Chris Say’s: While freeze-dried food does have many pluses over dehydrated food, I don’t agree with everything in the article. One of the major pluses of dehydrated food is that you can do it yourself at home and at a fraction of the cost of freeze-dried food. I think both have their places in food storage and it is important to know the pluses and minuses of each.
8 Major Differences Between Freeze-dried and Dehydrated Food
1. Processes. First of all, the process by which each is made is different. Freeze-dried food is flash frozen and then put in a vacuum container causing the water vaporize, and leaving the food item with 98% of its water removed. Dehydrated products are heated and water evaporates, leaving the food item with 75% of its water removed. These differences in process mean that they both have different functions in your food storage.
2. Shelf-Life. Freeze-dried food lasts a lot longer without expiring because it has hardly any water left in it. On average, they tend to last between 20 and 30 years. Dehydrated foods still have 25% of its original water left in it, so they cannot stay good for nearly as long. They typically last between 1 and 8 years.
3. Additives. Freeze-dried foods don’t have any additives, but dehydrated food does. They usually need to add salt, sugar, or other preservatives to make dehydrated food.
4. Nutrition. Food retains all the nutrients that it had in its original form after the freeze-drying process. In the dehydration process, however, up to 50% of the foods’ nutrients can be lost because of the heat that the food is put under in the process.
5. Taste & Texture. Freeze dried food has a muted coloring and a dry, powdery texture before it is prepared, but once water is added the food has its’ original look, texture, and taste. Dehydrated food looks and tastes different than it was before the process. It also usually has a chewy texture.
6. Re-Hydrating. Since freeze-dried food was made to be re-hydrated, it is very easy to do. It can be done with cold or hot water, and after the water is added the food is just like the regular food item was frozen and then thawed. Dehydrated food wasn’t made for re-hydration, so it is extremely difficult. An example of doing this would be trying to turn a raisin back into a grape. If you do want to attempt this, it must be done with hot water.
7. Uses. Freeze-dried food is great to use as a substitute for fresh ingredients when cooking. It also comes in pre-made packaged meals like lasagna or orange chicken. There are limitless possibilities with freeze-dried; they even make freeze-dried icecream! Dehydrated food is a little more limited. It’s great as a snack by itself, but it doesn’t really go with recipes very well. The products that are dehydrated are mostly fruits, vegetables, and meats.
8. Cost. Because of the many benefits, freeze-dried food costs more than dehydrated food.
Both freeze-dried and dehydrated foods have their ups and downs, and they are both very good options for your home food storage. Click here to learn more about freeze dried food from Food Insurance.
Author Bio- Chett Wright is an emergency preparedness expert, and loves educating others on the how-to’s of food storage.
