Freeze Dryers--Do You Want One? The Great Freeze Dryer Debate

The beginning of the Covid crisis last year sparked a tremendous surge in the demand for home freeze dryers, one that has yet to subside.  As I write this, I am still waiting for the premier pump that was ordered when I got my freeze dryer 2 ½ months ago.  That little bit of food uncertainty spooked more than a few people, and based on Harvest Right’s sales, I’d say the concern remains for many.  I knew two people who had freeze dryers before Covid hit; I now know five.  Incidentally, I know fewer people who have had Covid.

Most people getting home freeze dryers spend a lot of time researching and contemplating the purchase; after all, it represents a significant expense.  However, it also offers a method of storing foods that can’t be preserved in any other way.  Is the expense justified?  That answer is going to vary from one family to the next.  As you do your research, consider the following:

THE NOVELTY

You know there are those people who do something just for the novelty of it.  That’s what freeze-drying is for many people.  Their focus is on novelty foods, perhaps even as a cottage industry, rather than long-term food storage for challenges ahead. Those freeze-dried Skittles that people on the internet rave about?  Really?  It’s because they want you to be suckered just like they were.  You can totally pass on those.  Freeze-dried ice cream doesn’t do much for me either.  And I really love ice cream.  I did a few different flavors just to see what all the fuss was about.  Unicorn sprinkle, a blue and pink swirl cake batter ice cream with sprinkles, for a woman pregnant with boy-girl twins.  Meh.  I couldn’t even bring myself to give it to her.  I also did egg nog, peppermint, mint chip, and chocolate flavors.  It turns out crispy.  The peppermint was good in hot chocolate—it added creaminess and peppermint flavor.  The mint chip was better.  The only flavor I might do again would be chocolate.  That was pretty good.  But there are so many other ways to get a chocolate fix, you know.  Overall, didn’t really do anything for me, and I’m pretty sure we won’t be doing any more.  I mean, I have the little freeze dried scoops of ice cream in canning jars, lids not vac-sealed, in PLAIN SIGHT.  Right next to the big bags of peanut M&Ms (which also still need to be sealed—lost one to some gnomes when we went out of town a couple of weeks ago).  Nobody is at all tempted by them.  Well, ok, I ate one chocolate last week.  The only one anyone has eaten in two months.  “They” also talk about freeze drying Starbursts and Snickers and Milk Duds.  I think it’s all talk.

For those of us living in a more reality-based world, here’s what you really need to consider:

ADVANTAGES

The advantages we’re interested in as preppers lie in preserving foods that can’t be stored long-term in any other way.  These are generally higher fat items like:

Cheese

• Sour cream
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Yogurt
• Avocados
• Sausage

Sometimes they are foods that taste better when freeze dried instead of canned or dehydrated, like:

• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Eggs
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Corn

Other reasons are for preparing your own just-add-water meals, or making sure the food is free from additives and preservatives or allergens.  For my family, we want to have more meat and higher fat dairy items if/when collapse occurs so that my husband can stretch out his insulin supply if that becomes necessary. 

Sometimes freeze-drying just gives you more options for your meals.  If you’ve got a small family, you can rehydrate just what you need for a meal.  Maybe you only need a little bit of sausage for a pizza.  Maybe some family members loathe mushrooms or bell peppers.  Why put those things in their food?  Just save them for those who want them.  Older folks may not be able to tell that freeze-fried food tastes better.  Little kids on the other hand, can be very sensitive, picky eaters.  Having crunchy, healthy snacks is a good thing.  Fruits and vegetables can be powdered to make food for infants or for anyone who has difficulty chewing. 

SAVINGS

The savings itself usually isn’t factored in.  Honestly, when you’re spending a few thousand dollars on a major appliance, saving pennies or even a few dollars doesn’t count for much.  But over time, it can be substantial.  I regularly purchase meat, dairy, and produce items that my local grocery store discounts over 50%.  I bring them home and throw them in the freeze dryer.  Excess garden produce can also be easily preserved, and I really look forward to doing just that this summer and fall.  In fact, I’m putting in a lot more tomatoes and peppers this year just to keep my freeze dryer well-fed.  I think no matter how much corn I plant, it still wouldn’t make it in.  And unfortunately, green beans don’t have a reputation for reconstituting well.  (It’s just what I’ve heard, but I suspect it’s true nonetheless.) 

DISADVANTAGES

Advocates say that the texture of most rehydrated freeze-dried food is nearly indistinguishable from fresh.  I think we define nearly quite differently.  However, the texture is a heckuva lot better than dehydrated.  I now look at most of our dehydrated foods and just sigh.  But I’ll keep them on hand for those who chose not to prepare so well, at least for now. 

Are you planning on instant meals?  Keep in mind that just because a food is freeze-dried, doesn’t mean it rehydrates really quickly.  It might need several hours.  Don’t plan on instant or near-instant rehydration.  Some foods benefit from longer rehydration times, even overnight.  For longer rehydration times, you should have refrigeration.  Surviving the end of the world won’t be nearly as fun if you give yourself food poisoning.

Be wise about this.  Don’t just go and freeze-dry anything that doesn’t move.  It’s a waste of time and money, and quite possibly food.  One guy boasted about freeze-drying uncooked rice and beans, separately, for an “added layer of protection.”  I’m guessing that he doesn’t know that when the micropyle of the beans shrinks closed, the beans won’t rehydrate at all and he’ll have to grind them into flour.  And that he's never heard of Minute Rice.  Ridiculous.  A woman wasn’t all that impressed that her nuts pretty much tasted the same (and weren’t any better preserved). 

Keep in mind that the following foods that don’t freeze dry:

• Chocolate
• Peanut butter
• Oils, including cooking oil, butter, mayonnaise, salad dressing
• Jam and jelly
• Nuts
• Honey

However, products that contain these foods as an ingredient generally freeze dry just fine.

COST

The Harvest Right freeze dryer, unquestionably, is pretty expensive and that puts it out of range for many people.  It’s expensive because Harvest Right is the only company manufacturing freeze dryers for home use, and they’re built in the US.  When their patent runs out and competition starts up, the cost will drop. 

The cost to run the machine itself varies depending on a few factors.  It takes longer to run loads when the air temperature is higher.  It depends on what food you’re running and how full the trays are.  Bacon is much faster than pineapple. 

It’s also important to factor in the cost of the Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.  It may cost less to package the food in canning jars, assuming you can find the lids.  You might want to consider laying in a good supply of Mylar bags—most of them happen to come from China. 

THE GREAT DEBATE

Once people have decided to get a freeze dryer, most of the debate revolves around two decisions.

The first is the size, whether to get a medium or a large.  There’s the cost issue.  There’s the amount of food that can be dried.  There is not that much difference in actual dimensions of the units, but the large has one more tray, and the trays are a little larger.  But the large unit will freeze dry 70% more food per load.  The most significant consideration is that the large must have a 110 volt outlet and a dedicated 20 amp circuit.  Nothing else can be running on it at all.  Make sure you can run this where you want it.  My husband says there’s a dedicated 20 amp in the garage, but he hasn’t found it yet.  So I have my unit in the tractor barn.  We better find that garage one before summer.

Even though the large unit processes more food, the grass is always greener on the other side.  If I’d gotten a medium, I could run it in the laundry room and check it easily, even when I wake in the middle of the night.  I’m a little less inclined to run out to the tractor barn in the middle of winter.  Call me crazy. 

The other big decision involves whether to get the oil-free pump, premier pump, or standard pump.  The freeze dryer comes with the standard pump. The oil should be changed every batch or two. You get it no matter what.  And it serves as your backup if you choose to get an upgraded pump.  The premier pump needs the oil changed every 15-20 loads.  It costs $695 more when purchased at the same time, or $895 when purchased later.  The oil-free pump costs $1,495. 

Another consideration, though usually not a major factor, is where you’re going to put it due to noise.  I don’t find it all that noisy.  It would be fine in my laundry room behind closed doors or in an unused bedroom.  I wouldn’t want it in a living area. 

Finally, what is your luck like?  If you buy one, will society collapse before you even get to use it?  Honestly, that was the biggest hindrance for me.  I knew if I bought one, our world would crash within two weeks.  Fortunately, my family took my thoughts out of the equation and got me one for Christmas.  And our world hasn’t crashed yet.  Maybe because we’re still waiting for the premier pump and I’m using the standard pump that comes with it for now.

Freeze-drying isn’t the be-all, end-all.  It’s a tool, an expensive one.  Canning and dehydrating are far less expensive and will process food more quickly.  Canning has the advantage of not needing rehydration.  Dehydrating doesn’t require canning jars and elusive lids.  You might do well enough to barter trade with a friend who has a freeze-dryer to get the items you’d really like to have a little of, especially if you’re only storing food for a couple of people.  If you’ve got a large family, however, it just may be the way to go.