Raw feeding comes in two very different practical formats: freeze-dried and frozen. They're both trying to deliver similar nutritional benefits, but how they fit into your life is genuinely different. Here's how to think about the choice.
How Each Format Is Made
Frozen raw is exactly what it sounds like — raw meat, organs, and bone, kept frozen from processing until you thaw and serve it. Nothing is removed from the food; it's preserved by cold alone.
Freeze-dried raw, like Open Farm's dinner patties and meal mixers, removes moisture from raw ingredients at low temperatures, without the high heat that would come from cooking or extruding. The result is shelf-stable at room temperature until you rehydrate or serve it.
The Practical Differences
Storage. Frozen raw needs freezer space — often a meaningful amount if you're feeding a large dog or multiple pets. Freeze-dried needs a cool, dry shelf, which is a much smaller ask for most households.
Thawing and prep time. Frozen raw requires planning ahead to thaw safely (typically in the refrigerator, not on the counter). Freeze-dried can be served straight from the bag or rehydrated in a few minutes with warm water — much more workable for a spontaneous meal or when you're not home to plan ahead.
Travel. Freeze-dried is dramatically easier to travel with — no cooler, no ice packs, no concern about a thaw cycle getting interrupted. It's a realistic option for road trips, boarding, or camping in a way frozen raw generally isn't.
Shelf life. Unopened freeze-dried products have a long shelf-stable life at room temperature. Frozen raw needs to stay frozen until use and, once thawed, should be handled and used within a short window like any raw perishable food.
Handling and hygiene. Frozen raw requires the same food-safety handling as raw meat in your own kitchen — separate surfaces, thorough cleaning, careful handling. Freeze-dried carries some of the same general raw-food hygiene considerations once rehydrated, but is simpler to manage day to day since there's no ongoing thaw cycle.
Why Open Farm Focuses on Freeze-Dried
Open Farm's raw lineup — dinner patties, meal mixers, and treats — is entirely freeze-dried rather than frozen. That focus lines up with what makes freeze-dried practical for most households: no freezer real estate required, easy to ship nationwide without cold-chain logistics, and simple enough to fit into a normal routine without much extra planning.
Which One Is Right for You?
If you have consistent freezer space, don't mind planning thaw time, and want raw feeding in its most unprocessed form, frozen raw is worth considering (through a different supplier, since it's not part of Open Farm's current lineup). If you want the nutritional benefits of raw feeding without the freezer space and planning it requires, freeze-dried — including Open Farm's full range — is the more realistic everyday option for most pet parents.
Shop Freeze-Dried Raw at The Hungry Puppy
You can find Open Farm's full freeze-dried lineup — dinner patties, meal mixers, and treats — at The Hungry Puppy, with free nationwide shipping on orders of $75 or more.
We've been helping Farmingdale-area dog owners weigh raw feeding formats since 1987 — call us at 732-938-4470 if you want help deciding what fits your household.