I like the Mountain House freeze dried ice cream sandwiches but at $2 a pop, a little too expensive to stock. Of course, I didn't really stock them, I just ate them as I got them. They come in Mylar so would store forever.

 

Not exactly forever. Even MH, which normally claims 30+ years on most of their stuff, only claims 3 years with ice cream. And it's over $4 now.

 

I have seen Mountain House neapolitan in the camping section of Walmart. Havent tried it though.

 

That's the same stuff as the astronaut ice cream. To me, it tastes like a dried out marshmallow! :

 

i think it tastes fine to me, creamy but not exactly like real ice cream. the best part is letting it 'melt' in your mouth. Any local outdoor store has them, as said above, mountain house if what the best.

 

i tried a sandwich from frys electronics. i guess it would help a serious ice cream jonesing.

 

It's more like candy, and you do not want to try and rehydrate it.

 

Wally world has them? Fry's electronics? The outdoor stores have them for $6. Too much to try.

OK, if they are at Walmart prices, I'll have to get some tonight.

Thanks!

 

I buy the Freeze Dried Neapolitan Ice Cream Slices from Emergency Essentials. My family really likes them. They are great for a quick treat while driving or camping.

 

Prompted by forum members, I headed to the local Wally World. Sporting Goods section. There in front of me, for $1.88 was the item in question. Mountain House. Single sample.

I bought and couldn't wait long enough to get home to try it out. I devoured it in the car. The verdict?

Delicious! Taste was much better than expected. Very crumbly and dry, after all, it's dehaydrated. This is not your astronaut ice cream from yester year. Not chalky. Not pastey. It's dry and creamy, which is weird, but in a good unexpected way.

This stuff is great. A bit expensive, but the price has come down quite a bit from years past. Are they as good as the real thing? No. But, they are a solid substitute. Fat content is high, but for this could be a good thing in actual BOB situation. For sure, I like the taste, and the texture. The consistency is weird, because it's competing/mimicking a frozen, creamy, cold item, when in fact it's dry and room temperature. It does a good job in a most unorthodox way.

I give it overall 8.5 / 10.

I don't know how long the quality has been this good, or the price has been this low. Thanks for the great info folks.

 

I bought two cases of the mountain house variety about 4 months ago. The price was a little cheaper than walmart's prices; I'm wanting to say it came to around $1.50 per serving with shipping (super saver). I thought it was a good comfort food, particularly for small children.

 

As stated, WM has them and they are good.

 

Have you tried making ice cream? Might be worth it to get a hand-cranked machine.

 

I have one, as I'm sure most of us do, but I don't have a cow. Without a store to buy cream or milk I'd be up the creek; not to mention ice being difficult to get a hold of!

 

I've tried the MH stuff from WalMart too. Thumbs up from my daughter and me, although too $$ for me to stock much.

 

As close as I've come to FD ice cream is the MRE shakes I bought a whole slug of a few years back. Only tried the vanilla and it was OK, but it would have been better if very cold. They're meant to be an energizing quick snack and not a gourmet delight. With that in mind I think anything in that category would be an excellent prep item.

I firmly believe that after all the first-line goodies we've grown accustomed to are no longer available, our palates will adjust if allowed to.

 

Freeze-dried ice cream, also known as astronaut ice cream, is a popular novelty treat that has been associated with space travel. It goes through a freeze-drying process that removes most of the water content while preserving the flavor and texture.
Many brands offer freeze-dried ice cream, and flavors can vary. The most common flavors include vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Some brands also offer additional flavors like Neapolitan (a combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) or other creative variations.
The taste and quality of freeze-dried ice cream can differ depending on the brand and personal preference. Some people enjoy the unique texture and intense flavor, while others may find it different from traditional ice cream. It's worth noting that freeze-dried ice cream has a different texture compared to regular ice cream since it is freeze-dried, which results in a dry, crumbly, and airy texture.

Weird, I asked ChatGPT this morning to tell me about freeze-dried ice cream and it said almost exactly the same thing.

 

I did some ice cream sandwiches in my freeze dryer. They taste like an ice cream flavored cookie. some people freeze dry scoops of ice cream. I honestly don’t care for it.

 

I still have several cases of them from years ago. MH in #10 cans, I have a couple different flavors but my favorite are the round ice cream sandwiches, think of them more like a shortbread cookie as to the texture.
They are hidden behind the cases of FD pork chops and salmon.

Everything FD has gone crazy in prices and OFD is still bscklogged so dont expect prices to come back down.

A really good running thread that posts current FD sales and info

Dehydrated and Freeze Dried LTS Deals and Reviews...

I'm starting this thread because I'm a bit ocd 😄 and want to keep all the Augason Farms deals on Amazon up to date and in order. I'd also love to hear what products "friends don't let friends buy" and all comments, food comparisons, and/or reviews are welcome. 🙂

www.survivalistboards.com

 

I put a FD ice cream sandwich in my granddaughter's Christmas stocking one year (about 5 years ago) and she loved it. The rest of the family saw it and she gave each a bite and they all wanted one the next Christmas.
Now it's like a requirement that I add one to everybody's stocking each year.

I've liked them since I got one at Cape Canaveral when I was a kid about 45 years ago

 

I had some astronaut ice cream many years ago. Cost about $4 for a small piece. Tasted like month old cream candy. Are the new freeze dried stuff any better?

It's the same stuff. Many people really like it for reasons that escape me, but if you didn't before, you probably won't now.

Disclaimer: I don't like the high-overrun, gum-laden, synthetically flavored goop that is commonly sold as "ice cream" now, so stands to reason I wouldn't like it any better freeze-dried. If I want ice cream, I get out the cream, milk, sugar, and flavoring of choice. Since I like to eat frozen cream, not frozen air, I keep the overrun around 50%. If there isn't a freezer/ice and salt available to make ice cream/gelato, then I turn those ingredients into pudding/mousse instead, cooked or instant. Less expensive, tastier, and more satisfying in my book. YMMV.

 

Made it many times in my harvest right. Turns out fantastic if you keep a couple of things in mind:

1) Prefreeze your trays.
2) Garbage in, garbage out. Use only high quality ice cream.
3) Work quickly to avoid it thawing out.

 

2) Garbage in, garbage out. Use only high quality ice cream.

I imagine it would be better done with quality ice cream than it is with the muck they use for the standard version.

Although I still think ice cream should be cold, creamy, and wet, not warm, dry, and crunchy.

 

Tasty, extremely hygroscopic
Sticks to me fingers like a defrosting ice cream sandwich slightly less messy in the car with kids.

 

We "freeze dry" all kinds of things in our Harvest Right Freeze Dyer. My wife and her son both have a "sweet tooth". Most ice cream bars turn out ok; she hands out many of them to friends who ask about the freeze dryed food. We also do candies but some of them puff up due to the sugar. We have sliced bananas dipped in lemon juice, freeze drying right now. Bananas, pineapple and dyed fruits are my favorites. The ice creams are too sweet for me.
We have had our freeze drier for 4 years with no issues. We have a fairly large garden and 40 fruit trees and 30 fruiting bushes. The Juliet Bush cherries are starting to turn red and will be ready to pick in about a week. We will freeze some, freeze dry some and give the rest to the neighbors. I'm expecting to get more than six gallons. Next will be blueberries.

 

Could you rehydrate freeze dry ice cream and make actual ice cream from it?

 

I sorta did that. Put the freeze dried ice cream sandwich in a plastic container with a wet sponge/but not touching. Put container in fridge for a few hours...to rehydrate. Then in freezer. I worked enough to say I did it. I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth.

Banana slices rock!!!

I make banana milkshakes with them. Freeze dried/powered milk, stevia, water and ice cubes from a solar setup/inverter countertop ice maker and stick blender.

 

I did 2 or 3 large boxes I think 48 sandwiches after trying a smaller qty it's a good treat. Then moved to picking up 1/2 gallons of bryers brand when they put it on sale all good treets. I just slice the box open and slice it like Texas toast size. Quick calories and a good treat even as powder once all the good food is gone and getting sick of beens and rice. It will make a great treet.

 

Ok, this is an old thread. BUT, it sure answered my fd ice cream question!

A crank ice cream maker was mentioned. I have an ice cream maker that you put in the freezer. Add cream or milk and cream, a bit of sweetener and vanilla and let it run. Really good stuff. Good while we have electricity and milk.

A fd is sure tempting. Any fd food we have tried is really good. Maybe time to start stashing nickels, dimes and quarters (lots of dollars, too!).

 

Ok, this is an old thread. BUT, it sure answered my fd ice cream question!

A crank ice cream maker was mentioned. I have an ice cream maker that you put in the freezer. Add cream or milk and cream, a bit of sweetener and vanilla and let it run. Really good stuff. Good while we have electricity and milk.

A fd is sure tempting. Any fd food we have tried is really good. Maybe time to start stashing nickels, dimes and quarters (lots of dollars, too!).

A very good investment. I love mine because I like camping and I like meat. Short of carrying a freezer on my back, freeze drying is the answer.

Al

 

I have a cranked ice cream maker that uses salt and ice, and I have a smaller electric one that goes inside the freezer.

But these days I just load up an iSi whipped cream maker with a heavy cream-evaporated milk-sugar base, charge it with a nitrous cartridge, and stick it in the refrigerator.

Then I mix up whatever flavoring I want, squirt the whipped base into it, fold, and stick in the bottom of the freezer compartment in a clean tuna fish can or cans. No-churn single-serve ice cream in any flavor/s within an hour on demand.

A pint of the base makes 5 or 6 servings depending on flavor and keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.