View Full Version : I Have a Question Re: Repackaged Freeze Dried Food
wcgornto
05-26-2009, 10:11
What is the realistic shelf life of freeze dried food once it has been removed from a #10 can and repackaged into double zip freezer bags? Is it possible stage mail drops for an entire thru hike in this fashion without the food going bad or does the food need to be vacuum sealed?
WalkingStick75
05-26-2009, 10:24
Best to vacuum seal but trying to get the right portion of all the ingredients in that #10 can has never worked for me. I have re-packaged meat, chicken, vegetables etc into small vacuum sealed bags and works great.
take-a-knee
05-26-2009, 11:24
Best to vacuum seal but trying to get the right portion of all the ingredients in that #10 can has never worked for me. I have re-packaged meat, chicken, vegetables etc into small vacuum sealed bags and works great.
The problem once it is repackaged would likely be mold, the spores are everywhere and they will get in the package. A safe practice would be to store repackaged dry food in the freezer until you left for your next trip, that way nothing harmful would likely have time to do any damage.
wcgornto
05-26-2009, 15:51
OK. Letīs say I repackage in freezer bags and store in the freezer. After that, mail / wait time plus time on trail would be 2 to 3 weeks. What are my chances that the food would hold up for this length of time?
take-a-knee
05-26-2009, 16:00
OK. Letīs say I repackage in freezer bags and store in the freezer. After that, mail / wait time plus time on trail would be 2 to 3 weeks. What are my chances that the food would hold up for this length of time?
If you use good clean technique, IE wash hands thoroughly and sanitize your work area/counter I'd say you wouldn't have a problem with something that is dry packed. If you've got mold, you'll see it. You'll be reconstituting with boiling water anyway. What you have to worry about is TOXINS produced by microorganisms, boiling won't touch those but they take a fairly high colony count to take place. Canoe guru Cliff Jacobsen does this same thing with vaccum-packed dehydrated hamburger and carries it for weeks on canoe trips. Of course, summer heat could shorten this time, and, once the package is open, it needs to be consumed.
I've repackaged food and used it quite a few months later. I work quickly so the food doesn't pick up a lot of humidity from the air, and put the food into ziplock freezer bags, squeeze out excess air, and seal. Freeze-dried food is really, really dry and won't grow stuff on it unless quite a bit of moisture gets to it. Even a pickprick in a plastic bag will allow in enough air, moisture, and mold spores that you'll eventually start raising a good crop of mold in there.
As I said, I've found food that I repackaged months earlier and it has been okay. I can't say I'd recommend repackaging a lot of food that way, though, because the risk of losing it is quite high, especially if the plastic bags are getting jostled around and likely damaged.
I've repackaged food and used it quite a few months later. I work quickly so the food doesn't pick up a lot of humidity from the air, and put the food into ziplock freezer bags, squeeze out excess air, and seal. Freeze-dried food is really, really dry and won't grow stuff on it unless quite a bit of moisture gets to it. Even a pickprick in a plastic bag will allow in enough air, moisture, and mold spores that you'll eventually start raising a good crop of mold in there.
As I said, I've found food that I repackaged months earlier and it has been okay. I can't say I'd recommend repackaging a lot of food that way, though, because the risk of losing it is quite high, especially if the plastic bags are getting jostled around and likely damaged.
+1
And if you want more insurance pop a desiccant packet into each bag. Food vac bags will give a much better seal, though sharp items like pasta and rice will need a clean paper towel to line the bag before filling and sealing. You can use Food vac bags just like freezer bags and add in hot water for rehydration.
Moisture/humidity is the bane of freeze-dried foods. Keep everything clean and tightly sealed and it will be fine.
The real issue is getting big containers evenly divided. A scale works well at this. But honestly...it is just easier to buy per person/meal size.