Freeze Dried Vs. Canned: The Pros and Cons in Food Storage (2024)

FAQs

Freeze Dried Vs. Canned: The Pros and Cons in Food Storage? ›

A side benefit from this drying process is the improved preservation of vitamins and other nutrients over the damaging heat of the canning process. The two biggest cons of freeze dried food are the price and the fact that preparation is required for most foods. Freeze dried food can cost as much as $8 a meal.

In the quest to preserve our favorite foods, freeze drying and canning emerge as contenders. However, when it comes to retaining nutritional value, freeze drying takes a clear lead.

Overall, freeze-drying has unique advantages when it comes to maintaining product quality, extending shelf life, and ease of storage, but may be subject to some limitations in terms of cost and speed.

It is a healthy food preservation method, as it retains most of the beneficial plant compounds and nutrients in foods, as well as their color, taste, and appearance. However, it doesn't kill harmful bacteria. Therefore, you should thoroughly cook freeze-dried raw foods like meat or eggs.

Because 98-99 percent of the moisture in food being freeze-dried is removed during the process, it has a shelf life of usually 25 years or more. In both cases, cooler temperatures will help lengthen shelf life.

The healthiest freeze dried foods are whole, real foods that have been frozen to retain their natural nutritional value. These foods include eggs, seafood, vegetables and dark colored berries such as acai, blueberry, strawberry and raspberries.

While it is true that some freeze dryers continue to lyophilize effectively for decades, the average life span of a freeze dryer in today's laboratory environment is approximately 10 to 15 years. Do you want to know the secrets to getting that much life out of your freeze dryer?

The primary purpose of freeze drying within the food industry is to extend the shelf-life of the food while maintaining the quality. Freeze-drying is known to result in the highest quality of foods of all drying techniques because structural integrity is maintained along with preservation of flavors.

Can bacteria grow on freeze-dried food? ›

Microbiologists and veterinary nutritionists tell us that freeze-drying is one of the best ways to preserve bacteria. Because the technique helps bacteria remain viable and healthy for decades, freeze-dried raw food is just as risky as unprocessed raw food.

Freeze drying uses the process of sublimation and removes the water from the food while it's still in its ice form. However, since it removes the water, it can also remove some water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and folate.

Freeze Dried Fruit vs.

By removing the moisture from fruits, including bananas, most berries, apples, dragon fruits, apricots, and pineapples, the food becomes more shelf-stable and resistant to mold or rot, which plagues fresh fruits as they age.

Fortunately, without moisture (water) the botulism bacteria (and all bacteria, yeast, and molds) cannot grow. Therefore, it is safe to place properly dried or freeze-dried foods in vacuum packaging or in containers that also have oxygen absorber packets placed inside.

Once opened, most freeze-dried foods should last 6-12 months. Exposure to heat, light, oxygen, and moisture indicates how long the opened can of freeze-dried food will last. You can prolong shelf life by storing your food in a dark, cool place and in the most airtight containers possible.

If sealed properly and stored in ideal conditions, food kept in plastic buckets can last up to five years or even 20 years if oxygen absorbers are used. Regardless of your packaging, dry foods such as rice and beans store best in oxygen-free, cool and dark environments.

Freeze-dried foods retain the vast majority of the vitamins and minerals found in their original state. Freeze-dried food retains its nutrition because of the “cold, vacuum” process that is used to extract the water. Whereas, the nutritional value of dehydrated food is generally around 60% of equivalent fresh food.

Between freeze-dried cat food lasting longer than canned cat food and having consistently high quality and taste, significantly lower pricing, and unmatched nutrition and serving options, there's no need to be nervous about trying freeze-dried options.

Freeze-drying retains nutritional value better than other drying methods, further supporting consumers' desire for nutrition from whole foods. The process also preserves the actual color and shape of the original raw material, reassuring consumers they are actually getting real fruits and vegetables in their diets.

While the University of Alaska did find that canning was the most cost-effective method of preserving food, they also found that freezing was the best way to retain nutrients. Coastal Tip: Try freezing or canning vegetables together, such as a stir-fry mix.