Freeze Dried Camping Food Explained In Six Answers

What is freeze dried camping food? Is it the same as dehydrated food? What’s the difference between freeze dried food and dehydrated food? These are common questions that many of our customers and backpackers and campers ask in regards to freeze dried camping food. To help you learn more about freeze dried food and its manufacturing process and benefits, we’ve answered the top six popular about freeze dried food below!

1. Is freeze dried camping food the same as dehydrated camping food?

Freeze drying is a three step process that begins with freezing. Once the food has been frozen, the food will be placed in a vacuum chamber under low heat. The frozen water crystals evaporate directly from ice to water vapour in a process called sublimation. Then, the food undergoes “secondary drying” where any remaining water molecules are removed under slightly higher temperatures. Afterwards, the food is nitrogen sealed for storage to prevent contamination from water or oxygen.

Food dehydration, on the other hand, is a process of reducing moisture of food to low levels for improved shelf life. To reduce moisture, external heat is commonly added to the food using hot air. The hot air removes moisture from the food. There are different electric dehydrators that are used for the dehydration process. The dehydrators come with a temperature gauge and adjustment dial. This helps speed up or slow down the drying time depending on the type of food that’s being processed.

2. How long does freeze dried camping food last?

Freeze dried food can last anywhere between five to seven years! Generally, 90% - 95% of the water and moisture is removed which helps freeze dried food avoid spoilage and remain in excellent conditions for an extensive period of time..

3. How much does freeze dried food retain its nutritional value?

Freeze dried food maintains approximately 97% of the nutritional value. Other preservation methods such as dehydration and canning retain roughly 60% and 40% of the nutritional content, respectively. 

4. Do I need to cook freeze dried food with a pan or pot?

Not at all! Simply add hot or cold water (depending on the freeze dried food package) into the food package and the food will be cooked and in roughly 10 to 15 minutes. For example, to cook the Expedition Foods Chilli Con Carne with Rice, all you have to do is the following:

• Remove the oxygen absorber (sachet) from inside the pouch
• Adding boiling water to internal fill line 5 (410ml)
• Stir the contents and then close the bag
• Waiting five to eight minutes for the food to re-hydrate. Cold water will suffice in an emergency. However, the re-hydration time is much longer.

Freeze dried camping food is terrifically easy to cook and a favourite for many campers!

5. Are there gluten free dried camping meals?

For sure! We have a wide selection of gluten freeze dried camping meals for you to choose from! Some of our most popular items include the Summit to Eat Scrambled Egg with Cheese, LYO Expedition Traditional Polish Saurkraut (Bigos), and Real Turmat Chili Stew with Beans.

All the packs are high energy and offer a myriad of nutritional value using the healthiest and natural ingredients. For example, the Summit to Eat Scrambled Egg with Cheese contains the following ingredients:

• Cooked Scrambled Egg (Pasteurised Whole Egg, Sunflower Oil, Skimmed Milk Powder, Lemon Juice, Salt, White Pepper)
• Cheese Sauce Blend (Whole Milk, Single Cream (Milk)
• Diced Onions
• Grated Red Leicester Cheese (Milk)
• Grated Cheddar (Milk)
• Grated Mozzarella Cheese (Milk)
• Rapeseed Oil
• Cornflour
• Salt
• White Pepper

6. Are there vegetarian freeze dried camping meals?

Definitely! We have nearly 90 vegetarian freeze dried meals for you to choose, from breakfast packs to main meals! Some of our top selling vegetarian freeze dried camping meals include the Beyond The Beaten Track Vegetarian All Day Breakfast, Firepot Dal and Rice with Spinach, and LYO Expedition Coconut Porridge with Blueberries, Figs and Chia Seeds. Like all of our other freeze dried camping meals, our vegetarian freeze dried camping meals are immersed in flavour and nutrition and give campers, backpackers, or anyone who wants to eat healthy, a balanced and nutritious meal after engaging in outdoor activities!