What is the shelf life of freeze dried food?
Mountain House for example, advertises a 30 year shelf life for most of their food products. We’ve found that shelf life between freeze dried and dehydrated foods is the same. Freeze dried foods in cans have the very longest shelf life, while freeze dried foods in foil pouches are good 7 – 10 years. These are usually 2 – 4 person servings and were intended to be rehydrated right in their foil pouch (just add hot water to the pouch and let sit for 10 – 15 minutes then eat). For best possible shelf life of any storable foods, cool constant temperatures are best. We recommend basements, root cellars, pantry or cubboards. Store food out of direct sunlight is also very wise. See our shelf life page for more information. There really is no difference at all between cans shelf life and buckets shelf life. If they are both sealed, stored in a cool, dry location, they will last the same length of time.
