Oxygen absorbers can be used to protect packaged foods and organic compounds against spoilage, mold growth, color change, and loss of nutrition.
Then there are other costs like vacuum pump oil ($16 per year) and any accessories you buy. We have purchased additional trays, tray lids and tray separators.
Anyone who has spent time mountaineering or hunting knows the benefits of freeze dried food. To most everyone else though, the extent of their freeze dried experience doesn’t go much beyond instant coffee. So, let’s look at some of those benefits.
For those on a budget, the premier oil pump’s upfront cost seems much more reasonable. It’s a significant saving, one that could go towards purchasing more food for preservation and storage equipment such as Mylar bags.
By using our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer, we save money and get to use our garden’s excess produce. This means we have managed to build a reliable food reserve, knowing exactly what’s in each meal.
Freeze dried food reconstitutes quicker than dehydrated food – Most freeze dried foods need only a couple of minutes before they’re ready to eat.
I contacted Harvest Right and worked with a tech to solve the problem. After providing the tech my information, he sent what I needed to get the machine up and running. The repair took about an hour and it has run fine since.
Freeze dried food is lighter than dehydrated or canned food – Dehydrated food retains about 20% of its water. As opposed to freeze dried food that is about 2% water. Canned food retains all of its moisture, and you also have the weight of the can to content with.
Although you should not store meat in a plastic bag because the bag will allow a tiny bit of oxygen through. And that could cause safety problems with the meat.
Freeze dryer energy and maintenance costs are negligible compared to the cost difference between sizes, so running a small or medium freeze dryer longer is usually much cheaper than running a large or XL freeze dryer in short bursts.
Our top picks are automated and the easiest to use. You don’t have to be a bioengineering scientist to run the thing, just follow the menu options and let it do all of the calculations for you:
In addition to trays, vacuum pumps, and sealing systems, oxygen absorbers play a critical role in preserving the quality of freeze-dried products. These packets more info contain iron powder that reacts with oxygen to reduce oxygen levels inside sealed packaging.
I enjoy digging into the details, like finding the break even point for pounds of food needed to process for the investment- or learning more about how they work by taking the freeze dryers apart.
Can I use a freeze dryer for non-food items? While primarily used for food, freeze dryers can also be used to preserve certain non-food items like flowers or documents.