No matter what food you decide to freeze dry, there are some techniques that will make sure your food comes out exactly the way you want. Follow these tips to produce pretty, flavorful, and healthy freeze-dried snacks.
- Cut fruits and vegetables into evenly sized portions. If you plan to eat individual pieces one at a time, make sure that you settle on a size that you (and your family) can tackle in one bite.
- Some foods may stick to the trays; so, if you wish you can use parchment paper, silicon mat, or dehydrating mats to line trays before placing the food to be dried.
- Lay food in one, even layer before placing in the freeze dryer. This will ensure consistency and leave every piece perfectly ready for storage or use in a recipe.
- Pre-freeze foods in your regular freezer. This is especially helpful when the dryer is on or when there is a great sale. You can freeze your abundance and run it through the freeze dryer when the unit is available. It’s also smart if you don’t have enough food to run the dryer and need to buy some time.
- Foods that have a high sugar content or a thick membrane (like blueberries) can sometimes take longer to freeze dry. Think about the foods that take awhile to really freeze in your regular freezer and those are some of the foods that will take longer to freeze dry. So, foods such as ice cream, fresh pineapple pieces and juicy peaches may do better when you increase the freeze time to 12 hours and the dry time to 12 hours.
- If you plan to freeze dry ice cream, make sure to get high-quality brands. Some ice cream has air whipped into it and it crystallizes in your freeze dryer. It’s still edible, just not as pretty.
- Foods that have a thick membrane make it difficult for moisture to be released. Cutting or exposing the insides of foods like blueberries, grapes and cherry tomatoes will make the freeze drying process go much smoother.
Whether you’re worried about wasting food or looking for quick, easy ways to eat healthy on the go or during outdoor excursions and camping trips, freeze drying is worth looking into. You’ll discover a whole new way to look at food and its longevity when you give freeze drying a try.
Now that you know what freeze drying can do, what other unusual foods and meals would you like to try freeze dry? There’s always a conversation on our Facebook page so Like us and join in!
How do you do asparagus? Ours never turns out right. Longer freezing? Or longer drying time? Ours seems to shrivel up.
If the food shrivels, that is an indication that a longer freeze is a good idea. Additionally, we did a quick 2-3 minute blanch on our asparagus. Many customers prefer to freeze dry it raw.
how is the best way to freeze dry fresh corn off the cob
First, do a quick blanch for 3-4 minutes and cut the corn off the cob. Then simply pile it the height of the trays. It is yummy as a dry snack or perfect rehydrated and used as fresh corn from the cob in soups, stews, or as a side dish.
Is blanching necessary if we are removing all the moisture?
Blanching helps keep the color of the freeze dried process and also will aid with quick rehydration. It isn’t something that must be done, but helps make for a better finished product. Vegetables that are purchased in the frozen at the store are typically blanched beforehand.
Hello, what is the average freeze drying temperature? When I put my frozen strawberries in the freeze dryer, i want to start the vacuum ans set the temp to a value where i can directly sublimate water in them. Can you help me with it?
What is your recommendation for preparing SEEDED grapes? Do I have to cut the seeds out is my main concern. Thanks!
Can I use freezer paper as a tray liner instead of parchment paper?
Do I need to peel peaches before freeze drying? And do I need to pretreat the peaches so they don’t
darken?
We have customers who do it both ways. It is mostly a preference (and might depend what you plan to use the finished product for). You can blanch them in hot water to get the peels off easier (or just leave the peels on), then just slice them, pre-freeze them, and stick them in the freeze dryer. You will likely see a quicker batch time by removing the skin.
I am interested in freeze drying grapes and blueberries. I am not clear whether these will work well in the freeze dryer if I give it the extra time recommended.
Grapes and blueberries are tricky to freeze dry because they are high in sugar and water content and they have a tough outer skin. For grapes, cut them smaller than just halves (all grapes should be cut, regardless). And be sure to put them skin-side down on the trays (so the moisture can escape). It helps to pre-freeze them before loading your freeze dryer. And, depending on the size of your batch, grapes can take up to 48+ hours (sometimes more, depending on a different variables). Best to start with just the default times and then add more time, if necessary.
Blueberries also contain a lot of sugar and they have that tough outer skin. But, same as grapes, it is important that you break the skin of each blueberry (poke them with toothpick, skewer, etc). To make it easier, a lot of customers put them in them in a blender/food processor and give them a quick chop before freeze drying. Or, you could slice them in half, which takes a bit more prep time, depending how many blueberries you need to freeze dry. (Make sure you put the cut-side facing up.) Then pre-freeze and add a little extra dry time on a batch of blueberries.
Depending what you plan to use them in, you could also blend them and make a blueberry puree to freeze dry. You can use it just the same as you would blueberries; flavor oatmeal, muffins, pancakes, cereal, etc…even eat it crunchy. It just wouldn’t be in the shape of a blueberry.
How long do elderberries take to freeze dry
Probably the same as blueberries….
do you need to pierce huckleberries prior to freeze drying
Elderberries are typically very small, and I’ve seen some who freeze dried them without puncturing. But, batches will take longer if not punctured (or chopped). I’ve put them in the food processor/blender to help chop them open before freeze drying, it works really well (and it’s easy!).
How long does freeze dried blueberries last