The Freeze Drying Process

Back country cuisine products are easy to prepare and taste great because of their unique freeze drying process. 

This combines quick-to-hydrate, freeze dried vegetables and meats with delicious sauce mixes that retain their natural flavours. The result is tasty freeze dried meals that can be prepared inside the pack in 10 minutes with just a bit of boiling water.

The freeze drying process

During the freeze drying process, crystals of frozen ice in the food are sublimed (evaporated) to water vapour in a vacuum chamber. The result is a completely dry product that does not shrink during the drying process. When prepared for eating, the water is quickly absorbed by the pores left by the ice crystals to give a juicy, tender food product.

After packing, the food is heat-sealed in foil pouches from which all the air has been removed and replaced with nitrogen gas, keeping the food safe and flavoursome for at least three years.

Back country cuisine meals are formulated to meet the high energy needs of outdoor activity and our products have a careful mix of the essential components needed for a healthy diet. This includes balanced carbohydrates and sugars for instant energy, protein to replenish exhausted muscles and oils and fats to keep you feeling full.

Benefits

• Freeze drying removes the moisture from food making it much lighter and easier to carry
• Freeze drying retains the natural vitamins in the food because of the low temperatures used in processing
• Along with naturally occurring minerals and the addition of salt, the freeze dried meals provide vitamins and minerals necessary to meet the high energy needs of outdoor activity
• Flushed with nitrogen gas when packed, freeze dried products have a long shelf life, meaning you can have meals on hand at any time
• Food does not shrink during the freeze drying process, or inside the pouch 

How to prepare Back Country Cuisine's freeze dried meals

Freeze dried meal packs

Simply add the required amount of hot or cold water stated on the back of each meal pouch, stir and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. The result is a delicious freeze dried meal wherever you may be. Check out the added lower tear tab on all pouches, once the meal has been reconstituted just tear the lower perforation and use the pouch as a bowl. A great idea and saves getting messy hands when using your spoon or fork.

Flameless heater packs

The pack consists of an outer foil cooking pouch and 2 inner plastic heat pads containing sachets of reactants. Add water to a freeze dried meal pouch to reconstitute it and then put it into the foil cooking pouch. Add water to the inner heat pads to initiate the reaction. The sachets in the heat pads contain mixed powdered magnesium, powdered iron and salt. When water is added to the heat bags the salt forms an electrolyte solution, the iron acts as an anode, the magnesium acts as a cathode, and the magnesium oxidises at an increased rate giving off strong heat. The product will not generate flame or sufficient heat to cause ignition.

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