Packing Dehydrated or Freeze-dried Foods

[JoshuaDBr]

     Dehydrated or freeze-dried food is an ideal choice for backpacking supplies. I intend to bring some food that I have dehydrated on a two-week backpacking trip, but I do not have a vacuum sealer. How long can dehydrated food last when it is not vacuum sealed? Does that differ for freeze-dried foods?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

If two weeks is the goal I think you should be very much good to go. I've had success using various dehydrated vegetables (commercially dehydrated however) for much longer periods of time, kept tightly sealed and in a cool dark place. Basically the food remained fine but I do notice that it tends to lose some of its flavor and can start to taste stale over time. Same experience with freeze dried - although I do like to use freeze dried meats a lot faster as those do seem to have a shorter shelf life once the packaging is opened in my experience before the taste starts to decline - I like to use everything within a couple weeks of opening there. 

[balzaccom]

I agree with Aaron.  But if you want to dehydrate some meals in advance, you can store those in sealed bags in your freezer for months.  At least we have done so with good results.

[Charlie Vee 1961]

I have done the same. When I lived in Australia I dehydrated my own meals, stored them in the freezer,  then hiked the Overland track through the center of Tasmania.  I had the meals I wanted, the portion control and taste tested them before I left home. Regards,  Charlie 

[Michael aka Mac]

This is one of those circumstances where having both your ex of 28 years and your step mother ( who is also a former health inspector) , both being Nutritionists, to be particularly beneficial. 

The problem with not having your dehydrated food in vacuum sealed packaging is oxygen and moisture.  The combination of these two is what leads to food spoiling, and becoming unsafe for consumption.

If you are only eating dehydrated veggies and fruit that is one thing, but when it comes to meat, fish, dairy, and egg infused meals, this can be hazardous.  

Have you ever tried to procure water by putting a plastic bag over vegetation, or pine needles to collect the dew from the next morning?  What one cannot see is the humidity in the air, or that is present in the storage bag of your dehydrated foods. The dehydrated foods act like a sponge and the outer surface area of the meat, fish, etc. will absorb a portion of this moisture  allowing for bacteria and or mold to form.

Your best bet is to purchase a vacuum bag  sealer device.  Another thing you could buy are moisture and oxygen absorbers and place them inside of your zip lock bags after you squeeze out as much air as possible.

Waiting 2 weeks prior to consuming your dehydrated foods when meat, fish, dairy, or eggs are involved is just too risky if not storing them in the above conditions. The only exception to this I believe is fermented foods that are producing "good bacteria" like probiotics  found in Kimchi, which tends to be able to last longer.

On a different note,  if food is left under ideal conditions  there is no telling how long it can last.

Google   "2000-year-old preserved loaf of bread found in the ruins of Pompeii "

"Can of food found on Titanic, still edible"

Never Assume as it only makes an A$$ out of U and Me. Better to ask professional advice and skip the trip to the ER

Edited January 21, 2022 by Michael aka Mac

[Michael aka Mac]

Oh, and regarding how long does dehydrated food last when not in a vacuum sealed bag, well that depends on several factors: Temperature its stored at, humidity, when cooked relative to its expiration date, and whether the food was fully/properly dehydrated, and type of food being dehydrated ( fish tends to last less then beef,  and shell fish even less so)

Having empty trays for example when dehydrating certain foods can prevent the food from dehydrating at proper temperature allowing the formation of bacteria on the food.