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Freeze drying is the modern way to preserve food. It is so much better than canning or dehydrating because you can literally preserve food for 25+ years!
With a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer, you can even make your own freeze-dried food at home!
Have you been wondering how freeze-dried food is made? A freeze dryer essentially removes all the water from food through sublimation and adsorption. This helps preserve the food. There are three phases to this process.
- Phase 1: Food is rapidly frozen until it reaches its triple point — approximately 0.01°C and a pressure of 611.73 pascals.
- Phase 2: Pressure is lowered and heat is added to start the drying process (sublimation). During this primary drying phase, 95% of the water in the food is extracted through a vacuum.
- Phase 3: The temperature is raised again to facilitate adsorption. This is where the remaining ionically-bound water molecules are removed.
The result is pretty spectacular!
Most freeze-dried food retains its original structure and can be reconstituted. Almost anything can be freeze dried, including meat, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and even candy!
If you’re interested, Millrock Technology provides an even more detailed look at how a freeze dryer works.
Freeze Drying at Home
As of 2021, the only freeze dryer on the market for home use is made by Harvest Right. They have three model sizes, but all work the same way.
To use a home freeze dryer, you don’t need to know the science behind freeze drying because Harvest Right automates the entire process for you. You simply place food on a tray, put it in your freeze dryer, and then let the machine do its job.
When the freeze dryer notifies you that the process is complete, you’ll need to remove the food and package it in an airtight container. For long-term storage, you’ll want to use 7.5 mil mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
We like the idea of using a freeze dryer to build our home food storage, but lots of people also sell freeze-dried food as a side business. If you’re interested, read this post: 5 Freeze-Drying Business Ideas.
