Home Appliances, Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage

Food storage and preservation has come along way, especially more recently.  Drying, dehydrating, pickling,and salting have all been used successfully in the past.  Each has it’s benefits and weaknesses,  Recently, an appliance that preserves food longer, maintaining it’s color. taste, and nutrition for up to 25 plus years, has become available for consumers, the Home FOOD FREEZE DRYER!

We have found, that Freeze Drying is a beneficial adventure, an adventure worth having!

Our adventure started with the need to retain the nutritional values of the food we wished to store. In doing our due diligence, we found that freeze drying retains the original nutrition levels, flavor, color, texture and has a storage shelf life up to 25 plus years, it is the very best way to preserve and store all kinds of food for longer terms.  Let’s look at the alternatives.

Dehydrating by heat and or sun removes only about 80% of the moisture in the food, so that the food does not grow bacteria or begin to decompose. But the process of drying, the food value is significantly reduced. The nutritional value retained in dehydrated foods is generally less than 60% of the fresh food equivalent.  Most dehydrated foods, like vegetables, fruits, and even meats have a self life less than 2 years.

The high heat used in Canning destroys the enzymes, and some of the foods original nutritional value.  It also changes the food taste, color, texture, and shape.  The added sugar, salt, and other preservatives used in canning can alter the original goodness of the items we are trying to preserve.

Salting and pickling can be used for some foods, but generally not for the wide variety that is needed.

Freeze Drying solves the challenges presented by canning and dehydrating and other storing methods. By removing 99% of the water from already frozen foods, changing the moisture in the food from a liquid directly to a gas, which is eliminated from the food being processed. Freeze dried food retains nearly all of it’s nutritional values, including the enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Nearly all flavors, shapes, textures, and coloring are also retained, and when reconstituted, provide delicious, nutritious, and equally tasty foods, when compared to the original. From quick meals to convenient on the go, outdoor camping meals, freeze drying provides opportunities other wise not possible. after all, freeze drying is used to preserve medicines, food for astronauts, and now food for home, to be used now and in the future.

We use our Freeze Dryer to preserve and save left overs, prepared meals, snacks, drinks, mixes, garden grown herbs, spices, flavorings, meats, vegetables, even eggs and dairy. Besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, freeze drying can do deserts, smoothies, additives for drinks  and sauces. It makes easy, outdoor meals, survival backpacking, baby food, pet food, and meals for special and or restricted diets. We have even given freeze dried fruits. soups, and meals as gifts.  Freeze drying can be used to dry candies, such as skittles, salt water taffy,  and even ice cream.

Yes Freeze Drying is an adventure.  You will find by doing, it is an adventure worth having!