What are the benefits of air dried and freeze dried food?

	AIR DRIED	FREEZE DRIED
Process	Evaporation. Food is exposed to heated air and water escapes.	Sublimation. Food is placed in a refrigerated vacuum where ice disappears in the form of escaping water vapor.
Shelf Life	18 months or more	24 months or more
Cost	Very cost effective	Less cost effective
Flavor	Good	Excellent
Nutritional Value	Excellent	Excellent
Cooking Recommendations	Perfect for cooking applications such as homemade soups, casseroles, and sauces.	Eat as is or add to trail mixes, salads, smoothies, cereals, or desserts. Perfect for cooking applications as well.
Weight and Size	Lightweight and very compact.	Extremely lightweight, not compact.
Durability	Durable - resists crumbling apart, even when cooked.	Fragile – can crumble or crush easily.
Storage	No refrigeration. Store in a sealed bag. To keep longer than 18 months, visit Sorbent Systems for packaging ideas.	No refrigeration. Store tightly sealed in a good moisture barrier bag. To keep longer than 24 months, visit Sorbent Systems for packaging ideas.

Favorite Air Dried Products

• Mixed Veggies
• Tomato Flakes
• Red and Green Pepper Mix
• White Onion
• Sweet Corn

Favorite Freeze Dried Products

• Blueberries
• Broccoli Florets
• Strawberries
• Green Beans

Common Questions about Air Dried & Freeze Dried Foods

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 re-sealable 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 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.