Once upon a time, I was much more dogmatic.
I lived in a world of absolutes and blanket statements. But as I’ve matured, I’ve realized life isn’t quite so black-and-white.
And I’ve learned to never say never…
Case in point: Freeze dryers.
Some of my long-time readers may remember my long-ago fling with a freeze dryer. Back in 2016, Harvest Right sent me a unit to test drive, and I played with it for around six months.
And I liked it. Mostly.
However, I ultimately decided to send it back because:
– I had to keep the freeze dryer in an awkward space that made it difficult to use efficiently.
– I was canning most of the food we grew and didn’t feel the need for another method.
– Our life was much slower-paced so I had time for more intricate forms of preservation.
For the last eight years, I’ve stuck to that decision. I’ve had companies reach out and ask if I’d like to give freeze drying another go and I politely declined. I told everyone freeze drying wasn’t for me and didn’t give it another thought…
Until now.
Fast-forward to 2024 and things have shifted. Our life has picked up speed, and I’ve started to rethink how I preserve food. Convenience has become more valuable to me—but I still want healthy, homemade options.
And a few weeks later, I found myself eating my words when a truck delivered a brand new freeze dryer to our homestead.
Why I’m Giving Freeze Drying Another Try:
- Our days are busier than they used to be. Between Christian running the charter school, kids’ activities, and the Soda Fountain, I don’t have as much time to fuss in the kitchen as I used to.
- I’ve settled into more of a routine with my canning. I now know what I like to can—but more importantly, what I don’t.
- Since two of our kids are now at the charter school, we need more healthy snack options than we used to.
- We’re experimenting a lot more at the Soda Fountain. The possibilities for using a freeze dryer there are endless.
Even though we’ve only had the new unit for a little while, it’s already been a hit. My 12 year-old has taken over the operation and has been running it by himself.
We’ve started with the easy stuff first: bananas, marshmallows, etc.
What I Will Start Freeze Drying First
Now that I’ve reacquainted myself, here’s what I’m most excited to try in the Freeze Dryer:
- Pumpkin puree: We grew a mountain of pumpkins this year. In the past I’ve pressure canned the chunks, but I dislike peeling and cubing them. Freeze drying the puree will be much faster.
- Onions: I grew a lovely crop of onions this year, but with my less-than-perfect root cellar setup, it’s inevitable some will spoil before I can use them. I’m excited to freeze dry a portion and save them from the compost pile.
- Potatoes: Same story as the onions. I grow a lot, but they don’t store as well as I’d like in my basement.
- Snacks: We’ve never been a big snack family (I’m a big believer in encouraging kids to eat at meals and not constantly graze…) But between school lunches and snacks for sports, having portable, nutritious options for the kids is going to be a game-changer.
- The foods I don’t like to can: This is a biggie. I’ve tried for years to convince myself I like canned green beans or carrots. But I just don’t. I much prefer the texture of certain freeze dried veggies over canned ones. When rehydrated, they’re much closer to fresh.
- Candy for the soda fountain: This one has me especially excited. I have a whole list of vintage-inspired freeze-dried candy I want to offer.
- Whole meals: Back in 2016, I didn’t experiment much with freeze drying entire meals. This time around, I’m excited to dive into the possibilities. Especially when it comes to salvaging leftovers. (I’m on a huge kick to eliminate food waste at the moment…)
So no… I don’t think freeze dryers are for everyone. But if you’re wanting to take your food preservation to the next level, or even just reduce food waste, they’re worth considering.
Harvest Right is currently having their biggest sale of the year right now with discounts of up to $900. It’s worth checking out if you’ve been considering freeze drying, or are thinking about giving one as a gift.
Go here to check out the models and the savings.
And watch for more of my freeze drying adventure updates coming soon…. 🙂
For more details, here’s my first review of the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer from 2016….
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