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When you enter a supermarket nowadays, you can easily notice the food section displaying freeze-dried food. These freeze-dried items are often bought because of the convenience they offer, especially if you’re planning to store them for longer periods or have them as a handy snack to bring along regularly. If you are planning to stock on freeze-dried food, especially freeze-dried vegetables or fruits, here are some of the important facts that’d be great for you to know.
Important Facts to Know
If you’re still trying to discover which is better, you should know that freeze-dried food is better than those canned and dehydrated food options. The former is said to be a better option than that of the latter because it preserves more of the color, taste, and most especially the nutritional content of the food.
In terms of shelf life, you can bet on freeze-dried food to last up to 25–30 years. That is why more suppliers of fruits and vegetables are turning to freeze-dried procedures to preserve the food. Overly ripe fruits or vegetables may not easily go to waste if freeze-dried. You can significantly reduce food waste when you choose freeze-dried items. According to a recent study conducted, a household annually throws away 40% of the food they buy. Hence, in terms of practical value, freeze-dried food is highly favorable.
Why Use Freeze-Dried Items as Cooking Ingredient
When it comes to cooking, there are several ingredient options. However, freeze-dried items have become a popular choice among experts and enthusiasts alike. One of the reasons why chefs and cooks are using freeze-dried food is because it will require less slicing and dicing. Hence, making the cooking process simpler and quicker. Since these freeze-dried ingredients are already washed and prepped properly, they can be easily and readily added to many dishes.
Secondly, those recipes that will require less moisture will surely be complemented by freeze-dried ingredients. Since they are freeze-dried, you can be assured that there is no excess moisture. Hence, ensuring the desired taste and flavor of the recipe.
Another reason why freeze-dried food is an ideal cooking ingredient is that they contain no additives or sulfites. This means that what you eat, unlike canned food, are devoid of unhealthy preservatives. Freeze-dried food is considered as natural and does not contain additional chemicals, coloring, or any byproducts.
Furthermore, freeze-dried fruits or vegetables are also naturally gluten-free. If you are not familiar with gluten, its presence in your system may trigger an autoimmune response that targets the linings of your small intestines. Apart from that, gluten also interferes with the proper absorption of nutrients from the food you eat, leading to potential adverse body responses such as anemia, delayed growth, and unhealthy weight gain or loss.
Cooking Tips for Freeze-Dried Items
Sauteing
If you are not yet familiar with cooking using freeze-dried food, you should know that recipes that need sauteing of freeze-dried items are still possible. You can still saute your freeze-dried ingredients, by simply adding a bit of oil to the pan and the freeze-dried item without rehydrating it. This will ensure faster sauteing, but also remember to add the required liquids to avoid burning the pan after sauteing an onion or even pepper.
To Hydrate or Not To Hydrate
When cooking using a freeze-dried item as one of the ingredients, you should learn when to hydrate and not to hydrate the food ingredient. When you are preparing soup, for example, you should add at least 3-4 tablespoons of extra liquid for each cup of freeze-dried food you are adding to your food preparation.
Dry Snack
Freeze-dried fruits and freeze-dried vegetables are also a great type of dry snack for children and adults alike. Unlike ordinary fruits and vegetables, freeze-dried items are completely dry and easy to chew. This will somehow give your kids a new or unique food experience. Most of the time, freeze-dried fruits are tasty and good to eat, as if they are fresh from the farm.
Bake It
If you are planning to bake a cake or muffin, you may also include freeze-dried food ingredients on your recipe. Freeze-dried blueberry muffins or strawberry muffins are just some of the most common recipes. Freeze-dried fruits are preferred by some bakers because they don’t add unnecessary moisture to the whole mixture.
Freeze-Dried Food Preparation
If you are wondering about this type of food preservation technology, it is a relatively recent development in the food-tech industry. The process involves mainly freezing food and the removal of the moisture with the use of a vacuum chamber. The final process includes the sealing of the food in an airtight container. What makes it a desirable process is that freeze-dried items can easily be transported at room temperature. Similarly, it can be stored for a long period of time without spoiling and can be easily consumed with just minimal preparation.
Another advantage of buying freeze-dried food is that it is relatively lightweight. Since the process removes almost 98 percent of water from the fresh fruit or vegetable, you can expect lighter items. Hence, they are a great food option for campers and hikers. In terms of storage, it requires no refrigeration, which makes the shipping or storage less costly as compared to other food products.
This type of food preservation technology can be traced back to the second World War. Although it is a less sophisticated process, the idea was to come up with food rations that are not easily spoiled, are lightweight, and are easy to transport and store. Hence, the development of the said freeze-dried process.
If you are planning to venture into another food experience or add something new to your recipe, it would be great to try freeze-dried items. If you want to know more about other recipes, you can view online tutorials to enhance your cooking and dining experience with freeze-dried food.
