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It seems every marketing claim these days has to be just a little bit better than the claim before it. The workout 8-Minute Abs was replaced by 6-Minute Abs. 5-Hour Energy is surpassed by 6-Hour Energy. And the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has been condensed into just 3-4 things that are “essential” for success. The bottom line is if you publish a number, someone will try to beat it.

So what’s the truth about how long it takes to “reconstitute” freeze-dried food? The standard claim in the industry is 15 minutes with hot water, although we have started seeing claims for as little as eight minutes.

The truth is actually pretty simple. For the best taste and food texture, you need to add near-boiling water to the food, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Although it’s ok to eat the food at any time, hot water and 15 minutes are necessary to unlock the flavors and get the freeze-dried food to the right consistency.

Imagine eating noodles before they are fully cooked. Sure, they are edible, but they probably won’t taste or “feel” like they should. The same is applicable with freeze-dried food.

So be careful when rating a food storage product on its preparation time. Almost all freeze-dried food comes from the same suppliers, and it all needs 15 minutes and hot water for the best taste and texture.