Refrigeration
Most homemade dog food recipes are safe to store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, as long as they are in an airtight container. Homemade dog food does not have the artificial preservatives that are included in commercial foods. While this is healthier for your dog, it means the food wont last nearly as long as commercial products.
Whether you choose to refrigerate the food or freeze it, I like to store it in individual serving-sized portions for our dogs. This way I can just take out the packages that I need without having to worry about measuring.
You can serve the meal straight from the refrigerator or warm it slightly in the microwave. Most dogs do prefer a warm meal. I usually nuke the food for about 45 seconds, give it a good stir and serve it to my pups.
How to Store Homemade Dog Food
There are three methods that I use and recommend for storing homemade dog food:
The method that you choose will depend on when you plan to use the food. For example, if youll be using homemade dog food within 1-3 days, its a waste of time to seal it in vacuum-sealed bags. Its also a waste of money.
If Ill be using the food within 7-10 days, I use single-serving containers. You can use any type of container, as long as it provides an airtight seal. You may also want to look for containers that are safe to store in the freeze and can be used in the microwave.
Plastic zip-seal bags also work well for short-term storage. However, its more expensive to use disposable baggies. I also tend to make a bigger mess when trying to store food in plastic bags than I do when using reusable containers.
Can You Freeze Dry Dog Food
The short answer is, yes. Dry dog food is not only great to feed your dog on daily basis but it’s also great to store in your freezer.
Once you freeze dry dog food you can keep it fresh for longer. Once you store it properly in an airtight container, the dog dry food may remain fresh for a long period, of six to nine months.
How to serve it to your dog? All you have to do to serve it to your Fido is to take it out in small portion and defrost it, and voila! It’s ready to be served.
For extra flavor, you can also mix it with a tablespoon of olive oil or freshly cooked carrots.
If you are still not sure if you can freeze dog kibble or not, be rest assured that you can. Any dog food can be frozen, from dry, over the wet, to raw dog food.
Freezing them in the best way possible will keep dog food fresh and safe to consume after a while.
For how long can you freeze dog kibble? You can keep it frozen and stored for months. Just make sure that you serve it within six to nine months.
How to Store Homemade Dog Food (3 Methods to Keep It Fresh Longer)
DogTipper.com is reader-supported; if you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Wondering how long you can store dog treats? We’ve got an easy rundown here for both commercial and homemade treats. Buying (or making) dog treats in bulk can be a great way to save money and know you always have treats on hand, but it’s critical that you store them safely.
Typically they are intended to be stored in their packaging which has been developed to extend the freshness. Look for a “best by” date on packaging.
If you find a favorite brand on sale, you can freeze commercial treats to extend their freshness. (See below for our freezing tips.)