The Freeze-Drying Thread

[Britesea]

Freeze drying also protects probiotics I learned. Fermented foods can be freeze dried, and when rehydrated the probiotic community is still alive and kicking. For taste, it's better to rehydrate them in some brine of the same salt-to-water ratio as they were originally fermented in, but it's not necessary for the bacteria.
For the same reason though, if you freeze-dry raw meats, be careful to make sure they are absolutely dry, and cook them quickly, as spoilage can happen quickly. I would suggest raw meats should be rehydrated in the refrigerator too.

 

[Sammster]

Knock knock..... anybody there?

I've been freeze drying for a bit less than a year. Not constantly. Still much to learn. Was kind of hoping to find fellow freeze-dryers here. Though, there is a freeze-drying group I do frequent - it's always good to learn more

 

[FarmerJamie]

Is freeze drying the same as using a dehydrator?

Yes and no. Both processes involve removing moisture. Dehydrating uses heat, freeze drying uses extreme cold and a vacuum. Freeze drying removes more moisture, and hence the final product is more shelf stable.

 

[Sammster]

Yes and no. Both processes involve removing moisture. Dehydrating uses heat, freeze drying uses extreme cold and a vacuum. Freeze drying removes more moisture, and hence the final product is more shelf stable.

Actually, freeze drying uses cold and heat plus vacuuming to remove moisture. Then the product needs to be packaged in a specific way to ensure no moisture returns, in order for it to be shelf stable. There are certain foods (just like dehydrating) that do not perform well, freeze dried. But, the proper freeze dried food can be stored for up to 30 years. You'd never get that kind of storage from a dehydrator.

 

[Sammster]

i'd be really afraid to try doing eggs that ways and i wonder what the texture and flavor is like on the fine scale of things since i seem to notice a lot of strange things that others don't seem to mind.

Raw eggs that have been freeze dried, then reconstituted, are just the same. They are excellent ~ scrambled, in an omelet or in recipes.
Cooked eggs, freeze dried - I couldn't say. However - there is a great You-Tube channel that does all kinds of testing that you might enjoy. It's called Live.Life.Simple
You might check him out. He is. A wealth of information

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'll take pictures and give you a review on their taste and texture tomorrow.

Can't wait!

I had no idea it was that much work.... but if the results are that great it's probably worth the effort!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Interesting. I had no idea they required that much maintenance. That might put me in the "not for me" gang, but interested to hear/see more

 

[Britesea]

I pulled out the plums today and they looked great! Trying them straight from the freeze-dryer, they are crunchy and light, a bit more acidic than they were fresh. Rehydrated, they are a little mushy, like frozen ones would be but I imagine they would be fine in baked goods or maybe even to make more jam? They took about 1 1/2 days, because I didn't have the plums frozen when I started the process. Having the food already frozen shortens the time.

I have another batch of these to do, waiting in the freezer. OR, I could freeze-dry the fire-roasted bell peppers I'm working on. I tried freeze drying the peppers just plain, which most people apparently do, but I wasn't pleased with the slight toughness of the skins when I rehydrated them; so I'm fire roasting some to see if that takes care of the problem.

Should I do the peppers or the plums? Enquiring minds want to know!

 

[waretrop]

Wow I dehydrate lots of stuff but never thought of doing salsa. Your salsa looks very nice and I'll bet it re hydrates great... What I do is try some of these things and if I like how they cook back up I try dehydrating first since that takes such little space. If I don't like it when I use it I either can it or freeze it. Like, carrots look disgusting when dehydrated but you sure can put allot of them in a small space.... They re hydrate up real nice especially for cooking in a combo dish. Mushrooms do great also dehydrated.

I love this thread and all the info....gives me great ideas....

 

[tortoise]

DH must still be curious about getting a freeze drier. He bought some bags of dehydrated food from Harvest Right. I think the meat (ham) rehydrated best. Potatoes broke apart when stirred (I didn't mind, it was yummy). Rehydrated apple was floppy, but not sauce like if it had been frozen. i like the apple dry. Banana was wierd. Pineapple didn't rehydrate well, but i liked it dry too.

i'm hoping maybe we'll get one someday. We have a 220 outlet in the basement....