How To Freeze Dry Foods and The First Test!

My first run with the freeze dryer! Since this video I've learned more about the freeze dryer with some trial and error lol. Expect a video later with some other food types you can freeze dry and maybe a taste test!

How do I preserve my food?

One of the most common methods of food preservation is freezing. I feel like we all utilize it in some way, shape, or form. I know I do! Freezing slows down the spoilage process of food. AND because of the low temperatures, bacteria and yeast growth is slowed keeping our food safe and edible for longer periods of time as compared to just storing it in the fridge or on the counter.

A useful tool that goes hand-in-hand with freezing is a vacuum sealer. Using a vacuum sealer to seal your frozen food helps keep the food longer. I got my vacuum sealer from Costco on a sale, so I would suggest looking there. You will also want to purchase gallon plastic bags and butcher paper for storage accessories.

Freezing is easy and I love that you can even do freezer meals where you make meals ahead of time, freeze them, then pull them out of the freezer later and have a meal ready to go—you just need to thaw and cook it.

How does a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer work?

This is how I have observed the process when I’ve done my freeze dry rounds: it works by first freezing the material rapidly, so when I put anything in my freeze dryer – the first process is freezing. Even if I have previously frozen the food, the freeze dryer rapidly freezes the food at negative temperatures. The second process is vacuum sealing the chamber. After that, we enter the longest phase, the drying phase. Once the machine doesn’t sense anymore moisture, the 2 hours of extra dry time kicks on to ensure all moisture is eliminated. The extra dry time can be adjusted to your schedule. After the freeze dryer has concluded the entire process, you assess and see if your food is all dry, and if so, you’re done!