Freeze Drying Mastery For Beginners: Complete Guide to Long-Term Food Storage, Save Money, Reduce Waste and Keep Your Pantry Stocked

By HarvardGuard Publications

Tired of Wasting Food and Seeing Your Hard-Earned Money Go Down the Drain? Start Saving Money and Resources with Freeze-Drying! 

Keeping produce, fruit, vegetables, and leftovers

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarvardGuard Publications
• Release date: Nov 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738919666

Book preview

Freeze Drying Mastery For Beginners

Complete Guide To Long-Term Food Storage, Save Money, Reduce Waste and Ensure Your Pantry Is Always Stocked

HarvestGuard Publications

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HarvestGuard Publications

Copyright © 2023 by HarvestGuard Publications – All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional when appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, personal, or other damages.

Contents

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Introduction

1.Understanding Freeze-Drying

2.Benefits and Uses of Freeze-Drying

3.Preparing Your Freeze-Drying Space

4.Must-Have Tools and Accessories

5.Setting Up Your Freeze Dryer

6.Food Preparation Techniques

7.Running Your Freeze Dryer

8.Packaging and Long-Term Storage

9.Consuming Freeze-Dried Foods

10.Maintaining Your Freeze-Dryer

11.Additional Tips, Tricks, and Resources

12.Freeze-Dryers' Favorites and Non-Food Items

13.Freeze-Drying Candy and Desserts and Top Tips for Success

14.Using Batch Log Worksheet

Conclusion

Download All 104 Recipes in Color

Recipes

Publisher

Resources

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Introduction

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Did you know that the average American family of four throws away $1,500 in wasted food per year, and the annual food waste in America is approximately $161 billion?

Since food prices have reached their highest point since the 70s, have you ever wondered if there is an easier and more effective way to preserve food for when you need it? There is absolutely a better way. It's called freeze-drying! This book gives you a complete and comprehensive guide to freeze-drying your own food at home. This will be the only book you will ever need to start freeze-drying now!

I was skeptical when I first heard about freeze-drying food, but I quickly realized that it could save me a lot of money and prevent waste in the long term. I initially bought a home freeze dryer during lockdown because, like everyone else, I freaked out, thinking, this was it, the beginning of the end and I figured I better be ready for it. While everyone else was hunting for flour to bake bread, I started freeze-drying food for my family and my pets. My dog has always been incredibly fussy, and I realized I could save money by freeze-drying leftover meat that she was more likely to eat than the store-bought variety, not to mention it was 100% natural. Not only did I know the exact ingredients in what they were eating, but I no longer had a surplus of dog food bought in bulk that she had eaten for two days and then no longer touched.

Once I realized that freeze-dried food didn't need to be refrigerated, the initial outlay of funding a home freeze-dryer was very quickly validated. I no longer had to worry about expensive food becoming spoiled, and the cost of living crisis became a thing of the past.

How often have you had to throw food away because plans changed and you didn't use it when you thought you would? Have you ever felt guilty about throwing away spoiled food when costs are constantly rising? Not to mention that my two teens are so annoying when it comes to leftovers. They wouldn't eat the same food twice, and I can only eat it so much before I get sick of it. So what's the option? Stare at it sitting in the fridge and watch it go bad or freeze it and then remember that I froze it months later when its freezer burned and ready to be thrown in the garbage.

The best thing about freeze-drying food is that it doesn't affect your food's nutritional value or taste. You have complete control over your ingredients, and it couldn't be easier.

This book is a comprehensive guide to freeze-drying, which will walk you through every step of the process.

You will discover:

How freeze-drying works

The benefits and uses of freeze-drying

How to prepare your freeze-drying space

Must-have freeze-drying tools and accessories

How to set up your freeze-dryer

Freeze-drying food preparation techniques

How to run your freeze-dryer

How to package and store your freeze-dried foods long term

Tips for consuming freeze-dried foods

How to maintain your freeze dryer

Other freeze-drying tips, tricks, and resources

You will get over 100 recipes

You will learn how to make freeze-dried candy

…. and so much more.

Once you have read this book, you will completely understand everything you need to freeze-dry your food at home. You will not only learn about the versatility of freeze-dried food but how much fun it can be, and you will never struggle with waste again. This I promise you!

Without further ado, let's dive into the wonderful world of freeze-drying. It is a fun hobby and a sustainable and sensible way of preserving your food. In the first chapter, we will examine how freeze-drying works and why we should all be doing it.

Chapter one

Understanding Freeze-Drying

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How Freeze-Drying Works

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Put simply, freeze-drying removes moisture from foods to preserve the texture, flavor, freshness, and nutritional value of perishable ingredients, giving them a longer shelf-life and making them easier to transport. In simple terms, you can freeze food to prevent it from spoiling. It can then be dried in a vacuum for a few days under carefully controlled heat to remove the water without affecting the food structure and taste.

The fancy science behind this is sublimation, which converts solids into gasses without going through the liquid stage. As the food is dried, the molecules are pushed out of the liquid until they're all gone. Water sublimes from a solid to a gas (ice to vapor) when the molecules have sufficient energy to break away, but the conditions aren't conducive to forming a liquid.

There are three stages to freeze-drying:

The freezing phase

The primary drying phase (Sublimation)

The secondary drying phase (Adsorption)

Freezing Phase

The freezing phase is the most critical part of the process and must be done quickly. First, you freeze the food to well below 0°F. You can do this in several ways, but the colder the freezing phase, the more successful the drying phase will be. You can put your food in a freezer or a shelf in a freeze-dryer.

You can even put the food in an ice bath. However, to remain safe, you must ensure the temperature reaches 41°F in 1–4 hours or less. If you are not sure you can do this accurately, putting foods in a freeze-dryer is the best option. Foods must be frozen below their triple point to ensure that sublimation occurs rather than melting. Otherwise, the food structure will be affected.

Using large ice crystals is an excellent way to freeze-dry food, but they may break the cell walls if they are too large, meaning the food may not be preserved effectively. The freezing is undertaken rapidly to avoid this problem.

Primary Drying (Sublimation) Phase

The drying phase is precisely as it sounds. The pressure is lowered, and heat is added to the food for the water to sublimate. The vacuum speeds up this process by drying the food under controlled heat, and the water vapor solidifies on the cold condenser (2). The condenser protects the vacuum pump from the water vapor.

During this phase, about 95% of the water is removed. Only residual moisture should be left over if this has been done correctly. The drying phase should be slower, as too much heat too quickly can alter the food structure.

Image Credit www.profoodworld.com

Image Credit www.profoodworld.com

Secondary Drying (Adsorption) Phase

The final stage of the process is the adsorption or secondary drying phase. The temperature is higher than in the primary drying phase, and the bonds between the food and water molecules are broken. Although the food may appear dry, there is still about 7–8% residual moisture at this point.

Once this stage is complete, the food should be dried to 1–5% residual moisture. You will know that the food has been freeze-dried successfully if the food is crispy in texture. Foods with a high sugar content may be malleable but not sticky.

It is important to remember that freeze-drying does not kill bacteria, so food must be handled safely.

Manifold Method

The manifold method is a good starting point for beginners because it isn't overly complicated. Vials or flasks are directly attached to the ports of a drying chamber. This process can be used only for small amounts of food.

The product may be frozen in a freezer or a chilled bath. The pre-frozen food is then attached to the drying chamber, and the vacuum is created quickly to avoid it warming up. The low temperature of the food must be maintained throughout.

Manifold drying is advantageous because the flasks are attached individually