@ Living Traditions Homestead For rehydrating your food you can beter steam it than you rehydrate it and heat it op it's a beter way than just ad water to it this way your food absorbs the amount of moisture its needs on it own. Thanks for the video 💪🏽
Just tried using your discount code for the greenhouse supplies (LTH10) and it wasn't accepted. Do you have an updated discount code?? I will leave my order in limbo for now.
Nerd math warning: If you weigh before and after freeze drying, and then do the portioning division, you'd have a measure of how much water to add per serving. Do that with enough different things and you can have a handy cheat sheet for inside your pantry door. (And for the rest of us to buy as a download!😂)
Something I believe many people do not take into consideration is that you do not have to grow and produce your own food to take advantage of freeze drying....You can still get awesome deals on produce and meats if you are a very careful shopper and willing to buy in bulk when things are in season or on sale... Freeze dry your goods and put them away to use on a rainy day so to speak....It will pay for itself!
At our local farmer's market, there is a guy that has all sorts of freeze dried fruits, veggies, and snacks. Sells out every week. This could be another item for your sales. Also, freeze dried corn is awesome in salads. Almost like a crouton.
Yes, very good. We buy the frozen vege packs when on sale - a one pound bag for a dollar. We can usually put two pounds (2 bags) on each self ; the full load being 8 pounds.
Yes, sounds good with the freeze dried corn; however, you’ve got to make sure that the corn is non-GMO. Because doing all this freeze drying and trying to prep, you want all organic food. You really need to know who your distributor is for the corn, because corn Is very high and GMO food.
Omg my medium freeze dryer came this week and I can’t believe how easy it is!! Yes, everyone says it’s easy, but this is ridiculous. Already finished 4# of strawberries and moving on to the blueberries!! Room in my freezer again 😃❤️
After the initial investment.The Freeze dryer is fantastic if you use it frequently and with good quality food product Very Informative Blessings from MN
We’re interested in purchasing the small size but are questioning the noise of the pump, as the only place we can put it is over our washer/dryer off our kitchen. Is purchasing one of the upgraded pumps worth it? TIA for any advice you can give.
@@kristy8731 would go for the Medium size. I bought the premium pump and don’t regret it. Mine is located off my kitchen also and have no problem with noise . It’s compares to the older dish washers for noise.
Would love to see how you put the food away for long term storage. Mason jars vs. mylar, and what the pros and cons are to each way. Im fascinated by the freeze drying especially as we haven't found a great way to store our extra spring eggs so we have them in the winter when the ladies get their new wardrobe. I think this would be a fantastic solution. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.
@ Living Traditions Homestead For rehydrating your food you can beter steam it than you rehydrate it and heat it op it's a beter way than just ad water to it this way your food absorbs the amount of moisture its needs on it own. Thanks for the video 💪🏽
I think this is amazing. I think it would be great for elderly people to have on hand for easy meals when they can’t cook. God Bless for showing us a way to make our lives easier and safer.
Thank you for giving us such detailed, accurate, information! The freeze drier company can’t pay you enough for this great critique!! Good job, as usual!! ♥️❣️♥️
Freeze dried food is ridiculously expensive, thanks to this series, I've learn why. Thanks for teaching us the process, the up front cost, and the electricity expense. It makes the pricing less ridiculous.
I feel just the opposite. It doesn't cost much to operate and it doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. The only thing is time for the process. So why so expensive? I think it's over priced.
@@wendycash54 I agree. You are paying for the actual machine but after that initial cost, the price per item would be pennies! Very much overpriced. Check out the Thrive items for a great example of overpricing!
@@gelwood99 I seriously cannot see myself spending $3,500 on anything up front. I'm too cheap 😂 I tried to get freezed dried food because I didn't know how bad the pandemic would get, thankfully so far seems under control in the town where I live. Since March we have gather enough dry foods to survive for at least a year and we are growing fresh produce and fruits. Granted, no meat or eggs, but we were able to get 4 chickens - they aren't laying yet for some reason - and a goat. If need be, they are chow.
@@gelwood99 Naw its different for a company, a freeze dry company isn't growing food in their backyard. They have to buy that food from somebody, have it shipped in big quantities to the freeze dry facility, and then the recipes have to be made and its got to all be bagged up and shipped out after freeze drying.
@@wendycash54 for precooked foods, like beef stew, cooked rabbit, ham burgers, you must consider prep time and cost of cooking also. However, I still think freeze drying is a great option for long time prepping. It would also benefit large batch options for short term, 1-3 months, if you have a large household.
Holy cow !!!! That’s amazing!!! Like one comment said , another item for selling👍👍. You guys are like that bunny rabbit & the battery ……. Just keep going… and going… and going 💃💃. Thank you for sharing so much with everyone 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
Gosh! I want one to play with!! Have you done cooked pasta, rice, beans, quinoa, grains, etc. Are there foods that they DO NOT suggest freeze drying? I am so enjoying this series!!
As a history buff, my thoughts would be how much this could have helped during the great depression, or the drought that swept the great plains in the '30s. The electrical black/brown out that caused tons of frozen food spoil in NY and much of the Eastern USA. People in Louisiana would have loved having freeze dried food during Hurricane Katrina and our troops during WW1 and WWII instead of K rations. I bet you could have built an entire days lesson around that question!
Another wonderful video! You will be rocking the food storage next harvest time! The future has arrived, I can see you both 20 years from now saying, "this is the pork burger from 2021, it still tastes wonderful 20 years later". The both of you are too amazing, thanks for the information/ science class!
After reading many of the comments here, I have noticed that a lot of them talk of the additional cost of the machinery as though it is a burden. In my experience, I have found that, in order to get the best out of something, you have to put the best into it. If you use mediocre equipment, your operational costs are higher than with quality equipment as breakdowns and repairs happen more often. Using the machine as much as possible and successfully storing the food, as well as eating it, will provide the most economical outcome regardless of the initial investment.
Totally agree. At the same time, though, to get a real cost for the food you would need to take into account price of the equipment VS cycles/lifespan of said equipment. Quality equipment would last much longer (and probably cost more), but it is still an added cost.
@@mwartist No one is debating the advantages, we watched the video because we are interested in looking into that investment. We also live in the real world where we have to calculate the actual cost and figure how to work it into our budget. It just may be a burden to some of us. We will not know until we investigate. To ignore the true cost is financially irresponsible.
Don't hesitate, it's our best purchase in years! Saves freezer space and makes great snacks. Our grandson said that if we had financial problems we could sell fruit. I think it's safe to say he likes the fruit. We watched you while we munched on our freeze dried bananas and pineapple. We are eating more and more fruit...maybe too much! It's like popcorn, you just can't stop. Thin sliced zucchini is like the crispy healthy version of chips. We're just getting started and every time we're amazed at what comes out.
Thank you both a great investment,like you both said ,you definitely won’t be working this hard at 60,yet your food preserved processing will pay huge🇨🇦😇🧡
The cost to run it is a lot less than I expected! I would love to know how it would work in a solar power scenario. I’m thinking that culinary and medicinal herbs and tinctures would be a great thing to freeze dry.
Now this is very good info! I have always wondered how much power is required to run one of these units. We are off-grid and I've always just assumed we could not run one of these but now I am thinking it is in the realm of the possible!!
I would like to see you do whole meals, like spaghettis in a bag beef stew and rice in a bag barbecue chicken in a bag. Maybe eggs toast and sausage in a bag I can go on great show guys
Hip hip hooray... success!! I love the idea of having control of healthy food of your food preference; when you age and can't do the large harvests, it will be great!!
You two are adorable! Getting ready to retire, kids are grown and gone, downsizing my farm and looking for better (& easier) long-term food storage options. The Harvest Right has been on my radar for awhile and your videos are really fun and helpful. Thanks!
Sarah, make sure you do your hot sauce. I am curious to see a casserole or something you would not be putting back together after reconstituted. Love watching and learning from you!
Thanks for being our guinea pigs and trying all this and sharing for us. I love all the extra details of nerdy math, it's greatly appreciated! You answered all my questions and concerns well!
Watching you guys do this, and seemingly enjoying it, it reminded me of my husband and kids. When my kids were given logic or complicated math problems at school, they would bring it home and have the best time working them out. Guess we’re all nerdy too. Lol Thank you for taking the time to do all of this for your viewers benefit.
I am so excited. I just ordered my harvest right freeze dryer. :) I can't wait for it to come in the mail. Thank you so much for sharing this dryer with all of us.
Fascinating stuff, i would also be interested in finding out if you could do baking ingredients, like flour, baking soda & powder, yeast that sort of stuff . I see endless possibilities for meals. Thank you so much for all the info.
Maybe I am misreading your comment but you listed all dry ingredients, therefore they would not need to be freeze-dried. The ingredients you listed would simply need to be vacuum sealed into a mylar bag with oxygen absorber packets and should last for decades
As I’m watching this, I’m loading my trays with beets we have frozen from last summers garden. This will be my 2nd run through the freeze dryer and you are so right!! It is so fascinating! Great video! I’ll be sharing more about them on my channel in the future too. Blessings!
Good morning guys! I'd love to see you do some diced tomatoes and some different types of greens. Do broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc., come out mushy? I'd also like to see you try these foods in a few months to see if they still taste the same. If they last that long. lol
THANK YOU for keeping it focused and on track. I’ve been trying to find exactly this kind of information but everyone rambles on and on without actually focusing on the facts!
Cut is better. peels make the freeze dry process take longer and can be uneven. Smaller pieces have greater surface area to mass ratio, making it all dry quickly and evenly. You can look at The King of Random UA-cam channel for freeze dryer comparisons and shenanigans.
Robert Grant ... I know you do need to slice grapes, cherries etc as the flesh needs to be exposed and yes, the more flesh area exposed in any fruit, the speedier the drying time.
Thanks, you two for being 'pioneers' for the rest of us. We are supposed to be getting a HR just like yours this month. What a joy to find out the electric bill won't put us in the poor house! Can't wait until you've compiled a freeze-dryer guide with recipes and all. (in your spare time, right? :) )
So cool, you did a great job explaining how it turned on and the costs. The biggest benefit is the storage time over any other methods. So what about this like lettuce, cucumbers the types of produce that do not have a long shelf life?
Do the flavors "cross"? I was wondering if the flavors blend into one another. Example, do the eggs have a pork flavor because you had pork in there too? Just curious.
I’ve had that problem when mixing different items in a dehydrator but that involves applying heat to dry them. I would imagine that cross flavors would be less of an issue with freeze drying, especially if you pre-freeze the food before drying it. I can’t say for certain since I don’t have a freeze dryer but I’m sure Kevin and Sarah can tell us in a future video. 🙂
Yes you can. I have actually done plain avocado and pink salted avocado. I like the salted myself for snacking. The plaine can be used for anything else.
Freeze drying your own food is also better because you don't have the additives that are in some commercially freeze-dried foods. My aunt and I once tried to spend 3 days just eating commercially processed freeze-dried food, and all of those foreign ingredients made us both very sick to our stomachs after just 2 meals. I bought a Harvest Right freeze dryer when they first came out because of that experiment with my aunt. To me, they are definitely worth it just for that. Thank you for figuring out the electricity usage! Now I don't feel so guilty running it. I love your channel! You two are the best! Thank you so much for all that you are teaching us!
14 Kwh in general... not much at all. But my electric is higher than yours in TN. Next challenge is make a meal and portion it out per person. Then... freeze dry it. I'm now sparked by curiosity
Awesome video!! I have both of those, and I noticed that the dehydrator lets things deflate and collapse while they dry in the warmth, so they don’t maintain their texture. The freeze dryer (freezes) them in place, while removing the moisture, so they maintain their consistency when they reabsorb water! I love doing a mix of eggs, potatoes, peppers, and bacon. It rehydrates amazingly!!
Your 2 lbs. of ground pork was so lean that it left an awesome amount of taco meat for your use. It’s difficult for the rest of us to get pork that lean. Great benefit for you!!!
I live in town and do not raise my own hogs. However, I buy whole cuts of pork (usually Boston butt and/or boneless loin) and grind it myself using a table top electric grinder. Doing so you can control the amount of fat that goes into the final product. I usually go about 10% fat, but you could do less and it would be perfectly fine. I also grind my own country sausage the same way (though I up the fat content a little), you just add the seasoning and I use a finer grind plate.
Yeah there is a huge difference in fresh meat you have processed. I remember when we had a pig processed years ago I actually had to add fat tp my sausage as it was so lean.
@@dianafertig2188 Per 2.5 pounds of pork I add 2 teaspoons each Kosher salt, black pepper, and sage; 1/2 teaspoon each of cayenne,, brown sugar (dark), and nutmeg; and1/4 teaspoon each of thyme and marjoram. It is a family recipe that I got from my grandmother. She also added 1/2 teaspoon rosemary which I leave out (I don't like it). I also make a hot version with more cayenne. You can do more or less of each ingredient as you see fit. If you don't like a herb just reduce or omit it. If you like it sweeter, up the sugar.
Additional 'nerdy freeze dried math' would be to divide the cost of the freeze dryer by how many months you've had it & add that to the cost of the food prepared. Of course, the cost becomes less the longer you have the unit, but there's not disputing they are expensive machines, at $2200 at lowest cost when dehydrators can be had for $50. Granted, dehydrated food probably won't last 25 years, but not many of us REALLY plan on storing food for 25 years. Most of us are rotating our food storage. Thanks for the breakdown, though; it was informative and very interesting!!! Love your channel!
I was just wondering if you would do a complete video of the maintenance of the unit? The drain valve the oil all that’s involved. I hate getting things and having surprises because nobody tells you. I’m enjoying these videos of your freeze dryer.Since it’s winter and there’s not a whole lot to film this would be a great one and not only that we are seriously thinking about getting one..
Draining the oil is almost too easy. Harvest Right gives you the filter to filter the oil for reusing it. But its best to have a fresh jug of oil on hand, because the filtering is slow, so just leave it to do its thing and put new oil in, and use that filtered oil next time. To filter the oil, put your container under the pump's drain hole, put a book under the back end of the pump so it tilts toward the drain hole, turn the little knob with your fingers and in less than 5 minutes the old oil is out. Close the valve again and pour the new oil in the top.
Yes I seen that one but I’m still interested in the regular milk I have a small goat dairy and Im going to be saving this year to buy a freeze dryer so I can freeze dry the milk versus freezing it that does not last long plus it would be awesome to be able to freeze dry colostrum
I haven't gotten that far yet. Everything else is good, some wet things take longer. High fat or sugar items aren't great. I saw a video where milk turned into a flaky powder, kind of like the eggs, and reconstituted like regular milk. It was regular milk so I don't really know what would happen with goat milk. He also did coffee, mocha and a Frappuccino that he said was exactly like normal. Good luck with it, don't know why it wouldn't work.
@@hyacinth8844 I read that it keeps 97% of its nutrients there is a study based on human breast milk so I’m guessing because they’re both milk and colostrum that they would be the same
Thank you so much for the nerdy freeze dryer test! I put one on layaway recently. We have grid-tied solar power and want to upgrade to also storing our power. When that’s done, I will be able to freeze dry for free!! Until then I won’t have to be concerned about the power that the freeze dryer uses. Also, I appreciate the taste tests you do. YAHWEH’s blessings and Merry Christmas! ❤
Awesome video! So the way I see it, is it's actually cheaper due too the fact that you would normally be using a freezer for the preserving of those, which is running 24/7. I know you probably wouldn't be freezing some of those items but your overall storage costs should be lower. I'm always worried about power outages and the thawing of freezer items. At times I have two standup freezers full of moose or elk. Cheers!
mmm...moose & elk are both great. I like to make chips & gravy for SOS, or on potatoes, or wherever you can use chipped gravy. It makes everything taste even better.
What is the difference between an air fryer and a freeze dryer, thanks for showing us new ways to preserve our harvest, I really enjoy watching your videos, God bless
Love it. I want one of those machines, or at least be your neighbor haha. Just joking. But seriously freeze dried foods especially fruits, berries and sugar snap peas are amazing freeze dried and awesome snacks for the kids.
@@deathnrosary Yeah I checked out there link for sure. Tax time for sure though. That way I can pass in peace knowing my family has at least as much preserved food as I can possibly get put up.
Great video. Cant wait till summer and see you freeze dry fresh vegetables. Especially tomatoes and peppers. Cucumber (without the seeds, hate them!!), zucchine, snap peas, the ideas are endless. Worst case they end up in soup!!
WOW! you are my favorite homestead couple and I appreciate your videos so much, it is because of you that I will be purchasing the same freeze-dryer at about 2k, I am comfortable and familiar with canning and dehydrating, but since we are facing an uncertain future, power grid failure, solar backup may be our only source of power and canning supplies may become impossible to find in a couple of years, I think it will be very cost effective, I enjoy canning tomato based sauces so much but will try freeze drying and see how it tastes when I'm done, would be great for you to do a video on it, make some salsa and spaghetti sauce from all freeze dried stuff, I am eager to hear how the pork patties and taco meat taste!
I am so happy you two have done this and explained it so well about everything about how to get started how the freeze drier works and the cost of elec. You guys are so great, and I am so excited to get my freeze drier and get started before there is a food shortage again. I wish we had a farm too so I wouldn't have to worry about any of that. Thank You so much. I am just now starting to do this at my age of 77, and I have seen the price of your drier and it is to much for me, so which one is the next best one for me to buy that works close to the one you are using.
I think you need to add more water. You need to soak them, then drain the excess water off. Then heat. The patties I would make a gravy and reheat them slowly in the gravy.
I'm stunned at the electric consumption! I thought it would really add up on the electric bill...that's nothing compared to what your getting! Thanks for the informative video!
Wouldn’t be easier to reconstitute the food by adding it to a steamer as opposed to adding water directly? The steamer will hydrate and warm it up at the same time. Just curious.
To learn more about Harvest Right Freeze Dryers click here! affiliates.harvestright.com/881.html
Love they have a layaway option especially with so many either lowered hours or company closed for time being.
@ Living Traditions Homestead
For rehydrating your food you can beter steam it than you rehydrate it and heat it op it's a beter way than just ad water to it this way your food absorbs the amount of moisture its needs on it own.
Thanks for the video 💪🏽
@Livingtraditionshomestead , which pump did you get & why?
Just tried using your discount code for the greenhouse supplies (LTH10) and it wasn't accepted. Do you have an updated discount code?? I will leave my order in limbo for now.
Do y'all have a coupon link for this product?
Nerd math warning: If you weigh before and after freeze drying, and then do the portioning division, you'd have a measure of how much water to add per serving. Do that with enough different things and you can have a handy cheat sheet for inside your pantry door. (And for the rest of us to buy as a download!😂)
Great idea!
Do that for us 😂
Something I believe many people do not take into consideration is that you do not have to grow and produce your own food to take advantage of freeze drying....You can still get awesome deals on produce and meats if you are a very careful shopper and willing to buy in bulk when things are in season or on sale... Freeze dry your goods and put them away to use on a rainy day so to speak....It will pay for itself!
Oooooo nerdy math class is now in session! :D
My very same reaction! Nerds rule!
What a lucky guy - having a Proverbs 31 woman who loves him.
At our local farmer's market, there is a guy that has all sorts of freeze dried fruits, veggies, and snacks. Sells out every week. This could be another item for your sales. Also, freeze dried corn is awesome in salads. Almost like a crouton.
Oh heck, freeze dried corn is a super snack by the handful!! So sweet.
Yes, very good. We buy the frozen vege packs when on sale - a one pound bag for a dollar. We can usually put two pounds (2 bags) on each self ; the full load being 8 pounds.
I love freeze dried corn for a snack!
I would buy it
Yes, sounds good with the freeze dried corn; however, you’ve got to make sure that the corn is non-GMO. Because doing all this freeze drying and trying to prep, you want all organic food. You really need to know who your distributor is for the corn, because corn Is very high and GMO food.
Omg my medium freeze dryer came this week and I can’t believe how easy it is!! Yes, everyone says it’s easy, but this is ridiculous. Already finished 4# of strawberries and moving on to the blueberries!! Room in my freezer again 😃❤️
After the initial investment.The Freeze dryer is fantastic if you use it frequently and with good quality food product Very Informative Blessings from MN
best comment so far
We’re interested in purchasing the small size but are questioning the noise of the pump, as the only place we can put it is over our washer/dryer off our kitchen. Is purchasing one of the upgraded pumps worth it? TIA for any advice you can give.
@@kristy8731 would go for the Medium size. I bought the premium pump and don’t regret it. Mine is located off my kitchen also and have no problem with noise . It’s compares to the older dish washers for noise.
Would love to see how you put the food away for long term storage. Mason jars vs. mylar, and what the pros and cons are to each way. Im fascinated by the freeze drying especially as we haven't found a great way to store our extra spring eggs so we have them in the winter when the ladies get their new wardrobe. I think this would be a fantastic solution. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.
What an impressive video! You really broke that down to easy breezy! Well done! I learned a lot
I love watching you guys. You two are such a joy. The kind of people the world needs a lot more of. God Bless you all.
@ Living Traditions Homestead
For rehydrating your food you can beter steam it than you rehydrate it and heat it op it's a beter way than just ad water to it this way your food absorbs the amount of moisture its needs on it own.
Thanks for the video 💪🏽
Manuel Ibrahim ... thank you!, now that's an excellent suggestion!
I was wondering if steaming it would work. Thanks!
This is by far the best and most informative video that I have watched so far on the Harvest Right freeze dryer. New Subscriber!
Next time y'all do that you need to weigh the food before and then after and tell the people how much it is left out of the moisture I'm just curious
Thats a great ideea. Now that we know the running cost lets see the weight difference also.
That would also tell you how much water to add back in. Might help with the texture of the egg
I’d love to see you powder a meat but I have no clue what you’d do with it 😂
I know you've talked about it but I would like to see more fruits especially watermelon 🍉 😋.
@@deakzoltan5546 yes, but calculating per serving reconstitution is important to proper texture.
I love you guys My Freeze dryer is coming in tomorrow. Thank you for your post.
I think this is amazing. I think it would be great for elderly people to have on hand for easy meals when they can’t cook. God Bless for showing us a way to make our lives easier and safer.
Yes, agreed
What great thought! Providing for our elderly loved ones is a big concern! Another great reason for the purchase.❤
I wish I could press the thumbs up button more than just once! This was the most useful UA-cam video I have ever watched! Thank you VERY much!
what about freeze drying and then powdering spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe sauce, bbq sauce and ketchup?
Raspberries are just divine freeze dried!
@@nanmaco I thought she freeze dried butter last time?
They powdered eggs in a previous video.
Great video. Answered a lot of questions I had about freeze drying.
Thank you for giving us such detailed, accurate, information! The freeze drier company can’t pay you enough for this great critique!! Good job, as usual!! ♥️❣️♥️
I love the sweatshirt "Choose joy" - Jesus first, Yourself last and Others in between.
Freeze dried food is ridiculously expensive, thanks to this series, I've learn why.
Thanks for teaching us the process, the up front cost, and the electricity expense. It makes the pricing less ridiculous.
I feel just the opposite. It doesn't cost much to operate and it doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. The only thing is time for the process. So why so expensive? I think it's over priced.
@@wendycash54 I agree. You are paying for the actual machine but after that initial cost, the price per item would be pennies! Very much overpriced. Check out the Thrive items for a great example of overpricing!
@@gelwood99 I seriously cannot see myself spending $3,500 on anything up front. I'm too cheap 😂
I tried to get freezed dried food because I didn't know how bad the pandemic would get, thankfully so far seems under control in the town where I live.
Since March we have gather enough dry foods to survive for at least a year and we are growing fresh produce and fruits. Granted, no meat or eggs, but we were able to get 4 chickens - they aren't laying yet for some reason - and a goat. If need be, they are chow.
@@gelwood99 Naw its different for a company, a freeze dry company isn't growing food in their backyard. They have to buy that food from somebody, have it shipped in big quantities to the freeze dry facility, and then the recipes have to be made and its got to all be bagged up and shipped out after freeze drying.
@@wendycash54 for precooked foods, like beef stew, cooked rabbit, ham burgers, you must consider prep time and cost of cooking also. However, I still think freeze drying is a great option for long time prepping. It would also benefit large batch options for short term, 1-3 months, if you have a large household.
Holy cow !!!! That’s amazing!!! Like one comment said , another item for selling👍👍. You guys are like that bunny rabbit & the battery ……. Just keep going… and going… and going 💃💃. Thank you for sharing so much with everyone 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
Gosh! I want one to play with!! Have you done cooked pasta, rice, beans, quinoa, grains, etc. Are there foods that they DO NOT suggest freeze drying? I am so enjoying this series!!
Foods with high oil content should not be done.
@@nanmaco Thank You...good to know!
@@cpnotill9264 That makes sense. Thanks!!
I see that this freeze-dried food would be great in the summer when you are crazy busy working outside!
We’re 68 so makes us feel better knowing that we might have some food. And don’t have to go grocery shopping.
Depreciate the machine out over the expected life span of it and add that into the cost of each cycle. That would be great!
That’s silly! Do you depreciate the cost of your range/oven or refrigerator’s expected life span into the cost of your meals??
I wasn't trying to be rude. I just thought it would give a better calculation of the costs of each cycle since it is quite an expensive purchase.
@@shirleysmith1753 yes, of course you would enter all of the factors involved if you wanted to calculate the true cost of a unit of food.
@@shirleysmith1753 It's not silly. The cost for the machine and expected lifespan is way different than an oven or refrigerator!
@@XOjmmXO That's a really good way to figure the true cost of each meal!
As a retired teacher, I was thinking of those times when kids would ask ‘when am I ever going to use this? ‘
As a history buff, my thoughts would be how much this could have helped during the great depression, or the drought that swept the great plains in the '30s. The electrical black/brown out that caused tons of frozen food spoil in NY and much of the Eastern USA. People in Louisiana would have loved having freeze dried food during Hurricane Katrina and our troops during WW1 and WWII instead of K rations. I bet you could have built an entire days lesson around that question!
Another wonderful video! You will be rocking the food storage next harvest time! The future has arrived, I can see you both 20 years from now saying, "this is the pork burger from 2021, it still tastes wonderful 20 years later". The both of you are too amazing, thanks for the information/ science class!
That's pretty neat and very cost effective. Can you try pizza 🍕, spaghetti with meatballs and chile or a stew. Thank you in advance.
This is very helpful for people to see the reality of what the cost is and to consider knowing what your food source is. Excellent to know!
After reading many of the comments here, I have noticed that a lot of them talk of the additional cost of the machinery as though it is a burden. In my experience, I have found that, in order to get the best out of something, you have to put the best into it. If you use mediocre equipment, your operational costs are higher than with quality equipment as breakdowns and repairs happen more often. Using the machine as much as possible and successfully storing the food, as well as eating it, will provide the most economical outcome regardless of the initial investment.
Totally agree. At the same time, though, to get a real cost for the food you would need to take into account price of the equipment VS cycles/lifespan of said equipment. Quality equipment would last much longer (and probably cost more), but it is still an added cost.
@@mwartist No one is debating the advantages, we watched the video because we are interested in looking into that investment. We also live in the real world where we have to calculate the actual cost and figure how to work it into our budget. It just may be a burden to some of us. We will not know until we investigate. To ignore the true cost is financially irresponsible.
Don't hesitate, it's our best purchase in years! Saves freezer space and makes great snacks. Our grandson said that if we had financial problems we could sell fruit. I think it's safe to say he likes the fruit.
We watched you while we munched on our freeze dried bananas and pineapple. We are eating more and more fruit...maybe too much! It's like popcorn, you just can't stop.
Thin sliced zucchini is like the crispy healthy version of chips. We're just getting started and every time we're amazed at what comes out.
I just bought a Harvest Right medium, I had to wait almost 2 months for delivery.
Your videos are very helpful thank's.
We were told today it's a 10 wk delivery schedule. These things have gotten popular! Good thing is it should be here before the garden comes in. 🙂
Thank you both a great investment,like you both said ,you definitely won’t be working this hard at 60,yet your food preserved processing will pay huge🇨🇦😇🧡
I would like to see you freeze dry beef stew, with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions.
Before they could even try that, it would all. E down my throat.
@@kathousel 🤣
Works perfectly and super tasty
You REALLY put this in perspective for me when you talked about what it would be like to eat the freeze dried food that u made at 45 ... when ur 70!!!
The cost to run it is a lot less than I expected! I would love to know how it would work in a solar power scenario. I’m thinking that culinary and medicinal herbs and tinctures would be a great thing to freeze dry.
Now this is very good info! I have always wondered how much power is required to run one of these units. We are off-grid and I've always just assumed we could not run one of these but now I am thinking it is in the realm of the possible!!
I would like to see you do whole meals, like spaghettis in a bag beef stew and rice in a bag barbecue chicken in a bag. Maybe eggs toast and sausage in a bag I can go on great show guys
Hip hip hooray... success!! I love the idea of having control of healthy food of your food preference; when you age and can't do the large harvests, it will be great!!
Did anyone else see a beagle come in the kitchen when the rabbit was being eaten? 25:21 😂
I saw a quick shot of the beagle!!!
After all, a beagle is a rabbit dog. He/she must have smelled it...their noses are very great ‼️
Thank you!💖🦋🌺
I want a freeze dryer badly. Need to save up. Thanks for the info
If you haven't checked out the website, You should. They have a layaway plan.
@@kaelynnlatshaw2996 oooh! I need to check that out! Thank you
You two are adorable! Getting ready to retire, kids are grown and gone, downsizing my farm and looking for better (& easier) long-term food storage options. The Harvest Right has been on my radar for awhile and your videos are really fun and helpful. Thanks!
BTW you can add more depth of flavor to most savory items by reconstituting with chicken broth instead of water.
Steve South ... now that makes very good sense, great suggestion!
It may be a good idea to use a steamer to reconstitute the food.
Sarah, make sure you do your hot sauce. I am curious to see a casserole or something you would not be putting back together after reconstituted. Love watching and learning from you!
Thanks for being our guinea pigs and trying all this and sharing for us. I love all the extra details of nerdy math, it's greatly appreciated! You answered all my questions and concerns well!
How much is a freeze dryer like yours?
I was in tractor supply recently & they had a small freeze drier. It was over $2,000. I am going to look online & see how much they are there.
Watching you guys do this, and seemingly enjoying it, it reminded me of my husband and kids. When my kids were given logic or complicated math problems at school, they would bring it home and have the best time working them out. Guess we’re all nerdy too. Lol Thank you for taking the time to do all of this for your viewers benefit.
I am so excited. I just ordered my harvest right freeze dryer. :) I can't wait for it to come in the mail. Thank you so much for sharing this dryer with all of us.
Fascinating stuff, i would also be interested in finding out if you could do baking ingredients, like flour, baking soda & powder, yeast that sort of stuff . I see endless possibilities for meals. Thank you so much for all the info.
Maybe I am misreading your comment but you listed all dry ingredients, therefore they would not need to be freeze-dried. The ingredients you listed would simply need to be vacuum sealed into a mylar bag with oxygen absorber packets and should last for decades
OMG what a cool toy!!!!! I wonder if there's a way to build one from scratch cheaper......
As I’m watching this, I’m loading my trays with beets we have frozen from last summers garden. This will be my 2nd run through the freeze dryer and you are so right!! It is so fascinating! Great video! I’ll be sharing more about them on my channel in the future too. Blessings!
Like to use kefir water to reconstitute stuff as probiotic & I make gallon every other day
Good morning guys! I'd love to see you do some diced tomatoes and some different types of greens. Do broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc., come out mushy? I'd also like to see you try these foods in a few months to see if they still taste the same. If they last that long. lol
THANK YOU for keeping it focused and on track. I’ve been trying to find exactly this kind of information but everyone rambles on and on without actually focusing on the facts!
My curiosity is fresh fruit and vegetables whether cut up or whole would you be able to do a Episode about that
Cut is better. peels make the freeze dry process take longer and can be uneven. Smaller pieces have greater surface area to mass ratio, making it all dry quickly and evenly. You can look at The King of Random UA-cam channel for freeze dryer comparisons and shenanigans.
Robert Grant ... I know you do need to slice grapes, cherries etc as the flesh needs to be exposed and yes, the more flesh area exposed in any fruit, the speedier the drying time.
They did bananas sliced on the first video. Turned out great. Along with the ice cream sandwiches.
Thanks, you two for being 'pioneers' for the rest of us. We are supposed to be getting a HR just like yours this month. What a joy to find out the electric bill won't put us in the poor house! Can't wait until you've compiled a freeze-dryer guide with recipes and all. (in your spare time, right? :) )
So cool, you did a great job explaining how it turned on and the costs. The biggest benefit is the storage time over any other methods. So what about this like lettuce, cucumbers the types of produce that do not have a long shelf life?
I would like to know that to as the biggest part of my grocery bills is for fresh fruit and vegetables.
I bet the cucumber would still be great in tzatziki sauce too
Best freeze dry video. It was the nerdy math that was the clencher. Thanks for this.
Do the flavors "cross"? I was wondering if the flavors blend into one another. Example, do the eggs have a pork flavor because you had pork in there too? Just curious.
I was wondering about this too! We bought the freeze dryer and are waiting for it to arrive.
It can on very strong flavored foods. Onions and garlic will flavor other foods.
I absolutely wondered the same thing, especially with the taco meat.
We have been freeze drying for two years and have not noticed any crossover of flavor or smell. We have not tried any onions or garlic.
I’ve had that problem when mixing different items in a dehydrator but that involves applying heat to dry them. I would imagine that cross flavors would be less of an issue with freeze drying, especially if you pre-freeze the food before drying it. I can’t say for certain since I don’t have a freeze dryer but I’m sure Kevin and Sarah can tell us in a future video. 🙂
Thank you all for this video! So exciting! Can you freeze dry avocado 🥑 chunks? Love and blessings to you both! 🤗🙏❤️
Yes you can. I have actually done plain avocado and pink salted avocado. I like the salted myself for snacking. The plaine can be used for anything else.
Squeeze the juice of a couple lime on it to your preference of taste and it keeps it from going brown
Great review and information 👍
You guys HAVE to do a long term video! Hopefully I'll be Watchung you in ten or fifteen years!
Another great educational video! Thank you Kevin & Sarah!
Freeze drying your own food is also better because you don't have the additives that are in some commercially freeze-dried foods. My aunt and I once tried to spend 3 days just eating commercially processed freeze-dried food, and all of those foreign ingredients made us both very sick to our stomachs after just 2 meals. I bought a Harvest Right freeze dryer when they first came out because of that experiment with my aunt. To me, they are definitely worth it just for that. Thank you for figuring out the electricity usage! Now I don't feel so guilty running it. I love your channel! You two are the best! Thank you so much for all that you are teaching us!
14 Kwh in general... not much at all. But my electric is higher than yours in TN.
Next challenge is make a meal and portion it out per person. Then... freeze dry it.
I'm now sparked by curiosity
But is the difference going to make that big a difference? Even at 5 times that cost to operate it is cheaper to do it yourself rather than buy it.
I would also ask to add the cost of the Mylar bags and the oxygen packets. I have no idea what either of those cost
@@julieloveshockey10486 The Mylar bags are about 50 cents each for pretty big ones, the oxygen absorbers are like a couple cents each.
I was totally blown away at how reasonable this was...
@@julieloveshockey10486 Hopefully they will do a video on that process and explain the total costs.
I love your videos. You hold back no opinions about the food
Again, thank you 😊
Have a wonderful Wednesday
We were almost convinced to get one the first time you folks demonstrated it. This demonstration reallllly convinces us. Now to save up and get one.
Great review on the freeze dryer very learning experience would love to get one someday
Awesome video!!
I have both of those, and I noticed that the dehydrator lets things deflate and collapse while they dry in the warmth, so they don’t maintain their texture.
The freeze dryer (freezes) them in place, while removing the moisture, so they maintain their consistency when they reabsorb water! I love doing a mix of eggs, potatoes, peppers, and bacon. It rehydrates amazingly!!
Your 2 lbs. of ground pork was so lean that it left an awesome amount of taco meat for your use. It’s difficult for the rest of us to get pork that lean. Great benefit for you!!!
I live in town and do not raise my own hogs. However, I buy whole cuts of pork (usually Boston butt and/or boneless loin) and grind it myself using a table top electric grinder. Doing so you can control the amount of fat that goes into the final product. I usually go about 10% fat, but you could do less and it would be perfectly fine. I also grind my own country sausage the same way (though I up the fat content a little), you just add the seasoning and I use a finer grind plate.
Yeah there is a huge difference in fresh meat you have processed. I remember when we had a pig processed years ago I actually had to add fat tp my sausage as it was so lean.
@@turretlizardinthesun957 What seasoning do you put in your sausage?
@@dianafertig2188 Per 2.5 pounds of pork I add 2 teaspoons each Kosher salt, black pepper, and sage; 1/2 teaspoon each of cayenne,, brown sugar (dark), and nutmeg; and1/4 teaspoon each of thyme and marjoram. It is a family recipe that I got from my grandmother. She also added 1/2 teaspoon rosemary which I leave out (I don't like it). I also make a hot version with more cayenne. You can do more or less of each ingredient as you see fit. If you don't like a herb just reduce or omit it. If you like it sweeter, up the sugar.
Loved the end result taste test you did. That's very informative and not everyone does it. Thanks.
How much liquid did the 4 trays produce?
Additional 'nerdy freeze dried math' would be to divide the cost of the freeze dryer by how many months you've had it & add that to the cost of the food prepared. Of course, the cost becomes less the longer you have the unit, but there's not disputing they are expensive machines, at $2200 at lowest cost when dehydrators can be had for $50. Granted, dehydrated food probably won't last 25 years, but not many of us REALLY plan on storing food for 25 years. Most of us are rotating our food storage. Thanks for the breakdown, though; it was informative and very interesting!!! Love your channel!
There it is again, Kevin's Grandma's yellow bowl. I have my moms front the 1940s. Great memories.
I was just wondering if you would do a complete video of the maintenance of the unit? The drain valve the oil all that’s involved. I hate getting things and having surprises because nobody tells you. I’m enjoying these videos of your freeze dryer.Since it’s winter and there’s not a whole lot to film this would be a great one and not only that we are seriously thinking about getting one..
Draining the oil is almost too easy. Harvest Right gives you the filter to filter the oil for reusing it. But its best to have a fresh jug of oil on hand, because the filtering is slow, so just leave it to do its thing and put new oil in, and use that filtered oil next time.
To filter the oil, put your container under the pump's drain hole, put a book under the back end of the pump so it tilts toward the drain hole, turn the little knob with your fingers and in less than 5 minutes the old oil is out. Close the valve again and pour the new oil in the top.
You guys are awesome!
Thank you for your time invested to provide great information!!! 💛
SUPER INFORMATIVE. And Miss, you do this VERY well. You have a real talent for presenting information. This was excellent. Thank you!
I would love to see how milk freeze drys
Yes I seen that one but I’m still interested in the regular milk I have a small goat dairy and Im going to be saving this year to buy a freeze dryer so I can freeze dry the milk versus freezing it that does not last long plus it would be awesome to be able to freeze dry colostrum
I haven't gotten that far yet. Everything else is good, some wet things take longer. High fat or sugar items aren't great.
I saw a video where milk turned into a flaky powder, kind of like the eggs, and reconstituted like regular milk. It was regular milk so I don't really know what would happen with goat milk. He also did coffee, mocha and a Frappuccino that he said was exactly like normal.
Good luck with it, don't know why it wouldn't work.
I just finished up 2 gal of whole milk. Makes awesome milk powder which taste like fresh milk when rehydrated.
Yes, milk would be very interesting 🧐
@@hyacinth8844 I read that it keeps 97% of its nutrients there is a study based on human breast milk so I’m guessing because they’re both milk and colostrum that they would be the same
Thank you so much for the nerdy freeze dryer test! I put one on layaway recently. We have grid-tied solar power and want to upgrade to also storing our power. When that’s done, I will be able to freeze dry for free!! Until then I won’t have to be concerned about the power that the freeze dryer uses. Also, I appreciate the taste tests you do. YAHWEH’s blessings and Merry Christmas! ❤
Awesome video! So the way I see it, is it's actually cheaper due too the fact that you would normally be using a freezer for the preserving of those, which is running 24/7. I know you probably wouldn't be freezing some of those items but your overall storage costs should be lower. I'm always worried about power outages and the thawing of freezer items. At times I have two standup freezers full of moose or elk. Cheers!
mmm...moose & elk are both great. I like to make chips & gravy for SOS, or on potatoes, or wherever you can use chipped gravy. It makes everything taste even better.
My buddy and I watched your video. Interesting content, thank you. I was shocked what that unit costs! WOW mamma. Thanks again.
We so love watching you guys! Your show is so positive and real!
What is the difference between an air fryer and a freeze dryer, thanks for showing us new ways to preserve our harvest, I really enjoy watching your videos, God bless
I would love to see something like lasanga or a casserole, a whole one meal thing. Also what type of rabbits do you raise for meat?
They raise Silver Fox rabbits.
Skittles, watermelon, and generally just fun snacks for kids would be great to see. Thanks!
Love it. I want one of those machines, or at least be your neighbor haha. Just joking. But seriously freeze dried foods especially fruits, berries and sugar snap peas are amazing freeze dried and awesome snacks for the kids.
Thier previous video on this subject gave a few thousand in cost. But def worth the cost
@@deathnrosary Yeah I checked out there link for sure. Tax time for sure though. That way I can pass in peace knowing my family has at least as much preserved food as I can possibly get put up.
Great video. Cant wait till summer and see you freeze dry fresh vegetables. Especially tomatoes and peppers. Cucumber (without the seeds, hate them!!), zucchine, snap peas, the ideas are endless. Worst case they end up in soup!!
WOW! you are my favorite homestead couple and I appreciate your videos so much, it is because of you that I will be purchasing the same freeze-dryer at about 2k, I am comfortable and familiar with canning and dehydrating, but since we are facing an uncertain future, power grid failure, solar backup may be our only source of power and canning supplies may become impossible to find in a couple of years, I think it will be very cost effective, I enjoy canning tomato based sauces so much but will try freeze drying and see how it tastes when I'm done, would be great for you to do a video on it, make some salsa and spaghetti sauce from all freeze dried stuff, I am eager to hear how the pork patties and taco meat taste!
Love the freeze dryer have to save up to get one . Great way to save and store. Thank you for the video
What about a complete meal like a lasagna or tuna casserole interested to see that.
I've made complete meals ......Rehydrated Perfectly .
this is so fun watching your videos! you make me want to be more on purpose.....with all my homesteading!
I am so happy you two have done this and explained it so well about everything about how to get started how the freeze drier works and the cost of elec. You guys are so great, and I am so excited to get my freeze drier and get started before there is a food shortage again. I wish we had a farm too so I wouldn't have to worry about any of that. Thank You so much. I am just now starting to do this at my age of 77, and I have seen the price of your drier and it is to much for me, so which one is the next best one for me to buy that works close to the one you are using.
Thank you for figuring out all the important details for us 💕
I think you need to add more water. You need to soak them, then drain the excess water off.
Then heat. The patties I would make a gravy and reheat them slowly in the gravy.
Absolutely MORE water.
I would think that you would want to add enogh water to bring each food back close to it's original weight.
I'm stunned at the electric consumption! I thought it would really add up on the electric bill...that's nothing compared to what your getting! Thanks for the informative video!
Wouldn’t be easier to reconstitute the food by adding it to a steamer as opposed to adding water directly? The steamer will hydrate and warm it up at the same time. Just curious.
@@nanmaco good to know, I have a dehydrator, I'll have to try dehydration on the eggs. Can't afford the freeze dryer.
@@anitablades6033 They have a contest, you can win one from their website...