Freeze dried food can be stored for up to 25 years! Its longevity depends on how you store it, however. Here are some tips for properly storing freeze dried food so they’re fresh and ready when you need them:
Make Sure It’s Dry
When you remove your food from the freeze dryer, break a large piece of the food in half and check for ice particles in the very center of the food or touch your tongue to it to make sure it’s not still cold. If it’s not, it’s dry. Freeze drying works from the outside of the food to the inside, if your food still has ice particles or is cold in that center portion, you can put it back in the freeze dryer for a short dry cycle. Don’t worry, though, because the freeze dryer makes it simple and will ask you if you’d like more dry time.
Seal it
Place freeze dried food in an airtight container. Otherwise, it will begin to reabsorb moisture from the air and spoil.
- For a 25-year shelf life, Mylar bags are the easiest and least expensive option. Add an oxygen absorber to make sure oxygen isn’t in your bag and will destroy your food over time. Then, simply seal the bag with an impulse sealer or even just a hot iron or flat iron.
- #10 cans are also a great way to store long-term food storage, but they do require an investment in a can sealer.
- Vacuum sealed plastic bags are another good option for all foods except meats or other high-protein foods. For food you want to eat in the near future, resealable jars or containers are just fine. Make sure to add an oxygen absorber to any meats or long-term food storage.
- Simple air tight jars like the one below work well for snacks such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or even cheesecake and ice cream. These can easily store in a pantry for a few months without adding an oxygen absorber. Just remember to seal the jar tight after you grab your goodies.
What is the problem with storing meats in a plastic bag? I currently vacuum pack everything I FD in mylar bags with a double seal.
Unfortunately, air/oxygen can still get through plastic bags over time. So, especially for meat, we recommend that you use a mylar bag and an oxygen absorber.
two questions, how do I know what size to order or is bigger is better? and do you sell refurbished ones?
I would go with at least a standard or a large. I have a small freeze drier. it always seems that opportunities
happen all at once,and I don’t have enuff capacity to take advantage of it. that being said, ilove my freeze drier.
well worth the money. just give yourself time to get used to it
We bought the Starndard size freeze dryer and it is a hefty size (it overwhelmed us when we placed it in our kitchen). But the drying cycles can take up to several hours (24 hours or longer) depending on what you are freeze drying. That being said, the standard size holds one extra tray than the small size. Given the time involved, we prefer the standard dryer (you might even prefer the large) but if your overall concern is size and the unit will stay in your kitchen, maybe the smaller will look and store in your kitchen more harmoniously. I guess it all depends on where it will be used, stored, etc. I prefer the capacity of the standard dryer over the smaller dryer given the time the process takes.
How long will dairy item such as cheese, cream cheese and yougurt last in a sealed mylar bag with oxy absorber?
What number settting to use, or how many seconds should I set the Impulse Sealer to seal Mylar bags?
That depends on the thickness of your mylar bags. For a 7.0 mil mylar bag, you will want to your setting to be 7. For a 5.0 mil mylar bag you will put your setting on 5.
can meat be stored in canning jars?
Yes. Just make sure to use an oxygen absorber.
I have been freeze drying zucchini and when they were through i transferred them to a mylar bag. I later opened them and they were soft, not hard like they are supposed too. Although, maybe it was because I first put them in a Ziploc bag because the Mylar bags hadn’t arrived yet.
Any tips for zucchini? Do you have to dry it for longer?
We would recommend a little extra dry time just to be safe. When in doubt, add an hour or two. Zucchini chip are one of our favorites. Add a little season salt and pepper.Yum!
Put the zucchini in the freezer for the first 30min of the unit running. The first 30min is a heating cycle and it messes up the consistency/texture of some food. I found popping it in the deep freezer for 30min is the fail safe method. My zucchini comes out light as air and completely dry.
I hope you find this tip helps.
Make it a great day
Just purchased a medium dryer and are anxious to begin drying. a Couple of questions:
1: We want to take items currently in the freezer and freeze dry them but many of them have quite a bit of ice crystals- Is it best to do a quick rinse to remove those or freeze dry as-is?
2: Most storage suggestion refer to mylar bags. Can canning jars be used for similar longevity as long as they vacuum sealed and have an oxygen absorber?
How exactly are the #10 cans used to store freeze dried food? Can you reuse cans that were purchased at the store & once held veggies or fruit?
Hi I have 6 cans of freeze dried food with portions range from 8 to 10 and I was wondering can I open these tins and decide the contents Into individual portions in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and if yes will these bags still have the same 25 year shelf life or will the life be alot less or would you not recommend doing this. Kind regards Gordon
If I put FD meat in a mason jar and vacuum seal along with 02 absorber how long will it last? Will it go maybe 10 years?
Thank you for your comment. There are a few other factors involved. The first is light and the second is fat content. If the meat is very lean and kept in a dark place, then the shelf life will be very good.
Does freeze dried food break easily if it is stored in the mylar bag? Is it better to store the food in a no. 10 can to prevent the food from breaking?
I bought freezed dried food from a large company. The meat was packed 6/12/2019.
Some of the bags have air in them and some are shrunk tight. It is 5/6/2020 today when I noticed this. Should I get some mylar bags and repack the meat with oxygen absorbers??
I hope it’s still good? Thanks for any advice!!