How to Freeze Dry Food for Long-Term Storage
Brandon Whiteleather cooked this in an Instagram reel. SeeMeCook wrote it up from the reel as a full recipe and added nutrition.
Watch the original reelImported by Anonymous on SeeMeCook
A guide to the freeze-drying process (lyophilization) to preserve raw or cooked food for up to 25 years while retaining 97% of nutritional value.
- Time
- 36 hours 10 minutes
- Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
Steps
Load your raw or cooked food onto the freeze dryer trays and place them into the machine's chamber.
Close the chamber door securely and push the start button to begin the freezing cycle.
Allow the machine to freeze the food inside the chamber until it reaches approximately -30°F (-34°C).
Once the freezing cycle is complete, the vacuum pump will automatically kick on to create a vacuum environment inside the chamber.
The trays will slowly warm, causing the frozen water in the food to turn directly into vapor and evaporate via sublimation. This process removes about 98% of the water content.
Monitor the process as ice forms on the inside walls of the freeze dryer; the cycle is complete when the food is entirely dry (this can take 32 to 36 hours depending on water content).
Remove the food from the machine and immediately place it into glass jars or Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to prevent moisture and oxygen from reaching the food.
Seal the containers and store them in a cool, dark place. If using glass jars, ensure they are kept out of the light to prevent food degradation.
Notes
Freeze-dried food stored correctly away from oxygen, moisture, and light can last up to 25 years on the shelf. This method retains about 97% of the original nutritional value.
Nutrition
These are estimates per serving, worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories
- 0
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Keep this recipe
Save it to your SeeMeCook library, add it to your grocery list, and cook it hands-free with each step read aloud.
Open in SeeMeCook