Freeze Dried Fruits For Emergency Survival

Emergency survival preparedness doesn’t mean a closet full of military meals. Get vitamins and antioxidants with freeze-dried fruit. Here’s where to buy it.

Some say emergency preparedness is for over thinkers, but with storms increasing in both severity and frequency both in the United States and around the world, emergency preparedness should increasingly become a way of life.

Despite the clear, practical need for a good food stockpile, over 200 million plans have no plan ready for emergencies or emergency food storage.

Storing food at home is an easy way to prepare for a disaster or emergency. If you already have a pantry or cupboard with non-perishable foods, you already do this in your own way.

Freeze-dried fruit is a simple way to get vitamins and nutrients that you won’t get from dehydrated meals or meats. Although the dehydrated versions of fruit lose some nutritional content, nutrition scientists recognize that most nutrients remain intact.

Ultimately, you’ll get vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber as well as the delicious sweet taste of your favorite fruits no matter what’s happening in the outside world.

Freeze-dried fruit is available from disaster prep retailers as well as small family farms with an abundance of crops. In this guide, you’ll learn about the best places to buy freeze-dried fruit in bulk.

Product Table And Comparison

How We Chose Our Ratings

Food production requires more careful consideration than other products because a fault product isn’t just annoying. In this case, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Our list of best places to buy freeze dried fruit—bulk—is a mindful list based on several components. We consider not only the quality of the fruit itself but the packaging and how well it protects the product. Price and product origination also play an essential role in our ratings. Shipping also factors because bulk products are cumbersome and expensive to ship, making the way different retailers deal with shipping vital to their business.

We then compared those components with people’s experiences of buying from these companies. After identifying the most common complaints and positive comments, we found the best products offered and added them to our list.

Top 4 Best Places to Buy Freeze Dried Fruit -Bulk

Here are some of the best places to buy freeze-dried fruit in bulk according to our ranking system.

Wise Company

No products found.

The Wise Company dedicates itself to providing affordable emergency preparedness and outdoor adventure foods. Their products, which include freeze-dried foods and instant meals, feature a 25-year shelf life courtesy of the company’s smart packaging methods.

Packaging sets the Wise Company apart substantially. The company works with Exxon Mobil Chemical, which uses its petrochemical technology to create innovative solutions for many industries. The Wise Company uses an ExxonMobil product called Metallyte™ in its packaging.

Metallyte™ is a film placed over the packaging that prevents oxygen or moisture from reaching the food in the packaging, so food comes out as fresh as it went into the container.

The Wise Company also partners with Silliker, a nutritional science quality control company. Together, the pair measures the oxygen levels and potential moisture penetration to improve the packaging and manufacturing processes continuously.

Based in Utah, all production takes place in the United States, but not all ingredients get produced here.

Although the Wise Company receives rave reviews on technology, taste varies. Individual recipes don’t have an impact on freeze-dried fruit, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re hoping to order all your survivalist gear in one place. Otherwise, the Wise Company is also less expensive than many other companies, so you’ll enjoy some value for money.

The Wise Company fails to address shipping costs on its website in part because it focuses heavily on its affiliate program, which allows individual sites to set shipping costs.

Products to Consider:

• Emergency Freeze Dried Fruit
• 720 Serving Freeze Dried Fruit Combo
• 1440 Serving Freeze Dried Fruit Combo
• Strawberries & Bananas
• Strawberries & Yoghurt

Augason Farms

Augason Farms is a pioneering family run business with a dedication to offering all American families an emergency option that is easy and affordable. While other manufacturers focus on quantity, Augason worries about quality.

No products found.

The food kits produced by Augason meet and exceed recommendations provided by the USDA. You’ll find it easy to identify products that help you consume at least 2,000 calories every day.

Additionally, Augason works with some of the nation’s biggest retailers, which provides external accountability. By working with Costco, Walmart and Sam’s Club, Association Foods, and WinCo, Augason Farms know that retailers expect a consistent product that attracts customers.

How Do They Do It?

Where other emergency preparedness companies work as affiliates or distributors for someone else’s products, Augason controls its supply chain from beginning to end. As a family-run operation, they’re able to travel to the source and follow production from start to end.

Augason Farms fails to outline shipping costs, but shipping is free on the largest, priciest products like the 1-year 4-person survival pack.

Products to Consider:

• Banana Chips
• Freeze Dried Berries Variety 3-Pack
• Freeze Dried Fruit and Vegetable Pail Combo
• Seedless Red Grapes

Mother Earth Products

Mother Earth Products suit both emergency preparedness-minded buyers and those who prefer to buy in bulk to suit a healthy lifestyle. Their products are most often used for cooking and snacking but are also perfectly suitable for long-term storage.

Storage includes sealed plastic quart jars that are well labeled and have easy to open lids. While their products aren’t ideal for long-term prepping, they are great for storage if you have long, difficult winters where you can’t get out to shop for several days or even several weeks.

Be certain you have storage available in a cool, dark place where the food won’t be impacted by light or temperature changes.

Customers report that the taste and texture of these fruits are reminiscent of the smaller, expensive bags found at grocery and health food stores. The fruit is sweet without being saccharine, and it is crunchy rather than hard like air-dried foods.

Mother Earth Products come in smaller sizes than the typical emergency preparedness gear, which makes shipping cheaper. Mother Earth offers free shipping on eligible orders.

Products to Consider:

• Mother Earth Products Freeze Dried Variety Samples Pack
• Freeze Dried Mangos (Quart Jar)
• Freeze Dried Berry De-lite Blend (Quart)
• Freeze Dried Blueberries

Emergency Essentials

Emergency Essentials offers a limited range of freeze-dried fruit products suitable for eating as is or for re-hydrating. Its packaging system includes a #10 stainless steel can fitted with an oxygen absorber to protect the integrity of the fruit even over long shelf-lives.

The products are easy to stack and store, but once opened, you’ll need to re-store the berries. Each can is fully-sealed and requires a can opener to get inside. Some recommend putting the fruit in airtight bags and then re-storing them in the can using the tight plastic lid.

Unlike other companies, Emergency Essentials fruits don’t feature added sugar or other sweeteners. Those used to products with the extra sugar may find that the product is not as sweet as they may be accustomed to. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind that these products, in particular, are well-suited to re-hydration, which adds back in some of the more vibrant flavors.

Although re-hydration is an option, it may not always work to your tastes. The pieces of fruit found in the cans may be smaller than you’re used to buying smaller packets from grocery stores.

Shipping depends on your purchase, location, and the vendor.

Products to Consider:

• Emergency Essentials Freeze Dried Sliced Strawberries
• Emergency Essentials Freeze Dried Banana Slices

Buyer’s Guide

Are you new to bulk buying? Have you previously limited yourself to dehydrated apricots and other fruits sold in small quantities for high prices in your local supermarket or health food store?

Buying freeze-dried fruit in bulk differs from regular grocery shopping, and understanding the basics makes it easier to find the right products. After all, you’ll end up with several pounds of the fruit – it’s important to enjoy eating it.

What Is Freeze-Dried Fruit?

Freeze-dried fruit is like dried fruit in that the drying process removes all the water from the fruit. However, where dried fruit features dehydration only, freeze-dried fruit includes an additional step: freezing.

The process involves freezing the fruit until it’s frozen solid. Once ready, food producers use a vacuum pump to remove the water followed by heat to remove the ice.

To air-dry fruit, you use warm air rather than an ice-cold chill.

Dried fruit tends to be soft and chewy, but freeze-dried fruit offers a crunchy texture and a brighter taste.

It’s worth noting that freeze-dried fruit is more sophisticated than plain dried fruit. While producers continue to improve the quality of dried fruit, freeze-dried fruits taste better. It’s expensive, but freeze-drying is far closer to the taste of fresh fruit because it offers brighter flavors.

How Is Freeze-Dried Fruit Stored?

Freeze-dried fruit and any other food preserved similarly have a shelf life of 25 years – if you store it correctly.

When buying any freeze-dried food, it’s important to keep an eye on the container used to store them. Each storage container must:

• Keep out oxygen
• Keep out moisture

What containers work best? Here are a few commonly used containers:

Mylar Bags

There’s not a wrong way to store freeze-dried fruit. The most common method features Mylar bags, which are both easy to find and inexpensive. You’ll need to remove the oxygen from the container to prevent I from damaging the food. You can do this with an oxygen absorber. Just seal the pack with an iron.

You can also use Mylar bags as liners for other containers.

#10 Cans

Cans work well for long-term storage, but they’re more substantial than different methods while also featuring a smaller surface area. Bulk storage cans best suit small families or larger groups over a few months. However, if you’re hoping to feed more than a few family members, you might find they’re too small for the purpose.

Cans also tend to be more expensive in part because of changes to tin and steel prices and also because they require a particular machine to seal them. You’re less likely to see DIY freeze-drying operations stored in cans.

Vacuum-Sealed Plastic Bags

You’ll find trail packs sealed up in vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Although they’re good for fruit, avoid buying meat or protein sealed in these bags.

Airtight Jars and Other Household Storage Items

Considering making your own dried fruit? There’s no need to buy a can sealer. Airtight items like jars work well for dried fruits and nuts.

What Type of Storage Should I Choose?

Choosing the best storage solution depends on the amount of food you’re interested in and how and where you intend to store the food.

The types of storage listed above are in descending order from largest to smallest. The storage solutions with the most substantial volume tend to come in tubs or containers with mylar seals followed by #10 cans.

Do the math to determine how much food makes the most sense for yourself or your household and order accordingly. If you have an emergency plan already, add the figures into that plan and then adjust accordingly.

Finally, note the space you have available for storage. Large gallon tubs fit in big, open closets, but won’t fit in small, shelved pantries. Keep the intended space in mind because you want to keep the food where it won’t be disturbed by changes in light or heat.

Why Buy Bulk Food?

Buying bulk costs less—sometimes. With the proper research, you’ll save thousands of dollars every year on foods your love and want to store.

Moreover, food is an investment, and prices are always increasing. As our climate begins to change, ecosystems suffer, and storms do damage to crops, you might find some foods become harder to source. And when they pop up, they are only available at an extortionate price. Bulking pricing now means you might you might save on challenging to find foods tomorrow.