Anyone Freeze Dry Their Own Food?

[LuckyStrike]

This article makes it sound relatively easy

http://www.ehow.com/how_4826020_freeze-dry-food.html

But I would like to get the opinions of people who have actually done it. I have Mountain House food stored and enjoy it's taste but it's not cheap and I wonder how hard it would be to make your own.

[osoab]

Doesn't look like you take it out of the cooler till your ready to eat.

[ximmy]

I have lots of stored freeze dried foods, they say it is better than dehydrated. I don't know if it would be worth me ever trying to dry my own, (I'd prefer a sustainable greenhouse) ...look for specials on it. Sometimes Costco has internet deals you can get on Chef's Banquet products... then stack!!!

[Heimdhal]

Real deal freeze drying is a little more involved htan just having dry ice and getting something REALLY cold.


Comercially, what they are doing is putting the food in a vaccum, which lowers the boiling point of the water to something like 60 degrees (instead of 212). Then warm air is used to expidite the process and remove moisutre. This gets the moisture content down into the low single digit %'s vs traditional dehydration which doesnt normaly get below 10% IIRC.

Then the food is stored in an oxygen free environment. With practicaly no moisture left, the food last a very long time and doesnt need to be refridgerated. What the ehow is doing is basicaly super freezing the food and removing oxygen.

Be carefull, absence of oxygen combined with low acidic content will breed bottulisum, something us canners have to worry about. If its kept forzen, you dont have to worry about that though until it gets to room temp.

[gunDriller]

Be carefull, absence of oxygen combined with low acidic content will breed bottulisum, something us canners have to worry about. If its kept forzen, you dont have to worry about that though until it gets to room temp.

i just finished off a 25 year old can of pickled beets. i went real slow at first, and also made sure to cook them thoroughly.

i'm curious under what conditions of canning botulism is a concern. is botulism a bacteria or virus ?

[Dogman]

bacteria