PREP Freeze dried food sources
- Thread starter blindhog
- Start date
Freeze-dried what. Fruit, veg and meat? Hard to come by and expensive right now.
I've used Honeyville, Emergency Essentials, Safecastle, and the LDS online site. All good. Are you sure you need freeze dried? Meat yes, but with fruit and veg, I've always just gone with dehydrated in #10 cans.
The LDS site is likely cheaper than anyplace else for the raw basics - wheat, rice, dried pasta, carrots, apples, onions, potato flakes, dried beans, oatmeal, etc. Here's their page: Food Storage | United States Store
I've used Honeyville, Emergency Essentials, Safecastle, and the LDS online site. All good. Are you sure you need freeze dried? Meat yes, but with fruit and veg, I've always just gone with dehydrated in #10 cans.
The LDS site is likely cheaper than anyplace else for the raw basics - wheat, rice, dried pasta, carrots, apples, onions, potato flakes, dried beans, oatmeal, etc. Here's their page: Food Storage | United States Store
What I suggest is that you go to a sporting goods or camping store and buy some of the one or two person FD meals they have (and like Walkingtrot said, they are expensive) and try them out and see if you like them before buying large quantities. Mountain House, Backpackers Pantry are just a couple, but they are several other brands out there. Some I like and some I don't, such as MH beef or chicken stew is pretty good, biscuits and gravy are good.
Depending on the company, a lot of those meal packages consist of not much more than the equivalent of "Lipton Sides" for meals, instant soup, a usually small amount of dried fruit (expensive), and pancake mix or instant oatmeal for breakfast. Also, check the daily calorie count. Some are adequate, many are very much not. As in all things, you get what you pay for.
I'd for sure have canned meat around to supplement these with.
I think freeze dried food is ideally suited for recreational backpacking (it's original intent) where weight is the critical consideration. FD food is also ideal for a bug-out or bug-home pack if one envisions being on foot for any period of time.
If you are bugging out by car or bugging in at home, then canned goods would be just fine. The extra weight is a good thing because the extra weight is water.
MRE's may have a small place due to their ease of preparation and local security, especially when one does not want to use an open fire for meal preparation.
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Anti-Liberal
Veteran Member
For home or commercial use. $3K and up.
harvestright.com
Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryers - The best way to preserve food
Freeze drying at home with a Harvest Right freeze dryer is the best way to preserve food for your family.
harvestright.com
Safe, drinkable water....
TxGal
Day by day
Over the years we've bought from most of the same places as other folks. Most recently, we've bought from Rainy Day Foods, which used to be known as Walton Feed, as I recall. When they were Walton Feed, they'd ship only large loads on a semi, so I've heard....now you can buy by the can or case. I 'think' most of the other retailers source their foods from Rainy Day and relabel them, but I'm not sure.
rainydayfoods.com
Rainy Day Foods - Food Storage - Wheat - Dehydrated & Freeze Dried Foods - Emergency Supplies
Rainy Day Foods is a leading supplier of wheat, grains, freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, emergency supplies,and survival foods,
rainydayfoods.com
Babs
Veteran Member
We bought a "90 day supply" from My Patriot Supply last year, before we got our freeze dryer up and running. I have no idea what the quality is though. None of us have been brave enough to try it. But, it's calories and will likely be the last thing we have in our pantry, when tshtf.
North Bay Trading:
www.northbaytrading.com
I have purchased from them in the past but don't know how their prices compare with others now. I do recall that if you're on their mailing list, they offer 10% off certain items - rotating each month or so. Shipping is free over $99, otherwise $8.50 flat fee.
A tip for Emergency Essentials: They always have certain items on sale and imho the sale prices are good - at least compared to other sources. They don't have any free shipping option, though.
Also, Harmony House has samplers. I got one of them long ago - either the first or second one on this page. It was a good way to try out various item at a reasonable price. Right now they have an offer of 10% off sitewide.
www.northbaytrading.com
I have purchased from them in the past but don't know how their prices compare with others now. I do recall that if you're on their mailing list, they offer 10% off certain items - rotating each month or so. Shipping is free over $99, otherwise $8.50 flat fee.
A tip for Emergency Essentials: They always have certain items on sale and imho the sale prices are good - at least compared to other sources. They don't have any free shipping option, though.
Also, Harmony House has samplers. I got one of them long ago - either the first or second one on this page. It was a good way to try out various item at a reasonable price. Right now they have an offer of 10% off sitewide.
I got their "Backpackers" assortment and it was very useful for testing out custom trail recipes.
For day to day use, their quart size dehydrated tomato powder and dehydrated mushrooms were very useful. Especially when you only needed a small quantity and didn't want to open a whole can.
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Loretta Van Riet
Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
Over the years I have purchased 6packs of various Mountain House Entrees that I love to eat. I will sometimes eat one after a bad day on the job. When I need to simply boil water and have a tasty meal. (also great during a power outtage!)
Pricey at $59.94 for 6, but a 30 year shelf life! So even if you forget to rotate your food, this should still be ok!
My favorite ones are: Homestyle Chicken Noodle Casserole, Chicken & Mashed Potato Dinner, Chicken Fried Rice, Beef Stroganoff,and Breakfast Skillet.
The stews are ok, but the potato cubes don't rehydrate very well and that leaves the stew too "chewy" for my liking.
Peak2 is another good brand. Again, expensive, but no waste.
If you plan on actually physically carrying any kind of food while on foot remember this fundamental rule of thumb that backpackers use.
One ounce dry weight of food should yield a minimum of 100 calories.
1 ounce = 100 calories.
Here comes the fun part,
Doesn't sound too hard does it?
Look through your pantry and food reserves and see how few items meet that requirement.
It can be done but it is not easy.
One ounce dry weight of food should yield a minimum of 100 calories.
1 ounce = 100 calories.
Here comes the fun part,
Doesn't sound too hard does it?
Look through your pantry and food reserves and see how few items meet that requirement.
It can be done but it is not easy.
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Nearly instant 90-day foods from the grocery store:
Lipton sides, dry soups, pouch instant potatoes (the garlic flavor is good), dehydrated refried beans (LDS sells in bulk, some grocers have it), instant rice, small pasta from the ethnic section (it's almost instant), pouch tuna (not dry, but convenient), jerky, ramen, oatmeal, etc.
There are a lot of grocery store options that may cost far less. I'd save my freeze dried money for fruits and veg options to add to the above, and maybe freeze dried cheese (never tried it, but I'm told it's good).
We don't have to recreate grandma's cooking.
Backpackers have made lightweight, cheap, portable meals into an art form. Check their books and sites.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
It's worth it, if you always have that much extra money to spend. For 90 days, I would do dry goods such as rice, pasta and beans, along with canned/jarred goods, such as sauces, veggies, fruits, meats. Add in some very small containers of herbs and spices. I'd roughly guess that the total cost would be about 25% of freeze dried. I'm no gourmand, so I'll eat just about anything. About the only thing I don't care for is complete canned/jarred/packaged meals, ready to heat and eat. Most simply contain too much salt to my liking.
If you go to Amazon you can find an amazing variety of freeze dried meals, many are even packaged for special diets such as gluten free, vegetarian, etc. I've tried a lot of stuff over the years. My opinion is stick with the basics then have "extender" ingredients like instant mashed potatoes, rice, beans, etc.
To keep the food from being bland, use seasoning mixes ... for many of us the Mrs. Dash type seasonings will work well because the FD stuff is usually already overloaded with sodium.
Canned meats are really good, just start rotating them in your normal meal plan so you can see how far they really go and what your favorite uses/options are.
Other ways would be to use a can of chicken and a can of veggies in a Noodle-Roni or Rice-a-Roni type mix, or canned tuna in a Tuna Helper or a boxed pasta salad.
To keep the food from being bland, use seasoning mixes ... for many of us the Mrs. Dash type seasonings will work well because the FD stuff is usually already overloaded with sodium.
Canned meats are really good, just start rotating them in your normal meal plan so you can see how far they really go and what your favorite uses/options are.
Other ways would be to use a can of chicken and a can of veggies in a Noodle-Roni or Rice-a-Roni type mix, or canned tuna in a Tuna Helper or a boxed pasta salad.
coalcracker
Veteran Member
Safecastle is very good, especially with customer service. He is also a longtime member here. I’ve bought a number of times, and I am very satisfied.
Link:
GROUP BUY - Huge Discounts Waiting for you- 5% off on IOSAT & $50 off on Mountain House Bulk Purchase
Link:
GROUP BUY - Huge Discounts Waiting for you- 5% off on IOSAT & $50 off on Mountain House Bulk Purchase
Let's look at some real world examples where we want to hold our 1 ounce = 100 calories food density guideline.
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#1 SPAM Single Classic. 2.5 oz = 230 calories @ $1.34 each.
#2 Great Value Chunk Light Tuna, (packed in water/broth) Lemon Pepper, 2.6 oz = 70 calories @ $0.92 each
#3 StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Sunflower Oil - 2.6 oz Pouch = 150 calories @ $1.00 each.
#4 Jif To Go Creamy Peanut Butter, 8- 1.5 oz Cups, Snack Size Packs. (1) 1.5 ounce cup =250 calories @ 8 cups for $2.97.
#5 Idahoan Loaded Baked® Mashed Potatoes, 4 oz pouch = 440 calories @ $1.44 per pouch.
#6 Mission Street Taco Flour Tortillas, 11 Oz, 12 Count. 2 tacos = 3.6 ounces = 150 calories @ $2.24 for 11 tortillas.
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Whether you need backpacking food or storage food, good old peanut butter well exceeds our 1 ounce/100 calorie goal. SPAM comes in very close. Tuna does not come close to our goal with tuna packed in water being a very dismal choice.
Mashed potatoes exceeded our goal and are very easy to prepare. Flour tortillas barely met half our goal of energy density.
If I was pressed to make a decision, I would go with Kentucky Bourbon because it makes you go faster, farther, longer and arrive much friendlier than the other choices. . .
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Profit of Doom
Dismember
Try at least some of it.
subnet
Boot
A store in our area carries them and Emergency Essentials...
Dude there said they are owned by the same people as well as another company???
Something like that anyhow, which made sense being EE sells other brands at times.