In July, we invested in our first freeze dryer made by Harvest Right out of Utah. This purchase was a year long in the making with needing to budget for the investment cost. At the time we ordered, it was taking 6-8 weeks on average for the units to be delivered once it was ordered so we got to start experimenting with our unit in August.
Why did we purchase a freeze dryer? We garden in the summer and were looking at ways to store the produce that didn’t involve taking up freezer space or canning to then place on a shelf until it was time to use. With freeze drying, some say your food can last up to 25 years, which from a prepping standpoint, is great for longevity, longer than canning and certainly longer than freezing.
Harvest Right makes three sizes of freeze dryers. There is the medium sized unit that we purchased and there is also a small and large unit made by Harvest Right. The medium sized unit comes with four stainless steel trays.
I was a bit nervous when first trying out the Harvest Right. My husband had set up the oil and pump so the machine was ready to go. I started the machine by hitting a toggle switch in the back and then the display walked me through how it needed to cool down the unit and when it was time to load the trays. Then it was to turn the handle to close the door, close the valve on the tubing that leads away from the machine, and to start the process.
To help get rid of the new smell, which unfortunately is nothing like a new car, you will want to run slices of bread through a cycle and then discard them when they are done. Then you can move onto items you want to freeze dry and keep.
For the first test with the Harvest Right, I had gotten some limes on sale so I sliced them larger than 1/4″ and put them on the trays with a little space around each one. I don’t recommend stacking food on the trays. They might stick together or just taking longer to remove the moisture.
I had also added some lime zest to our trays. I did not freeze the lime slices before placing them in the Harvest Right, which would have probably saved some time.
We received Mylar bags, oxygen absorbing packets, and a sealer when purchasing this medium sized unit. When your food comes out of the freeze dryer, it is important to pack them away and use an oxygen absorbing packet to prevent damage from oxygen, to try to suck out as much air as possible from jars or bags used, and then seal if you are using Mylar bags or if going into jars. Our Food Saver comes in handy to help pull out the air. Once done, it is good to put products in an area where they are out of direct sunlight to try and prevent changes in color.
Another food we have tried is blueberries. We froze them, poked each berry so the liquid could escape, and then froze again until ready to run in the freeze dryer. The flavor was sweeter and more intense than it would be fresh. We took some freeze dried berries and added water to see how they were reconstituted. It didn’t take long and they were delicious!
With the end of summer in Minnesota, it was hot so I didn’t care to heat up the house more and can. I took and quartered tomatoes, froze them, and then ran them through the freeze dryer. After that, I put them in my Ninja to make tomato powder. I placed the tomato powder in jars to keep on hand for sauces or to use a base for homemade tomato soup. Several tomatoes were freeze dried and then turned into a powder, which takes up minimal space.
We have also freeze dried raspberries, onions, and for fun, tried ice cream bars in our Harvest Right. With running our unit, we discovered it is quite loud. We initially placed it in the dining room, but then had to raise our voices when speaking to each other just to be heard. This past weekend, we hauled our Harvest Right into the basement and I would have to say with more of an open space down there, it doesn’t seem as loud.
You will most likely note some heat given off from the unit when using it. This isn’t a negative now with cooler months now in Minnesota and already needing to heat our homes. The medium unit we got is almost the size of a washing machine so you do have to plan on where it goes. We purchased a stainless steel table for the freeze dryer to sit on because then gravity can help move the moisture down into a collection bucket and I read to have the pump below the machine. The table is nice to keep supplies on too.
With freeze drying fruits, this has been another way to help us have our children eat more fruits. I can put jars in with our canning supplies, but in less numbers and space. Mylar bags can be filled and kept in a tote.
We have ducks and chickens on our property. I need to soon try eggs in the Harvest Right with knowing at least the chickens will decrease in egg production with less daylight and preserving their bounty.
I look forward to continuing to experimenting with our Harvest Right. It will give use long and tasty storage of our food used at home and will provide us with meals that are great to take with camping.
