As we delve into cooking with our preserved foods, it is important to understand the differences between dehydrating and freeze drying. If you were unable to harvest enough to preserve hopefully this will help you decide how to best bulk up your food storage.
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| FREEZE DRIED DEHYDRATED |
DEHYDRATING- The process of dehydrating is accomplished by removing the moisture from the foods by circulating dry, hot air across the food. This removes most of the moisture from the food and the moisture that is in the air continues to be removed by the hot air. The temperatures are hot enough to remove the moisture but not to cook the food. When food is dehydrated about 90-95% of the moisture is removed from the food. Foods that are dehydrated at home will retain about a 10% moisture content, commercially dehydrated foods will have a lower moisture content. Dehydrated food tends to wither and be hard. Commercially dehydrated foods will have a longer shelf life (15-20 years although some foods like oats, wheat and honey have a longer shelf life of around 25 years or more), whereas home dehydrated food will only have a shelf life of a year or 2 depending on how it is packaged. Dehydration can break down vitamins and minerals during the preservation process and retain less of their nutritional value, such as the loss of Vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. When cooking with dehydrated foods you will need to rehydrate them (though not always) and that process can take anywhere from 15 min-4 hours and then you will still need to cook them in whatever dish you are preparing. Cost wise dehydrated foods are generally cheaper.
FREEZE DRYING-For a long time freeze drying wasn't even an option at home, but thanks to a local company you can now freeze dry at home. The process of freeze drying happens in a vacuum sealed environment. The temperature is lowered to below freezing and then slowly raised thus turning the moisture in the foods from a solid state to a gaseous state. This process maintains the structure and the overall nutritional value of the food. Freeze drying removes 98-99% of the moisture from the food. Freeze dried foods have a longer average shelf life of 25-30 years. Freeze dried foods look exactly as they did when you put them in the dryer and they are much lighter in weight than dehydrated foods. The lighter weight makes them ideal for packing in your 72 hr. kits/ emergency bags. When cooking freeze dried foods all you need to do is add water (either boiling or cold depending on the food) and in about 5 minutes or so you are eating a delicious meal. The cost for freeze dried is general more expensive though not overly expensive.
With both of them the packaging is relatively similar whether it be in #10 cans or mylar pouches and both will have oxygen absorbers included to extend the shelf life and ensure that the moisture stays out. They both will retain optimal shelf life when stored in a cool dry place. Once opened and the air is introduced both will start to re-hydrate to some degree and therefore become a place for bacteria and other harmful effects to begin happening. Only open what you will use and make sure you reseal quickly to ensure the longest shelf life. Either one is a great addition to your food storage and will enable you to have access to the benefits of fresh fruits and veggies in emergency situations.
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