Homestead Education Channel is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.
Freeze dried candy is extremely popular right now, but candy isn’t the only thing that can be freeze dried.
In fact, food has been freeze dried for over a millennium, long before some of the popular candy brands
were released.
Over 1,500 years ago, Incans would place food in deep, icy caves until it was frozen solid. They would
then lay the food in the sun until all the moisture evaporated. Over the centuries that technique has been
fine tuned and has become an activity that can easily be done in the comfort of home.
Obviously, most people do not have easy access to icy caves or an environment that is clean from
pollution and human interference. A freeze dryer is about the size of a small apartment size refrigerator,
with a variety of sizes available for people who want to store food, sell food, or even dry herbs and spices
for healthier eating. Freeze drying saves money, preserves vitamins and minerals, gives peace of mind for
hard times or emergency situations, and can make fun treats.
Food prices are increasing every day. Freeze drying allows people to purchase food when it is on sale or
cheaper. It allows people to visit Farmer’s markets and farm stands and stock up on fresh, healthy foods,
and preserve them after enjoying a few for dinner. Entire meals can be freeze dried, placed into Mylar
bags, and taken on road trips, camping trips, or hiking trips. The food is practically weightless and a Mylar
bag will use less room than packing each ingredient. It also prevents spoilage and the need for cold
storage.
Stocking up on food stores is rapidly becoming a normal activity. Not only does it prepare for emergency
situations, it is a good way to save money on rapidly increasing food prices. Canned foods can last a very
long time, but they can easily spoil and cause extreme food poisoning in the form of botulism. Freeze
drying food not only preserves food for longer storage time, it preserves the vitamins, minerals, and
health benefits. As an added bonus, the only added ingredients are the ones added by the preparer.
Using freeze dried foods is very beneficial for campers, hikers, and hunters. Most foods are nearly
weightless when freeze dried. A family of four could pack enough meals for 2 weeks into a single tote.
There would be no need to buy ice or freeze bottles to keep food cool; no need to pack three coolers full;
no need to worry what to have for every meal. Everyone can pick what they want, and cleanup is a breeze.
A hiker or hunter can add a few bags of high energy foods into a backpack and won’t need to worry about foraging or catching a meal. Freeze dried foods will only add a few ounces per bag to a backpack.
Freeze dryers have very easy to use controls and they are pretty straightforward. Essentially, prepare the
food, put it on the trays, hit start, and wait. Most foods are ready in under 24 hours. Most candies can be
done in under 6 hours using the candy mode. Some foods require well over 24 hours, but an inexpensive
moisture meter will help you determine when they are fully dry.
Although a freeze dryer is quite expensive, accessories are not. Each of these items are useful but not
completely necessary, unless the food is being sold, or the user is in a very high humidity area:
- Moisture detector
- Scale
- Mylar bags in various sizes
- Oxygen absorbers
- Moisture absorbers
- Labels
- Small silicone ice cube trays for liquids, such as bullion.
A moisture detector is a small handheld device that detects the moisture in the food. Simply place the
sensors into the food and it will give a percentage of moisture. If any moisture is present, the food is not
dry enough for storage. A scale is useful for extended dry times. Weigh each tray, then add more dry time.
Continue to weigh and dry until the scale no longer changes.
Although glass canning jars are perfectly acceptable for storing freeze dried food, they allow damaging
light in, which shortens the overall storage time. For short term storage (5-7 years), glass jars are fine if
stored in a dark location. Mylar bags are the storage of choice for long term storage. Choosing a bag will
be discussed in a future article, but for now, look for Mylar bags with no windows.
Oxygen and moisture absorbers are not required, but they add a level of protection that will extend the
life of stored food. Almost every food will benefit from an oxygen absorber, which reduces the possibility
of rot, mold, and nutrients loss. Some foods, such as sugar and candy, will harden or melt with an oxygen
absorber; use a moisture absorber instead.
Labeling the bags will identify which food is inside and the date it was made. Labels look nice and stand
out, but it’s just as easy to write the information on the bag in sharpie.
Finally, small silicone molds, used for chocolate or ice, will help make small individual servings of liquids.
Prior to loading the liquid into the freeze drier, freeze for a minimum of 24 hours in a standard freezer in
the silicone molds.
Harvest Right has a selection of dryers to fit any need. They also include a few extras with the dryer, such
as bags and oxygen absorbers, a bag sealer, and trays. They also have a layaway program that spreads
the price out over several months. When searching for a freeze dryer, consider all the pros and cons. Fun,
food stock, camping trips, etc.
There are many tricks and short cuts when using a freeze dryer. Over time, users will learn those tricks
and will be able to dry faster and better. There will be some failures during the learning process, but those
can be eaten right away, so nothing is wasted. Freeze drying is fun and can bring peace of mind in an
uncertain world. Whether used to make candy, meals, or just fruit, veggies, and meat, a freeze dryer is a
great asset to the home.
All you need for dinner is to just add water.
Here at http://homesteadeducationchannel.com/, we are dedicated to helping you find resources, education, and information regarding all aspects of the homesteading lifestyle.
All Photos courtesy of Michele Mead
