I'm mostly looking at what my household most regularly eats and what we'd be preserving, with cost as secondary. I find dehydrators a stretch but reasonable, with pressure canners being far better. Beyond which I prefer to focus on eating seasonally & growing food all year long. Snipping Egyptian walking onions being amongst the plants that I continually harvest & eat.
Love our Harvy- our Freeze Dryer... I'm an Herbalist and the amount of benefits and constituents left in my herbs is absolutely priceless...99.8%pure is pretty close to perfection! Thanks for sharing all the info. Blessings ❤
Great information as always CLE. The one preservation method I think you didn't mention: The root cellar. I think it was your channel where I learned about how to dig a hole and bury a barrel with the top cut off it to create below ground root cellar like storage in say a barn or other dirt floor structure. If I recall, layer the root vegetables in straw and cover the top to keep the mice and other critters out. Then there's also natural drying / curing as done with onions and garlic for example. A method, although not one I suspect many would choose to use today is salting - salt pork / beef for example, as was done "back in the day" for sailor fare on long voyages, or as was common during the Civil War for the meat rations.
Great info. FYI, smoking vegetables is absolutely possible, and in some countries they are considered a delicacy. High-moisture root veggies like radishes and turnips are a good way to start with learning this method. If you've never had daikon radish that has been smoked, then quick-pickled, I highly recommend it!
Great video. I really appreciate your taking the time for a rather broad cost/benefit analysis. We've been considering purchasing one for a while, so I'm glad to hear of the lay-a-way option! Blessings to You & Yours!
Nothing beats canning fruits n veggies for the best possible natural consistency, taste and texture. Freeze drying is a different animal all together and great for its intended purpose.
I'll be the first person to acknowledge that vacuum chamber double-bar sealed 5-mil to 7-mil thick mylar bags are the easiest way to preserve freeze dryed foods. For use in camping/backpacking/long-distance trail hiking scenarios, as well as for any type of S.H.T.F. observation outpost/foot patrolling/bugout scenarios; vacuum sealed mylar bag meals, condiments, electrolyte drink powders, hot drink powders, desserts, medications, personal hygiene items, toilet paper, etc. are the only way to go. The only problem with quality mylar bags is the high cost of the thick ones coupled with the fact that although they can theoretically be washed, sanitized, shortened, refilled, and resealed; very few people elect to do so, and thus mylar bags are just another wonder material of the 20th century that has made life better while simultaneously contributing significantly to humanity's long-term, non-biodegradeable waste issues. For long-term, hunkered down, S.H.T.F. prepping scenarios I feel that for myself I will dedicate at least 50% of any freeze dried preps to pint, quart, and half-gallon size wide-mouth Mason canning jars in which the canning lid seals are vacuum pump sealed to the mouth of the glass jar. To mitigate light degradation, since neither Ball nor Kerr any longer provide a full cardboard box with the purchase of any of their jars; I will purchase the appropriately sized, heavy-duty, plain brown cardboard boxes with their accompanying interlocking, crisscrossing, cardboard jar separation panels so that light is not an issue. In addition, the cardboard boxes will theoretically allow the possibility of a reasonably safe from breakage and rapid movement of the stored freeze dried preps out of my hunkered down storage space, onto some form of transportation, and away from what has become a location too dangerous to any longer contemplate residing in.
Freeze dryers are very good for doing meats, either cooked or raw because the meat prices are going to be going skyrocketing if we can even get our hands on meat in the future.
My family (and my wife's) have been canning for generations. We grew u p on gardens and the necessity of putting things up. If we didn’t put it up, we didn't eat. Proper canning and storage will preserve foods for over a decade or more easily.
Canned food that is properly processed cannot "go bad." Products we buy from retailers are in cans where the lining inside the can MIGHT eventually deteriorate, but it's way past the shelf life on the can. Frozen food is similar. A steak frozen while still fresh is not going to go bad in 20 years. It will eventually discolor and dehydrate(that's what freezer-burn really is) but it won't ever be dangerous. It will slowly lose flavor aand texture. Last month we opened 2 cans of collards that we put up in 2018 and they were fine..@CountryLivingExperience
As a for instance....Newly manufactured military M.R.E.'s containing freeze-dried foodstuffs that were shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan during the War on Terror when summertime temperatures exceeded 110°Fahrenheit, which was an extremely common occurrence, and which were not put into a refrigerated warehouse, which was an extremely uncommon occurrence; had an average lifespan, before serious degradation in nutrient density and taste began to occur, of 30-45 days. After no more than 120 days of being stored at temperatures exceeding 100° Fahrenheit, those incredibly well-packaged military MRE's were essentially useless. Like this video points out, those identical military MRE's, if immediately after being manufactured, are transported in refrigerated trucks and placed into temperature, humidity, light, and vermin controlled storage conditions, where the temperature is held between 34° Fahrenheit and 40° Fahrenheit on a constant, year round basis, have a bare minimum lifespan of 25-30 years before degradation begins to occur.
Great video, thank you! One question I keep hoping to find answered and usually not addressed, so I assume it's a "stupid" question :-) . If I buy the largest unit I can afford for harvest season, can I also use it for one or two run smaller batches. Mid winter when I made an amazing holiday dinner and don't want leftovers for the next 2 months?
Yes, absolutely. It can be used for smaller leftover loads. However, what I do is put the leftovers on the tray, put a top on them, and throw them in the freezer. When I have more I add to another tray and then freeze dry them all at the same time as a full load.
Our Harvest Right freeze dryer won’t hold the vacuum. We’re waiting for Harvest Right to get in contact with us. We downloaded the info on a thumb drive and emailed it to Harvest Right. Our machine is only 1.5 years old.
I have everything but freeze dryer, but my problem question to you is; I am looking at the walls of the room you are in. Your wall, i think, looks like mine. My problem is i have two rooms in the back of home that I bought. The rooms has no windows. I use it for storage. I run the air conditioner in those rooms at 65 degrees. I was warned by heating and cooling not to run it lower than 65 degrees or blow out the the air conditioner. I need a way to run the room at 50 degrees. There is no drain hole in the floor like in the city. The air conditioner that runs at 65 degrees the drip runs outside by my grow garden. What could I do to boost the coldness. Will the new install effect the old thermostat and injury it. The wall will have to have a window hole cut in the wall. I wondering if I will be defeating the purpose . HAV said I need to by a walk in freeze. I don't need that. I rooms have food storage. What to do ,can you suggest? Thanks, Kentucky
Not sure what site you are on. I go to harvestright.com. The black Friday sale is right on the front page. Go to products then home freeze dryers and scroll down....small unit is listed at 2295.
When people criticize my freeze dryer purchase, I just ask them how much their side by side or ATV saves them. This is fun for me, so there is lots of value there, don’t get much thrill out of things that drive around.
You must live in a big city and don't get out much. My UTV hauls in the wood that heats my home and cooks my meals, and during hunting and trapping season, it is priceless to have when you have a 20 mile trapline to check on a daily basis, not to mention hauling all that equipment with you and the meat and wild edibles that are foraged along the way. I don't have a UTV for fun, it is a major tool that happens to be part of my lifestyle. I cannot justify the cost of a freeze drier and anyone who thinks that a freeze drier pays for itself in a couple of years are lying to themselves, unless you have a large family.
I see what you are saying about the higher cost and initial investment comparison. I am actually saving up for an ATV/UTV because it would be of great value for me with the jobs that I have here on the property. It will save me a lot of time and some aches and pains.
We have a Harvest Right freeze dryer. I think they're a gimmick. Up-front cost is high. Mylar bags are high. O2 absorbers aren't cheap either. We've used ours a great deal for fruits, spices, eggs, meats, and combined meals. It works, but the final product is not always "wonderful." I think it does a good job on fruits when you have a surplus, and we make dog treats with liver and hearts when we process animals. We didn't pay anywhere near that price of our pressure canner and have put up 100s if not 1000s of jars of fruit, soups, sauces, etc., over the years. My wife is currently putting up about 5 bushels of applesauce using the water bath canners. We haven't opened a case of new jars this year because we keep reusing them as we go through them. I'm not saying that freeze-driers aren't useful, just that they shouldn't be near the top of a list for a homestead. For the cost of a freeze-dryer, you could buy a large freezer, a pressure canner, a vacuum sealer, a Bluetti, and a new shotgun. If you have all these things and have extra money, then a freeze-dryer is worth having. I can see using them for hiking meals(we've done scrambles for that purpose). I bought in to the "food will last 25 years" hype, but I really don't see that as much of a value. We need to preserve food for a year, and our canned foods are often 3-4 years.
A freeze dryer is on the short list of items to add to our kitchen. Preserving garden items and saving leftovers is two of our main goals.
I'm mostly looking at what my household most regularly eats and what we'd be preserving, with cost as secondary. I find dehydrators a stretch but reasonable, with pressure canners being far better.
Beyond which I prefer to focus on eating seasonally & growing food all year long. Snipping Egyptian walking onions being amongst the plants that I continually harvest & eat.
Love our Harvy- our Freeze Dryer... I'm an Herbalist and the amount of benefits and constituents left in my herbs is absolutely priceless...99.8%pure is pretty close to perfection!
Thanks for sharing all the info.
Blessings ❤
The nutrient preservation is so very worth it for sure.
Great information as always CLE.
The one preservation method I think you didn't mention: The root cellar. I think it was your channel where I learned about how to dig a hole and bury a barrel with the top cut off it to create below ground root cellar like storage in say a barn or other dirt floor structure. If I recall, layer the root vegetables in straw and cover the top to keep the mice and other critters out. Then there's also natural drying / curing as done with onions and garlic for example.
A method, although not one I suspect many would choose to use today is salting - salt pork / beef for example, as was done "back in the day" for sailor fare on long voyages, or as was common during the Civil War for the meat rations.
Thanks.
Oh yea, I totally forgot the root cellar and curing. Hard to remember all of it (and I am getting old ;-)
Great info. FYI, smoking vegetables is absolutely possible, and in some countries they are considered a delicacy. High-moisture root veggies like radishes and turnips are a good way to start with learning this method. If you've never had daikon radish that has been smoked, then quick-pickled, I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the heads up about the vegetables. The daikon sounds awesome.
A ton of great first hand information much appreciated ! God bless
Thanks for great information on the freeze dryer. I've wanted to learn about this for a long time.
You're welcome
Great video. I really appreciate your taking the time for a rather broad cost/benefit analysis. We've been considering purchasing one for a while, so I'm glad to hear of the lay-a-way option! Blessings to You & Yours!
You're welcome. Hope all the info was helpful.
Much obliged for all the work you did to compare methods.
My pleasure
✌️😜 Always an info infused tutorial, thanks Brother 💒⚔️ God Bless us All 🇺🇸🙏✝️
Very welcome. God bless.
Just got ours as well as a table to set it up on. Hoping to get it set up during the Thanksgiving break.
Nothing beats canning fruits n veggies for the best possible natural consistency, taste and texture. Freeze drying is a different animal all together and great for its intended purpose.
Canned food texture is great.
Excalibur dehydrators are fantastic.
I'll be the first person to acknowledge that vacuum chamber double-bar sealed 5-mil to 7-mil thick mylar bags are the easiest way to preserve freeze dryed foods.
For use in camping/backpacking/long-distance trail hiking scenarios, as well as for any type of S.H.T.F. observation outpost/foot patrolling/bugout scenarios; vacuum sealed mylar bag meals, condiments, electrolyte drink powders, hot drink powders, desserts, medications, personal hygiene items, toilet paper, etc. are the only way to go.
The only problem with quality mylar bags is the high cost of the thick ones coupled with the fact that although they can theoretically be washed, sanitized, shortened, refilled, and resealed; very few people elect to do so, and thus mylar bags are just another wonder material of the 20th century that has made life better while simultaneously contributing significantly to humanity's long-term, non-biodegradeable waste issues.
For long-term, hunkered down, S.H.T.F. prepping scenarios I feel that for myself I will dedicate at least 50% of any freeze dried preps to pint, quart, and half-gallon size wide-mouth Mason canning jars in which the canning lid seals are vacuum pump sealed to the mouth of the glass jar. To mitigate light degradation, since neither Ball nor Kerr any longer provide a full cardboard box with the purchase of any of their jars; I will purchase the appropriately sized, heavy-duty, plain brown cardboard boxes with their accompanying interlocking, crisscrossing, cardboard jar separation panels so that light is not an issue.
In addition, the cardboard boxes will theoretically allow the possibility of a reasonably safe from breakage and rapid movement of the stored freeze dried preps out of my hunkered down storage space, onto some form of transportation, and away from what has become a location too dangerous to any longer contemplate residing in.
I bought my small freeze dryer, which holds four trays from Costco in October of this year for 1,599. Well worth it!
Awesome
💕💗💕🙏🙏🙏 Thanks Eric, that was really well done and very informative. May The Lord Jesus Christ bless you and your family.💕💗💕
You're welcome
Freeze dryers are very good for doing meats, either cooked or raw because the meat prices are going to be going skyrocketing if we can even get our hands on meat in the future.
My family (and my wife's) have been canning for generations. We grew u p on gardens and the necessity of putting things up. If we didn’t put it up, we didn't eat. Proper canning and storage will preserve foods for over a decade or more easily.
I really want that to be true. How come all of the "experts" max out the time for canned foods at 3 or 4 years?
Canned food that is properly processed cannot "go bad." Products we buy from retailers are in cans where the lining inside the can MIGHT eventually deteriorate, but it's way past the shelf life on the can.
Frozen food is similar. A steak frozen while still fresh is not going to go bad in 20 years. It will eventually discolor and dehydrate(that's what freezer-burn really is) but it won't ever be dangerous. It will slowly lose flavor aand texture.
Last month we opened 2 cans of collards that we put up in 2018 and they were fine..@CountryLivingExperience
As a for instance....Newly manufactured military M.R.E.'s containing freeze-dried foodstuffs that were shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan during the War on Terror when summertime temperatures exceeded 110°Fahrenheit, which was an extremely common occurrence, and which were not put into a refrigerated warehouse, which was an extremely uncommon occurrence; had an average lifespan, before serious degradation in nutrient density and taste began to occur, of 30-45 days. After no more than 120 days of being stored at temperatures exceeding 100° Fahrenheit, those incredibly well-packaged military MRE's were essentially useless.
Like this video points out, those identical military MRE's, if immediately after being manufactured, are transported in refrigerated trucks and placed into temperature, humidity, light, and vermin controlled storage conditions, where the temperature is held between 34° Fahrenheit and 40° Fahrenheit on a constant, year
round basis, have a bare minimum lifespan of 25-30 years before degradation begins to occur.
I love mine
Great video, thank you!
One question I keep hoping to find answered and usually not addressed, so I assume it's a "stupid" question :-) . If I buy the largest unit I can afford for harvest season, can I also use it for one or two run smaller batches. Mid winter when I made an amazing holiday dinner and don't want leftovers for the next 2 months?
Yes, absolutely. It can be used for smaller leftover loads. However, what I do is put the leftovers on the tray, put a top on them, and throw them in the freezer. When I have more I add to another tray and then freeze dry them all at the same time as a full load.
That's makes a lot of sense, thank you!
I have been using dehydrated pairs and plums that are about 5 years old and they seem to be alright.
Whoa! I would fully expect mold to be growing on them at that point.
Our Harvest Right freeze dryer won’t hold the vacuum.
We’re waiting for Harvest Right to get in contact with us. We downloaded the info on a thumb drive and emailed it to Harvest Right.
Our machine is only 1.5 years old.
Sorry to hear that. I have heard vacuum leaks are common.
Watch this video. It may help you solve the vacuum seal issue. ua-cam.com/video/5vsRjYI11VE/v-deo.html
I have everything but freeze dryer, but my problem question to you is; I am looking at the walls of the room you are in. Your wall, i think, looks like mine. My problem is i have two rooms in the back of home that I bought. The rooms has no windows. I use it for storage. I run the air conditioner in those rooms at 65 degrees. I was warned by heating and cooling not to run it lower than 65 degrees or blow out the the air conditioner. I need a way to run the room at 50 degrees. There is no drain hole in the floor like in the city. The air conditioner that runs at 65 degrees the drip runs outside by my grow garden. What could I do to boost the coldness. Will the new install effect the old thermostat and injury it. The wall will have to have a window hole cut in the wall. I wondering if I will be defeating the purpose . HAV said I need to by a walk in freeze. I don't need that. I rooms have food storage. What to do ,can you suggest? Thanks, Kentucky
I honestly don't know what you are asking my friend.
I don't even know why youtube brought me here.....this topic is totally not what I was expecting 😅
Welcome to the channel
How long did you say freeze dried foods last?
25 years
Went to site nothing said about black friday sale? Their sale is $2,495. Did i miss something?
Not sure what site you are on. I go to harvestright.com. The black Friday sale is right on the front page. Go to products then home freeze dryers and scroll down....small unit is listed at 2295.
When people criticize my freeze dryer purchase, I just ask them how much their side by side or ATV saves them.
This is fun for me, so there is lots of value there, don’t get much thrill out of things that drive around.
You must live in a big city and don't get out much. My UTV hauls in the wood that heats my home and cooks my meals, and during hunting and trapping season, it is priceless to have when you have a 20 mile trapline to check on a daily basis, not to mention hauling all that equipment with you and the meat and wild edibles that are foraged along the way. I don't have a UTV for fun, it is a major tool that happens to be part of my lifestyle.
I cannot justify the cost of a freeze drier and anyone who thinks that a freeze drier pays for itself in a couple of years are lying to themselves, unless you have a large family.
I see what you are saying about the higher cost and initial investment comparison. I am actually saving up for an ATV/UTV because it would be of great value for me with the jobs that I have here on the property. It will save me a lot of time and some aches and pains.
❤
1:05
Hehe he said ‘doodoo’.
We have a Harvest Right freeze dryer. I think they're a gimmick.
Up-front cost is high.
Mylar bags are high.
O2 absorbers aren't cheap either.
We've used ours a great deal for fruits, spices, eggs, meats, and combined meals. It works, but the final product is not always "wonderful." I think it does a good job on fruits when you have a surplus, and we make dog treats with liver and hearts when we process animals.
We didn't pay anywhere near that price of our pressure canner and have put up 100s if not 1000s of jars of fruit, soups, sauces, etc., over the years. My wife is currently putting up about 5 bushels of applesauce using the water bath canners. We haven't opened a case of new jars this year because we keep reusing them as we go through them.
I'm not saying that freeze-driers aren't useful, just that they shouldn't be near the top of a list for a homestead. For the cost of a freeze-dryer, you could buy a large freezer, a pressure canner, a vacuum sealer, a Bluetti, and a new shotgun. If you have all these things and have extra money, then a freeze-dryer is worth having. I can see using them for hiking meals(we've done scrambles for that purpose). I bought in to the "food will last 25 years" hype, but I really don't see that as much of a value. We need to preserve food for a year, and our canned foods are often 3-4 years.