Preserving food for long-term use has become more mainstream in numerous ways. Freeze drying foods has become more common among households, and rightfully so because it is a relatively easy yet helpful method to avoid letting food go to waste. If you are not familiar with freeze-drying foods, then make sure to read this post till the end, and you are guaranteed to leave with more knowledge about it.

 

How Long Can Freeze-Dried Beef Last?

When it comes to the longevity of freeze-dried beef, it generally depends on the amount of moisture left in and around the meat during its storage. As per the numbers are concerned, you can expect your freeze-dried beef to last for roughly 25 to 30 years, which is an impressive period.

 

How Do You Freeze-Dry Meat at Home?

The great thing about preserving food, and meat, in particular, is that it takes mere minutes to prepare. It is as simple as cutting the meat into small pieces and placing it in a freezer. Now, you can opt for a deep freezer known to work best for this; however, if you do not have that, your average freezer should work just fine, as long as it functions and does not need servicing. Here are the step by step guide on the preparation;

1. Place the small pieces of meat onto a tray.

2. Place the tray inside a freezer.

3. Wait for around 2-3 weeks.

4. Transfer the meat into an air-free bag and leave it for storage.

 

    Does Freeze-Drying Meat Eliminate Viruses?

    No, it does not. Freeze drying does not kill or eliminate any bacteria or viruses around the meat. Instead, what freeze-drying the meat does is that it simply puts the germs into a hibernation state. The bacteria will remain inactive unless the meat is left at room temperature to defrost essentially. If the meat starts to thaw, there will be moisture content around it. As a result, the bacteria will survive, mainly due to the moisture, which helps them stay. 

     

    Is Freeze-Dried Beef Still Raw?

    Understanding how the freeze-drying process works is necessary to answer this question. Firstly, it is a process that uses a vacuum chamber that essentially helps in extracting all the moisture from the raw meat. There is also a good amount of pressure applied in said chamber for the same purpose. As use no heat during cooking, the live enzymes and nutrients are preserved, and the result is still considered raw. 

     

    Is Freeze-Dried Beef Cooked?

    Yes, freeze-dried beef is already cooked before the freeze-drying process. Hence, if you attempt to boil or rehydrate it by cooking it in boiling water, you will essentially ruin the meat. You will be overcooking the meat and end up with weird textured meat that is rubbery and too dry. Instead of doing that, you should use cold or room temperature water to hydrate the meat. 

    freeze dried beef

    Advantages of Freeze-Drying Food 

    • No Preservatives 

    Among the numerous advantages of freeze-drying food is the benefit of not altering the physical structure of the food unlike the beef jerky. Foods and liquids can be kept at shallow temperatures with freeze-drying to dry them without damaging their physical form. Unlike other methods, freeze-drying foods do not require refrigeration or be kept in preservatives containing harmful chemicals. In addition, freeze-dried beef and other foods can revive by adding some water to them.

     

    • Retains the Organic Taste 

    Freeze-drying food comes out on top with yet another benefit. You see, with most other methods used to dry foods, there is typically use of high temperatures that are highly damaging to the food item and can ruin the texture and taste by changing the food item physically and chemically. As a result, a less delicious and tasteful food product will be undesirable and inedible in extreme cases.

     

    • Nutritional 

    Freeze-dried food is also more nutritional than other food products preserved in alternative methods. The freeze-drying way retains 97 per cent of the food product’s nutrients and only loses 3 per cent. Compared to other methods, particularly ones that use preservatives, which are not as effective at retaining the nutritional value of the food item, freeze-drying is much better and recommended.

     

    Is Freeze-Drying Food Worth It?

    There are several reasons to stock up on freeze-dried beef and other foods. Stockpiling freeze-dried food for emergencies or simply for your occasional and camping trips are but a few instances in which it is a great option. Freeze-dried food is accessible to hydrate, can last for decades, and tastes good. Not only that, if you look for it in supermarkets, you will quickly begin to consider doing it yourself since they sell at relatively high prices.

     

    Conclusion 

    In essence, some food products are more suitable for freeze-drying than others. An excellent yet essential step of freeze-drying is to cut the food item into small pieces, which will make the process more effective. As mentioned earlier, this applies to meat as well. In addition to that, cook meat and seafood before freeze-drying, so bear that in mind. It is a great way to enjoy nutritional meat products for long-term use, so get ready to store up as much as you want so you never have to worry in case of emergencies.