I agree with eahamel that properly dried fruits can be stored for months and months in just a jar if kept dry and out of the heat. The only issue is mold developing because they weren't dried fully. Or yes you can vacuum seal in jars or pouches. Freezing gives them even longer storage life and they taste just great when thawed. The clue to long storage is in the drying process used more so than the storage method. Dave PS: oven drying is one thing but the so-called oven canning should be avoided.

rachelellen - LOL - now that little chuckle really made my day! I wondered about that too - perhaps I was a bit hasty, because it was a new experience. It seems to take a few tries to get me oriented in this new growing/preserving endeavor. There weren't an awful lot of nuts on them anyway. The tree is a dwarf type to begin with, and it's first season try. About the macadamias - I'm pretty excited about the way they turned out. The tree is right at home - it is evergreen anyway, likes the climate and produces beautiful long plumes of pink blossoms several times a year - making it a fine ornamental as well. Actually, I have more problems with being able to give my deciduous fruit/nut trees the chill hours they like for optimal production. They may not live too long as a result. Last year, however, they got enough, and I'm happy to say, most of my fruit tree production was very good - especially the apricots, and the new low-chill apple trees - also semi-dwarf. I'll take note of the almond advice - and thanks - you may be right. Bejay

Another positive endorsement for OvaEasy egg crystals. I've used regular powdered eggs for many years when they were less expensive per egg than fresh shell eggs (normally each winter when egg production goes down), but I loved OvaEasy so well when I tried them I donated the powdered whole eggs I had in storage to a local mission who feeds the homeless, and replaced them with cans of OvaEasy. OvaEasy last longer in storage than traditional powdered eggs, mix up easier (powdered eggs tend to clump and you have to sift it before measuring it) and taste better. The #10 cans contain 6 packets and each packet contains a dozen eggs. Once opened, the egg crystals will last a long time if kept air-tight. I wish they would have been available when my mother-in-law was alive because she wasted more eggs.... But back to freeze-dried fruit... If you have a Sam's Club membership, go to their web site and check prices for Augason Farms freeze-dried fruit if you are in the pricing stage. They will delivered to your door. It's usually less expensive through Sam's Club than through Augason Farms. Honeyville Grain just had a 20% off sale, and have them several times a year (get on their e-newsletter list to receive notice when they have a sale). They also ship your entire order for $4.49, something else to consider. I order #10 cans of vital wheat gluten to use for making "wheat meat" (aka seitan or gluten to use as a high-protein meat extender), 5# bags of almond flour and hi-maize resistant starch, along with freeze-dried fruit, veggies and meat from Honeyville Grain. -Grainlady

Are you sure she understood you were using a FoodSaver and vacuum-sealing the jars? I purchase freeze-dried food in #10 cans and rotate it from our home food storage to the pantry on a regular basis. When I open a can I immediately transfer it to canning jars and vacuum-seal the jars with my FoodSaver using the jar sealer. Another option is to add an oxygen absorber to remove the oxygen and seal the jar that way. An even better method is to add the appropriate size and number of oxygen absorbers for the size of the jar AND vacuum-seal it. 1. To insure a good seal make sure you heat process your jar lids in hot water per FoodSaver instructions: Always pre-soak new metal lids. Bring water to boil, then turn off Pre-soak lids 5-10 minutes. This softens the sealing compound so you get a better seal. Make sure the lid is completely dry before using it on the jar. 2. Make sure the rim of the jar is free of any kind of food particles. It works best to use a canning jar funnel to load the food into the jars because it helps keep the rims clean, but you will still need to wipe the rim (use a clean dry towel - cloth or paper). I've used the FoodSaver method for years (I've owned FoodSavers since 1986) and I've never had a jar develop moisture that maintained the vacuum. I DO check the jar seals once a month on all my jarred inventory that I've sealed. I just opened a quart jar of freeze-dried strawberry slices I vacuum-sealed last year and they were as good as the day I vacuum-sealed them. I've been making some of Chef Tess Bakeresse meals-in-a-jar (especially some of the single-serving ones so hubby can use them in his lunch at work). (Check out her new cookbook - "The Gourmet Food Storage Handbook" by Stephanie Petersen - aka Chef Tess Bakeresse) Those that include freeze-dried meat I'll use an oxygen absorber AND vacuum-seal it to double my chances it remains sealed. And any leftover freeze-dried meat I'll use both - oxygen absorber AND vacuum-seal. The link below at her web site will give you more information that might help you out. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Chef Tess Bakeresse