Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place my order by phone? Yes, please call us at 1-800-348-0164 or 715-372-5031 between 9-4 pm CST. You may have to leave a message, but we will always return your call, usually within 30 minutes. Please note online order discounts are not applicable to phone orders.

Which products are gluten free? Our wild rice, freeze dried fruits, freeze dried vegetables, and air dried vegetables are gluten free.

What is the shelf life of your products? Each product has a best if used by time period listed in the Cooking Tips tab of the product detail page. For most products, the range is 18 to 24 months. Packaged products are in high quality resealable zipper pouches. You can super extend shelf life to many years with a household vacuum packaging machine and/or other techniques. Custom packaging information and supplies for long term food storage are available at Sorbent Systems, which has online ordering of custom bags, moisture absorbers, oxygen absorbers, heat sealers, and vacuum sealers.

How does drying preserve food? Moisture is removed from the food so bacteria, yeast, and mold cannot grow and cause spoilage. North Bay Trading only offers dried food. We have a great selection of wild rice, dry soup mixes, freeze dried fruits, freeze dried vegetables, and air dried vegetables.

What is freeze dried? Freeze dried food is placed in a refrigerated vacuum, where, without thawing, it is dehydrated — ice disappears in the form of escaping water vapor. Cell structure remains intact, which results in excellent retention of flavor, color, shape, and nutritional value. Freeze dried food can be eaten as is, hydrated quickly, or, with fruit, used in making drinks or baked goods. Please note fruit which is "dried," but not "freeze dried," is generally made in other processes which cost less but add sweeteners — often water content is simply replaced with sugar.

What is air dried? Our air dried vegetables, often generically called dehydrated vegetables, are specifically made by subjecting vegetables to heat, resulting in water evaporation. The physical size of the vegetables are reduced. When cooked, the vegetables hydrate nicely and often remain intact (versus crumbling apart), making them ideal for liquid cooking applications such as homemade soups and dips.

Are your products GMO free? Yes — our partner growers and processors have assured us of no genetically modified crops. Please note we do not perform in house laboratory testing to verify GMO free as there is not a scientifically approved procedure.

What is the nutritional value of North Bay dried fruits and vegetables? The nutritional value of our products are quite favorable, almost as good as fresh, and definitely better than canned. Nutritional data will vary by variety — each of our product detail pages have Nutritional Facts.

Are your fruits or vegetables processed with sulfur or sulfites? No — our products are not subject to sulfering and sulfite dipping. These treatments are often used to prevent long term darkening but have been linked to asthmatic reactions in a small portion of the asthmatic population. When color retention is a concern, North Bay's products will use a natural and safe alternative, such as the 0.6% lemon juice added to our freeze dried apples — such ingredients will be listed on the product detail page.

How do I enter a promotion or coupon code?

How do I get a promotion code? Occasionally we email promotion codes or post them on this website. Please sign up for our news and email specials by entering your email address in the Keep in Touch box on the left side of the screen.

Do you charge tax? No, we only sell food and thus do not charge tax.

Can I order a consumer direct print catalog? Sorry, we do not publish a print catalog for retail distribution. Our product pages are printer friendly.

Is pricing and sizing kept current? Yes, we keep the website current, however, market prices and box sizes can change on short notice (very rare). But we would certainly discuss any such situation with you before filling your order.

How do I make any order a gift order to a single address? Select any combination of items and then, at step 4 of check out, check the box next to "Do you have any gift items in your order?" Then you can enter a gift message. Also, remember to specify the gift recipient's shipping name and address in the ship to fields, instead of your billing address.

Can I send items as gifts to multiple addresses? Yes, the check out process allows you to enter multiple shipping addresses and specify gift messages. Here's how to send 2 or more gift boxes or any combination of products as gifts to friends and family:

• Place 2 or more products in your cart. Then view cart and select "Checkout with Multiple Addresses."
• Please complete login or register as a new customer.
• Enter all recipient names and addresses using the enter new address button.
• After entering all addresses, use the drop down boxes to select which items ship to which addresses.
• Then select update quantity and addresses and continue to shipping information and select shipping method.
• Below shipping selection, select the box for gift messages and enter your gift message for each address. Messages will be enclosed in each gift box. This all takes place in step 4 of check out
• Then complete check out by entering your credit card information. Your gift order will be wrapped in tissue paper, packaged in a white box, labeled as a gift, and shipped within one business day.

After completing payment at check out, my order was declined? Our website has security measures to prevent fraud. You must enter the correct credit card CVV code. Also, your billing address must match the address on your billing statement. The staff at North Bay does not see your credit card number and does not approve or disapprove credit card transactions — that process is handled by secure and encrypted communication between merchant banks. If you are declined, please try again and/or contact your credit card provider.

I registered for wholesale site access but I cannot login? After initial registration, an email is immediately sent requesting information about your business. Please reply to this email so we can review your business documentation. Once approved, you will receive an email notification of wholesale site activation and your login will then work. Please be sure to login at the wholesale page with the same email address used in the initial wholesale registration. Please note your wholesale login will not work on our retail site.

I registered or ordered before August, 2009 and my login does not work anymore? Sorry, you will need to use the Forgot Your Password function to reset your password. We apologize for deleting all passwords in a major site upgrade performed on July 30th, 2009.

Please call us at 800-348-0164 with any additional questions, Thanks!