I would think this would help save on having to throw out food too due to spoilage. I wouldn’t have thought of this. Thank you for your very resourceful and thorough videos, I really appreciate them.
We are brand new to freeze drying and this answered sooo many questions... thank you! Also, Phil, are you familiar with the sterilizer called Steramine? It comes in tablets, is used in the food industry on stainless steel and seems to be very effective...wondered if it can be used when cleaning the inside of the Harvest right? Saw your other video on using alcohol but my lungs will not take much exposure to that without a lot of coughing. Thanks for such great info.
The only reason isopoll alcohol is used is due to the FDA for a cleaner/sanitizer without having to rinse and is PH neutral. I did some research on Steramine and it looks good. It's PH neutral and no rinse. It contains 50% Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride Dihydrate. The other 50% is proprietary. They would need to give up their trade secrets for FDA approval.
Thanks for your videos! QUESTION: My freeze dryer says wait to load food…. Pre freeze …. then load trays. I already loaded trays, WILL this make a difference?
Hi Phil, I couldn’t find your email, so here I’m asking you, when pressure canning “why do I see the addition of lemon juice to the jars?” I thought pressure canning eliminates the acid issue? Please help. Carol Rose
@Phil, I have a question but it’s also open to knowledgeable others who read this, it’s regarding storage containers… for short term/useing now, would it be ok to use Tupperware freezer containers? I am a new HRFD owner and will be converting the foods in my regular freezer to freeze dried both for long term and short term usage. I don’t want to buy/use zip lock baggies or mylar. For all my long term foods I plan on using canning jars. But for use now and short term, after freeze drying everything from my freezer I will have a couple of dozen Tupperware freezer containers. Thanks in advance for your advice.
With all freeze dried food you want to eliminate three things: Oxygen, light (UV), and heat. My pantry is fairly dark and always remains cool. For the short term I use Ziplock bags. Any tight sealing container will work. I live in a fairly dry location, so I'm not concerned with moisture getting into to my short term storage.
Thanks Phil. I have several lower dark cupboards set aside for short term food storage. And I live in east San Diego county so don’t worry about moisture to much. Ya know it never rains in (southern) California 😆 I am currently doing 4 trays of parboiled parsnips half I will powder and half I will place in Tupperware for short term.
Another great video Phil. I had no idea you could refreeze dry previously freeze dried food. I haven’t used my freeze dryer yet but parsnips is one of the things that I wanted to be able to freeze dry for long-term storage but also for use now. Thank you 🙏
Yup, the big difference between Freeze Drying and Dehydrators, besides cost, is heat. Freeze drying temps are around 130 degrees. Dehydrators can get around 170+ degrees.
I would argue that re-processing them and bagging for LT storage is not such a good idea. Since they have sat around for a year without an OA then they have suffered some oxidation by now. Yes it will probably work but this doesn't seem optimum. Love your content and thought process. We do something similar except the idea of putting them away for LT storage after a year of being out. I think it might be better to store in glass under vacuum vs the ziplocks.
Very informative. I was wondering about storing freeze dried items for medium term but could not find info on how long they would be good. Thanks! Do you think it's worth throwing a silica gel pack or two in to extend the storage time in a freezer bag?
It never occurred to me that there are people who might not use their FD foods daily. I suppose it just seemed normal to me, coming from home canning and dehydrating to freeze drying. I keep my "working pantry" portions in glass jars for the most part, sometimes vac sealing those to prolong the freshness of lesser-used or more vulnerable foods. Re-processing is a cool idea! I haven't had any FD product long enough to encounter issues, but it's good to know it can be done. I've come to rely on your channel for useful and reliable info on food preservation and uses. You rock! Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge and experience, both what works and what doesn't.
Agreed. Although I didn't come from the "preserving "family background. It just makes since to have a running pantry in addition to stocking up. I buy parsley or cilantro for a recipe and only use half the bunch. I freeze dry the other half and start and pantry jar. I figure if I keep going at a decent pace I can be eating these foods when I retire and won't have to pay the grocery prices. Plus we want to be able to share when times get tougher. It's was a forehead slapping, genius point to re-freeze dry the moist product.
Hi Phil, just found you and subscribed today. Great Vids, I put oxygen absorbers in my zip-locks and that helps.... I was having the same issue. Would you mind sharing what food processor you use to powder your freeze dried food?? Also have you had to adjust your door yet for sealing? Mine doesn't seal near the latch about 1 to 5 pm clockwise on that side. Haven't used mine in about a year and just noticed that today. Don't know if you have a vid on that? Thanks so much for all your work.....Rick
Hamilton Beach food processor 70740. It's a standard unit with two chopping blades. To fix your door go to the Harvest Right website, click the Customer Support box (upper righthand corner), Go down the page to the big gray bar "Click on Category Below", Click "Setups and Basics", Click "How to Replace Your Door".
Hi, do you mean it won't seal at all or just at first of the cycle? Our seal is sometimes pushed onto the machine a bit too far to reach the door effectively. After closing our door, I use a small spoon that i slip behind the gasket and then twist slightly in various places all around to be sure the gasket is raised just enough to be pressed nicely against the door as I start the cycle. I can see it is correct by the ring it makes against the door surface. No problems sealing when i do this... We love our FD! Thanks for the info, too, Phil in case it becomes a bigger problem 👍😊
This video is a timely blessing. I used my son's FD last year, hadn't used it yet this year. I put the items away but hadn't used them. I think I didn't understand how to use them . I thought once it's soft it wasn't any good. Thank you for all this very valuable information. I've changed my mind set and will be back to FD. Apples at 50c #, avocado 69c#, bananas 39c# , lean gn beef $2.99, going to check prices at Sam's for sirloin, potato, mushrooms, onions, rotesserie chicken, . You have really motivated me, luckily my second freezer is half empty and I don't have anything planned for the next week. Instead of just storing, I going to use also. Made nachos last night, my husband said it was great,. He didn't know it was from the freeze dryer stash. Thanks for the information.
This was a conversation I had with a PhD in Food Sciences. The question is where would the bacteria come from? If the food was sealed in jar or bag and only exposed to the air on a limited bases it should be fine. Before re-freeze drying you would want to check for obvious bacteria and mold growth. The food should be kept in a sealed container, in a cool dark place. It also goes back to how the food was prepared for freeze drying.
@@Philat4800feet great to know! I've had a hard time with mushrooms, they usually go soft quickly. I am going to freeze dry them again and repackage as long as they smell good. Thank you for the info!!!
I had been wondering if I could use my dehydrator to dry down tomato juice as far as the dehydrator would take it then finish it off in the freeze dryer so I could powder it for storage. I only have chest freezers and trying to get the shelves level for liquids is tricky this would help me immensely for other liquid items I would like to freeze dry. If I understand what you are saying this would work, correct? You are such a blessing when it comes to knowledge on freeze drying thank you.
I'm no expert in this but research shows FD food retains more of its nutrients than dehydrated foods. Maybe check with your local extension service or some other credentialed university or government entity for an accurate determination of the nutrient retention (or loss) for each preservation process.
My tomato powder was boiled down from 5 gallons to 2 gallons. Due to the risk from tomato's, I'll sacrifice some nutrition for safety. I think boiling reduction is the best method.
Hmmmm...each time the jar is opened more air can enter the jar than the bag. With the bag I can push the extra air out. Jars are better if you have mice.
Appreciate this most recent video! After you wrote a reply a couple of weeks ago, on another video, about your Ziploc usage for short-term FD storage, we've been incorporating it here. That's a help. That being said, we'll always err on the side of caution and throw questionable food out if in doubt. I've read reputable reports [USU Extension Service, USDA] that tomatoes now need acid added, generally in the form of lemon juice, for safe food preservation as more recent varieties contain less acid to provide a sweeter taste. Hubby and I as tweens, along with our extended community, sadly followed the deadly effects of botulism in one multi-generational family with the decease of the grandfather, son, and one or two grandchildren, if memory serves. They ate improperly bottled vegetables at a family dinner. Not sure if the vegetables had been pressure canned [higher temp than boiling is needed to destroy botulism SPORES] or not; but I'm pretty sure after being opened the vegetables weren't boiled the requisite 13 minutes, per the altitude where we lived, to destroy any potential botulism TOXINS which are the deadly component. We learned life-long lessons as daily news carried updates on how many family members were hospitalized, no longer able to breathe on their own. The CDC & USDA info I've read would seem to indicate low-acid FD veggies are safe from botulism because there is no moisture but not so if partially thawed and refrozen. I wish these agencies would address FD foods specifically rather than just canned and regular frozen foods! This leaves us all partially walking in the dark. For hubby and me, the question is what happens when low-acid FD foods partially rehydrate in an anaerobic or low O2 environment? Even if boiled prior to FD, the data from the CDC, USDA, et al apparently indicates the botulism SPORES remain with the potential to produce TOXINS once the food slightly thaws. Bottom-line for us: we are incorporating the Ziploc usage short-term, especially fruits as they have more acid than vegetables. This will help us more efficiently and economically add a versatile component to freeze-dried food storage. However, we'll remain on the side of caution every single time as some things just aren't worth the tears.
Good comments and thoughts. In regard to my tomato powder, I started with five gallons of strained tomatoes and boiled them down to two gallons. Any microbes or bacteria were fully killed. Tomato's can be dodgy.
@@Philat4800feet Thanks for the reply. I concur: tomatoes can be dodgy; and many varieties have been modified to contain less acid. Think Sweet 100's Cherry Tomatoes - better than candy!!! The big concern for us is that boiling isn't hot enough to destroy botulism SPORES. Hence, the USDA warning to add lemon juice to all varieties of tomatoes being preserved. Our worry for any tomatoes or low-acid veggies is IF they are partially and gradually rehydrating in any sort of anaerobic or low O2 environment, if there are even a few botulism SPORES, they can multiply and produce the deadly TOXINS. Maybe the best solution is just add either lots of sugar or salt prior to FD, never mind the taste! 😁 I'm carefully rethinking my tomato slices with Trader Joe's seasoning & truffle sea salt. Maybe double the salt (AWFUL) or else a spritz of lemon water to add acid prior to adding the seasonings? Both hubby & I share this concern because of this tragedy. The son, his wife and children had traveled from the Midwest to visit his parents in the state where we were raised. The grandmother either didn't properly pressure-can the vegetables [to destroy the SPORES] and/or also didn't boil them for a sufficient time before serving to destroy TOXINS generated by any lingering SPORES. [The basic rule is 10 min boiling at 1000' elevation & add another minute for each additional 1000' of altitude.] She lost her husband, her son, her grandchildren. One happier end-note: I remember the vegetable as a bottle of beets; hubby remembers them as a bottle of green beans. So to cover all bases, we boil either of these two vegetables at least 15 minutes here at 6000' when we serve them even though we purchase them in cans processed according to USDA specs at high pressure/temps to take out botulism SPORES. Thanks for wading through waaaay TMI!
P. S. Have been pondering this for a week. USDA says that green tomatoes have sufficient acid to not be a risk. Sooooo, I'm going to experiment with green tomato slices with Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning combined with truffle sea salt. I'm wondering also if possibly green tomatoes won't rehydrate in the air as quickly as ripe red tomatoes which would be nice. I'm also going to experiment with cinnamon and sugar (and possibly a dash of cloves and ginger) on green tomato slices to mimic green tomato pie filling and green tomato jam. Hubby refuses to sample either experiment! Maybe I can get him to try mango flavored FD Creamies instead. :) Cheers!
@@maegan5034 I have been having similar questions and concerns, thank you for taking the time to comment so thoroughly. As more people are just beginning to store food longer term, many have not had the intensity of botulism education more experienced canners have. The low acid, low O2 and moisture equation of disaster is not understood or even known by most new to preserving. Pam at Rose Red Homestead does great explanations re botulism spores / toxins, pH and canning but the FD guidelines are not yet standard. I'm in total agreement with you . Dehydrating food safety is new to me and now we have FDing, too. My understanding at this time is that acid and moisture will be the controllable variables . I wonder if citric or ascorbic acid (Fruit Fresh or Vitamin C) would work to get a correct pH without affecting flavor? Thank you again for commenting... Phil's videos are a great resource!
Not directly, Yellow squash would dry like all other vegetables. I went one step farther and made yellow squash flour: th-cam.com/video/PR1IgZ05dLM/w-d-xo.html
question? i have about 50 bags of food and am trying to figure out a mouseproof way to store them. so far most of my stuff is in 5 gallon buckets. do you have a better solution?
@@Philat4800feet It won't do any good, at one time I believed they were a company that had a concern for satisfaction. They do not show me they have any concern.
Meats come down to how it was prepared. I take great pains in removing fat and oils prior to FD. Jerked beef and dried fish have been around for hundreds of years before FD. If you can remove moisture, UV light, and maintain a cool storage area, foods with higher fats and oils can be stored.
I own a freeze dryer and storing them in ziplock bags will let to much air in. A better way i believe is in a mason jar. This also keeps it rodent proof. Then to remove the air i used just a hand held sealer and jar lids all from food saver. I got my freeze dryer in 2020 and everything the kids havent found is all still nice and fresh.
Thank you Phil! We love your videos!
I never thought about rehydrating. Very informative, ty
I would think this would help save on having to throw out food too due to spoilage. I wouldn’t have thought of this. Thank you for your very resourceful and thorough videos, I really appreciate them.
We are brand new to freeze drying and this answered sooo many questions... thank you! Also, Phil, are you familiar with the sterilizer called Steramine? It comes in tablets, is used in the food industry on stainless steel and seems to be very effective...wondered if it can be used when cleaning the inside of the Harvest right? Saw your other video on using alcohol but my lungs will not take much exposure to that without a lot of coughing. Thanks for such great info.
The only reason isopoll alcohol is used is due to the FDA for a cleaner/sanitizer without having to rinse and is PH neutral. I did some research on Steramine and it looks good. It's PH neutral and no rinse. It contains 50% Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride Dihydrate. The other 50% is proprietary. They would need to give up their trade secrets for FDA approval.
I'd store in mylar bags with the zip top. That'll keep moisture out a lot better.
good stuff, thanks
Thanks for your videos!
QUESTION: My freeze dryer says wait to load food…. Pre freeze …. then load trays.
I already loaded trays, WILL this make a difference?
no, it may take longer to bring the temperature of the chamber and the food down to zero. If you pre-freeze your food, it could thaw it out a bit.
Hi Phil, I couldn’t find your email, so here I’m asking you, when pressure canning “why do I see the addition of lemon juice to the jars?” I thought pressure canning eliminates the acid issue?
Please help.
Carol Rose
@Phil, I have a question but it’s also open to knowledgeable others who read this, it’s regarding storage containers… for short term/useing now, would it be ok to use Tupperware freezer containers?
I am a new HRFD owner and will be converting the foods in my regular freezer to freeze dried both for long term and short term usage.
I don’t want to buy/use zip lock baggies or mylar. For all my long term foods I plan on using canning jars. But for use now and short term, after freeze drying everything from my freezer I will have a couple of dozen Tupperware freezer containers.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
With all freeze dried food you want to eliminate three things: Oxygen, light (UV), and heat. My pantry is fairly dark and always remains cool. For the short term I use Ziplock bags. Any tight sealing container will work. I live in a fairly dry location, so I'm not concerned with moisture getting into to my short term storage.
Thanks Phil. I have several lower dark cupboards set aside for short term food storage. And I live in east San Diego county so don’t worry about moisture to much. Ya know it never rains in (southern) California 😆
I am currently doing 4 trays of parboiled parsnips half I will powder and half I will place in Tupperware for short term.
Thanks!!
What is the best way that you have found to rehydrate that yellow squash, if you wanted to deep fry the yellow squash?
A few drops at a time
Another great video Phil. I had no idea you could refreeze dry previously freeze dried food.
I haven’t used my freeze dryer yet but parsnips is one of the things that I wanted to be able to freeze dry for long-term storage but also for use now.
Thank you 🙏
Great info. I was a dehydrator, can I freeze dry previously dehydrated food in this manor. Thank tou
Yup, the big difference between Freeze Drying and Dehydrators, besides cost, is heat. Freeze drying temps are around 130 degrees. Dehydrators can get around 170+ degrees.
I would argue that re-processing them and bagging for LT storage is not such a good idea. Since they have sat around for a year without an OA then they have suffered some oxidation by now. Yes it will probably work but this doesn't seem optimum. Love your content and thought process. We do something similar except the idea of putting them away for LT storage after a year of being out. I think it might be better to store in glass under vacuum vs the ziplocks.
Another option would be cooking a dish with the short-term food and then FD for the long term.
Very informative. I was wondering about storing freeze dried items for medium term but could not find info on how long they would be good. Thanks! Do you think it's worth throwing a silica gel pack or two in to extend the storage time in a freezer bag?
It wouldn't hurt. I'm in a pretty dry location. I try to "burp" the air out after each opening.
It never occurred to me that there are people who might not use their FD foods daily. I suppose it just seemed normal to me, coming from home canning and dehydrating to freeze drying. I keep my "working pantry" portions in glass jars for the most part, sometimes vac sealing those to prolong the freshness of lesser-used or more vulnerable foods.
Re-processing is a cool idea! I haven't had any FD product long enough to encounter issues, but it's good to know it can be done.
I've come to rely on your channel for useful and reliable info on food preservation and uses. You rock! Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge and experience, both what works and what doesn't.
You have some very good food preserving habits.
Agreed. Although I didn't come from the "preserving "family background. It just makes since to have a running pantry in addition to stocking up. I buy parsley or cilantro for a recipe and only use half the bunch. I freeze dry the other half and start and pantry jar. I figure if I keep going at a decent pace I can be eating these foods when I retire and won't have to pay the grocery prices. Plus we want to be able to share when times get tougher.
It's was a forehead slapping, genius point to re-freeze dry the moist product.
Hi Phil, just found you and subscribed today. Great Vids, I put oxygen absorbers in my zip-locks and that helps.... I was having the same issue. Would you mind sharing what food processor you use to powder your freeze dried food?? Also have you had to adjust your door yet for sealing? Mine doesn't seal near the latch about 1 to 5 pm clockwise on that side. Haven't used mine in about a year and just noticed that today. Don't know if you have a vid on that? Thanks so much for all your work.....Rick
Hamilton Beach food processor 70740. It's a standard unit with two chopping blades.
To fix your door go to the Harvest Right website, click the Customer Support box (upper righthand corner), Go down the page to the big gray bar "Click on Category Below", Click "Setups and Basics", Click "How to Replace Your Door".
Hi, do you mean it won't seal at all or just at first of the cycle? Our seal is sometimes pushed onto the machine a bit too far to reach the door effectively. After closing our door, I use a small spoon that i slip behind the gasket and then twist slightly in various places all around to be sure the gasket is raised just enough to be pressed nicely against the door as I start the cycle. I can see it is correct by the ring it makes against the door surface. No problems sealing when i do this... We love our FD! Thanks for the info, too, Phil in case it becomes a bigger problem 👍😊
Thank you so much, I thought if my food was getting soft, I did something wrong, and was afraid to use it. I really appreciate your videos.
This video is a timely blessing. I used my son's FD last year, hadn't used it yet this year. I put the items away but hadn't used them. I think I didn't understand how to use them . I thought once it's soft it wasn't any good. Thank you for all this very valuable information. I've changed my mind set and will be back to FD. Apples at 50c #, avocado 69c#, bananas 39c# , lean gn beef $2.99, going to check prices at Sam's for sirloin, potato, mushrooms, onions, rotesserie chicken, . You have really motivated me, luckily my second freezer is half empty and I don't have anything planned for the next week. Instead of just storing, I going to use also. Made nachos last night, my husband said it was great,. He didn't know it was from the freeze dryer stash. Thanks for the information.
Prices on food will only be going up.
I thought that if food had gone soft, it needed to be thrown away because bacteria may have started to grow because of the moisture?
This was a conversation I had with a PhD in Food Sciences. The question is where would the bacteria come from? If the food was sealed in jar or bag and only exposed to the air on a limited bases it should be fine. Before re-freeze drying you would want to check for obvious bacteria and mold growth. The food should be kept in a sealed container, in a cool dark place. It also goes back to how the food was prepared for freeze drying.
@@Philat4800feet great to know! I've had a hard time with mushrooms, they usually go soft quickly. I am going to freeze dry them again and repackage as long as they smell good. Thank you for the info!!!
Yet another great benefit of having the freeze dryer! Thank you Phil!
You are very welcome
Good idea. Thank you.
I had been wondering if I could use my dehydrator to dry down tomato juice as far as the dehydrator would take it then finish it off in the freeze dryer so I could powder it for storage. I only have chest freezers and trying to get the shelves level for liquids is tricky this would help me immensely for other liquid items I would like to freeze dry. If I understand what you are saying this would work, correct? You are such a blessing when it comes to knowledge on freeze drying thank you.
I'm no expert in this but research shows FD food retains more of its nutrients than dehydrated foods. Maybe check with your local extension service or some other credentialed university or government entity for an accurate determination of the nutrient retention (or loss) for each preservation process.
My tomato powder was boiled down from 5 gallons to 2 gallons. Due to the risk from tomato's, I'll sacrifice some nutrition for safety. I think boiling reduction is the best method.
Correct. FD uses lower temps.
If you store these things in mason jars instead of zip-loc bags, they will keep longer.
Hmmmm...each time the jar is opened more air can enter the jar than the bag. With the bag I can push the extra air out. Jars are better if you have mice.
@@Philat4800feet I vacuum seal my jars initially and if I open them.
Thank you Phil! I love your ideas👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Kind words
Appreciate this most recent video! After you wrote a reply a couple of weeks ago, on another video, about your Ziploc usage for short-term FD storage, we've been incorporating it here. That's a help. That being said, we'll always err on the side of caution and throw questionable food out if in doubt. I've read reputable reports [USU Extension Service, USDA] that tomatoes now need acid added, generally in the form of lemon juice, for safe food preservation as more recent varieties contain less acid to provide a sweeter taste. Hubby and I as tweens, along with our extended community, sadly followed the deadly effects of botulism in one multi-generational family with the decease of the grandfather, son, and one or two grandchildren, if memory serves. They ate improperly bottled vegetables at a family dinner. Not sure if the vegetables had been pressure canned [higher temp than boiling is needed to destroy botulism SPORES] or not; but I'm pretty sure after being opened the vegetables weren't boiled the requisite 13 minutes, per the altitude where we lived, to destroy any potential botulism TOXINS which are the deadly component. We learned life-long lessons as daily news carried updates on how many family members were hospitalized, no longer able to breathe on their own. The CDC & USDA info I've read would seem to indicate low-acid FD veggies are safe from botulism because there is no moisture but not so if partially thawed and refrozen. I wish these agencies would address FD foods specifically rather than just canned and regular frozen foods! This leaves us all partially walking in the dark. For hubby and me, the question is what happens when low-acid FD foods partially rehydrate in an anaerobic or low O2 environment? Even if boiled prior to FD, the data from the CDC, USDA, et al apparently indicates the botulism SPORES remain with the potential to produce TOXINS once the food slightly thaws. Bottom-line for us: we are incorporating the Ziploc usage short-term, especially fruits as they have more acid than vegetables. This will help us more efficiently and economically add a versatile component to freeze-dried food storage. However, we'll remain on the side of caution every single time as some things just aren't worth the tears.
Good comments and thoughts. In regard to my tomato powder, I started with five gallons of strained tomatoes and boiled them down to two gallons. Any microbes or bacteria were fully killed. Tomato's can be dodgy.
@@Philat4800feet Thanks for the reply. I concur: tomatoes can be dodgy; and many varieties have been modified to contain less acid. Think Sweet 100's Cherry Tomatoes - better than candy!!! The big concern for us is that boiling isn't hot enough to destroy botulism SPORES. Hence, the USDA warning to add lemon juice to all varieties of tomatoes being preserved. Our worry for any tomatoes or low-acid veggies is IF they are partially and gradually rehydrating in any sort of anaerobic or low O2 environment, if there are even a few botulism SPORES, they can multiply and produce the deadly TOXINS. Maybe the best solution is just add either lots of sugar or salt prior to FD, never mind the taste! 😁 I'm carefully rethinking my tomato slices with Trader Joe's seasoning & truffle sea salt. Maybe double the salt (AWFUL) or else a spritz of lemon water to add acid prior to adding the seasonings?
Both hubby & I share this concern because of this tragedy. The son, his wife and children had traveled from the Midwest to visit his parents in the state where we were raised. The grandmother either didn't properly pressure-can the vegetables [to destroy the SPORES] and/or also didn't boil them for a sufficient time before serving to destroy TOXINS generated by any lingering SPORES. [The basic rule is 10 min boiling at 1000' elevation & add another minute for each additional 1000' of altitude.] She lost her husband, her son, her grandchildren.
One happier end-note: I remember the vegetable as a bottle of beets; hubby remembers them as a bottle of green beans. So to cover all bases, we boil either of these two vegetables at least 15 minutes here at 6000' when we serve them even though we purchase them in cans processed according to USDA specs at high pressure/temps to take out botulism SPORES.
Thanks for wading through waaaay TMI!
P. S. Have been pondering this for a week. USDA says that green tomatoes have sufficient acid to not be a risk. Sooooo, I'm going to experiment with green tomato slices with Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning combined with truffle sea salt. I'm wondering also if possibly green tomatoes won't rehydrate in the air as quickly as ripe red tomatoes which would be nice. I'm also going to experiment with cinnamon and sugar (and possibly a dash of cloves and ginger) on green tomato slices to mimic green tomato pie filling and green tomato jam. Hubby refuses to sample either experiment! Maybe I can get him to try mango flavored FD Creamies instead. :) Cheers!
@@maegan5034 I have been having similar questions and concerns, thank you for taking the time to comment so thoroughly. As more people are just beginning to store food longer term, many have not had the intensity of botulism education more experienced canners have. The low acid, low O2 and moisture equation of disaster is not understood or even known by most new to preserving. Pam at Rose Red Homestead does great explanations re botulism spores / toxins, pH and canning but the FD guidelines are not yet standard. I'm in total agreement with you . Dehydrating food safety is new to me and now we have FDing, too. My understanding at this time is that acid and moisture will be the controllable variables . I wonder if citric or ascorbic acid (Fruit Fresh or Vitamin C) would work to get a correct pH without affecting flavor? Thank you again for commenting... Phil's videos are a great resource!
@@MM-oc3sb Appreciate your input.
Do you have a yellow squash video?
Not directly, Yellow squash would dry like all other vegetables. I went one step farther and made yellow squash flour:
th-cam.com/video/PR1IgZ05dLM/w-d-xo.html
Could you unclump brown sugar with the freeze dryer?
The soft/hot sugar will crystalize under vacuum. Have you tried a bag inside a bag with a damp paper towel?
I don't understand your response, but I'll take that as a no.😕
@@ozarkarky Sorry
Would that tomato powder still be good if it has moisture though? Is it like using the tomato soup powder mixes that we can buy in stores?
This was homemade tomato powder made from Roma (paste) tomatoes. It came back great.
Keep the freeze dried content coming! People need to prepare!
Have you seen the cost of meat?
don't you have to poke each blueberry to let the liquid out?
Yup and very time consuming unless you're good with blueberry pieces and want to run them through a food processor blade.
question? i have about 50 bags of food and am trying to figure out a mouseproof way to store them. so far most of my stuff is in 5 gallon buckets. do you have a better solution?
I use plastic totes from Walmart. 21-22 bags will fit:
th-cam.com/video/I1itN-iyjus/w-d-xo.html
I regret buying a harvest right freeze drier due to the lack of service. Talk about a NIGHTMARE. More than 4 months to get a repair.
Do you need help getting their attention?
@@Philat4800feet It won't do any good, at one time I believed they were a company that had a concern for satisfaction. They do not show me they have any concern.
I am assuming that you prefreezed everything before running it through the freeze dryer again.
Normally I do, but for this batch, I let the freeze drier freeze it.
Great Idea!! 😊
great idea - some areas with higher humidity may not be able to do this as easy. But it is a great idea.
Very true. I'm sure it can be done, but for a shorter time.
This is fine for foods with low fat content. Meats, etc tend to begin smelling rancid quickly, often within a few days.
Meats come down to how it was prepared. I take great pains in removing fat and oils prior to FD. Jerked beef and dried fish have been around for hundreds of years before FD. If you can remove moisture, UV light, and maintain a cool storage area, foods with higher fats and oils can be stored.
I own a freeze dryer and storing them in ziplock bags will let to much air in. A better way i believe is in a mason jar. This also keeps it rodent proof. Then to remove the air i used just a hand held sealer and jar lids all from food saver.
I got my freeze dryer in 2020 and everything the kids havent found is all still nice and fresh.
Those are good ideas especially with the rodents. I'm limited on room so jars are out. I can pile up the bags. Remember this is for the sort term.
I use the jars and vacuum seal but they do take up so much more room.
Thanks!