the process popular for preserving food. However, water is not the only chemical capable of sublimation, and the loss of other volatile compounds such as acetic acid (vinegar) and alcohols can yield undesirable results.
Freeze-dried products can be rehydrated (reconstituted) much more quickly and easily because the process leaves microscopic pores. The pores are created by the ice crystals that sublimate, leaving gaps or pores in their place.

Can I freeze dry my own food?
You can purchase a home freeze dryer — but they are pricey, and you’ll need to spend a goodly amount of time prepping your food, and then sticking around for several hours to make sure the process goes smoothly. If you have a large family and a strong wallet, plus plenty of free time, it might be worth your while.  A good freeze dryer will run you anywhere from four-hundred to twelve-hundred dollars.

But again, you needn’t invest a lot of time and money in freeze drying; you can purchase quality freeze dried food items from companies like Hikingware.com. Once the items are placed in a cool, dark, and dry place, you can forget about them until you need them.