January 17, 2001


What is the shelf life for freeze-dried food?

What is the shelf life for freeze-dried food?

— Todd Miller Denver, Colorado

Well, the short answer is this: As long as you can resist digging into that delicious freeze-dried Turkey Tetrazzini —- or keep the rodents away from it.

The long answer is this: It's going to depend. Some manufacturers — Oregon Freeze Dry, makers of Mountain House foods, for instance—recommend a shelf life of about five years. Probably a bit less if conditions where the food is stored are warm and humid, a bit more if cool and dry. The stuff is sealed well, but atmospheric conditions are bound to have an impact. I've regularly eaten stuff that's been stored for three to four years, without any adverse conditions — at least any that I could identify.

Other makers recommend different shelf lives. AlpineAire, for instance, says its products vary from two to four years. Two years for products with meats, nuts or dairy products (say, AlpineAire's Chicken Rotelle), fours years for vegetable-based products (such as Spaghetti Marinara with Mushroons). But the same rules apply —- it's best to keep the stuff cool and dry.

Of course, you can extend the life of any of these brands by freezing the stuff. Seal the pouches in plastic bags, toss them in the freezer, and I should think you'd be able to store a century's worth of Thanksgiving Day feasts quite easily.