Home Freeze Drying – Read this Before You Buy a Freeze Dryer
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Thinking about getting a freeze dryer? We’ll explain how home freeze drying works, and answer questions about freeze dried food storage for emergencies and more.
Why get a freeze dryer?
I’ve been curious about home freeze drying ever since I did an interview with Dr. Prepper back in 2015. The doc raved about his home freeze dryer. He loved the quality of the food, how much money it saved him, and what a great addition it was to his preps.
In early 2016 Harvest Right home freeze dryers contacted me to do a review of their product. I could purchase it at a discount, as long as I did a review. My other option was to get it for free, if I committed to a series of endorsements.
Being the stubborn individual that I am, I didn’t want to commit to selling you something that was such a big investment without thoroughly testing it. I purchased a freeze dryer and have been using it since May 2016.
My conclusion – if you want long term food storage or portable food storage, check out freeze drying. Commercial freeze dried foods are pricey and often have questionable ingredients. Home freeze drying puts you in control.
How Does Freeze Drying Work?
Here’s the official definition of freeze drying (Lyophilization) from the FDA:
Lyophilization or freeze drying is a process in which water is removed from a product after it is frozen and placed under a vacuum, allowing the ice to change directly from solid to vapor without passing through a liquid phase.
The process consists of three separate, unique, and interdependent processes; freezing, primary drying (sublimation), and secondary drying (desorption).
So, how do we do that at home?
- First, you get a heavy duty freezer (the Harvest Right units drop to -30°F (-34°C) or colder).
- Second, you pair this up with a completely airtight chamber that can hold a vacuum (no oxygen) every single time you use it.
- Third, you tie in a high end vacuum pump strong enough to suck the stripes off a zebra.
- Fourth, you add a heater and thermostat, so you can cycle the temps up and down, repeating the sublimation process for hours on end.
- Fifth, tie in a humidity sensor to make sure the water is out, triggering the cycle completion.
There’s a reason the big commercial freeze drying units are priced from $5000 to over $100,000 – the freeze drying process is significantly more complicated than other home food preservation options.
If you’re wondering how freeze drying compares to dehydrating, you can read more about that in the post “What’s the Difference Between Dehydrating and Freeze Drying?“
Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer Basic Information
Here’s some information everyone should know before buying a Harvest Right freeze drying machine. Since the time this review was originally posted, Harvest Right made a number of upgrades. They now have HR pumps in two different styles, slight design changes in the main units, and new software that speeds up freeze drying times.
Freeze Dryer Dimensions
Harvest Right has three sizes of home freeze dryers – large, medium and small.
Each unit includes a detachable vacuum pump weighing 35 lbs that sits outside the freeze dryer. They also have a drain hose that routes below the unit. Oil free pumps are available at an additional cost. (More on this below.)
Small Freeze Dryer
- Overall product dimensions: 16.5″ W x 18.5″ D x 25″ H
- 3 trays (7.75″ W x 14″ L x 0.75″ H)
- 61 lbs.
Medium Freeze Dryer
- Overall product dimensions: 18″ W x 21.25″ D x 28.5″ H
- 4 trays (7.5″ W x 18″ L x 0.75″ H)
- 112 lbs.
Large Freeze Dryer
- Overall product dimensions: 20.25 ” W x 23.75″ D x 30.75″ H
- Perfect for counter top, cart, or table.
- 5 trays (9″ W x 20.5″ x 0.75″ H)
- 138 lbs.
Moving these units is a two person job, unless you put it on a rolling cart, which many owners do.
I have a mid-sized unit of the old design, updated with new software.
How much food can you freeze dry?
Small Freeze Dryer
- Freeze dry 840 pounds of fresh food per year (4-7 pounds per batch).
- In a year’s time, you can freeze dry 195 gallons of food.
Medium Freeze Dryer
- Freeze dry 1,450 pounds of fresh food per year (7-10 pounds per batch, roughly equal to 1.5 to 2 #10 cans).
- In a year’s time, you can freeze dry 312 gallons of food.
Large Freeze dryer
- 2,500 pounds of fresh food per year (12-16 pounds per batch).
- In a year’s time, you can freeze dry 546 gallons of food.
Why can’t I stuff more food in, and stack those trays fuller? During the freeze drying process, ice builds up on the walls of the freeze drying chamber. Add too much food, and the ice buildup will get too thick for the unit to work properly.
Freeze Dried Food Q&A
What foods can you freeze dry?
Fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, meals, desserts, and more. Freeze drying is safe for preserving cooked pasta and grains, unlike canning.
Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that I’ve freeze dried plenty of fruits and veggies, but I also tried some more interesting items like scrambled eggs and fajita filling.
What foods can’t you freeze dry?
Anything that’s mostly fat or mostly sugar will not freeze dry well. Fat won’t dry – but it can heat up and melt in the unit and coat every surface. When I tried pre-cooked pork sausage patties, they made a big mess.
Sugar binds to water, trapping it in the food. This is great for inhibiting bacteria growth, but it means you can’t freeze dry jams and jellies that are mostly sugar. Plain fruit and most desserts are fine.
How long does freeze drying take?
Around 24 hours was the estimated freeze drying time for an average load, but with the new software, I’ve freeze dried loads in as little as 13 hours. Warm, humid conditions increase drying time.
When you load up your home freeze dryer and hit “Start”, the unit takes you through a short menu. You select whether the food going in is already frozen (or not), and whether it is solid or liquid. Then the freeze dryer prompts you to close the drain valve and begin the cycle.
The new software is smart. The main differences between the old and new software are as follows:
- It measures the freezing temperatures (it used to only measure the warming temps)
- The vacuum pump is used as part of the freeze (when the temp of the food hits 0 degrees F, the pump turns on). This is important because the food gets colder faster.
- Once the food is frozen cold enough, it clicks immediately into drying (it doesn’t wait for the full freeze time to finish)
- The drying phase ramps up to the specified shelf temperature (this helps you get a better finished product)
- The final dry is the same
The biggest benefits occur if you put pre-frozen food it. However, there is still a decrease in the processing times for foods that aren’t pre-frozen. Anyone who gets a new freeze dryer also gets the new software.
The new software will be sold as an upgrade to older users, due to the customer service involved with it. Harvest Right has almost 50,000 freeze dryer customers. I received a copy of the new software to test and review.
Can you mix foods in the freeze dryer?
Yes, but watch placement. The website claims that flavors don’t mix, but we have found that they do. We ended up with freeze dried kiwis with a hint of green beans. Advice from the freeze drying groups suggests placing stronger flavored items on the upper shelves, milder items on the lower shelves.
As always, proper food safety rules should be observed. Avoid cross contamination, dry thoroughly, and package promptly.
How do I know the food is done freeze drying?
The freeze dryer senses the moisture content of the food and finishes the cycle automatically, but sometimes it’s a little off and you need to add extra time.
When you first remove food from the dryer, it will be a little cool from the ice buildup inside the chamber, but not “cold”. I always break open some larger pieces and check inside for cold spots. If you find cold spots, put the trays back in and add time to the drying cycle. Your freeze dryer will prompt you to check for dryness.
One of our readers, Rose, shares what she does to check dryness:
One thing I did choose to add to my arsenal for safety was a FLIR thermal imaging camera. With one easy picture, I can quickly identify areas on the tray that might not be completely dry, and pose an issue for long term storage. The image will show as being “cold” in the area that is not completely dry.
In the MANY loads I have done, I have only had one that didn’t pass (the pre-mashed potatoes) the very center of the tray was still cold. I was able to quickly extend the dry period for a couple more hours and produce a perfectly done product with no fear!
FLIR ONE IOS Thermal Imaging Camera for iPhone – works with the phone
FLIR C2 Compact Thermal Imaging System – standalone camera
How do I use freeze dried foods in recipes?
The book “Freeze-Drying the Harvest” provides detailed guidance for using your freeze dryer and rehydrating your freeze dried foods.
Freeze dried fruits and vegetables (those with less sugar) get so dry they are easily crushed into a powder in a blender or food processor. The resulting powder is bright in color and intensely flavored. You can use this powder in smoothies, or for flavoring. For instance, add strawberry powder to make strawberry flavored whipped cream.
How do I store the freeze dried food?
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Once the freeze dry cycle is complete, you must package the food in containers that moisture and oxygen proof, such as Mylar, mason jars or cans. Adding an oxygen absorber helps to ensure freshness.
Meat with any amount of fat will go rancid in a matter of weeks if not properly sealed in an airtight container with oxygen absorber. Putting it in a mason jar and screwing on the lid won’t cut it. (We made that mistake only once.)
We use Mylar bags for most of our long term storage because they are light and durable. You can reuse Mylar, but of course the bag will be slightly smaller. Mylar is great for camping and travel.
Mason jars are a good choice if you:
- Aren’t concerned about the weight
- Have room for glass jars
- Don’t deal with tectonic disturbances or any type of disasters that might tip over your storage
You can use a Foodsaver attachment to vacuum seal jars, or remove the shelving from your Harvest Right freeze dryer and use the vacuum cycle. For long term storage, food is vacuum packed with oxygen absorbers in the jars. For short term storage, I vacuum seal without oxygen absorbers.
Can I use FoodSaver plastic bags for storing freeze dried foods?
No, not for long term.
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My friend Gale discusses the difference between Mylar and foodsaver bags in her post “Using Mylar Bags for Food Storage“:
First and foremost, the term “Mylar” is actually one of many trade names for a polyester film called BoPet film. For the technically inclined and the curious, that stands for “Biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate”. This film was developed by DuPont in the 1950’s and was first used by NASA for mylar blankets and long term storage as it increases the shelf life of food by eliminating oxygen. Think superpowered aluminum foil.
Since then, many uses for Mylar have been embraced due to its high tensile strength and its moisture, light, gas and aroma barrier properties. Mylar is also a good insulator against electrical disturbances, which is why it is used for making emergency blankets.
For all of these reasons and more, Mylar bags are considered the gold standard when it comes to long-term food storage.
What about Vacuum Sealed Bags?
Vacuum seal bags, such as those for the FoodSaver are a wonderful convenience and easy to use. But alas, they do not have the thickness nor the strength of Mylar bags and they may start to leak after 3 or 4 years.
They are still a great alternative for your short-term and mid-term storage items, especially if you are diligent about rotating foods and using them for your normal meal preparation activities.
Your FoodSaver bags do not need to be improperly sealed to let air and moisture in. They are simply not as thick or as tough as Mylar.
Alternatives to the HarvestRight Freeze Dryer
There are knockoffs available from China. Based on reviews, they are inconsistent in quality and operations. Although they are cheaper we do not recommend them. We only recommend HarvestRight.
How much is a freeze dryer?
Home freeze dryers range in price from $1,995 to $3,495, depending on size and exterior finish. This cost includes the Freeze Dryer, Vacuum Pump, Vacuum Pump Oil, Oil Filter, Stainless Steel Trays, Mylar Bags (50 ct), Oxygen Absorbers (50 ct), Impulse Sealer, and HR Guide to Freeze Drying.
All units have a 3 year Limited Warranty, versus the one year warranty on many appliances.
Harvest Right also offers 0% interest financing, allowing you to lock in sale prices with a $250 minimum down payment. You pay as much as you want, when you want.
When you reach the designated down payment for the unit of your choice, they ship your unit. You then pay the remaining balance over 12 months with 0 interest.
Harvest Right also offers different accessories separately, such as extra trays, mats, Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.
These units are a big investment. If you know you’re only going to use it a couple times per year (or not at all), spend the money on something else you know that you will use.
If you want more food security and food preservation options, read on. Home freeze drying is more affordable than ever.
Layaway Option
Harvest Right offers a layaway option so you can lock in sale prices or reserve your machine. (They are experiencing a backlog in orders right now.)
How the layaway works:
- Lock in your sale price with a downpayment ($250 minimum)*
- Pay as much as you want, when you want
- Receive 0% interest until paid in full. Your freeze dryer will ship after you’ve made your final payment.
Locating your Freeze Dryer
Freeze drying machines eat up a fair amount of real estate. This is not a toaster oven or blender. The main unit is about the size of a dorm fridge, plus it has a hose and vacuum pump. Many owners buy a heavy duty rolling table to hold the unit, but a counter top or table can get the job done.
I currently have mine on a counter in the garage, against a wall. The on/off switch is at the rear of the unit, plus the pump has its own on/off switch. You need to be able to access both of those and have clearance for power cords.
Power requirements: The small and medium units use a standard 110 volt outlet, but it’s best to have it on its own circuit if possible. If you try to pair it with another heavy load appliance, you’re likely to trip a breaker. (I found that out the hard way, and we installed a dedicated circuit.)
The large unit requires a 110 volt (NEMA 5-20) outlet and a dedicated 20 amp circuit.
Watch the temperature. The recommended temperature range for operation is 35-90°F. The most efficient temperature range is between 50-75°F.
Although safe, operating your freeze dryer in temperatures above 90°F will affect batch times and reduce the life of the condensing unit (freezer).
As the temperature rises where your freeze dryer operates, so does the length of time it takes to finish batches of food. This happens because with hotter operating temperatures it is harder to reach the extreme cold required by freeze drying.
Don’t operate the unit below freezing. You are likely to have water within the compressor, and it can freeze and destroy your compressor.
Home Freeze Dryer Noise
During the first part of the cycle, the refrigeration unit is running. During the second part of the cycle, the vacuum pump is running. The noise isn’t super loud – think vacuum cleaner, not jackhammer – but it is noticeable. I’d highly recommend planning to have it in an area where the door can be closed.
Freeze Dryer Maintenance
As I mentioned earlier, the freeze dryer does a complicated job, so there’s a little more to it than just flipping a switch.
Think lawn mower, not kitchen mixer. If you regularly abuse your power tools and don’t do basic maintenance, don’t get a freeze dryer. I know many of my readers fix and maintain not only their own things, but other’s people’s equipment, too, so I’m not too concerned about this.
We drain the oil after each use and refill the vacuum pump with clean oil. Oil is filtered and reused. Before filtering, we freeze the oil. After freezing, we pour the oil off the top of the container into the filter. The water (as ice) sits in the bottom of the container.
Visit “Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Oil Change and Filtering” to see a video of the oil change itself and the use of an inexpensive homemade oil filter that works.
Oil-Free Freeze Dryer Pumps Now Available
Harvest Right listened to customer feedback, and they’ve developed a premium oil-free pump. All new freeze dryers ship with standard Harvest Right brand pumps, but the oil-free pumps may be purchased at an additional cost.
If doing an oil change every time you’re freeze drying sounds like a bit of a hassle, the oil free pump may be right for you.
Note that the oil free pump does use slightly more electricity than the default vacuum pump.
Things I Love About the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
Home Freeze Dried Food is Tasty
Hands down, my favorite thing about the Harvest Right freeze dryer is the quality of the food. The commercial freeze dried food I’ve tried has been okay, but our home freeze dried products are amazing. I mailed some to a friend recently as part of a gift exchange, and she wrote back, “Okay, Laurie, spill the beans on how you freeze dried the fruits. My kids are absolutely in love with them!”
The texture of freeze dried food is light and crisp – more like chips than jerky – even freeze dried meat. We freeze dried fajita meat strips, and they tasted like crunchy little meat flavored Cheetos, the boys called them Meatos.
When we prepped freeze dried fajita filling for dinner, all we did was add a little water to the pan with the food, cover and heat through. Dinner was ready in less than 5 minutes. (If you happen to have a Sun Oven, they work well for rehydrating freeze dried meals.)
The fruit is so good – absolutely, intensely fruity, light and crisp. You can also powder your freeze dried fruits and veggies and use them as natural food colors (and flavors), as noted above.
Home Freeze Dried Food is Easy to Make
Filling the unit is easy. For meals or other prepared food items, simply cook your food and let it cool. Cut into small piece, or thin slices (if needed). Load the food on the trays; place the trays in the unit.
For freeze drying fruits and vegetables, I prep them as I would for freezing or dehydrating. Blanching is recommended for vegetables, especially for cabbage family crops like broccoli. Without blanching, they may outgas during storage, potentially bursting the storage seal.
If you want to freeze dry soup or liquids (like milk), you can do that, too. It helps if you reduce the amount of water to cut drying time, but you can freeze dry “as is”.
You Can’t Beat Freeze Drying for Long Term Food Storage
The shelf life of properly stored freeze dried foods is amazing. Low fat content foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meat, rice, noodles, etc. have a shelf life of 20+ years when packaged properly. Higher fat foods have a 10-15 year shelf life. No other food supply compares for long term food storage.
Why bother with food storage that lasts so long? Because life happens. One year I might have an amazing crop of a particular item, then crop failures for several years. If there’s a job loss or an emergency, with my freeze dried food I know we’ll have a stash of food we actually like to eat.
Food prices keep creeping up, so why not preserve food now to take advantage of lower prices?
Freeze Drying at Home Can Be Allergy Friendly
Food allergies and sensitivities are becoming more and more common. Freeze drying allows you to safely preserve a wider variety of foods than any other food preservation technique. You know you’re only minutes from a safe meal. When traveling, you don’t need to keep food in a cooler.
I have a friend whose daughter has EoE (an allregic swallowing disorder). She found that freeze dried foods didn’t trigger her gag reflex, and was finally able to eat more of a variety of foods.
Home Freeze Drying is Cool
Pun or no pun, home freeze drying allows you to experiment with options you won’t see with commercial freeze dried foods – or other food preservation techniques.
One member of an online forum had his aging grandmother cook her favorite meals. He then freeze dried them to share with the family after she was gone. What an amazing gift to be able to taste a loved one’s cooking one more time.
Another couple was freeze drying some of their wedding cake and the bride’s bouquet. Still another took meal pouches to work and just added hot water to have a real meal while her co-workers were gnawing on granola bars as they worked through lunch.
My boys love crunchy snacks, so we’ve freeze dried things from sweet potato fries to pickled beet slices as chip and cracker alternatives. Freeze dried yogurt drops turn bulk yogurt into a special treat. Combining berries and yogurt into cute silicon molds makes a melt in your mouth dessert bursting with creamy berry flavor.
Are you ready to invest in a Home Freeze Dryer?
Do you:
- Want more options for long term, healthy food storage that your family will enjoy eating?
- Have someone with allergies who needs safe food options?
- Need ready made meals to go?
- Try to store abundant produce for when harvests aren’t so good?
- Get excited about trying new food options and preserving special memories?
If any of these sounds like a fit, take a closer look at freeze drying. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. If I can’t answer them, I’ll find someone who can. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
My referral link: https://affiliates.harvestright.com/115.html
If you choose to purchase a Harvest Right freeze dryer through my site, I receive a commission at no extra cost to you. (Thank you!)
You can watch the video below to see how I freeze dry strawberries. (These are the berries that had my friend’s kids raving about them.)
You may also find useful:
- The 5 Best Freeze Dried Foods
- Dehydrator Versus Freeze Dryer – What’s the Difference?
- 11 Freeze Drying Mistakes to Avoid for Best Storage Quality
- Harvest Right Freeze Dryer – Cost Analysis and Optimizing Load Size
- Home Food Preservation – 10 Ways to Preserve Food at Home
Originally published in 2016 with the title “Home Freeze Drying – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, updated in 2019 to current title. Harvest Right fixed “the ugly”, which was the original messy pump, so I took that out of the title. I’ve also added information based on reader feedback. Please scroll through the comments for more Q&A!
This was such a fascinating article! Thank you for writing it AND keeping up with the comments.
My husband and I are about to start the process of buying a small farm for permaculture. I have been thinking about preservation methods for the, hopefully, large amount of fruits and veggies we’ll be producing, and this sounds perfect.
Question: Do you still preserve some foods in ways other than freeze drying? If so, what and how?
Hi Melissa.
Yes, I still use other food storage methods. It’s nice to have a variety of options in storage. Jams and jellies don’t freeze dry well, so those are canned. We go through a lot of tomato products (sauce, soup, salsa), which could be freeze dried, but we know we’ll use them in a year or two, so most of it gets canned. Quite a few veggies and fruits end up in the freezer, and some get canned. We ferment kraut, and sometimes other veggies. There’s also the root cellar for storage “as is”. Shell beans get dried. Herbs and some fruits and veggies get dehydrated, but not too many. The dehydrator also gets used for leathers and jerkies.
The freeze dryer only holds so much in one load (our mid-sized unit holds about a gallon), so when I have large amounts of produce coming in all at once, I mix and match storage methods to get it all processed in a timely manner.
Hello Laurie,
Wouldn’t it be advantageous to dehydrate (at least partially) higher moister content foods prior to freeze drying to cut down on run time for the freeze dryer?
Thanks, Cliff
In most cases, I don’t think so. When foods are being dehydrated, they generally form a skin on the surface. This would inhibit freeze drying. Dehydrating also changes the cellular structure of the food. The cells shrink as the water is slowly drawn out. With freeze drying, the water goes directly from solid to vapor state, so the food doesn’t shrink. A freeze dried apple slice looks like an apple slice, not a little leathery strip. I think a combination of dehydrating and freeze drying would bring out the worst of both methods, not the best – but I have not tested this.
Laurie –
Thank you for the great review. I frequently use a dehydrator for doing simple snacks that we can take camping or on scouting events – but forget about trying to do something more substantial such as a prepared meal that can be taken on a backpacking trip.
After reviewing some of the overall costs (and Jay W’s writeup on costs), I now feel more comfortable in deciding to put some money down for one of these.
Being able to put together a chili dinner that can be freeze-dried and easily carried makes so much more sense than either buying the already dried ones ($10.00 for a 2 person meal?) versus my “troop meal” (8 boys, 10 adults) of about $25.00. Being able to freeze that entire batch and simply re-hydrate it when the time is right is ideal for us and overall, I feel the cost will pay for itself over time.
Each year, we dehydrate a ton of fruits and vegetables, but this process does not seem to have the same taste as freeze-dried items. Once of my favorites to do is Yogurt, but it loses so much of it benefits due to the high heat process.
I am now looking forward to my purchase and hope to be able to get this up and going before the summer camping/hiking season starts!
The other thing about prepackaged freeze dried commercial meals is that they are generally short on meat, too. When you’re feeding a hungry crew after physical activity, they need something filling.
I have been running my medium sized dryer for over a year with more than 100 large loads of food dried. Over time I noticed that it is taking a little longer to dry things. The JB pump has a lot of hours (2200+) on it. My oil is getting well used. I know I don’t have any serious vacuum leaks because I can pull a vacuum on the chamber, turn the pump off and it stays a vacuum for days. I ran a test to see if it was the oil. I have been using 4 gallons of VacOil Ecco Grade oil. I drain the oil right after a cycle is completed, remove the water and run it through a 10 micron filter (0.0004 inch). The oil now has a nice mahogany color and it is cloudy which the filter will not remove. I bought a gallon of JB Black Gold vacuum pump oil and 24 pounds of frozen green beans (12 two pound Kroger Brand bags). Green beans have a thick skin and take a little longer to dry. I ran two 6 pound loads with old oil and two 6 pound loads with new oil. It turns out that the green beans were 92% water and each load resulted in approximately 88 ounces of water being removed. Bottom line – virtually no difference in time to dry between the old oil and the new. In fact, the two loads using old oil finish 15 minutes faster than the new oil. I guess I’ll keep running the old oil.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
One other thing to note (as I was reminded by Bill), I switched to a homemade tp filter, and my oil now comes out completely clear, not cloudy. I’ve got an old Brita pitcher, and fill the filter spot with a tightly wrapped cross section of toilet paper wrapped with a coffee filter. Cheap, and works well.
What brand of TP do you use, how long does it take for a batch of oil to go thru it, and how many loads do you filter before having to change the tp? Maybe I’ll set one of these up and use it after running thru my 10 micron filter just to remove the cloudiness.
I use cheap toilet paper – no lotion or extra fluff. Scott or Kirkland are pretty common. I haven’t counted loads between changes. I just watch for when the filter start to look grimy. (You can pop it out and pop it back in quite easily, so you can see how far down the side the dark “ick” has penetrated down the side.) It filter through in less time than it takes to run a load. I usually have one batch of oil in the freeze dryer, one in the filter, and one in the freezer.
Hey Laurie,
Bill here again. In reference to cost analysis site you listed for freeze drying operation, I have been very curious about operation costs so I visited site, and as you have said, there are many variables such as temps and humidity etc, but with my standard size Harvest Right freeze dryer with original JB Eliminator pump, my cycle hours were about 25% less than theirs for four trays of identical foods. My unit is inside with constant room temperature, but for someone using their figures as a factor in whether or not to buy a Harvest Right freeze dryer, I would say in my opinion their cycle times are longer than normal. Thanks
Thanks for sharing your experience, Bill. I know I see a huge difference in dry times for my unit, which is out in the garage, based on conditions outside, and also how I prep the food.
I have been keeping track of the times for different food. One of the quickest was mushrooms at 19 hours, one of the longest was Brown Cow Vanilla Yogurt which was 44 hours. I try to plan to be there — and awake — when the cycle finishes. I found out the hard way that you can’t let it finish at night and just pack it up in the morning. It will re-absorb the moisture and you will have to re-run some drying time. So… I plan on 24 hours for foods I haven’t done before, and schedule it to end at a convenient time. Just a warning/suggestion.
I’ve tacked on extra time when something is counting down the last six hours and I’m headed to bed.
I know you can do that after the cycle is done, but I didn’t know you could do that while it is running… how? Maybe mine doesn’t do that? or is it a button that I didn’t pay attention to?
Just use the up arrow on the display to increase the time on the count down clock.
Ha! I did an experiment last night, sure enough, the arrows were there, I just have never noticed them!! Thank you, that will be very helpful.
You’re welcome.
Could you please tell me when the post was about digital camera for checking dryness in the product
I haven’t done a post about it yet, but two popular units include:
FLIR ONE IOS Thermal Imaging Camera for iPhone – works with the phone
FLIR C2 Compact Thermal Imaging System – standalone camera
I use the FLIR scopes that I have for my weapons,I just use it for double duty,no need to buy one for a specific use is there,the one I use is a holographic weapon FLIR and it came with a wrist attachment and a handle and the FLIR has a Piccany. rail attachment as do the wrist band and handle.
It works real well,the trays and pads show as blue and the food if dry shows as light brown and if not dry in center it shows blue also,that way you can ck each individual item to see if dry quick and easy,
No FLIR scopes here – yet. 🙂
That is a good idea… as I had a problem with assuming that the food would be dry enough to sit a while and with some that felt dry until I got to the very center of the center tray!
I wish that Harvest Right would have a “keep dry” cycle at the end of the drying cycle!!! (Like a clothes dryer). Otherwise, the food re-absorbs the moisture from the air.
That would be helpful for when I can’t get to it immediately, but would likely be tough to rig up.
I want to freeze dry coffee extract to make my own blended instant coffee. It is possible to do with this machine? How much amount of water based extract can be freeze dried? How much time needed to freeze dry. Have you sold this machine in Australia. Thank you. Prashant
Yes, it is possible to make freeze dried coffee with the Harvest Right freeze dryers. For best results, you want to brew exceptionally concentrated coffee – stronger than most of us would want to drink – so that there is more coffee powder left after the freeze drying process.
Harvest Right will ship internationally. You’d need to call for a shipping cost estimate.
Their number is 1-800-700-5508.
Business hours are:
Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm MST
Sat: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm MST
I plan to buy a freeze dryer for several reasons. The cost is not out of the realm of most people with the layaway plan. Its a matter of priorities. We do a lot of canning so im thrilled to know that our investment of mason jars can be used to store freeze dried foods. Canned goods/home canning contains salt & high heat destroys a lot of the goodness. Plus store bought cans are lined with something. If its bpa free its most likely lined with some other chemical laden thing equally as bad. Freeze drying is a no brainer.
Now I can stock up on fresh organic foods and especially 100% grass fed beef & other organic meats certified humanely raised when they are on sale & preserve them in a way that’s simpler, healthier & tastier. Its also a helluva lot safer than canning with big pots of boiling water for several hours. I am excited for all the homemade gifts i will make in decorated mason jars. Who wouldn’t love that. Its not just about saving money. What a great hobby that’s soooo practical, fun, & healthy.
I would freeze dry in season fruits, lots of what I grow, and meats and maybe meals too.
Would love to have a freeze dryer but it’s a big investment.
Would use to store food for the future.
I’d freeze dry what i could not can!! Thank you for the chance!
I would freeze dry my garden surplus. Would save so much space.
Thanks for the great information. We finally purchased one at the end of November, but have yet to hook it up…dang it! Look forward to being able to save extra food!!!
lol – better make time to get that hooked up!
Id try freeze drying meats first and go on to the veggies and fruits. Meats being the most expensive to buy online.
I actually OWN a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. In a household of 2 adults and 5 cats, I was constantly throwing away garden/purchased items! When my tomatoes came in, I have gallons of them, and I can’t use them all and they weren’t the ones to use for sauces. I freeze dried them, and people at work (I brought some in for them to try) loved them as snacks. I have done cat treats (buy ham or turkey at the store, cook it, and freeze dry it) that my pets love. I have done prepared food, mushrooms (another one that fresh usually spoils before I get to use them all), berries of all types, yogurt, sour cream (another one that spoils before I use it all), guacamole, pineapple (I have a batch right now going), limes and lemons… sooo good I love it.
Now, I got the small one, and I regret it, I wish I had the larger one (I am considering buying the bigger one, even for the extra cost!!). I had some problems with my pump, and I had to have it worked on by Harvest Right (it wasn’t one of theirs, so I guess I have an older model). There are kits that you can add on to make the oil maintenance MUCH easier (it cycles the oil through a filter, IIRC). However, Harvest Right doesn’t, at this time, support this add on. I have mine in the basement, so noise is NOT an issue. LOVE IT.
I think that with all of the food I used to throw out, I can save money. Plus, I can buy in quantity and not lose any…and my pantry is in pretty good shape! I would love to get more from Harvest Right, and will research the new pumps in case I have any additional issues. I have a log of my freeze dried food for reference. I will be glad to share any “wisdom.”
Thanks for sharing your experience, Debra.
This is the second time I have read your review. I keep coming back to it as it is very helpful. I am considering this purchase more seriously since my Hubby actually brought it up to me again recently. When I first suggested it, he did not see the value. Now, he is really seeing the value of preserving our own produce and using sales and seasonal foods to prolong our food storage. Thanks for your review.
You’re welcome, Wendy. It’s a big investment, but nothing else preserves food like a freeze dryer does. I appreciate the peace of mind with having food storage on hand that we trust.
Thanks for your review. Have you tried to do it with meat? Because I am thinking of making freeze dried meat for my pets, and would really like to know if there is anything i should be aware of.
You should be aware that freeze dried meat is so yummy you may not want to share it with your pets. Like most foods, meat freeze dries best when thinly sliced or in small pieces. Deli meat does quite well, as does ground beef, chicken chunks, ham bits and more. We made up sloppy joes and taco meat, fajitas, spaghetti with meat sauce, ham, chicken – all have been tasty. The texture of freeze dried meat is something like cheese puffs, so we call the pieces “meetos”.
For pets, most people freeze dry raw meat. You want to keep the pieces small, especially if you’re not rehydrating before feeding. (For instance, making freeze dried meat snacks.) Freeze dried food is VERY dry. It is safe to eat dry, but if they eat any quantity of it, they’ll need extra water. Some people grind bones with meat and freeze dry for larger dogs, but I don’t recommend attempting to freeze dry meat on the bone.
As always, proper food safety rules should be observed. Avoid cross contamination, dry thoroughly, and package promptly. Meat with any amount of fat will go rancid in a matter of weeks if not properly sealed in an airtight container with oxygen absorber. Putting it in a mason jar and screwing on the lid won’t cut it. We made that mistake only once.
Hi Laurie,
thanks for your reply. Haha that is true I might want to make some for my family as well.
By the way, may I know why not freeze with the bone? because i raw feed my pets and they need to eat the bones as well.
and one thing i do not understand, will the meat get bad after i open the package and take the meat out several times?
I think I am ready to buy one soon!
Hi Will.
There’s no problem with bones, per se. The issue lies with making sure whatever you’re drying is completely and uniformly dry all the way through. If you have a big hunk of anything, it’s really difficult to get that center dry. Add in the changes in density across a hunk of meat on the bone, and you’ve got an almost guaranteed failure waiting to happen.
What I’ve seen online from folks making homemade pet food to freeze dry that includes the bones is that they grind bones and meat together, and then freeze dry. Uniform density, and you can spread it thinly on the drying trays to make sure it dries all the way through.
If you take out a small amount of food and close the package promptly, it won’t get bad right away. For instance, I open Mylar pouches, use some of the contents and promptly put the rest into a mason jar and close it. I try to use opened food within two weeks, especially meat products. If you let the sit much longer, even in a sealed jar, you’ll start to notice when you open the jar that it starts to smell stale. The appearance doesn’t change, and if it was freeze dried correctly there’s not enough moisture to grow mold, but the fats start to oxidize and get rancid. Depending on the humidity levels, the food may also start to get softer. Keeping the oxygen absorber in the jar will help slow down oxidation, but it can only do so much with the jar being opened and closed.
Hi Laurie,
You explained it very well. and I have some more questions which i don’t understand.
(1) Can i put frozen raw meat in and freeze dried it directly?
(2) How can I make sure the raw meat is safe to eat? i.e. no bacteria and contamination
Does the freeze drying process help?
Thanks for the help
Will
Yes, you can freeze dry raw meat. Yes, you could potentially put frozen raw meat directly in the freeze dryer, given that it was thin enough/sized small enough that it would dry completely (for instance, ground meat patties). Some folks do things like thin sliced pork chops, chicken breast and fish fillets, too.
Like any time you are working with raw meat, you should follow appropriate safety protocol. Wash all surfaces thoroughly before and after they are in contact with the meat (including your hands). Label the freeze dried meat as “raw”, and be detailed in your description on the package of where it was sourced from, in case at some point it might be subject to a recall.
If your meat contains bad bacteria going into freeze drying, they will still be present after freeze drying, so cook completely when you are ready to use your meat. The freeze drying process will put any problem microbes in stasis, so they won’t grow and spread, but it doesn’t automatically kill them. (Freeze drying may kill them, since microbes generally need moisture and a certain temperature range to survive, but it’s not 100% a sure thing. Some microbes have crazy survival abilities, and we’ve been breeding too many superbugs in recent years.)
Wow! My head is spinning!! I just wanted to win some freeze dried food for emergencies and whoa! Lol.
Great info…i know a lot more now…thanks for the tip on the hair straightener for mylar bags.
I want to win because I want to have something on hand in case of an emergency of any sort. Thanks 🙂