I'd post this in the food/recipe forum, but there isn't always a lot of traffic on that one.

Mountain House has #10 cans for 50% off right now. I was wondering what kind of luck people have had separating bulk freeze dried meat and vacuum sealing it into smaller packaging? I would assume the shelf life (20-30 years) would be reduced?

If you've done this, do you add food grade oxygen absorbing packets to the vacuum seal bags as well? Have you had any spoiling issues or a noticeable difference in taste/texture over time?

Thanks for any advice!

I have vacuum sealed the Mountain House freeze-dried chicken to be used later. I stored the vacuum sealed portions in my freezer to be cautious, and used it up later the same season, so within a few months. It seemed fine and no one got sick from eating it.

Where is the sale for 50% off?

We always split up the MH chicken by vacuum sealing with oxygen absorbing packs, and then storing in the freezer. I have never kept them more than a few months, but it seemed to work fine. Try to keep everything as sterile as possible and remember that those o2 absorption packs will only last a short time once opened, so get them in the vac bag quickly so they have enough capacity left to deal with the residual o2 in the vac bag. We also try to do it when the humidity is low(winter time) so as to keep moisture in the air to a minimum.

TomP: "Where is the sale for 50% off? "

FYI Mountain House has the #10 cans for 50% off again. Some proceeds go to the Red Cross.

Saberboys: "

TomP: "Where is the sale for 50% off? "

FYI Mountain House has the #10 cans for 50% off again. Some proceeds go to the Red Cross."

Thanks!

Interesting because MH doesn't vacuum seal their soft packages. I've wondered about repackaging too because when you add a bunch of their packages to the food barrel a lot of the space is taken up by air.

Argo: "Interesting because MH doesn't vacuum seal their soft packages. I've wondered about repackaging too because when you add a bunch of their packages to the food barrel a lot of the space is taken up by air."

That is why I poke a pin through the MH packages (or those from similar manufacturers) and press the air out as well as I can. I try to put the hole near the top of the package and then cover it with a piece of duct tape. The package volume is much reduced and I'm still able to use the package for hydrating the food.

Ausable: "

Argo: "Interesting because MH doesn't vacuum seal their soft packages. I've wondered about repackaging too because when you add a bunch of their packages to the food barrel a lot of the space is taken up by air."

That is why I poke a pin through the MH packages (or those from similar manufacturers) and press the air out as well as I can. I try to put the hole near the top of the package and then cover it with a piece of duct tape. The package volume is much reduced and I'm still able to use the package for hydrating the food."

Hmmm...that sounds like a great idea. Unless there's some expert with an objection that we're ignoring, I think I'm gonna do that. All of our packages are used within 9-10 days. I don't see a downside.

Thanks for posting about the sale...we were planning on using a can this September so this was a great deal. I am planning to divide the can into ziplocks the week before our trip.

Ausable: "

Argo: "Interesting because MH doesn't vacuum seal their soft packages. I've wondered about repackaging too because when you add a bunch of their packages to the food barrel a lot of the space is taken up by air."

That is why I poke a pin through the MH packages (or those from similar manufacturers) and press the air out as well as I can. I try to put the hole near the top of the package and then cover it with a piece of duct tape. The package volume is much reduced and I'm still able to use the package for hydrating the food."

+1 - I do the same with just about any prepackaged stuff, especially stuff with a resealable top. Make a small hole, squeeze out the extra air, then 'reseal' the bag's zip-closure. I don't bother with tape on those. If you have a food sealer, you can actually re-heat seal the MH bags. I buy a lot of freeze-dried fruits and veg's from North Bay Trading Co. and heat seal their bags again all the time. Same thing with the Ova-Easy packages. I'll often split up the eggs into smaller portions and re-seal what's left in the original bag. It helps keep them fresh and free of additional moisture getting inside.

pd

Just as a bit of context for what I have to contribute. My trip partner and I are professional cooks with years of kitchen experience and Servsafe Food Safety Manager training/accreditation. Proper hygiene and clean containers are required, but otherwise, I am comfortable with repackaging these products in well sealed, dry containers for personal use. Though, I do inspect each meal while packing prior to the trip and before preparation to check for moisture in the meals' packaging.

I have repackaged freeze dried foods for trips before, and done so weeks before the trip. We use various freeze dried and dehydrated ingredients mixed together in a number of recipes for breakfast and dinner. We vacuum seal the meals and we have been totally fine eating them on our trips. As an additional anecdote, I ate a few leftover breakfasts (freeze dried eggs + dehydrated veg + freeze dried sausage) over a year after we initially portioned and repacked the food. No negative impact at all.

I would not repackage and resell/gift freeze dried or dehydrated food. That would be very questionable. But, so long as you are doing the work for yourself and follow good food safety cleanliness you can have good results. Of course, the less time between repacking and eating the less likely there will be an issue. My anecdotal evidence is that proper methods can maintain the safety and quality of repackaged freeze dried foods for at least a year.

pleflar: "Just as a bit of context for what I have to contribute. My trip partner and I are professional cooks with years of kitchen experience and Servsafe Food Safety Manager training/accreditation. Proper hygiene and clean containers are required, but otherwise, I am comfortable with repackaging these products in well sealed, dry containers for personal use. Though, I do inspect each meal while packing prior to the trip and before preparation to check for moisture in the meals' packaging.


I have repackaged freeze dried foods for trips before, and done so weeks before the trip. We use various freeze dried and dehydrated ingredients mixed together in a number of recipes for breakfast and dinner. We vacuum seal the meals and we have been totally fine eating them on our trips. As an additional anecdote, I ate a few leftover breakfasts (freeze dried eggs + dehydrated veg + freeze dried sausage) over a year after we initially portioned and repacked the food. No negative impact at all.


I would not repackage and resell/gift freeze dried or dehydrated food. That would be very questionable. But, so long as you are doing the work for yourself and follow good food safety cleanliness you can have good results. Of course, the less time between repacking and eating the less likely there will be an issue. My anecdotal evidence is that proper methods can maintain the safety and quality of repackaged freeze dried foods for at least a year. "

Exceptional addition to this thread, thank you very much.