One of my secrets to saving money on my grocery bill is this list of 5 freeze-dried food items. I also have other ways, but these are my favorite go-to foods in my pantry. The fantastic thing about these is that they come in a can already pre-washed, chopped, diced, or sliced. You have to love that!
If you store freeze-dried food items like these, you will never run out of the items you usually pick up at the grocery store. You will use the items you harvest during your growing season if you have a garden.
I’m talking about going to the grocery store to pick up some fresh vegetables for that favorite recipe you want to prepare. The more I stay away from shopping, the more money I save. If you see a lady with gray hair walking fast down each aisle to grab and stash stuff in her shopping basket, it may just be me. I’m on a mission when I hit that store with my list; yes, I always have a list. I call it “get in and get out.” Grocery shopping is not my favorite thing to do.
Grocery Shopping
Sometimes, people ask me, “How much do you spend on groceries every month?” Here’s the deal: I live a few miles from the nearest grocery store, so I have to consider gas money, my time, and how much I will spend if I drive there. My secret is going to my pantry instead of the local grocery store. I stock my pantry when freeze-dried food items go on sale.
What Is Freeze-Dried Food
Let me explain freeze-dried food in a nutshell. The first step is freezing. The second step is placing the frozen food in a vacuum chamber under low heat. The third step starts when the frozen water crystals evaporate directly from ice to vapor, a process called sublimation.
What’s really nice about freeze-dried food is that it generally lasts longer in your storage stash, depending on the manufacturer. Please always look at the cans and see the shelf life. You can eat the food directly out of the can; therefore, it uses a lot less fuel, if any, when it comes to meal preparation.
Freeze-dried foods usually have an open shelf life of 1-2 years. Again, please look at the #10 size or the pantry cans on the company’s website for details.
Pros: The food lasts 20-25 years, depending on the company where you purchase it. You can also eat the food directly out of the can. You do not need to slice, chop, or cut it into bite-size pieces.
The Cons: They are usually more expensive. Remember that you use less fuel to prepare meals using freeze-dried foods.
5 Freeze-Dried Food Items
I’m only spotlighting Thrive Life freeze-dried food today. If you are wondering if I sell it, I do not. My goal is to educate my readers on my website and learn from them. So, let’s get started today.
1. Onions/Chopped & Sliced
How Can I Use These
- 1 cup freeze-dried equals 1 cup fresh
- Sliced onions are great on Homemade Pizza
- Stir fry dishes
- Add to hamburger for tacos
- Add to hamburger for spaghetti
- Add to a pot of soup
- Egg omelets
- Creamy Sausage Potato Soup
- These are great for White Chili
- They are fabulous in Breakfast Casseroles
- These are perfect in Homemade Sloppy Joes
- These are perfect to put in Meals In A Jar (short-term storage only)
Thrive Life says, “Add 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of Chopped Onions; let sit covered for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Fresh equivalent, 1 cup dry = 1 cup fresh (nearly one 4 oz. package). “
Shelf-Life
25 years unopened in optimal storage conditions (please do not store them in a hot garage)
2 years when opened (please remove the oxygen absorber and throw it out)
2. Celery
How Can I Use These
- Minestrone/Vegetable Beef Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Baked Egg Foo Young
- Any casserole that has celery
- Any soup that calls for celery
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Egg Salad
Thrive Life says, “Add 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of THRIVE™ Celery. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, then drain any excess water. For a fresh equivalent, 1 cup dry equals about two stalks.”
Shelf-Life
25 years unopened in optimal storage conditions (please do not store them in a hot garage)
Two years when opened (please remove the oxygen absorber and throw it out)
3. Red, Yellow, & Green Bell Peppers
How Can I Use These
- Casseroles
- Omelets, yay!! We always have bell peppers ready to go now!!
- Soups
- Homemade Vegetarian Chili
- Chili
- Stir fry
- Pizza
- Rice dishes
- Bean burritos
Thrive Life says, “Add 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of peppers; let sit covered for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Fresh equivalent, 1/3 cup dry = about one bell pepper; about two green chili peppers.”
Shelf-Life
25 years unopened in optimal storage conditions (please do not store them in a hot garage)
One year when opened (please remove the oxygen absorber and throw it out)
4. Potato Chunks/Shreds
How Can I Use These
- Mashed potatoes
- Potato Salad
- Creamy soups
- Creamy chowders
- Cheesy Potatoes, aka Funeral Potatoes
Thrive Life says, “Add 4 cups of hot water to 1 cup of potatoes and let sit until tender. Let potatoes soak for 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain water. Fresh equivalent: 1 cup dry = about 1/2 large potato.”
Shelf-Life
25 years unopened in optimal storage conditions (please do not store them in a hot garage)
Two years when opened (please remove the oxygen absorber and throw it out)
5. Green Onions
How Can I Use These
- Add to steamed rice
- Add to steamed brown rice
- These are great with cooked quinoa
- Just sprinkle on top of soups right out of the can
- Sprinkle on top of your 7-layer bean dip (layer beans, sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped black olives, and green onions right out of the can)
Thrive Life says, “Add 1/4 cup of lukewarm water to 1 cup of Green Onions and let sit for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Fresh equivalent: 1 cup dry = 6 1/2 cup stalks.”
Please note that I rarely hydrate them; I use them dry more often than not.
Shelf-Life
25 years unopened in optimal storage conditions (please do not store them in a hot garage)
One year when opened (please remove the oxygen absorber and throw it out)
Final Word
Here’s the deal: we can store many freeze-dried food items, but these are the top 5 I use almost daily. I never have an onion go squishy, moldy bell peppers, green onions never go slimy, and I always have some potatoes ready to use in any recipe. It’s all about cooking from scratch and using food from our pantry. You will love it, I promise. Thanks for prepping; we need to stay on it, my friends. May God bless this world, Linda
How To Survive On Freeze-Dried Food
Copyright Images: Bell Peppers Chopped Depositphotos_48795385_S ByTorsakarin
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