Mountain House Beef Stew Review

I first reviewed the Mountain House Beef Stew freeze dried meal in October 2015 while in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area on a West Virginia backpacking trip. Since then, the Mountain House freeze dried meals have undergone somewhat of a facelift. Such as new product packaging, serving sizes, and in some cases, the recipe has been updated.

Since the Mountain House Beef Stew freeze dried meal was updated, we decided to refresh and update our review and add new images.

Today we have the Mountain House Beef Stew with a hearty gravy of beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas. No artificial flavors or colors. It’s even certified gluten-free. So this is a great option to bring along on your next outing.

The 2 serving pouch is part of the Adventure Meals series. Mountain House also offers Beef Stew in a #10 can. Both have a guaranteed shelf life and taste guarantee of 30 years from the date of manufacture.

Amazon probably has the best price outside of a local big-box store sale. A 2-serving pouch of the Mountain House Beef Stew averages between $9.00 and $10.00 on Amazon. Check it out here. There are over 2500 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. So that is evidence of a good product at a good value.

While the local big-box stores are convenient, they seem to have limited quantities. Sometimes, the shelf is even empty. Consider adding a few to your next Amazon purchase to have on hand for last-minute outings or just in case. That 30-year shelf life and taste guarantee offer peace of mind that your emergency food storage will be viable when needed.

2 servings of Mountain House Beef Stew dry mix in a bowl | mountain house freeze dried beef stew | mountain house beef stew review — We emptied the Mountain House Beef Stew pouch into this bowl to get a good picture of the contents. You can see pieces of beef, potato, carrots, peas, and the powdery gravy and spice mix. There are about 2 cups of the dry mix here. We’ll put this all back into the pouch, then add the boiling water.

Taking a Look at What You Get

We emptied the contents of the Mountain House Beef Stew into one of our stainless-steel camping bowls and checked out what was there. You can see there are quite a few pieces of beef, potato, peas, carrots, and a powdery gravy and spice mix. Of course, there is the oxygen absorber that we will responsibly dispose of.

I didn’t measure the contents. But it looks like about 2 cups of dry mix.

How to Prepare Mountain House Meals

The package directions on the Mountain House Beef Stew recommend adding 1 3/4 cups of boiling water. I think this is a bit too much, and the beef stew gravy will end up too soupy. So I’ll go with 1 1/2 cups or 12 ounces of water, as I prefer a thicker stew.

we have added 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the mountain house beef stew and we are now waiting 15 minutes for it to rehydrate | mountain house beef stew review — We have added 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the Mountain House Beef Stew freeze dried food pouch and stirred everything so it is well mixed. After 5 minutes, we will stir up the contents again. We’ll stir again in another 4 to 5 minutes. I also recommend letting the pouch sit a minute (or three) longer than the package directions call for. Doing so will help ensure everything is evenly rehydrated. What could be easier?

You can always add a bit more water if needed, but you can’t take it out.

The Mountain House Beef Stew preparation instructions say it’s ready in about 10 minutes. Mix in the water and stir. Wait 5 minutes and stir again. Then it’s ready 4 minutes later. However, we stir ours again and let it sit for another 4 or 5 minutes. The extra time allows for better hydration of the freeze dried contents.

We recommend making this at home several times using the exact gear you would use in the field. After a few practice runs, you’ll dial in on the process and how much water to use.

Freeze Dried Food Taste Test

The Mountain House Beef Stew is a favorite. It tastes like how a beef stew should taste. The taste is just like a stew that has been cooking for hours on your own stove. Other than some freshly ground black pepper and a bit of hot sauce, it’s a meal in a bag with very little cleanup needed.

2 servings of Mountain House Beef Stew in a bowl | mountain house freeze dried beef stew | mountain house beef stew review — Mountain House Beef Stew with pieces of beef, peas, and carrots in a thick, hearty gravy. Just what you need to warm up after a day spent outside. We don’t usually eat this from a bowl. But it’s hard to see what you get looking inside the freeze dried food pouch.

However, with some pre-planning, you can doctor this up and take it to another level.

For example, adding some dehydrated onions. Maybe a handful of dehydrated veggies. Just be sure to account for the extra time and water. In my experience, dehydrated onions and veggies require a 1-to-1 ratio of product to water for hydration.

I’ll let the onions and veggies hydrate for 5 minutes, then add the 1 1/2 cups of water needed and bring it all to a boil.

On April 19, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Beef Stew. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 2500 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Check it out here.