How to freeze dry food
How would you like to compile your emergency or survival food su0pply cache that will last for over 30 years? Safe for you to eat for years to come?
As an added bonus, you can store this in your home at room temperature. It takes less space than the original food you start with and weighs next to nothing. So, you can imagine how much you can store in a small space! The cost is minimal and it doesn’t even take much time to get it done.
How awesome is that??
No special long term storage equipment, so special freezers or refrigeration or anything like that.
Here’s good news for you. This technology is available for the common man or woman. You can protect your family by stocking up your survival food cache without having to pay an arm or a leg. You will be amazed at how easy this process is for everyone!
(The technical terms, if you’re interested are lyophilisation or cryodesiccation – but you don’t need to know these words – knowing the term freeze dried foods is enough!)
Determining how to freeze dry food without expensive gear
The ability to freeze dry food to preserve it was first invented during World War II. It was used to get foodstuffs to the front lines during the war so that the soldiers could eat great, nutritional foods. Prior to using freeze drying, the foods shipped to the soldiers would spoil without refrigeration on its way to them. Freeze drying solved this huge problem. It didn’t take long for the public to see the value in this process!
The process includes several steps:
First: Flash freeze the foodstuffs. This is done by freezing the product very fast at extremely low temperatures. This keeps the ice from becoming crystals and damaging the cells of the food.
Second: The moisture is removed from the food by using sublimation (changing it from solid ice to vapor) – Usually with the utilization of a vacuum chamber.
Third: Now that the moisture is removed, the food is locked into moisture- and air-proof bags and stored away.
All you need to do to prepare the food to eat is to add boiling water – this rehydrates the food to its original state. Yum for you when you are on the run with survival gear during a disaster or emergency!
There are several good questions you should pose to yourself before you start:
How quickly can you develop your survivalist acumen?
And how valuable is your survival kit? Whether you are camping or backpacking due to a natural disaster or crisis, you must be prepared for survival.
At Home Freeze Drying – How to freeze dry food
Vacuum Chamber
Using a vacuum chamber, you can freeze dry your own food products at home. After you have frozen your food – place it in a vacuum chamber with a pump level below 133 X 10-3. This will cause the sublimation process to occur quickly and you can prepare more food in less time. When the food is fully sublimated, it is ready for you to place in your storage cache.
With Dry Ice
You can use dry ice to prepare your freeze dried foods. Enclosing your food in dry ice (CO2 in a solid state) can create a near zero humidity environment and perform the process by efficiently drawing out the moisture.
You will need a container than is double the size of the food you will be freeze drying. Using a lockable plastic container is a common choice. Punch a couple of holes in the lid so the gasses can escape. Place the dry ice and food in a 1:1 ratio inside the container. A layer of dry ice, a layer of food, another layer of dry ice is the optimum way to place it inside the container. Now place the container into your freezer in order to keep the dry ice solid as long as you can. Check your container every 24 hours or so until you see that the dry ice is no longer. At this point, your food should be completely freeze dried and ready for long term storage. As stated before, place it into a moisture-proof and air-proof container to preserve in your survival cache.
Freezer
You can freeze dry using your own freezer instead of a vacuum chamber, but it takes a little longer. First, cut the food into small pieces and then lay them out on a perforated tray inside your freezer. In a few hours the food will be frozen through and through. It will take about a week for the full process of sublimation to happen (getting all the moisture out of the food). To test the food, remove a piece from the freezer and allow it to thaw – if it turns black, it is not yet fully sublimated. If it doesn’t turn black, you are ready for placing it into air-proof, moisture-proof bags and storing it away. (Using a vacuum sealer – like the Food Saver brand – is the only way to be sure that your food is protected.)
Machine Dryers
Of course, there are machine dryers for home use – however, they are significantly more expensive than the procedures mentioned above to dehydrate the items you want to store.
Storing the food
It is highly recommended that you use a vacuum sealer like Food Saver to protect your cache. Although some folks have been successful using zip lock bags, it is so hard to really get all of the air out. For the best protection, purchasing one of these vacuum sealers will help you to maintain the value of your stored foods. You can complete your survival kit by learning how to freeze dry foods.
What can be freeze dried?
Fruits and vegetables are the easiest and best for you to prepare at home. Remember that only the water sublimates (is removed) so acids and chemicals inherent in foodstuffs will remain. Occasionally, test the items in your stash to confirm its viability and usefulness.
About the Author
Are you sick and tired of so-called survivalists telling you that you have to spend hundreds of dollars of your hard-earned money on products to build up your survival cache? You can build up your food stash by learning how to freeze dry food at home.
It’s totally UNNECESSARY!
Check out this awesome survival plan that will help you get ready for any crisis or disaster – knowing you have protected your family is an awesome thing!