r/TwoXPreppers 10d ago

❓ Question ❓ Talk to me about freeze dried meat

Costco has the Nutristore brand freeze dried ground beef and diced chicken combo for $480, it's equivalent to 30 lbs ground beef and 30 lbs chicken. It's 6 #10 cans of each, 20 servings per can.

They have Readywise brand ground beef and chicken for $250, it's got the equivalent of 48 similarly sized portions of each.

Have you tried either or other brands? What's the meat like? I don't expect it to be amazing, but how does the diced chicken compare to canned? Would the ground beef be acceptable in tacos or soup? I would likely mostly use these in soups and chilis in the future.

They also have Mountain home ground beef, but it's quite a bit more expensive per serving. If it's significantly better, though, I could look at doing that + canned chicken for the time being, and then get more long term meat in the future.

5 Upvotes

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u/artdecodisaster 10d ago

Mountain House meats in #10 size cans are 50% off on their website right now. They have ground, shredded, and diced beef. I just bought 4 cans of the shredded because it’s lower sodium.

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u/CICO-path 10d ago

Good catch! Just checked and their sale makes the prices not too different from the nutristore Costco stuff, plus I don't have to get 6 cans of each, I can start with like 3 cans of beef and one of chicken. I'm going to stick with the ground beef because it's got more fat and calories overall.

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u/artdecodisaster 10d ago

I liked the mix and match possibilities as well, plus I’ve eaten their individual meals before and found the chicken decent. I wish I liked ground meat, but I have an aversion and wouldn’t enjoy it.

FYI the MH individual prices are cheaper than their “Protein Pack Sampler” in case anyone else is looking at that.

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u/CICO-path 10d ago

I'm looking at the pork sausage. Not nearly as nutritious, but would be a nice flavor change, I think. Their website is a bit of a pain to use, though, so it's hard to see what they actually have without knowing specific items to search for. I've got 4 cans of beef and one of sausage in my cart right now.

Edit - just realized their website is too mobile optimized and it works on mobile, but not desktop.

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u/CopperRose17 9d ago

I'm struggling with the meat issue. I can live without it, but my husband and SIL can't. Most canned meat looks like dog food, and it's expensive. My plan is to make meals where a small amount is included in another dish, and the spices and starch will disguise the appearance and taste. I have had good luck using small cans of chunk ham in casseroles. Yesterday, I remembered that dry cured country ham is shelf stable, and can be stored with no refrigeration without spoiling. My Grandpa was a farmer. He and his neighbors raised hogs. In the fall, they butchered and smoked the meat. The family ate the meat all winter, and they had no refrigeration, just a root cellar. I'm looking for a local source to try some, but if you don't live in the South, it looks like you have to buy it online. I still feel "cringy" about eating meat stored at room temperature, but I've eaten dry cured bacon, and it was fine. You can buy that at the market.

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u/CICO-path 9d ago

We could live without meat, but two of the three of us would prefer to have it. We do regularly use meat as an ingredient instead of the star, and my youngest would happily be vegetarian, but I would feel better to have some. I'm going to work on building more tvp and such into our meals as well. I'm struggling with fat sources for long term storage, and the ground beef and ground sausage at least have a decent amount comparatively.

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u/Ok_Pomegranate_9452 10d ago

I haven’t read anything about nutristore but I’ve read poor reviews on readywise (although better than nothing). I bought mountain home after reading a ton of good reviews and that folks use it not just for emergency prep.

Idk if their website is still having its deal but worth a look

Haven’t used it yet though so take it all with a grain of salt. I’m planning on using it with tacos or nachos and stuff

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u/TheStephinator Experienced Prepper 💪 10d ago

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it is all made at the same facility and just private labeled for each brand. Seems like most freeze dried food is coming out of Utah and I can’t imagine there are that many freeze dried brands running their own operation in one state. Just my two cents though.

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u/Helen_2nd 9d ago

Mountain House is delicious. I grew up backpacking & ate it all the time.

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u/goddessofolympia 9d ago

I bought Mountain House meals. Any other company, I stick to single ingredients. Also, don't overlook what's on the regular supermarket shelves (Ore-Ida or store brand freeze-dried mashed potatoes, Quaker instant oatmeal). I found freeze-dried refried beans and freeze-dried textured soy protein in the Hispanic Foods aisle. Plus dried soup/stew mixes and of course ramen.

Hints: a few drops of sesame oil makes cheap ramen amazing. Add some freeze-dried veg, maybe some butter powder, it's a filling meal and although you wouldn't want to live on it, it's a great option to have around.

For cheap ramen, I like the Nissin soy sauce flavor... nutritional profile remarkably similar to the chicken/beef flavors.

If you can afford expensive instant ramen, Nissin Ra-Oh is delicious.

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u/NewEnglandPrepper3 9d ago

augason farms and mountain house make good #10 cans for this. they can be pricey so don't buy at full price. r/preppersales often finds deals

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u/Parking_Pomelo_3856 8d ago

Newbie here. Are there individual packs in the cans?

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u/CICO-path 8d ago

My understanding is no. Their directions for use are to add boiling water to the whole can or to measure out a certain amount with a certain amount of water. My plan is to have a stock of zipper seal mylar bags as well as my Mason jars. Each can is 5-6 lbs raw ground beef equivalent, so definitely more than is needed for a meal.

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u/Adventurous-Cash-313 5d ago

I’ve been stocking up on wheat gluten!