The entire process is automatic.

1. Raw or cooked foods are placed in the freeze dryer where they are frozen to between -30 degrees and -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Once frozen, the freeze dryer creates a vacuum in the food chamber.

3. As the food is gradually warmed, the water turns to vapor and evaporates out of the food (sublimation).

4. When dry, the freeze dryer notifies the user that the process is complete by sounding an audible beep.

5. You can then remove the freeze-dried food from the dryer and place it in vacuum-sealed containers that are moisture and oxygen proof (preferably a mylar pouch or a can) to ensure freshness until opened.

6. When water is added to the food, it regains its original fresh flavour, aroma, texture, and appearance!

You truly can freeze dry almost anything. All kinds of fruits, vegetables and meats taste wonderful when freeze dried. That includes things like tomatoes, apples, bananas, strawberries, peaches, green beans, peppers, onions, potatoes, spinach, shrimp, pork, beef, turkey and even ice cream.

Your favourite meals that include meat may be easily freeze dried. Foods like lasagna, rice dishes, cheese macaroni, chili, beef stew, chicken a la king, casseroles, shrimp, lobster, pulled pork, pasta sauces or scrambled eggs are perfect for this process.

You will find that it is a delight to experiment with different foods and meals in your freeze dryer. A great way to start is by picking meals that are already favourites in your home.

Small
6-9 lbs. of fresh food will fit in our small freeze dryer. That amount of food will typically fill 1.5 to 2 gallons of food per batch. It is not uncommon for customers to freeze dry 1,100 lbs. of fresh food in just 1 year.

Medium
10-15 pounds of fresh food will fit in our standard size freeze dryer. That amount of food will typically fill 2 to 3.5 gallons of food per batch. It is not uncommon for customers to freeze dry 1,600 lbs. of fresh food in just 1 year.

Large
18-23 pounds of fresh food will fit in our large freeze dryer. That amount of food will typically fill 4-6 gallons of food per batch. It is not uncommon for customers to freeze dry 3,000 lbs. of fresh food in just 1 year.

Extra Large
Freeze dry 5,500 pounds of fresh food per year (35-45 pounds per batch).
In a year's time, you can freeze dry 1,400 gallons of food.

It typically takes between 20 to 40 hours to complete the process.

Food type and quantity will affect the freeze-dry cycle. Things like meat, peas and corn dry quickly, while squash and watermelon can take longer. The thickness of the food slices will affect the cycle time too.

Most importantly, your machine senses when the food is ready (alerting you with a beep) so you don’t have to guess when to stop the freeze-dry cycle.

Yes!

It is a great idea to put frozen products into your freeze dryer. Your machine will accept pre-frozen foods and cool them even further, to around -40 degrees F.

The freeze dryer unit itself, as well as a high-quality vacuum pump that sits outside the freeze dryer.

The freeze dryer itself requires little to no maintenance. However, all freeze dryers come with a high quality vacuum pump, which requires some maintenance, mainly adding and draining oil.

The vacuum pump comes equipped with an initial supply of oil. There are 3 cups of oil in a vacuum pump that need to be changed regularly to keep a freeze dryer running efficiently. This is a simple process and requires little effort.

Each freeze dryer also includes a stand-alone oil filter. The filter cleans the oil and allows you to keep reusing your oil as if it were new. Using filtered oil in each batch is a great way to save money and be more eco-friendly, while also helping your vacuum pump perform as efficiently as possible

Harvest Right has taken every precaution to make this appliance run as affordably as possible.

Note: Large freeze dryers require a 5-20 outlet

*Based on an average load using about 20-25 KWh, at 10¢/KWh, the average load of freeze-dried food would cost approximately $2.00 – $2.50 per load. Rates may vary.

3-Year Limited Warranty

All sales of Harvest Right Freeze Dryers after February 1, 2019, are covered by this warranty.

https://harvestright.com/return-policy-warranty

There are a few foods that don’t do well in a freeze dryer. Remember, freeze dryers work by extracting water from food. It does leave behind oil, so oily foods don’t fare very well in a freeze dryer. Some foods are:

• peanut butter
• pure chocolate
• butter
• honey
• syrup
• jam

Freeze Drying Tips:

• Blanch potatoes before freeze drying (or they’ll oxidize and turn black).
• Label fish, meat or eggs that haven’t been cooked – freeze drying does not kill bacteria.
• Give apple slices a lemon bath to prevent oxidation while freezing.
• Note that freeze drying times are not set in stone. Some foods require longer to process.
• Peel or halve fruits and vegetables before freeze drying.
• If you leave the skin, cut in half and place skin side down on the tray.
• For small food such as grapes or cherry tomatoes, place a handful between two lids and slice between the lids with a bread knife.

You will want to have a room where you can tuck the freeze dryer away and close the door. It would be a bit loud to have on a kitchen counter.

Also, if it is a hot day, and your house is warm, you may want to put a fan beside it to keep the freeze dryer from over heating while running.

Our Harvest Right Freeze Dryers automatically detect how long each batch of food will take to process. This can be anywhere from 20-40 hours depending on factors such as how much liquid is in the food and the starting temperature of the food.

It's recommended to spot check to make sure food is completely dry. If there is still moisture, you can add additional time.

There are multiple factors that can affect how food breaks down, the biggest are heat, light and air.

For best long-term storage results, place food in air tight, light blocking, mylar bags with an oxygen absorber. Most food will remain good for 25 years, and meats for 15.