In 1963, Oregon Freeze Dry began using a cutting-edge technology called freeze-drying to preserve food. The process, back then, was famous for creating astronaut ice cream and most people hadn’t seen the full potential of freeze-dried foods. Founders were excited about the prospects and set up shop in Albany, Oregon, because of low-cost energy and abundant strawberries in the area. They began to freeze dry fruits for General Food cereals. However, the cereal business didn’t pan out for Oregon Freeze Dry. They quickly realized that the government was going to need help in the conflict in Vietnam and decided to switch their efforts to creating freeze dried meals for the military. They landed their first government contract in 1967. These meals were perfect for troops because they were lightweight and easy to carry. As troops began to return home, they recognized the benefits that freeze dried foods would have with camping, hiking and outdoor activities. To fill that demand, Oregon Freeze Dry released their own line of foods designed for outdoor recreation in the early ‘70s. The aptly called the line of food Mountain House. Ever since the 1970s, Mountain House has continued to develop high quality freeze-dried foods that have become hugely popular among hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. They have since expanded their Mountain House to develop over 450 just-add-water meals, fruits, vegetables, desserts and more. While Mountain House is probably most well-known for their line of backpacking and outdoor foods, they have also developed other freeze dried foods for Gerber Foods, the Nutri/System weight loss program and the military. High Quality Ingredients One of the reasons for Mountain House’s success is that they continue to supply the highest-quality ingredients in their foods. They pride themselves on using the best meats, vegetables, fruits, and meal components in their freeze-dried cans and pouches. Years of Experience Mountain House has been innovating the freeze-drying process for decades and lead the industry in technology and development. Freeze Drying Process While Oregon Freeze Dry has fine-tuned the freeze-drying process, they have come to understand how to best freeze-dry fruits, vegetables and entire meals. They extract 98-99 percent of the moisture from a food while still maintaining its nutritional quality, taste and structural quality. This allows you to simply add water to your dish and eat wherever and whenever you want. Millions of people every year enjoy Mountain House products while they continue on to their next adventure and conquering the highest climbs and lowest valleys of the world.