Food Storage: Is It Worth It to Purchase a Freeze Dryer?
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- Is it worth it to spend $3,000 on a freeze dryer to build your food storage? One of the greatest benefits of freeze-drying for me is the ability to freeze dry meats and cheeses. The quality of freeze-dried meat, once it is reconstituted, is amazingly close to the original taste and texture. Freeze-dried foods are shelf-stable for up to 25 years.
We recently discovered the perfect Mylar bags for packaging freeze-dried foods. You can get the gusseted Mylar bags with a ziplock seal on Amazon at amzn.to/3olnezS. These are high-quality 7 mil bags.
If you are interested in purchasing a freeze dryer or need supplies, use the link affiliates.harvestright.com/9.... We make a small affiliate fee that helps to support our channel with every sale.
If you would rather purchase foods already freeze-dried and ready to store, we recommend either of these companies for quality food.
Valley Food Storage alnk.to/hhtsHcC
Augason Farms alnk.to/2Fuzhvt
Thanks for being part of the solution!
TheProvidentPrepper.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. - Навчання та стиль
Thank you for telling people to not go into debt!
100% YES! I agree!!!!
Check with harvest right they used to have a lay away program so youcan pay cash over time
@@johnk5306 that is what I did.
Sooo happy about that decision too.
$125 a month for my Med FD & Oil free pump. 😍🥰🤩
@@j.l.dawson1290 ... did they tell you that the oil free pumps have to be sent back to the company every 2 to 3 yrs for service??? at a cost of around $300. +/- too much for me. i think that changing the oil would be a much better option!
@@ohwhatelse No, when I bought the oil less pump, everyone on UA-cam was saying. Zero Maintenance!
Zero Maintenance!
The reading material I received with the machines had nothing included with any mention of Maintenance flushing the system or sending it back routinely. I was quite upset by that info.
Props for you for freeze drying rotisserie chickens. I couldn’t do it. I would eat 3/4 of the chicken before it would hit the pan.
Another good thing for a freeze dryer (not for you but for families with newborns and breast feeding mothers) is to freeze dry breast milk! Aka liquid gold. Especially if there is an over abundance of it. As an L&D/ mother baby nurse, I see that as a HUGE benefit.
We purchased the large Harvest Right freeze dryer mainly because we have about 200 chickens. We just couldn't keep up with all the eggs. We were giving away most of our eggs until the freeze dryer arrived. Now, in addition to freeze drying the eggs, we have stored meats, seafood, cheeses, yoghurt, cream cheese, ricotta, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, blue berries, garden produce and herbs. It really is amazing how the flavor is indistinguishable from the fresh product. I share our experimental batches with friends and family, so that they get an idea of what can be done.
There is an additional advantage that I have not heard being presented: Energy savings. The cost of running a batch of food through the freeze dryer is about the same as putting it in your deep freeze for a week, I would guess. Energy wise, you have the operation of the freezer, the vacuum pump and the heating pads, which sit under the trays on each shelf. Roughly twice the energy of running a freezer for the same period of time, which for us is about two days. So, I give a rough guess of a week of operating a freezer. Perhaps that is a bit high. But accept that figure just for illustration of my point. Now, after the product is freeze dried, no refrigeration is needed for the next 25 to 30 years! How is that for energy saving?
Another matter to consider: we were hit by the double punch of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. Power was out for several weeks each time. Consequently, we lost everything in our freezer. If those products had been freeze dried, it would have been no problem.
I forgot to mention: I love the way ham turns out. It is crispy, like bacon, without all the fat. Freeze dried bananas are an amazing treat.
What I do to protect my jars is that I hold onto old socks once they have developed holes and then slip the jars inside.
Me too!
love repurpose ideas!
This may seem like an odd thing to compliment you on but I'd like to say that I appreciate that you remain 'secular' on how you describe keeping your Sundays to yourself. As a non-religious person, I can't help but feel warmth toward your respect for others' beliefs. I can surmise from your wording that you refrain from work so that you may focus on your beliefs and worship on Sundays. I respect this. I have never felt so warmly about someone's religious day of rest before today.
This may not mean much from someone who doesn't share your beliefs but, may your god bless you both. :)
People are so easily offended now a days....
This is a really sweet sentiment, I felt that too when she made the comment, funny that stood out to you (your spiritual side just popped out, maybe it’s a sign ❤️ that’s kinda what they look and feel like) it did for me as well, take care!
I'm sorry you're going to hell unless you repent and change your ways
@@hungrydad7537 oh boy, as a believer myself, I cringe when another believer is as abrupt as you. I sometimes wonder if posts like yours are just troll attempts.
How would you become offended if they described that they didn't work on Sundays because Almighty God requires it? Do you want to tell me how their beliefs could hurt your feelings or someone else's feelings?
Your statement of being "a non-religious person" doesn't bother me and I know that we have a creator, so why is it ,that you that choose not to acknowledge him are offended by people that have made a choice to have a relationship with our creator? Is it jealousy? I'm sorry but I really don't understand that way of thinking.
For anyone out there that worries the food will not taste as good. It tastes Amazing! I sometimes like it better than fresh.
Home freeze dried is leaps and bounds above commercial brands sold, plus you know what went into the food.
Happy Freeze Drying Everyone! 🥰💝
Perfect for family farming where the harvest usually comes in waves... I'll bet one could also use the "ugly produce" aisle, as looks wouldn't matter much at all... Perfect way to mail a care package of a home cooked meal to a friend or soldier.
Great video!!!! As somebody who literally knows NOTHING about freeze drying, or dehydrated whatsoever for that matter, I found this video very, very helpful… & can we just take a second to admire this couple too?? So sweet the way they worked this video & their prepping together as a team!! 😌😌💜💜
I was thinking they are a cute pair too.
I've had my harvest right for about two years now. It bothered me to make $3000 investment into a food preparation machine. It is absolutely worth the money. You can buy $3000 on pallets of freeze dried food and after it's been consumed you have a bunch of the empty buckets. However with the harvest right you have a machine that can keep freeze drying food as it becomes available and have it last 20 years. Their customer service is outstanding. If I had to do it over again I would buy the large machine as opposed to the medium. But if you're a human being that eats it's a top-of-the-line investment.
I love it.
We bought the medium size one and love it. We are a family of 2 old people with friends and family that we need to look out for. We love to experiment with different things, but it is fun.
How much bigger is the largest and how much more expensive? I was thinking the medium would be best and I could just do more batches.
Janice Crowell there are a number of vids showing size and tray comparisons. You will find that time is the issue. To prepare the food on the trays, freeze drying time and bagging.
If you do one large load - About 30 min. Prepare time - 50 hrs processing- 30 mins bagging. Two batches adds 50 hrs runtime. If you do not have a lot of food to process you can put in an empty tray. All the best.
@@JaniceCrowell I don't remember the price of the bigger one but it's like one more tray (5 instead of 4 trays). We find that 4 is plenty, because we can do experiments on different trays. IT'S FUN. We didn't know we would like prepping this much. Only found one thing that we didn't like. Dill pickles. We have a surplus of eggs now and they are great freeze dried.
@@JaniceCrowell if I had the medium it would drive me nuts. I don't remember the price difference as my large one is 4 years old. My daughter got hers a week ago and was thinking of calling the company to see if she could return her medium and up grade to the large. The large has 1 extra tray and the trays are bigger.
"I would disagree on the pump...."
"He's a brave man..."
Lol
Been in Texas coast, we have hurricanes and this year we got hit with a winter storm!!! We not only lost power for one week, but the grocery infrastructure was disrupted and people panic as they were NOT prepared. I’m not surprised!!!!
This is one of the BEST investments one can make. I love it!!!
I freeze apple sauce in silicone molds and pop them out, then freeze dry squares for snacking. Mashed potatoes are great too freeze dried!
I do not have a freeze dryer. I would use one for the family. Right now I can and dehydrate. I like the fair and honesst review you have done. I also appreciate your stance on advising people against debt. That is admirable. Have a blessed night.
Thank you so much for this. I totally geeked out watching this. I've been picking up extra work and throwing everything i can at my "harvest right" fund (yes i even labeled the savings account for it 😂).
Did you get it yet?
@@michaelgraber5750 sadly no. As often happens Murphy had different ideas for the funds and was quite insistent.
@@OhavYisrail hopefully soon man wish you the best
Suggestion that if possible form a small co-op to fund freeze dryer and share use or even pool and share finish products as you did for the beef
That way not every can raise cow but maybe chickens or good a gardening
Glad you are enjoying the freeze dryer! There is truly a huge difference between the quality of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. I don't have the budget or the space, unfortunately. But I have been happy with the bulk foods I have purchased and am converting all my camping meals to home-packed freeze dried versus the expensive $10 to $15 store-bought junk! Thanks The Great Out There
It's so nice to be able to "file" your food away in any organised manner. Great for snack foods for the family.
I’ve had my Harvest Right freeze dryer for about four years now and I love the machine. Don’t know if it’s for everyone but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is serious about long term food storage. I would like to have the oil less pump one day. Congrats on having one and I hope you keep enjoying yours for many years.
One cost that many reviewers never mentioned is the cost of energy to pick up, process and cook the food that you are going to use later.
Settings aside cost, the value comes knowing that you have a portable product to sustain your life for various emergencies.
Love our freeze dryer. Easy to operate. Easy to oil change. I don't run it as much as the first 8 months of having it, but still run it often enough. We'll be running it lots when harvesting our garden again. We too don't like debt. Saved up for it and it was worth it. I love preserving my garden harvest most of all using this method.
Harvest Right has a layaway plan. Have to call them to set it up. Haven’t purchased mine yet but with recent events in Texas sure needing to ramp up my preps for sure.
I use a 2x4 like you do to drain my oil as well. The best food investment I have ever made was my Harvest Right and my Instapot. I buy 30 pounds of varying types of meat from my local restaurant supply store, chop it up and throw it my Instapot with some added goodies. I get four full trays a batch. I have been using it for for almost three years. It has saved me tons of money. Great video!
We used Galvanized garbage cans to store our horse feed in, the mice couldn’t chew through it or squeeze into the can to get to the grain, so I think they would be great for storing the Mylar bags in and they come in several sizes.
You all are so good at explaining pros and cons. I am so glad you encouraged people to not go into debt
My wife and I have been using a harvest right for about 1-1/2 years now. We started out with the standard vacuum pump. After about 6 months it needed to be replaced, I would put new oil in and it would come out black. We suspect a seal went bad. We upgraded to the commercial oil pump. What a difference, the pump is quieter than the freeze dryer and I get a better vacuum. I don't need to change the oil after each cycle like I did with my first pump. I'm changing the oil after approx. 30 cycles, the oil comes out a very light amber color and there is no water in the oil. We went away from the Mylar bags and are now putting everything in quart canning jars. We were having problems with the oxygen packets not sucking the air out of the sealed bags. We purchased cardboard boxes for the jars so we can keep light from shinning on the jars. We love our freeze dryer, we're running 3-4 cycles per week. Is it wort it? In my mind yes, especially if there comes a time when we can't buy food. Then I guess if was worth the cost.
When you seal a mylar bag, it is critical to avoid any wrinkles at the seam, as those tiny wrinkles create a pinhole size path for air and moisture to enter. Key: don't overfill the bag, as I tend to do. It is much harder to get a good, smooth seam on a full bag.
My only advice would be to make sure you freeze anything liquid, including scrambled eggs, before you attempt to freeze dry them. I am speaking from experience...lol
Freezing scrambled eggs before or after they are cooked? Cook the eggs would you still need to freeze them or are you talking about freezing the mix after you scramble it
@@michaelstann3390 the way I have seen it done is to whip the eggs then put them in the pan , freeze them, then freeze dry
We've never had any problems freeze drying eggs from the raw wet stage. We whip them with a mixer and load the trays while they are in the freeze drier (just sticking out far enough to pour into them). The only thing we have trouble with is milk, we have tried D and 2% and it's a mess, any suggestions? We make a lot of chicken bone broth and we have put that in the freeze drier too and it comes out great.
We like to cook everything that we freeze dry. Two reasons we do this is that we know it’s cooked the way we like it, and if in worst case scenario, we can eat it out of the bag as is. We cook scrambled eggs mountain man style with hash browns, bacon and or sausage, cheese, and even salsa. ( I have to bag this quickly because I’ll eat the whole tray as it is.) Fruits, vegetables, soups and stews, cranberry sauce and even winter squash, there isn’t anything that we’ve dried yet that I couldn’t or wouldn’t eat dry.
@@alonjohnson2132 that sounds great.
Wow, what a great channel! Thanks for being so helpful and transparent!
You guys have inspired me. After all we have gone through with this Pandemic, I have learned alot. I'm a canner normally, but my eyes have opened up to new ways of persevering food gor my family. My sister and I are going halves on one of these freeze dryers. Great investment. GOD welling, we will be able to feed our large family, friends and neighbors should and emergency come again. Keep up the good work guys.
Thank you both. You’re encouraging. We just brought our new large freeze dryer and oil less pump into the home and are eager to start using it. We reared our 19 kids with doing food storage on an ample basis and how I wish we had had an Harvest Right freezer all through the years. Three of the kids have purchased H. R. since the first of the year and immediately talked us into one. Today is Sunday so we’ll let you know how well we agree with you folks when we get going tomorrow. Thanks again.
You two are so terrific for sharing this information. Very helpful, good logical sense, and well organized valuable information. Many thanks.
Great video Jonathan and Kylene. Love the feedback. We saved our pennies, did not go on trips, tightened our budget and finally got a medium sized with the Premier pump a couple years ago. After COVID and hopefully the lessons learned with the reduced availability and limit of food I believe the wise will follow your example. I also had some issues with my freeze dryer and the vacuum. Worked them out with Harvest Right or figured them out. I just put the product back in our freezer till I fixed it and started the batch again. One of my children now has one also, I wish they all did and used them. The food is what you put in, good product - good results, poor quality - poor results. Doing this yourself guarantees the best quality instead of the cost cutting results of the businesses trying to make a buck selling freeze dry food. You have your favorite home made meals ready for you. We love it. Thank you Jonathan, Kylene and family for your important channel. Happy trails!
Very informative video. I liked the fact that it was not a sales job. They made it pretty clear that freeze drying should be based on individual circumstances and preferences and was not essential for food storage.
Thank you for your honesty and for all you do.
This is an awesome review on this machine. Breaking down the cost to run is very much appreciated. You have really shown the benefit to having one of these and the long term cost savings. I have wanted one of these for a long time but my budget has not allowed the purchase yet. Getting closer though :)
Once again, you guys are the best! You are great humans and I can tell wonderful neighbors! Thanks for this.
Mine is being delivered tomorrow! I can't wait to get started! Thank you for your wonderful, informative videos. I have learned so much from both of you!
We've had our freeze dryer about 2 1/2 years and was well worth the cost. First pump was the standard, but since we've replaced that pump with the premium pump and would suggest upgrade to premium with any new purchase. Mylar and mason jar storage great way to store.
Great review….thanks !!!
I always love your honesty in all you do !!!!
Blessings
Thank you for this incredibly insightful review. Most of all, I really appreciate your honesty and stating that you do not NEED a freeze dryer and to not go into debt to purchase one. Many blessings ❤
you guys have taught me so much and I plan on getting the same unit you guys have! Thanks for all that you do.
A couple of things I've learned are:
1) Over time, the mylar bags may become damaged and allow air in. Check them periodically.
2) Freezing the food overnight in a freezer helps lessen the time in the machine.
3) To rehydrate foods, you can use a Ninja Foodi on steam or pressure cooker for about 5 minutes. A bamboo steamer is also great too for meats, breads, whole foods, etc.
4) Items that have high fat or high sugar content aren't going to freeze dry. You'll just have a mess. For example: butter, oil, bacon with fat, chocolate chips or bars, heavy cream
5) Funny enough if you add chocolate chips *(melted)*, heavy cream, butter into a recipe and mix it well, then it works fine. Like chocolate cake or cheesecake or hot chocolate.
Have fun with your new Harvest right.
THANKS !!!
If they are becoming damaged from the sharp edges inside the bag, you might want to look into the bone protectors you can buy from any food packing supply house online. They kind of look like a fancy paper towel but are designed to take the abuse from sharp edges and keep those edges from poking through the mylar.
Thank you,!🎉
Thank you both for your important advise free of cost.
You guys always do the most practical videos. I say it everytime you make a video but you always astound me with the practicality of the subjects you decide to talk about. Most prepper channels are just so monotonous and redundant, and usually embellish getting over on people. You guys are the complete opposite. People that aren’t preppers who listen to you would probably feel far better than if they listened to the other fear mongers. Even my wife who was listening to you said “oh wow, I thought the power usage would be worse than that.”......now I’ll have to keep throwing hints about getting one 😬😬
I like how thorough you are in reviewing your product and I like the idea that you tell people not to go in debt thanks for sharing the information
I’ve had my knob model since Jan 2016. I have a 2020 model as well. I Love my HRFD! Yes, I agree! The gusseted bags are the Best! Love your family! 💕😃
@@TheProvidentPrepper honey dew and sun sugar cherry tomatoes
Excellent review. We have been debating getting a Harvest Right for a few years, but are seriously saving for one now. This review was so helpful. Thank you!
Thanks for this. I've been considering one and had little idea. This gave me some much appreciated insight.
I have been looking at the harvest right freeze dryer for about a year now. Still saving. Used a friend’s when visiting her ... fell in love with it. In the interim, learning to can and dehydrate.
Great info on this product, just a side note: we have had mice chew through plastic totes that may just as well been cardboard boxes. We prefer metal garbage cans or whatever could compare in price/size. Even clean metal 55 gallon drums with metal lids work great, but storage space may dictate how reasonable that application may be.
have you found a good deal on drums ?
@@CheZfrmdaWestWisc We see them for sale occasionally in our area but the plastic drums are the most prevalent. We have been using the plastic totes in the house since with 4 indoor cats they keep the rodents almost non existent. If we were storing food items anywhere other than the house, we would be more likely to be using metal containers of some sort, but there are fewer choices with metal for sure.
However I really feel the plastic 55 gallon drums would be okay if they had a heavy lid that could be locked down, as long as the mice were not too populated. I have rarely seen a decent plastic lid though.
We had the same experience with the mice in our hice. I was floored at what they did to Sterlite & Rubbermaid tubs. Lesson learned.
Just a note re: Mice. They hate the oil of peppermint. I would put a few cachets in the storage room and maybe one inside each tote. I use them in my RV and the Mice hate it. They chewed my hybrid camper up and I started new with the peppermint oil. I spray it in every opening and put it on a dryer sheet in all the cupboards and NOT ONE mouse poop in 4 years. SO, I'd invest in a bottle of Pure Peppermint oil. It isn't going to affect the taste of the food in the mylar bags.
LOVE - LOVE - LOVE my freeze dryer! It was an investment, that we saved for, but in my opinion, worth every penny! 😊
At the end if fall when I'm so sick of canning I take all my left over tomatoers(if I can't convince somebody they need them)and slice them tray thick and freeze dry,throw them in the blender to make"cheaters"powder which I use the next year to thicken sauces and paste. This about 1/4 my cook down times and give a fresher taste in thicken tomato products
Your video was excellent and I think you’re probably the first person that I watched who’s in the prepper world that told people do not go into debt! GOOD ADVICE! there are so many women who live on the Internet and out of fear have run their credit cards to the max much to their husbands chagrin. This has nothing to do with prepping because this causes so many other deep issues in a families life. Thank you for your solid advice and your great review on the freeze dryer.
Love the no debt living! We will be purchasing in the next few months and appreciate the video.
We received our freeze dryer 6 weeks ago. (A large). I an amazed every time I run eggs and can do 10 dozen at one time. I LOVE that I can cook the healthy lowfat meals that we usually eat and have that food put away for harder times. I also love that I can package in larger or smaller containers. My sister has #10 cans of diced mea that she purchased, not understanding that once opened they have to be refrigerated. She had several cans spoil and that cost her hundreds of dollars. Because of this we are packaging in smaller containers. If we have no electricity to store them after opening it will not be a problem.
When the #10 can is opened, the unused contents could be repackaged into smaller Mylar bags with Oxygen absorbers.
How do you do eggs in the freeze dryer?
@@cheymc237 I just did my first batch. I did 16 large eggs per medium tray, each individually. I used a blender on pulse to mix & then put the first three tray's contents in quart size jars and used the blender container for the 4th. I omitted pre-freezing the trays as I didn't have an adequate setup. With the trays in the HR, I carefully and slowly pour the egg mixtures into the trays. I believe I should have gone to 18 large eggs per tray. (I will try that next time to see if that is correct.) For pint size bags, I put half of the tray into a mixing bowl and used a spatula and a whisk to break it into powder. Quart bags I used the whole tray. I haven't sampled them yet, but will try a 1 part egg powder to re-hydrate.
@@markchase5323 Once the eggs are FD, I scrape the pan into an 2.5 gallon Freeze bag. I then take a rolling pin to the bag to break the eggs up. Be sure to remove any air first.
I appreciate your advice on the freeze dryer. Thank you.
The other reason I'm looking to join a Christian prepper group.I am a Christian prepper I believe in prayer prepping and no panicking - proverbs 22:3 Luke 22:36 Matthew 24:9. I am looking for a group of like-minded people. Near Helena Montana
Yep - I run a large dryer and oil less pump now since Dec 2018 almost 24/7. It has paid for itself several times over.
Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to get one
Thank you so much for this extensive information. It is all very helpful.
My husband and I bought the medium freeze dryer with premier pump. We used the lay away plan..which kept us out of debt. We love the machine. After our first full batch, we had a problem with the screen. Harvest Right tech support was great. They are shipping us a new screen...and they sent some very detailed video instructions. They definitely stand by their product.
I’m not a prepper, but live in a hurricane prone area in South Alabama. Hubby and I have been looking at purchasing the Harvestright, since we often face power outages and the stores seem to empty every time a storm approaches, and your honest review has been wonderful!
Thanks for video! I’m “considering”purchasing one on layaway. I agree 100% on putting those Mylar bags in a tote. I learned that after my most delicious bag of dehydrated apples were eaten. I use my food storage as a rotating pantry. I keep a tiny grocery store at home so I don’t need to try to get food in a blizzard etc. It was also invaluable a few years ago when I was out of work and I had to live off my pantry.
So glad you are enjoying your FD. I’ve had mine for 4 years and it has been down more than working and I have to say that my experience with customer support has been frustrating and disappointing with the problems not resolved.
You’re lucky you have someone to deal with the technical difficulties.
There are some foods that do freeze dry well and I suggest being selective on what is freeze dried.
I wish you well on your continued success with your FD.
Thank you for your video! I have a nice variety of storage, including some freeze-dried, but am just beginning to consider dyi freeze-drying. This was very informative!
Thanks for the video, the information and your time!
Much thanks for an informative and helpful video!
Great video! Our Harvest Right will be here in about 3 weeks. Super excited!
You guys are awesome!! Thank you!! 🙌🏻💜🦋
Great video, PP team XD I would imagine prepping groups, or MAG's would get a lot of use out of one, that way the cost can be spread out, unless someone was going to do all their food as freeze dried preps. I like the totes and inventory sheet on it, thats what I do as well with the bulk herbs I have for remedies, but am shopping tomorrow for totes for the first batch of mylar bags your video was so helpful on preparing a while back. Luckily I have two 4 legged anti-mouse devices that work for just some canned food and chin scratches, so they've been safe so far, but the totes make stacking the bags them easier. Appreciate your up front and honest approach about the device, cant wait to see what else goes in it, many blessings!!
@@TheProvidentPrepper Agreed, they can be a handful, the city can be a plus as they have so many other options for shelter & the basics, they will pass by ones that have cats, dogs, etc. although if there's nearby construction, that can disrupt their dens, or whathaveyou, and more will come by.
In a more rural area, theres so fewer options that they will take the chance more, so not surprised at what you saw. I think if I had a connex or some kind of prep storage room/bldg off grid id have a cat or two that stays out of the house & lives in it and build one of those cat doors with the sensor on it for their collar, I saw an interesting one online someone had custom built for their home that recognized the cats face normally and if it had a mouse in its mouth and wouldnt let it in if it did, so theres lots of cool options out there.
I'm new to your very informative videos. I love your show. Y'all get right to the point answer any questions that I might be thinking, and everything is so practical with something I can use for my family. I'm actually researching masonry heaters. I don't know if anyone in Texas knows how to transform my fireplace into one. After the last freeze we had I never want to abandon my home again in search of somewhere not to die. Thank you both.
I appreciate the fact that you hold a different devotion on Sunday. God bless you both for your sharing of information, expertise and experience.
I can stand behind the decision of keeping Sundays. Thumbs up to that! However, I think it worth mentioning to viewers that some types of food take longer than 24 hours in the machine, during which it is hands-off. (Unless something strange happened as an emergency) Feasibly, if they were of the mind to, folks could load in a long-processing batch on Saturday evening and not have to unload until Monday, with no more than a peek or two at the machine in the interim just to be sure all is as it should be.
I am running a 3lb tub of sour cream (Costco. Fills one tray in our medium Harvest Right) and about 4-5 dozen eggs from our chickens as I type this. Not pre-frozen. It's been almost 24 hours already and has only been on Final dry the last 2....so likely still has a while, and if it is not done by an hour before bed, then I'll set the "extend dry time" to last until morning. I love how flexible it can be.
Also, thanks for your efforts and content!
This sounds wonderful and I'm looking into it. I did find out from a friend of mine who sold freeze-dried food from Thrive life, I think. They have a warning on there products that you need to drink more water when you're eating freeze-dried foods or even dehydrated Foods I would think. They say that it absorbs moisture from the body and makes one dehydrated. Just a thought.
A lot of food has water in it and we need water to survive. Eating normal foods provides a significant portion of that requirement. So if you freeze dry or dehydrate food and then eat it without rehydrating it then you will have to get that hydration elsewhere. but if you rehydrate the food, then it should be the same as if it was never dried. Personally, I love freeze dried fruit and don't rehydrate it, so yeh, I need to drink the difference in water. For example, if you eat 1 whole apple it would average about 100g. Once it's been freeze dried it would weigh closer to 10g. So that's 90g (about 1/2 a cup) of water that you need to make up for. But if you never ate that apple at all in the first place, you would still need that 1/2 a cup of water anyway. I hope that helps clear that up. Stay hydrated, it is important.
Thank you. Very good presentation. I will wait until I save up.
I just bought my HarvestRight freeze drier but I don't have it yet. I have a freezer full of meat I plan to start working on. I'll do the fruits & vegetables as they come into season. I'm so excited.
Great review. I know that these take work though they look effortless. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and clarity. I have been looking at these for about 5 years and I am finally able to get one. I have saved your affiliate link and will be using it in the next week or so when I decide which pump I want. Thanks!
* and those mylar bags are waaaaaay better than what I was using!! Cheers.
I love you saying not to go into debt and that you don't work on Sundays. Refreshing!
Love, love, love the bartering arrangement! Also, we all love freeze dried bananas so much! I actually toss some somewhat regularly. I could save that waste! I used to bake banana bread or keep in freezer to do so, but I gotta be honest with myself….I’m not gonna get to it any time soon.
We have been considering a freeze drier since Covid began and the supply houses we usually use are all out of stock. Saving up! Thanks so much for the review!
We just bought the small one, it’s only two of us. We love it! I’m on my 4th batch. I’ve been concentrating on harvesting all our herbs. I thought herbs would be a good introduction for me in order to gain some confidence wit( the FD.
We have a freeze dryer. We absolutely love it!! It totally pays for itself. We have a load running all the time. We have done meats. Stew meat hydrated back to original. Highly recommend a freeze dryer.
Do you cook all your meats before freeze drying? We're thinking seriously about getting a freeze dryer, but don't want to make any silly mistakes and waste precious meat.
Great ideas! Thank you.
This was a great video! Your advice for not going in debt is important. Although we still had to save, the cost for us was divided by 3. I'm blessed to have my two sisters living on the same street and so we split the cost. That way we could all 3 afford to get the unit.
We just received it, after waiting 2 months, and have the initial bread run going. We are excited to use it and add freeze dried foods to our food storage!
My FD'r is about 5 feet from my kitchen and I don't even notice the noise. It's not loud at all (maybe I lucked into getting that 1 in a million that is balanced perfectly?) I've had it about a year & 1/2 and never even a tiny problem with it. Love it!
Thank you so much! Ours will be here soon we hope!😂. Love your videos.
I subscribed when you prompted being debt free. It's so empowering to not owe anyone any money.
We finally saved enough to buy ours, going crazy waiting for it to arrive. I love the comment don't go into debt. 😊
As a member of the lds church I think this is great. I plan in getting one. Great video
My Harvest Right just came in yesterday. It will relieve the amount of time I spend processing food. Not to mention, it will keep longer and taste better.
We ordered a medium machine today. Can't wait!!
You've gotten a lot of great freeze-drying accomplished already!
@@TheProvidentPrepper I've had mine 4 yrs and run it almost 24/7. I don't load mine on Sundays but don't stop it if there's something in it. A little over a year ago I went to the store for reduced price spotty bananas to freezedry. Walk out with 160 lbs(good the bottom 2 boxes were green. Spent a week vacation from work slicing and freezing bananas to freeze dry. Took 1/2 the winter to get them all done. It was funny but don't ever want to do that to myself again.lol
Great presentation, thanks.
You are going to love the Premier pump!! It is no louder than the fan on the freeze dryer.
We had ours for less then a month now and the last batch it started giving me those error codes for the vacuum problem. So I figured out that the wire behind the wiring box on the back of the shelves had kept it out just enough to keep the door seal from seating tight as can be. I finished that batch and at the end vacuum was not to bad but I'm making sure that the wire won't stop it again because you loose precious time. I also have the regular vacuum pump. So far so good.
I love my freeze dryer. Just finished up a couple of bags of Rhubarb. I did blanch it after dicing it. Looks beautiful.
My freeze dryer is full of rhubarb right now but I didn't blanch it :) I'm so excited!
Thank you for sharing!
I just ordered my medium size. I’m making mental lists of all I can do. I’m excited to get started.
WOW my new favorite channel. Thanks for the video!! Im sick today so i got a bowl of chicken noodle at the gas station. Yes i know gas station are more expensive. But $4.09 for a bowl of mostly water and only 4 flakes of chicken seriously tells me that buying a freeze dryer is actually a solid business move both for saving on my own bills as well as selling to other shmucks.
Thank you
I have been looking at getting a Freeze Dryer. I think once I get moved this summer I will be getting one myself. I been dehydrating food and gonna start pressure canning as well.
We just bought one and haven’t used it yet. Grateful for your video