The Shelf Life of Mountain House Freeze Dried Food

The viability of long term storable foods is governed by four things. Knowing each of these things is crucial in obtaining the longest shelf life possible for the food you have put up for your family. This is especially true if you are just starting a food storage program.

The four things are as follows. The storage area temperature, the food’s moisture content, the storage container atmosphere, and the storage container itself. Let’s look at each of these things.

1) The Temperature in the Storage Area

The factor that has the most to do with how long storable foods will last is temperature. Food stored in a warm environment will last only a fraction of the time that it would last in a cool, dry place. Generally, you want the area to be as cool as possible, but certainly above freezing temperature. Another important consideration is that the storage area temperature be relatively constant. Frequent temperature changes will also shorten the food’s life.

In short, remember to store a cool, dry, dark place, where the temperature remains relatively constant.

2) The Food’s Moisture Content

Foods with a high percentage of moisture can spoil in their containers. Usually, you want your storable food to have a moisture content of 10% or less. This may be hard to achieve without specialized equipment.

Freeze dried foods are specially-prepared for this purpose. Their moisture content has been addressed in the preparation process.

3) The Storage Container’s Atmosphere

Oxygen oxidizes many of the compounds found in food. There, foods packed in air will not store as well. Nitrogen is popular for storing food and it works very well. Another alternative is carbon dioxide.

Some people use oxygen absorber packets. Just place one in the storage container and seal. The one thing to remember is that the storage container must be able to withstand some vacuum pressure, as the absorber packet will create that as it absorbs the oxygen.

Many food storage units are made up of food packed in nitrogen in #10 cans.

4) The Food Storage Container

You want your storage containers to have a hermetic seal, which means they are air-tight. Food-grade storage buckets and #10 cans work very well for this.

One very important fact about storage containers is that they must be food grade containers. #10 cans used for food storage often have an enamel lining. You can also buy plastic food-grade 5 gallon buckets.

If you buy a commercially-prepared food unit with #10 cans, then the second, third, and fourth factors are already addressed for you. In order to satisfy the first factor, you will still want to store the food in a cool, dry, dark place.

If you decide to buy plastic buckets, add the food, and seal them yourself, you will need to rent a nitrogen cylinder to fill the airspace in the buckets. When you do this, the oxygen will be displaced leaving only the nitrogen. Make sure you purchase food-grade quality of buckets. This is very important.

Remember all these things when you are purchasing or creating a supply of food for your family.

Tagged with: family • food • Food & Beverage • mountain house freeze dried food • Preparedness

Filed under: Food & Beverage

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