What’s The Best Way To Store Freeze Dried Food?

“I’ve recently gotten a freeze dryer and now I’m wondering about the best way to store all my freeze-dried food so it lasts as long as possible. I want to use it for things like backpacking trips, emergencies, and just for regular long-term storage. Is there a certain method or container that works best to keep it fresh? Also, should I be using oxygen absorbers? I’m stuck on figuring out the most effective way to go about it all.”

Thanks so much!
Jennifer, Bend, USA.

Best Way to Store Freeze-Dried Food – Practical Tips & Advice

Oh, Jennifer, I totally get where you’re coming from! As someone who grows most of my own veggies here in Utah and has been freezing and freeze-drying for years, I’ve had my fair share of figuring out the best ways to store everything and keep it fresh for the long haul. You’re on the right track with wanting to prep in advance for backpacking, emergencies, or just good ol’ meal prep. Freeze-dried food is a game changer, but only if it’s stored correctly! Otherwise, you could lose the shelf life and freshness you’re aiming for. Let me walk you through everything you need to know.

Key Factors That Affect How Long Freeze-Dried Food Lasts

First off, it’s important to know what factors affect the shelf life of freeze-dried food. Knowing what works against keeping your food fresh will help you understand how to store it properly. Here are the main players:

• Moisture: Freeze-dried food has had nearly all its water content removed (a big ol’ 98-99% of it). That’s why it lasts so long! But, if it absorbs moisture after being dried, its shelf life drops drastically.
• Oxygen: Oxygen in the air can cause foods to degrade over time, leading to off-flavors and color changes. This is especially a problem with oils or fats in the food. We’ll talk more about how to avoid this in a bit.
• Temperature: Heat can speed up the breakdown of freeze-dried food over time. Cooler temps can help slow down this process, but be careful about extreme cold (I’ll explain why below!).
• Light: Too much light can also degrade food, especially when stored for long periods, by breaking down vitamins and causing flavors to turn ‘funky.’ We need to keep stored foods in darkness.

The key to long-term storage is to protect your food from all four of these things!

Choosing the Best Containers: Bags vs Jars vs Buckets

Okay, Jennifer, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of which storage options work best for freeze-dried food. The container you choose is absolutely going to impact how well your food holds up over the months (or even YEARS, depending on what you want!). Let’s break down a few common options.

Mylar Bags

Honestly, if you’re looking at long-term storage, Mylar bags are fantastic. They’re made from a special polyester material that keeps out light, oxygen, and moisture. It’s the go-to for anyone stocking up for emergency food or really long trips. You’re probably going to see lots of freeze-dried backpacking meals stored in these types of bags.

How to use Mylar bags:

• After freeze-drying, place your food in the Mylar bag. Make sure to put in an oxygen absorber (yes, these are a must, more on that later).
• Seal the bag as tightly as possible—heat sealing works well here. Don’t leave any air inside!
• Store the sealed bags in a dark, cool, and dry place (like a pantry or a basement with dry conditions).

These bags come in various sizes, so you can portion food based on how much you tend to use at once. I like to portion out single servings or family-size batches—it makes me feel super organized!

Glass Jars

Now, if you’re someone who prefers to keep things zero-waste or you just like the look of neatly labeled jars lined up in your pantry (guilty as charged), glass jars work very well for daily freeze-dried food use. These are especially handy for kitchen-friendly storage where you’ll be accessing the food regularly as opposed to emergency storage.

• Just like with Mylar bags, you need to add an oxygen absorber to the jar to protect your food.
• Make sure to check the seals on the lids before you pack them away. A loose lid is a sure ticket to spoil town.
• Store in a dark cupboard or pantry. The glass doesn’t block light, so keep them in a shady spot!

While jars are great, they do let more light in, so long-term use (like 10+ years) isn’t as practical unless you’re super strict about keeping them tucked away in the dark.

Food-Grade Buckets

If your goal is to pack away large amounts of freeze-dried food, food-grade buckets are another solid option, especially for households prepping for emergencies or making lots of meals in advance. They work best used in conjunction with Mylar bags. Buckets on their own aren’t completely airtight, but they’re sturdy and block light well.

• Line the bucket with a large Mylar bag, seal your food inside, and add your trusty oxygen absorber.
• Close the bag tightly and clamp the bucket lid shut.
• Store it away in a cool, dark place (basement, anyone?).

I love using buckets when I harvest big batches of things like freeze-dried corn or berries in bulk. They hold a lot, and they’re really durable, especially if you’re the type who might stack things in storage (guilty).

Are Oxygen Absorbers Really Necessary?

Oh, Jennifer, I used to get stuck on this one, too! But let me clear it up for you—yes, oxygen absorbers are your best friend! They’ll suck up any excess oxygen left in the container after sealing, giving you a much longer shelf life and keeping that food as fresh as the day it went into the freeze dryer.

The beauty of freeze-dried food is that it retains almost all of its nutrients and flavor, but oxygen is what will cause it to break down over time. An oxygen absorber can extend the life of your food by YEARS, which is critical when planning for long-term storage. Trust me, I learned this the hard way when I thought I could skip them here and there. Bad idea!

Here’s How to Use Oxygen Absorbers

• Buy the right size: Different-sized oxygen absorbers work for different amounts of food. For something like a quart-sized Mylar bag or regular mason jar, I use 100cc absorbers. For larger containers or buckets, go for a larger one—300cc or 500cc. The rule is: more food, bigger absorber.
• Add them right before sealing: After your food is in the bag or jar, toss the absorber on top and seal it up immediately. If you leave the container open too long, the absorber starts working on the air around it, and you might waste it.
• Store leftovers properly: If you have leftover absorbers from a pack, keep them in an airtight bag or jar as they’ll start soaking up oxygen the moment they’re exposed to air.

In my house, we have a little storage drawer just for oxygen absorbers, so I always know where to find them and I keep ’em sealed up like gold.

Freeze-Dried Food & Temperature Control

So, you asked about where to store your food—temperature plays a huge role in how long your freeze-dried food will stay fresh. Here’s what you need to know:

• Store your food in a cool room. Ideally, somewhere like a basement, garage, or pantry that sits around 50-70°F. Avoid high heat at all costs, as this will rapidly degrade the food.
• Avoid freezing long-term storage. I know, it sounds tempting, but if you freeze your food, the material holding your food (whether a bag, jar, or bucket) could become brittle over time, and any moisture inside the container may subtly expand, causing cracks. Trust me, I’ve learned that lesson the hard way!
• Keep it away from fluctuating temperatures. Big swings can cause condensation, which’ll introduce moisture—the exact opposite of what we want!

How Long Does Freeze-Dried Food Last?

When stored properly, freeze-dried food has an impressive shelf life. As in, we’re talking 25 to 30 years if conditions are right!

Here’s some rough guidance:

• Mylar bags + oxygen absorbers: Shelf life of up to 25+ years, especially if kept in cool, dark conditions.
• Glass jars: Shelf life of around 10-15 years, but only if kept in a cool, dark place.
• Buckets: With Mylar liners and oxygen absorbers, you could see 20-25 years!

I’ve even opened things after a decade and found them tasting as good as they did the day I packed them (very satisfying, I must say).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve all been there—here are the mistakes I’ve made and learned from, so hopefully you can avoid them!

• Not sealing containers properly: Leaky bags, lids, or loose seals will shorten the shelf-life drastically. Always double-check!
• Storing food in damp places: Basements are great, but not if they’re wet or have high humidity. Moisture ruins freeze-dried food fast.
• No oxygen absorber: Trust me, you won’t get anywhere near long-term freshness without one!

Final Thoughts…

Jennifer, thanks so much for your question, and I hope that helped shed some light (or shall I say darkness!) on how to store freeze-dried food. When you think about it in terms of battling light, moisture, and air, it’s really just about creating the best conditions for your delicious meals to wait for you when you need them! I know those freeze-dried meals will serve you well on those backpacking trips or in the pantry for when convenience is king.

Best of luck with your freeze-drying adventures—I’m sure you’ll have some amazing stories to tell on your trips!