Keep your family prepared and your pantry stocked with the convenience of freeze-dried fruit! This versatile ingredient is perfect for busy households. Whip up quick snacks, nutritious breakfasts, and fun lunches for everyone on the go. Plus, freeze-dried fruit is a lifesaver when you need to restock your emergency food kit.
While fresh produce is an important part of a healthy diet, it does have a limited shelf life. Freeze-dried fruit offers a solution for both everyday meals and emergency preparedness. This guide explores the benefits of incorporating freeze-dried fruit into your food storage plan, addressing common concerns about cost and usability, like seemingly useless leftover fruit powder, and sharing recipes for delicious snacks and breakfasts.
By planning your grocery list strategically and incorporating some cost-saving techniques, you can free up some of your grocery budget to invest in the long-term benefits of freeze-dried fruit for your pantry. It’s important to bear in mind fruit is prized not for its caloric value, but for its other nutrients and the positive effect it has on morale. Keeping this in mind, freeze-dried fruit is very cost-efficient indeed.
Beverages
Strawberry Milkshakes
Try strawberry milkshakes for an after-school treat. What kid wouldn’t want to tell you all about their school day when there are milkshakes on offer?
Ingredients
- 2 cups freeze-dried strawberry slices
- 4 cups milk from Instant Milk (2/3 cup powder + 4 cups water)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 24 ice cubes
Instructions
- Reconstitute your chosen fruit first according to the instructions on the can, and drain excess water.
- Blend together with a hand or electric blender until smooth.
Variations: Try adding freeze-dried bananas, blueberries, and peaches.
Raspberry Lemonade
You could also try my super-simple, no-fail recipe for raspberry lemonade using FD raspberries:
- Make lemonade, either from actual lemons or from a powdered mix.
- Add raspberries or raspberry powder to taste.
Breakfast Options
One of the hardest parts of the family routine is in late summer, when school begins. Mornings can be the most stressful part of the day during a hectic school year, but quick and easy breakfast options can go a long way toward keeping life simple.
Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 cup freeze-dried apple slices
- 2/3 cup dehydrated rolled oats
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup dehydrated fat-free milk
- 1 tbsp. freeze-dried fruit, your preference
Directions
- Chop apples into small bite-size pieces.
- Combine water, apple juice, and apples in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, and stir in rolled oats and cinnamon.
- Return to boil; Reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes.
- Spoon into serving bowls, and pour milk over servings.
Quick Oat Groats
For an even quicker, more convenient breakfast, consider making this recipe in a crock pot the night before using oat groats. Use 1 cup oat groats and 4 cups water, and keep on the low setting overnight. Treat this hot cereal the same way you would oatmeal and add your favorite mix-ins. Brown sugar and cinnamon, fresh fruit, and, of course, freeze-dried fruit! Read more about oat groats and how to use them.
Snacks and Lunches
While you can also use freeze-dried fruit for baking into a cobbler, pie, and other baked goods, at my house we like to eat it straight-up plain. Strawberry slices are our favorite, but we have also very much enjoyed peaches and blueberries (careful, they stain!) – the small size of the individual pieces makes them perfect snacking for young kids.
Next time you’re making up your child’s lunchbox, consider including some freeze-dried bananas in a baggie. Your kid will be the envy of the school cafeteria. Another good choice for snacks and school lunches are freeze-dried yogurt bites. My kids adore these beyond candy, which makes them exceedingly useful as bribes. I hand them out straight from the can or mixed with dry cereal and nuts for a homemade trail mix.
All freeze-dried fruit is a great choice for healthy snacks and meals because they contain nothing but the fruit. No additives, preservatives, or sweeteners of any kind.
Pro Tips for Using Freeze-dried Fruit
- Don’t throw away leftover fruit powder at the bottom of the can! Use it in smoothies or other beverages. When my family finishes up a can of FD fruit, we usually find some powder at the bottom of every can. This is just the result of the dried fruit rubbing against each other, all nice and cozy in the can. And it’s not waste – it’s concentrated fruit flavor! Add a spoonful or two to smoothies, yogurt parfaits, or even homemade protein shakes for a burst of flavor and a hidden dose of extra nutrients.
- Look for sales to get the most out of your freeze-dried fruit purchases. Freeze-dried fruit can seem expensive at first glance. However, by waiting for sales or special offers, you can stock up on your favorites at a significant discount. Bulk options may also be cost-effective depending on your family’s needs.
- Freeze-dried fruit can be enjoyed as-is for a healthy snack or incorporated into baking. The versatility of freeze-dried fruit is a major advantage. Enjoy them plain or mix varieties for a satisfying and portable freeze dried fruit snack pack, or get creative! Use them in muffins, cookies, trail mix, or even homemade granola bars for a fun and nutritious addition to your baking repertoire.
Should You Include Freeze-Dried Fruit in Your Food Storage?
While some may find freeze-dried fruit expensive or unnecessary, it offers several advantages for food storage:
- Nutrional Value: Freeze-dried fruit is prized for its vitamins and minerals, providing a valuable source of nutrition during emergencies.
- Improved Morale: Freeze-dried fruit offers a taste of variety and normalcy during difficult times.
- Cost-effective: Freeze-dried fruit can be a cost-efficient way to add essential nutrients to your emergency food storage, especially when bought on sale.
- Nothing but Fruit: It’s easy to assume that freeze-dried fruit is tainted with something when things like high fructose corn syrup and its variants are in so many foods. If you check the labels on cans of FD fruit, you’ll find this:
These are wholesome goodies you can enjoy without feeling even a tad guilty that you just might be serving your loved ones something that isn’t the best.
TIP: Expensive freeze-dried fruit is on my top Food Storage Myths.
FAQ
The shelf life of freeze-dried fruit typically ranges from 25 to 30 years when stored unopened in a cool, dry place. Once opened, it’s recommended to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for optimal quality and to prevent spoilage, but it will still be safe to consume for several months.
Most freeze-dried fruit can be enjoyed straight out of the can for a delicious snack. However, if you prefer a plumper texture, simply follow the rehydration instructions on the package. This typically involves soaking the fruit in water for a few minutes.
This powder is a great addition to smoothies, milkshakes, or even homemade lemonade.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to use freeze-dried fruit is simple; it’s a super versatile and tasty product that I recommend. The versatility of freeze-dried fruit means you don’t even need to wait until an emergency to enjoy the delights of freeze-dried fruit. You can enjoy it right now!
via thesurvivalmom
