Eating freeze dried pineapple for the first time piqued my interest in freeze-dried food. It was so good! Then I learned about how the quick-freeze process locks in nutrients and the shelf life was up to 25 years, I was sold!  It has been a great addition to my food storage ever since.

Growing up, we lived off of food storage because of my dad’s seasonal job. Once married, my husband found himself without a job during the housing market crash of 2008. We got to see if we could really enjoy living off our food storage. For one month, we ate nothing but what we had stored. It turned out to be a pretty eye-opening experience. At one point, my husband happily said, “If this is what I have to eat during tough times, I will be just fine.”

Cooking became easier! I used so many of the items on a regular basis because of the convenience and the deliciousness of the freeze dried food. I have many food sensitivities. Eating out or eating processed food can be troublesome. I have learned how to food-prep my own quick meals using freeze dried foods. The meals taste great, and I don’t have the worry about what is in them because of Thrive Life’s quality policy. No extra junk, which makes me a huge fan of most of their fruits, vegetables, and meats.

There are a lot more than eight freeze dried food products in my prepper pantry. Picking the best was not an easy task. The list below is based on which ones enhance a meal in some way, are versatile (used in many recipes), and my kiddos enjoy eating.   

1. Cauliflower – Having a hard time getting your kids to eat vegetables? Throw this cauliflower in a blender to powder it, then add it to mac and cheese, lasagna, casseroles, and more. Freeze dried food retains 97% of its nutrients. Your kids or spouse will have no idea their favorite dishes are sprinkled with cleverly hidden healthy white goodness.
2. Green Peas – My family eats peas! They won’t eat frozen peas or canned peas, but they will eat freeze-dried peas. I simply boil them until they are soft. Then add some butter, salt, and pepper. They are rich in color, plump, and delicious. It is amazing to me how it feels like we are truly experiencing peas for the first time. They have so much flavor. I should mention I have a black thumb and can’t get peas to grow in my garden. Additionally, the area I live in has a short growing season. I appreciate being able to purchase something that tastes like it just came off the vine. My kids will ask for them as a snack and eat them in freeze-dried form. Imagine a healthy snack kids actually want!
   
   
3. Spinach or Kale – Have you ever gone to your fridge thinking you had spinach and found stinky soggy greens? How in the world can you make your energy-boosting green smoothy or your copycat Italian soup (you know the one) without these essential ingredients? When your cabinets are filled with these green gems, you don’t have to worry. They are a great addition to smoothies, pasta dishes, or soups. Say goodbye to soggy spinach leaves hiding in the fridge. Spinach can lose most of its nutritional value within the first 24 hours of harvest. Thrive Life quick-freeze their “produce within hours of harvesting to maximize flavor and lock in nutrients.”
4. Berries – The raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are so flavorful and versatile. They can be added to smoothies, pies, tarts, oatmeal, used to flavor drinking water, or eat them straight from the can. We love to cook them down with a little water and a little sugar until you get a syrupy consistency. Then add the delicious fruity compote to a crepe with some whipped crème and enjoy! You really don’t have to settle for dull-flavored fruits just because you aren’t in the right season.
   
   
5. Cheese – Let me just say life without cheese is no life at all. The idea that you can store cheese for a really long time is awesome. Thrive Life’s cheese, once rehydrated, looks, feels, smells, and melts just like the regular store-bought cheese in your refrigerator. Image your favorite mouthwatering casseroles without cheese, boo! Now, imagine it with cheese. Have you added cheese to your food storage? 
6. Chopped Onions – Not in the mood for crying over onions, these are the best. Open the can, scoop out perfectly chopped, delicious-smelling onions and add them to your dish. You will get the same flavor without all the sniffles. Believe me when I say it is that easy.
7. Eggs – It is hard to cook without the essentials. They can be used for binding, thickening, glazing, and more. The freeze-dried eggs are already scrambled. Take a few tablespoons of egg powder, add water, and stir to make yummy scrambled eggs. To make a tasty omelet put the freeze-dried eggs in a sealable bag, add your favorite freeze-dried vegetable, freeze-dried meats, and seasoning, then rehydrate and cook. Great for campouts or home use. Food prepping has never been so simple.
8. Beef Slices – I made a really yummy beef stroganoff for a tasting at a Preparedness Fair. The recipe wasn’t my own. Thankfully, Thrive Life has a huge recipe resource available online. The point was to help people understand freeze-dried food is really good. Everyone commented on how great it tasted. When I informed them it was freeze-dried food, I got confused looks or surprised expressions. It is common to get dehydrated food and freeze-dried food confused. Dehydrating is done using heat over a long period of time which causes shrinkage in size and dimming color of the food. You also lose flavor and nutrients with this method. Thrive Life uses local farmers to harvest the produce at its nutritional peak. It is then freeze-dried within 2-3 hours of being picked so all the good stuff is locked up tight in each item. There is a huge difference between how freeze dried and dehydrated look, taste, and smell. Try a food comparison. You will find freeze-dried food will not disappoint.

Guest Post – Beth Centeno has been a consultant for Thrive Life Freeze Dried Food for seven years. 

The post Top 8 Freeze Dried Food Must Haves! appeared first on Survival Prepper.

By: PreppersSurvive
Title: Top 8 Freeze Dried Food Must Haves!
Sourced From: www.prepperssurvive.com/top-8-freeze-dried-food-must-haves/
Published Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2022 02:29:46 +0000

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