There are 3 ports on the chamber that I made slits in the plastic to get around and taped them up once around them. Do not tape to the insulation. Tape only to the vapor barrier plastic. It doesn't take long, just be careful. After the plastic is in place and secure around the chamber I sealed the plastic to the back of the front and back panels using the packing tape. All the way around the front and back of the chamber to completely seal the chamber from outside air and humidity.

I will place a piece of parchment over the baking sheet and add another layer of fruit. After it is frozen solid, the fruit can be taken off the tray and placed in freezer bags if needed.

Racquel Ruetz Albert was quick to respond to my inquiry about the delivery of our harvest right freeze dryer.

I have one of those hand held heat guns (inexpensive from HF), but I was afraid of accidently burning the insulation. My gun gets very hot! I do the same technique with a fan, shock the ice and listen for the cracks as it separates from the chamber wall.

A dehydrator dries food by using heat only, while a freeze dryer uses both cold and heat. Dehydrated food still has moisture in it and works for short term storage only.

A freeze dryer can be used to preserve entire meals, making it easy to build up a supply of emergency food or just have meals on hand that can quickly be re-hydrated and eaten.

Meats can be processed either raw or cooked. Thick cuts will take a long time to process, so consider thinner cuts or cutting the meats thin yourself. Just be aware that raw and cooked meats will come out of the machine looking the same so be sure to label your packages.

Hence, the Industrial Pump is especially not affected by warm, ambient conditions. When temperatures rise, it will pull a vacuum far better than the Standard Pump. The Industrial Pump is just not affected by outside heat. It pulls the same deep vacuum even when it is in a warm environment.

Another reason to buy a freeze dryer instead of already freeze dried food is that you can choose to freeze dry whatever you want.

12 Posted September 16, 2015 You've given me an idea. I have the parts at the shop to use an actual filter head and a spin on filter. I could have a bracket laser cut and powder-coated that would hold the filter/head assembly horizontal which would allow it to completely drain and the outside of the filter would stay clean.

The only downside is that the interior is now so cold that defrost time has doubled! I use a large high volume fan to defrost the unit, not the heat trays. It used to be a 15 minute job, now it is closer to 30 minutes.

Karla Abreu says: 2 years ago I just think pressure canning is the easiest way to preserve food and know it is totally sterile. And it is relatively easy

Freeze drying has been proven essential throughout many industries where stability of the product is of utmost importance. The pharmaceutical field greatly benefits from freeze drying as medicines are rendered impotent for long durations without losing their potency, while in the food industry, freeze drying prevents decay of food without compromising on taste or texture.

Howdy! My name is Morgan I’ve been prepping for over 10 years and teach others to be prepared website for emergencies and disasters. Learn more!