Freeze dryer/drying

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ClemKadiddlehopper said:
Thanks

If I manage to grow some cabbages this year (unlikely) I will make a lot of sourkrout. I like the idea of freeze dryed to sprinkle on stuff but I will stick with fresh for eating for now. Just too much other stuff to FD. I was just curious.
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I had left over kraut from the previous yr and had the fresh made. So I thought I would give it a whirl.
i have onions in now that was starting to get soft Along with some fresh chives. And as I type this I just remembered I didnt turn my temp down for the herbs🤦🏻‍♀️
 
I have eggs currently running and10 lbs of pre- fried sausage pieces, 10 lbs of mushrooms, 20 lbs of onions and 10 lbs of carrots ready to go.

I thought I was going to be emptying freezers but other than the sausage, not happening. they just keep getting more stuffed.

The pickings at the store/farmers flea market are pretty slim for fresh stuff so I am getting while the getting is so so. I don't feel comfortable waiting until fall to see if the situation improves. I miss my old gardens on the farm.
 
Don't know, didn't weigh them. I cook a very large pot of beets, then peel, then slice, and put them single layer on the trays, so the poundage isn't all that much, really. That pot of cooked beets does two runs. Looking at the 40 lbs I have left, I have about one run uncooked and one run cooked in the fridge ready to slice. Then I'm going to need to start doing eggs again, have alot backing up. But really need to get back to meat. But now there's zucchini, too. Decisions, decisions.
 
I am able to keep ahead ahead of eggs sitting in buckets by cracking them into to small cake pans, one lb (9 eggs) per pan. one pan a day. Those get stacked in the freezer waiting for a turn.

I don't have as many eggs right now as someone left the coop door ajar and 12 of my hens got slaughtered by varmits. I have twenty replacements in the wings and then eggs will go crazy once again.

How many loads total do you think you will have done when finished with beets? I try to get around eight to ten lbs per load.

I weigh everything and pre-freeze them. Sliced mushrooms were very fluffy so I only put 1.5 lbs per tray. Turns out they settle down and I could have put two lbs per tray and finished them sooner. I have the last two trays of mushrooms plus two trays of corn running right now. I also weigh everything when they are done and subtract the water loss to have an idea of how much to put back in for rehydration.

I can see where storage methods will become an issue. It is four bags per load and bags are very expensive here. If I use canning jars, they need shelves and take up a lot if space, plus I still need some for ods and ends of canning and they too, are expensive. I would love to have a thousand two quart jars.

So far, I am blessed that the FD is running like a champ. 24-30 hours per cycle finishing late afternoon/early evening, defrost overnight and start the next batch in the morning. Completely predictable cycle and my days are free.
 
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Freeze dried 4 lbs of dehydrated onions that were starting to soften. Repacked with oxygen absorbers this time, and they should be good for a decent amount of time now.

It was surprising how much water came out of them. Nice and crispy now, but they don't have the styrofoam texture of...from scratch FD.
 
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I finished the 80lbs of beets, and put them in two 5lb buckets. My favorite cousin's daughter just gave me another 5lb bucket full, so I have some more cooking, slicing, and freeze drying to do. Just filled the freeze dryer with 3 trays of beets that I had in the fridge, and one tray of sliced zucchini from the garden. Beets do real well being rehydrated, but I noticed that they are popular dry, too.
 
Plain organic yogurt. It dried into soft interesting crystal patterns which then shed little yogurt confetti all over the shelves and drum. After removing the trays to defrost, all the confetti turned to wet yogurt. I had to pull the shelves and clean everything and I filtered the oil as well.

I think there was too much water load. Next time I will put less on the trays; 2 lbs instead of 2.5 lbs.

It was completely different from eggs.
 
I was getting ridiculous amounts of condensation on the door of the FD so I finally got around to making an acrylic disc to use, like the pillow was formerly used. I got this idea from a School Reports FD video.

I am happy to report that it does solve the problem. No more condensation and the freeze time is back to normal during this current hot spell. I also like the disc because it's see through.
 
Two something months ago, I FD hamburger patties.

I don't buy into the no fat in freeze drying thing, I think it's more of not being properly dried that causes rancidity issues. I didn't want those thin cardboard disc's that would be dead within ten seconds of hitting the pan/grill either.

Lean grass fed burger, not store bought.

I made patties with my usual made up recipe, weighed out six ounces per and molded them into 1/2" thick 4" diameter patties with small donut holes in the center and freeze dried them. (Raw)

I rehydrated my trial hamburgers today; they rehydrated easily. I fried two and grilled two. They were all very successful. Nice thick juicy, beefy hamburgers no difference at all from fresh made.
 
I freeze dried some cooked ones with no holes and they did fine. Rehydrated with hot water. Did turkey burgers that way, too, and husband could not tell the difference.
I have too many cherry tomatoes, so I blend them up in the blender, pour into the trays, and freeze dry for tomato powder. It just takes more than 24 hrs. Because of the liquid.
 
What I have noticed is if I have chunks of pure fat they stay kind of soft even after a full cycle in the FD... My only thought with hamburger is how much fat has been put in durning the grinding process. Too bad my time machine is broke down I would like to zoom forward 10 years and see what happens to my FD food.

I guess I could use some of my forever crisco to mix with some lean meat and make a tasty chemical burger.......I ate a lot of fried chicken fried in crisco as a youngster.
 
Pulled onions, chopped up the green tops to fd for onion powder. Went to put a load in fd, which I havent used for a week or two cause of the heat. I got a message. i need an update code. I didnt even update. So I called. Three codes later, not one worked. They opened a ticket and are to be calling me tomorrow. Not sure what is up with this. Has anyone else ever had this happen?
 
lilmissy said:
Pulled onions, chopped up the green tops to fd for onion powder. Went to put a load in fd, which I havent used for a week or two cause of the heat. I got a message. i need an update code. I didnt even update. So I called. Three codes later, not one worked. They opened a ticket and are to be calling me tomorrow. Not sure what is up with this. Has anyone else ever had this happen?
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Keep us updated please.

If our freeze dryer acts up it will on me to fix it.

Ben
 
lilmissy said:
Pulled onions, chopped up the green tops to fd for onion powder. Went to put a load in fd, which I havent used for a week or two cause of the heat. I got a message. i need an update code. I didnt even update. So I called. Three codes later, not one worked. They opened a ticket and are to be calling me tomorrow. Not sure what is up with this. Has anyone else ever had this happen?
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What size do you have? I'm just curious. I got the small one to try and have been very happy, but would like to upgrade. From what I have seen so far, the problems have been started with the bigger units.
 
I have a medium. Bigger would depend on being able to keep it full. Right now, I would like a large but can make due with the medium.

Mine has been working very well, but I may have just jinxed it. I have managed to get a new load in every other day.

I filter the oil every five loads. It can get mucky pretty quick.
 
ClemKadiddlehopper said:
I have a medium. Bigger would depend on being able to keep it full. Right now, I would like a large but can make due with the medium.

Mine has been working very well, but I may have just jinxed it. I have managed to get a new load in every other day.

I filter the oil every five loads. It can get mucky pretty quick.
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You give me hope! :D I actually strain and refill after every run thru, but good to know that you haven't had any issues.
 
I have the premier oil pump. Even though HR says up to 20 loads before filtering, I have been checking the oil quality after different batches. Five batches is definitely as l long as I care to go. It's easy to filter the oil and it can only help avoid future pump issues to do it more often.

I also ran a dedicated 20 Amp circuit although it isn't required for a medium. Fluctuations in the power source are never good for electronics.
 
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