Freeze Dryer

**UTpowder** · 09-02-2022, 01:30 PM

I picked up a Harvest Right freeze dryer for the wife for her birthday last week. Anybody here using one? Right now the Mrs. has been busy freeze drying stuff from the garden. Its been ok Not as good as fresh for sure but it's supposed to last 20 years. Peaches raspberries, blackberries and even bananas have been pretty good. Peppers seem like they will rehydrate well. We did a tray of sliced tomatoes with Cajun seasoning sprinkled on top that were pretty good eating without rehydrating. We have a bunch of dill, cilantro and basil that's going in next

I would like to get some actual meals done for fall backpacking trips if I can ever find some time when the wife doesn't have something else going. I'd love to see some of your recipes if your got some things that work well. I'm guessing I can pretty much just make normal recipes that a like and toss them in. Seems to be lots of info on YouTube etc. mostly from prepper types for long term storage.

**uglymoney** · 09-02-2022, 01:41 PM

Jealous.

Do you have experience dehydrating? Any good dehydrating encyclopedia would be helpful. We have a huge one that came with the Excalibur Dehydrator.

My favorite book is Recipes for Adventure. The shrimp marinara is amazing. https://smile.amazon.com/Recipes-Adv...s%2C118&sr=8-1

We always modify every recipe to suit our needs. For instance we always use whole wheat noodles. Always add more veggies than recipes call for. Real tomatoes blended instead of canned. Etc. Every year our results get better.

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**XXX-er** · 09-02-2022, 02:42 PM

I am unclear on this, is it Freeze drying or Dehydrating we are talking about ?

**Jong Lafitte** · 09-02-2022, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I am unclear on this, is it Freeze drying or Dehydrating we are talking about ?

The harvest right is a line of proper full on freeze dryers if I’m to understand correctly. Interesting topic. Jealous.

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**highangle** · 09-02-2022, 03:43 PM

Me too. Love a JetBoil, but MH & ramen & powerbars tastes like "Welfare Kitchen" by Day 2. By D+3 I can't shit but I can fart enough to make a +40 bag good down to -0...

Be good to make my own ice cream packaroons and smoked salmon chowder and potato and leek pizza and shrimp alfredos... I already make avocado and olive oil and mct packets with a Food Saver, to up those kcals. It's hard to get enough food down in the bc. Worse when it's multi-day backpacking.

SB · 09-02-2022, 03:44 PM

Check out MRESteve1989 on utoobs. He has a FD machine and put up videos of foods he has done.

There is also an MRE forum with a sub section on FD diy stuff.

Enjoy the unit, they are high dollar. You may end up farming to get your use out of it.

**UTpowder** · 09-02-2022, 03:51 PM

Ya it's a full on freeze dryer.

https://harvestright.com/

It was a bit pricey. I got the large size which might be more then needed most of the time but still doesn't seem big enough during the few months of harvest time. The large requires its own dedicated 20 amp circuit so I had to do some rewiring in my house. I didn't have any slots left for a new breaker in the box so I replaced the whole electrical box. Not hard just a bit time consuming.

Maybe it will pay for itself after a few years. I had a patient telling me about it one day at work. His wife has celiac and can't have any wheat flour. They freeze dry tons of greens and then powder it in the blender and use it as a thickener for soups etc. I didn't ask him what color it makes everything.

We did fresh corn cut off the cob that turned out really good. Next time we might ad a bit of lime juice and powdered hot peppers from the garden to it before freeze drying.

**BCMtnHound** · 09-02-2022, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I am unclear on this, is it Freeze drying or Dehydrating we are talking about ?

Yes

Freeze drying removes more moisture, quicker. They flash freeze and then apply a vacuum to vaporize the water vs heat and/or dry air of a regular dehydrator.

We enjoy our Excalibur but would love a freeze dry unit. Have yet to take the plunge.

SB · 09-02-2022, 05:22 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9183p7iJ5E0&t=54s

**Eluder** · 09-03-2022, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by SB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9183p7iJ5E0&t=54s

you cant stop watching be careful

**Core Shot** · 09-05-2022, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I am unclear on this, is it Freeze drying or Dehydrating we are talking about ?

$2,600 for “freeze drying”

Wtf. Just dehydrate and then freeze.

**neckdeep** · 09-05-2022, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by highangle

Me too. Love a JetBoil, but MH & ramen & powerbars tastes like "Welfare Kitchen" by Day 2. By D+3 I can't shit but I can fart enough to make a +40 bag good down to -0...

Be good to make my own ice cream packaroons and smoked salmon chowder and potato and leek pizza and shrimp alfredos... I already make avocado and olive oil and mct packets with a Food Saver, to up those kcals. It's hard to get enough food down in the bc. Worse when it's multi-day backpacking.

Perhaps you already know this, but you need to be very, very careful if you are vacuum sealing packets of unpasteurized food and taking them camping. Anaerobic packets can grow botulinum. Oils are probably ok. Its just something that should be mentioned in the topic.

**highangle** · 09-05-2022, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by neckdeep

Perhaps you already know this, but you need to be very, very careful if you are vacuum sealing packets of unpasteurized food and taking them camping. Anaerobic packets can grow botulinum.

True true, but those oils are mostly preservatives themselves, and the packets get consumed quickly enough, ipso facto.
Maybe I should boil them in a canner? I'm down a lot closer to sea level than low-boiling-point places known for botch...

By that time though, might as well just buy them. And powdered butter and cheese... Which will prob give me gas... Goddamn turtles all the way down...