Freeze dried food | TheaterFire

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

I'm not sure if you mean freeze dried or just dried? Because rice and beans don't need to be freeze dried and they usually are not unless you're buying some kind of instant, just add water mix.

For what we have... grains are cheap and easy so we do have a lot of oats, rice, beans, wheat grain. Most of my proteins are in the form of cans, like canned tuna and chicken, or frozen.

We do keep some freeze dried stuff… Mostly powdered milk, powdered cheese, powdered peanut butter, powdered butter. We also have some freeze dried fruit and vegetables.

I've been doing this for a long time, and I have a big family. I've taste tested a lot of the "survival food ", like those meal buckets that are supposed to be good for a week or whatever. I just really don't like most of them. They have their uses, but I feel like they're overpriced and not very nutritious. I prefer storing simple foods that I would make myself.

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

Where is your 12 stack of mres?

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

I actually got 3 cases of 12 from Ocean State Job Lots when they were $30 a case. That's like $2.50 a meal.

I eated them. Well, most of them. I still have 3 left.

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

Glad to see the prepared. And when your neighbors walk in. They will eat too. This is the nightmare dream I want to be part of. Take care of each other.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

Oh, I didn’t buy them for preparedness reasons. MREs suck for that.

I bought them to try them out for interest, to compare them to the first generation MREs I ate back when I was in the Army.

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lindzerbunni@reddit

If you settle on stocking freeze dried basics, the CLDS has one of the most affordable options - Food Store

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jaxellen1162@reddit

Thank-you for this info!

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DevGn0me@reddit

I enjoy my food with good sauces and stuff like that. You can easily dry your favorite souces and get a leather like sheet from that what you can rip into small portions. And the next time I prepare my food i just put water to it heat it up and enjoy it

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beerdrinkingraccoon@reddit

I buy all of my freeze dried food from https://www.provisioneer.net/ because they have a pretty good selection of Mountain House meals. Sometimes it is hard to find some of the different menu items at other sites, and I like that they usually have most of them in stock at Provisioneer.

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Eredani@reddit

I bought a Harvest Right freezer drier and made my own. Eggs are the best freeze dried prep!

For commercial sources I can only recommend Auguson Farms for ingredients and Mountain House for meals. Honorable mention for Peak Refuel.

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SnooLobsters1308@reddit

What are you trying to store again? Most of the freeze dried stuff folks are recommending (mt house) are complete meals, not basics like rice, beans, meat.

IMO, you're going about it correct, deep pantry first (= stocking food you already eat and rotate) but, your regular food would only stay preserved so long, and so its good to have longer term stuff around for an emergency.

Now, IMO, MT House is great for full meals, AND, for freeze dried meat. For basics like beans, rice, wheat/four, most of that is usually NOT freeze dried, but canned or stored (mylar bags with O2 absorbers). Most of the brands, bepreparred even readywise (horrible tasting meals, IMO) will have consistent beans, rice, basics. I do like the LDS canned staples someone else mentioned.

I like 1 to 4 weeks of Mt House meals (just add water to the pack no dishes needed) and another 1 to 4 weeks of MREs, cause, they ready to eat. In a disaster, the first night or two you might not really want to cook all that food you normally eat, and just want to pour water into mt house and go to bed. :) Both are also great for travel if you need to get out. So, IMO, MRE is a good supplement / replacement for the freeze dried meals. Neither are "basics" though.

Canned meats are, IMO, tastier than freeze dried and store about as well as freeze dried. Spam, canned chicken, canned tuna canned ham, large can of chili, etc.. Sams club / any grocery store. Canned lasts a long time, so easy set and forget.

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Ra_a_@reddit

100 Day Pantry

http://www.simplyprepared.com/book-reviews/100-day-pantry-quick-and-easy-gourmet-meals/

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gr8fullife@reddit

I bought some freeze dried eggs and milk a few years ago, and was shocked at the price. So I have a few things in small quantity that would help until we can figure out a better option. Milk, eggs, coffee, peanut butter, protein powder, a few meal kits that I bought from a neighbor, ramen and soups. Soup packets (like at the regular grocery store) are actually fairly affordable and have at least some different flavors that you could dump on top of rice and beans and have a more enjoyable meal. Also I keep spices on hand in bulk. 50lb bag of salt, and the large Costco containers of most spices we eat regularly -chilli powder, garlic, onion, pepper, season salt, Montreal steak etc. I also try to keep vitamins and greens powder.

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ResolutionMaterial81@reddit

The majority of my (rather substantial) Freeze Dried is Augason Farms; but also stock Mountain House, Emergency Essentials & other vendors. Also stock a decent amount of Hard White Winter Wheat & a quality infrastructure to process it into bread, pizza, pasta, erc.

Recommend buying smaller amounts in individual bags 1st...trying them out for taste & how each item fits into your nutritional meal plans.

Personally, besides taste & meal plan compatibility, I primarily consider Calories per Day & not recommended serving sizes...which can vary greatly.

I go with 2,500 CPD for myself & 2,000 for my wife normally & more depending on level of activity.

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archos1gnis@reddit

Mountain House when it's on sale at Costco.

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icthruu74@reddit

Or at Sierra Trading stores, or I happened to score some from a local Walmart on clearance a couple weeks ago.

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Complex_Material_702@reddit

Their website was basically half off of the meats last week. I bought 28 #10 cans of all the meats.

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CreasingUnicorn@reddit

Mountain house is pretty good too, i tried out a long weekend eating only my freeze dried stuff for 4 days and it was easily doable.

I also tried the Heul freeze dried meals and they were super gross lol, do not reccommend. Combination of bad flavors and portions failing to rehydrate.

Just make sure to stock up on spices, a bit of hot sauce, black pepper, and chili powder really helped elevate the meals.

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Kettleballer@reddit

Barf. Just get real standard dry goods and stash them. Canned goods, pasta, beans, etc. try eating nothing but freeze dried stuff for a week before committing to it. A lot of people (my wife included) will literally not eat freeze dried stuff even IF they are super hungry.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

This is the correct answer.

Freeze dried foods have a place, but not for this kind of thing. They require access to good water and a good amount of fuel to prepare them. You may not have access to those, or limited access.

You can open a can of Spaghetti-Os (or whatever) and eat it cold.

You need extra water to reconstitute freeze dried food no matter if you reconstitute it before you eat it or afterwards.

Freeze dried foods are great for trips on foot where weight is critical but you have access to reasonable amounts of decent water. Hiking the Appalachian Trail for example. Or perhaps in a BOB or GHB. In a military context, on a long range reconnaissance patrol.

But for long term use? You’re better off with canned and shelf stable foods, and rotate them in and out.

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nakedonmygoat@reddit

Many Mountain House options are tasty, but buy the packets first. That way you can find out which, if any, you like. I personally prefer Peak Refuel, but they don't offer #10 cans. Cans are rated up to 30 years in some cases, whereas packets are usually only rated for 5. Regardless, pre-made meals are a highly personal thing. What you love, someone else will hate, and vice versa. But if you find something from Mountain House that you like, see if they have it in a #10 can rated for 20-30 years. Then stash it in a closet and forget about it.

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned Augason Farms. They're out of a lot of stuff on their website, but there's no indication they're closing. They sometimes have to temporarily shut down due to excessive demand and supply chain issues. However, you can still get a few things on their site, and more on Amazon. With a few exceptions, they mainly sell ingredients. Their #10 cans are rated anywhere from 10-30 years, but check the individual item you're buying to be sure.

My personal experience with freeze dried foods is that the "cooking" time is often optimistic, not to mention that your altitude and other factors may affect this as well. That's another reason to try the packets before diving into #10 cans. And absolutely avoid "meal buckets" unless it's a vendor whose products you've tried before and know you like. I've read that there are a lot of really crappy vendors out there, preying on the uninformed.

But honestly, freeze dried should be a last resort, unless you're on the move or in the mood for a treat, since some of those Mountain House desserts are a real morale boost at the end of a stressful day! My food stocks go: fresh/frozen->pantry (cans, bags of rice, pasta, jarred sauces, beans, lentils, etc)->freeze dried. Obviously one would mix and match when called for, but freeze dried definitely has a place in long-term prepping.

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OutlanderMom@reddit

Most of the “complete 5-day” meals buckets are 90% carbs and starch. And they count 800-1000 calories as a day’s food. Many have no meat at all. In a survival situation, we need more calories and protein. We have some mountain house Mylar meals in our BOBs, but we stick to individual ingredients for food storage. Lots of spices to be able to keep food interesting. Food fatigue is real!

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Chainsawsas70@reddit

Either get a freeze dryer and do your own food (best option because you ONLY make what you like!) Or buy from Mountain House. Neither one is cheap but you have to decide where you want your money to go. For me I've done both and now I just make my own because I know Exactly what's in it and that it's food I know I like and will eat and not just because it's the only thing available.

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ommnian@reddit

None. Eat what you store. Store what you eat. There are frequent posts on here about how bad most of it is.

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Useful-Contribution4@reddit

Mountain house for sure. Longest track record and meals taste good. Still see people opening their stuff decades later and its perfectly fine.

Yes they are pricey compared to other brands. But that reputation is worth it.

Other than that I recommend LDS food storage if you want to make your own meals. They are the church of Jesus Christ of ladder-day saints. You can buy online and you don't need to be affiliated to the church.

I just bought 12 #10 cans total. Strawberries and apple slices. $175 shipped.

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Zromaus@reddit

Based off what I've heard in multiple places, Mountain House is the best blend of affordable and not tasting like complete shit

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factory-worker@reddit

I tried the Chinese one awhile ago. Wasn't horrible.

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TheCarcissist@reddit

Got a freeze dryer, I make my own

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TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

So I will mention it because it's an option you might not have heard of but it is EXPENSIVE.

The best commercial Freeze-Dried Food comes from Freeze Dried Wholesalers. This is the stuff the Government and very rich are buying and stockpiling. I have a good stash of this stuff and it is amazing. In some cases the product is better than "normal" because of how it works.

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preparedbassfisher@reddit (OP)

For those prices I’d rather just stock fresh food…Jesus $1500 for 12 packs of meatballs

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TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

Fresh food doesn't last 25+ years without refrigeration.

Are you referring to these meatballs at $51.10 a pack that makes 3.5lbs when reconstituted?

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GooseGosselin@reddit

https://freezedrywholesalers.com/collections/cooked-meats/products/freeze-dried-cooked-beef-meatballs-12-packages There's something strange there.

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TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

That's the large package non-discounted link. Use the link I posted or on the front page link.

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FedInformant@reddit

One pack of meatballs has 17 servings. Each serving has 270 calories. Meaning each pack has 4,590 calories. Thats not bad compared to what you get with mountain house

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TwiLuv@reddit

Thanks!

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TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

Happy to help.

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Many-Health-1673@reddit

I use a blend of Augason Farms and the Mormon online store #10 food to supplement the normal foods we eat.

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Protocol_404xyz@reddit

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OutlanderMom@reddit

I buy gallon jugs of freeze dried and dehydrated fruit and veg from Harmony House. I use and replace them (along with our home grown dehydrated veg) all year round. The freeze dried stuff attracts moisture, and it’s a pain to vac seal it or replace desiccants after each use. But the dehydrated stuff lasts a decade. For dried meat, I get Augustine Farms, Mountain House, Nutristore, Emergency Essentials, etc, in 10# cans. We don’t use those as much since we raise some of our own meat and use a local butcher for the rest.

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shenandoahseed@reddit

Mountain house tastes the best imo but is pricey. Be Prepared is good for ingredients. I’ve got some of their fruit, milk, shortening, cornbread mix, peanut butter, butter. Also MREs. It’s a decent enough mix to not get too bored too quick. A lot of this is to supplement standard dry stuff that I’ve got in Mylar/buckets.

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GooseGosselin@reddit

MRE Depot if you are in the U.S. Emergency Essentials and Briden Solutions have been good to me as well. Moutain House is the only brand of "prepared" food I like, but I much prefer separate ingredients. I have a years supply for four stashed. If you are just starting, I'd recommend quick oats with something to sweeten them with (brown sugar / fruit) rice, instant beans and maybe chicken. Watch the sales and add to your stash from there. Keep in mind you will need to "cook" as well, I'm a big fan of alcohol stoves and methyl hydrate.

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nomnomnumm@reddit

I have a freeze dryer now and make my own meals that I know I will like. Before that, I would buy camping meals like Mountain House. If you're not thinking that you need to pack it out though, it might be more cost-effective and easier in a grid down situation if you looked for canned meals that you don't mind eating. I had a lot of cans of chunky soup or puritan stew for that reason before I got built up the freeze dried stock.

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JRHLowdown3@reddit

Mt. House is still the gold standard, has been the 40 years I've been preparing. I doubt that's going to change.

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MobileAd8857@reddit

I have a freeze dryer. We do whatever we can find cheap and on sale, that we like to eat. Lots of eggs and fruit on the shelves right now.

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preparedbassfisher@reddit (OP)

Thanks for not answering the fucking question