I have a family of seven and we live on an oversized lot in the middle of town. I started gardening about 6 years ago to try and offset food costs. I had made it to a point were I had to learn how to can about 2 years ago and its been an incredible journey. Now, I believe we are getting to the point where a freeze dryer would help a great deal.
I’m glad to see someone showing how to use the products that have been freeze dried. Many of us want to see the final product before investing so much.
@@marypeterson3512 It is worth it when your food looks great and tastes great. I have done steaks and when rehydrated you can't tell it from fresh one.
@@nannygranny9534 cooked or raw? And what cuts? The wife and I just got our freeze dryer and have been watching so many videos so we don't screw too much up.
If you buy the 2 /2 gallon zip lock bags and scrape the freeze dried tomatoes from each tray into it, you can squeeze the air out of it and use a rolling pin to quickly “powder” the tomatos They take up less space and reconstitute great for soup and sauces
Learn from Carolyn - she is a wealth of information ! There was a time I couldn’t afford a freeze dryer but my circumstances changed and I had to make a decision. Glad I invested in one when I did have the money. My electric bill is not high either from running it. I also water bath can, freeze, and pressure can foods…..but less now because of the freeze dryer. All I am saying is do the best you can do and if you can afford a freeze dryer in the future - consider it but don’t knock it because it really is a game changer. I so appreciate Carolyn sharing her skills because there might be day very soon we all will need these skills. Currently I am saving my money to afford her masterclass in cheese making- a skill I want and don’t expect her to give everything away for free.
I freeze dry my cherry tomatoes as a snack I sprinkle everything but the bagel seasoning and the flavor is amazing!!! Thank you for your knowledge and time in teaching us your talents! All Gods blessing ❤
Carolyn, I can’t thank you enough for all of your hard work researching the best way to freeze dry and reconstitute. I have been following you for many years and have safely canned many foods because of your knowledge. I now have moved on to freeze dying because of the way it preserves all the nutrients that canning and dehydration is unable to do. For me, it is so worth the investment. I do not want to make any mistakes with my freeze drying process. I can safely say you will help me prevail and save me a lot of money along the way. I have signed up for your class (so worth it and looking forward to it) and also pre-ordered your cookbook. This is your livelihood and I am happy to support you in any way I can, knowing that I will learn so much from you. Thank you, again, for all of your efforts. May God bless you and your family.
Another great tutorial!! You are awesome! Many people seem to comment that they can't afford a freeze dryer, but when compared to the initial costs of needed supplies to start canning, it doesn't look so bad. Plus, once you start freeze drying to preserve, you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner!!
I was under the impression that you have extra money by doing your canning, milk, chicken and other things that cost much more money. So the saving of doing all these work will helo with the purchase of the freeze dry or other equipment. I know that you are able to quantify the amount of money save. So those savings will go to equipment for a better performace of your daily work. I think that implementing a process in which you can quatify your work in a journal should be and add on to all the work you do.
Amazing. I’ve got so many tomatoes from my garden and I actually have not done tomatoes yet in my HR freeze dryer. This video is exactly what I needed!
That's wonderful. I was under the assumption that I would have to remove the seeds and skin and I would end up wasting so much of the meat and would have even more work involved. I'm glad you made this video.
This is an excellent way to put up tomatoes without so much hassle 😊 You can also lightly blitz them in a blender if you don't have the food processor attachments. They come out with a crushed tomato texture which works just fine. Also, for those who can't afford a freeze dryer up front (understandable, they're expensive) Harvest Right does have a lay-away plan now. Truly one of the best investments I've ever made. Grat video, thank you.
Freeze drying works! The freeze dryers do not use much electricity at all. It also preserves about 96% of the nutrients (if I remember correctly). I enjoy freeze drying slices of tomatoes, lightly salted, for a tasty treat. Thank you for making this video Carolyn!
I’m so excited about your master class. I do not have a freeze dryer, but I have been praying for provision. I want to be well educated, and informed prior to God answering with a blessing. I am so excited for your Shared knowledge.
I’m really hoping that someday, Carolyn releases a cookbook!!! I’ve learned so much watching Homesteading Family!! I would love to have a collection of her recipes for staples like bread, cream of ____ soups, etc. and ways to use all of these freeze-dried goodies!!
If memory serves me right, she has a lot of free printouts that you can just print for yourself. Might be a little little bit more work and I know people are willing to buy come up, but maybe that’s a place to start.
You can process even larger volumes by pre-freezing into quarter size bags and then transferring the contents to the freeze dryer trays. Works for other liquids like milk and bone broth, probably juices too.
I have been freezing my tomatoes for the season. Then I peel the skin off with hot water. Chop then freeze dry... saves even more time! Since they are partial froze for the dryer
Too funny. I just bought a box of Roma Tomatoes and thought I would check to see if you had a video and you did! I thought I would freeze the trays first.
I was surprised you didn't use a liner of some kind on your tray to make it easier to remove the food. Harvest Right does have liners, or you can use parchment paper.
Yes! It’s great to be able to use different methods to preserve in the ways you best like each thing. I love to make big stashes of “instant rice” by FDing any we have left over. Also lots of fruits and veg because of the nutritional value. But I also dehydrate tomatoes,mushrooms, and peppers because we like them best that way. And I can lots of fruit and pie fillings because they taste great and are so convenient. Variety is the spice of life! 😊
The comment section is what my husband calls “crabs in a bucket”. As soon as someone invests in something that makes their life easier, all the other crabs are there to pull them back down in the bucket.
Exactly. Considering they have been so generous with their life and time sharing their knowledge all these yrs …people should be ashamed for being negative Nancy’s. If the content is not for you, move on. Don’t be jealous and rude people!
Wow, I'm so intrigued by this . Freeze drying is amazing 😃 I would have to ask my husband to watch this video so that he would consider buying one of these.
I preserved many Cherry Tomatoes. Various varieties. I I Cut in half before freeze drying. I have not had success with reconstitution. But they are a delicious natural sweet snak. I have used them in recipes such as rice. They worked well.
@@johnparkhurst825 exactly 👍🏼 my electric bill was ridiculous this past month. I could not afford the bill ontop of the freeze dryer. I have been canning outdoors this year.
@@EveryDayAmityShay, if you buy freeze dried food on a regular basis it is well worth to buy a freeze dryer instead and do it yourself. We share one with our two sons and after half a year of fd we had our money back. You can fd all sorts of things . From veggies to fruits, milk, yoghurt, sourcream, eggs and so on.
Carolyn , at 6:55 you pull what appears to be a screen out of your processor . Does that part remove the skins and seeds , or did you just add that to another tray off screen. Love the video's , thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I have a freeze dryer. I find that if after pouring the tomatoes on the tray I stick it in the deep freeze for a few hours. If not, I get a little of condensation on the door and it takes longer to freeze dry
I have a scoop, kind of thing where I scoop them up off the tray. And I use a funnel to put them in the jar. You can use a french fries scoop that will help get them all because I find that if I scoop them like the way you doing this video, turn into powder. With the french fry scoop, the one in is narrow enough you don’t drop them everywhere. You’re doing a great job! You can also go to live life simple video or website. He’s been doing freeze drying for a long time and they have parchment paper. That is pre-cut to fit those trays. Blessings thank you for sharing.
Due to chronic illness I can no longer afford the things I could before. A freeze dryer would be a huge step in eating healthier. But I did sign up to be on the waitlist.
Thanks so much Carolyn. Your family is such a blessing to us. Does your dicing kit remove and of the seeds and skin? If so, is there any problem leaving all the skin and seeds in, if we have to use a non dicing processor?
I've always wanted a freeze dryer but just can't afford it even with the payment method with the economy being so unpredictable. Thank you for show us how to use the products once freeze dried.
Oh I love this! I, too, have spent hours canning tomato sauce…but then I dehydrate the skins for uses like tomato paste…but I’ve got a freeze dryer so that’ll be a huge time saver to just have all of those items from one job! I do have 2 unrelated questions though: 1) Have you freeze dried quiche? I have so many eggs and have freeze dried many dozen but I want to have some stored in a different way. 2) Can you freeze dry homemade pasta? And save it just like store bought?
I checked the wait list page. It says to enter the contest for the free Harvest Right one must be a resident of the USA. I'm in Canada. Plus I cannot pre-order the Carolyn's upcoming book on freeze drying as it is delivered "in the US only". Best of luck to all the subscribers from the US. 🥕👩🏼🌾🥕
maybe powder the tomatoes and add more water to make a tomato juice? I LOVE my freeze dryer! Have a supply of canned tomatoes and freeze dried ones are next on the list!
Yes! I bought my freeze Dryer a year ago and it's the BEST preserving tool ever! I can't imagine going back to only canning. Some of my favorites are Tomatoes, Peppers and zucchini flour!!!!!
I have a freeze dryer and love it. I have a question about your process. I often vacuum seal the FD food in a jar. I was under the impression that an oxygen absorber wasn’t necessary if you vacuum seal. Are they both needed? Thanks for your awesome videos.
Couple of questions please. So if you are vacuum sealing the jar why do you need an oxygen absorber, and what size did you use? Also, do you have a link to that little vacuum sealer device you were using? Thank you so much.
I foolishly purchased the freeze drying class last year thinking it would be " a master class". It was mostly a " why you should have a freeze dryer" class. Unfortunately, we already had a freeze dryer and i didn't learn anything new.😂. I paid atleast $100.00 for that class. I feel a bit frustrated that now there is going to be an actual helpful class.
I can´t find any information about the materials used for the freeze dryers. What material are the trays made of, aluminium or Steel? Is there PFAS inside, the coating is black, what is the tube coated with on the inside? If Pfas floats around and gets in the food, it would not be so safe. Do you guys have more information for the sceptics?
I have a HR, Large, since Feb. 2022. The trays that came with it are stainless steel. The tube/chamber inside is stainless steel, it's not black. It's not coated with anything. The tray holder looks like a mix between stainless steel and then the heating elements, perhaps silicone coating, but it doesn't touch the food. Nothing inside touches the food except the stainless tray the food rests on. When the chamber freezes, anything 'floating' around is caught on the ice wall. School Reports' channel has tons of information about them, as well as Phil at 4800 Ft, Evan Rowell, all on YT.
Great video, I am curious how the skins of the tomatoes are after freeze drying. If they also powder up or break up nicely and not noticeably it seems like the skins would add even more flavor and nutrition.
So smart! I was just dicing and processing tomatoes yesterday for our freeze drier! But I needed that idea for storage. Thank you. But why both add the oxygen absorber AND vacuum seal the jar? Is one method alone not enough?
Sadly, the dicer kit for your food processor you linked your blog post is no longer available here in the US. The vender does have a dicer kit, but since your processor is a pro model, the dicer kit available requires and additional adapter kit.
As I’ve learned from the big freeze dryer group is that when using a oxygen absorber it needs to pull the oxygen out and leaves behind nitrogen which is needed for long term storage and they don’t recommend vacuuming to remove the air/oxygen. This was a paper written from a professional knowledgeable person
I always vacuum my jars with the oxygen absorber in them before shelving my freeze dried products. You will find experts (with degrees and all) on both sides of the debate. Just remember, saying “don’t do” and “I don’t bother doing” are not the same thing.
I know someone who did sliced but they didn’t reconstitute them they just added them on their sandwiches and burgers dry and said it was the only way to eat on a sandwich.
@homesteadingfamily can I ask why you added an oxygen absorber and vacuum sealed it? I thought if you were vacuum sealing it you did not need the oxygen absorber.
You mentioned that you were coring and removing the seeds from the tomatoes in the past. Your current method is faster, but you might want to look at the negative health effects of tomato seeds. I believe it was one of Dr. Gundry's videos where he points out that in Italy they DO NOT have a lot of the gut issues we have here, while eating more tomatoes. Researching this, he found one of the causes of damage to the intestinal wall promoting "leaky gut" was due to tomato seeds (and skins?). Those were always removed in Italian recipes calling for cooked tomatoes or tomato sauces. It would be interesting to see if there are any digestive issues with this process of leaving the seeds and skins in, say, over the next year or two. I doubt it would appear instantly. If digestive issues DO NOT appear, then that would be great news, too.
I'm currently canning whole tomatoes in pints and quarts (San Marzano and Romas). Mostly for "restaurant style" salsa. I have crushed and sauce canned, as well. I do have a freeze dryer though. I'll try this method, as well. Any luck freeze drying whole or halved tomatoes?
I can't afford to pay for classes or a freeze dryer. Good thing there's endless free videos on YT I can watch!
So many can't afford one of these. I'll have to stick to canning 😉
Watch Rain Country she dehydrates including meat.
She used to be so nice to watch. Then she went corporate and no longer for us poor folk. I don't even watch her anymore.
I ALSO rmemeber her talking about the JOYS of canning. She needs to take the canning jars down in the back.
Oh my gosh people. She is teaching us something new. If you don't want to learn a new skill move along. Some of us want more knowledge. Be nice.
I have a family of seven and we live on an oversized lot in the middle of town. I started gardening about 6 years ago to try and offset food costs. I had made it to a point were I had to learn how to can about 2 years ago and its been an incredible journey. Now, I believe we are getting to the point where a freeze dryer would help a great deal.
Just got ours. The dented and scratched sales are amazing. Approx $2000 saving, for a dent.
Still full warranty.
@@dgreen2170Thanks, that is good to know!
I’m glad to see someone showing how to use the products that have been freeze dried. Many of us want to see the final product before investing so much.
@@marypeterson3512 It is worth it when your food looks great and tastes great. I have done steaks and when rehydrated you can't tell it from fresh one.
@@nannygranny9534 cooked or raw?
And what cuts?
The wife and I just got our freeze dryer and have been watching so many videos so we don't screw too much up.
I am in awe of your families lifestyle and work you do.
If you buy the 2 /2 gallon zip lock bags and scrape the freeze dried tomatoes from each tray into it, you can squeeze the air out of it and use a rolling pin to quickly “powder” the tomatos They take up less space and reconstitute great for soup and sauces
Learn from Carolyn - she is a wealth of information ! There was a time I couldn’t afford a freeze dryer but my circumstances changed and I had to make a decision. Glad I invested in one when I did have the money. My electric bill is not high either from running it. I also water bath can, freeze, and pressure can foods…..but less now because of the freeze dryer. All I am saying is do the best you can do and if you can afford a freeze dryer in the future - consider it but don’t knock it because it really is a game changer. I so appreciate Carolyn sharing her skills because there might be day very soon we all will need these skills. Currently I am saving my money to afford her masterclass in cheese making- a skill I want and don’t expect her to give everything away for free.
plenty of free cheese making videos on youtube. It's very easy.
I freeze dry my cherry tomatoes as a snack I sprinkle everything but the bagel seasoning and the flavor is amazing!!! Thank you for your knowledge and time in teaching us your talents! All Gods blessing ❤
yes! ;) they are my candy when I have them! lol
Thank you to you and Josh for all your awesome teaching. Blessings to you, your family, and staff!!
Carolyn, I can’t thank you enough for all of your hard work researching the best way to freeze dry and reconstitute. I have been following you for many years and have safely canned many foods because of your knowledge. I now have moved on to freeze dying because of the way it preserves all the nutrients that canning and dehydration is unable to do. For me, it is so worth the investment. I do not want to make any mistakes with my freeze drying process. I can safely say you will help me prevail and save me a lot of money along the way. I have signed up for your class (so worth it and looking forward to it) and also pre-ordered your cookbook. This is your livelihood and I am happy to support you in any way I can, knowing that I will learn so much from you. Thank you, again, for all of your efforts. May God bless you and your family.
Another great tutorial!!
You are awesome!
Many people seem to comment that they can't afford a freeze dryer, but when compared to the initial costs of needed supplies to start canning, it doesn't look so bad.
Plus, once you start freeze drying to preserve, you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner!!
I was under the impression that you have extra money by doing your canning, milk, chicken and other things that cost much more money. So the saving of doing all these work will helo with the purchase of the freeze dry or other equipment. I know that you are able to quantify the amount of money save. So those savings will go to equipment for a better performace of your daily work. I think that implementing a process in which you can quatify your work in a journal should be and add on to all the work you do.
We have to work smart and not hard. We are saving money for a better life.
It definitely makes sense vs. buying bulk FD foods.
Amazing. I’ve got so many tomatoes from my garden and I actually have not done tomatoes yet in my HR freeze dryer. This video is exactly what I needed!
That's wonderful. I was under the assumption that I would have to remove the seeds and skin and I would end up wasting so much of the meat and would have even more work involved. I'm glad you made this video.
Glad it was helpful!
This is an excellent way to put up tomatoes without so much hassle 😊
You can also lightly blitz them in a blender if you don't have the food processor attachments. They come out with a crushed tomato texture which works just fine. Also, for those who can't afford a freeze dryer up front (understandable, they're expensive) Harvest Right does have a lay-away plan now. Truly one of the best investments I've ever made. Grat video, thank you.
Freeze drying works! The freeze dryers do not use much electricity at all. It also preserves about 96% of the nutrients (if I remember correctly). I enjoy freeze drying slices of tomatoes, lightly salted, for a tasty treat.
Thank you for making this video Carolyn!
Can you recommend a brand?
Family of 8 here and this is how I'm doing ALL of my tomatoes this year! I can't wait!
I’m so excited about your master class. I do not have a freeze dryer, but I have been praying for provision. I want to be well educated, and informed prior to God answering with a blessing. I am so excited for your Shared knowledge.
My friend just got a freeze dryer. I’m so excited for her!!!!
Ok I can my heirloom tomatoes and this year decided to use your method I am so excited to use them this way. Thank you for sharing!
I’m really hoping that someday, Carolyn releases a cookbook!!! I’ve learned so much watching Homesteading Family!! I would love to have a collection of her recipes for staples like bread, cream of ____ soups, etc. and ways to use all of these freeze-dried goodies!!
If memory serves me right, she has a lot of free printouts that you can just print for yourself. Might be a little little bit more work and I know people are willing to buy come up, but maybe that’s a place to start.
Wow! I see so many benefits of freeze dry!
Storing them in cans and rehydrating in place is a great idea!
At my age and living alone i can't justify the expense, but I do puree and dehydrate mine as they come in. Works great for me.
You can process even larger volumes by pre-freezing into quarter size bags and then transferring the contents to the freeze dryer trays. Works for other liquids like milk and bone broth, probably juices too.
I love freeze dried tomatoes
I like your ideas for the freeze dried tomatoes!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
I am looking forward to your class and book. I am still saving for my own freeze dryer. I love learning from you.
I have been freezing my tomatoes for the season. Then I peel the skin off with hot water. Chop then freeze dry... saves even more time! Since they are partial froze for the dryer
Too funny. I just bought a box of Roma Tomatoes and thought I would check to see if you had a video and you did! I thought I would freeze the trays first.
The flavor difference between dried tomatoes and canned is worth the cost.
I was surprised you didn't use a liner of some kind on your tray to make it easier to remove the food. Harvest Right does have liners, or you can use parchment paper.
I don't have any liners and haven't come across any issues yet. I think it's more convenience.
I do freeze dry and canning. I prefer canning tomatoes. And I prefer freeze drying fruits and some veg.
Yes! It’s great to be able to use different methods to preserve in the ways you best like each thing. I love to make big stashes of “instant rice” by FDing any we have left over. Also lots of fruits and veg because of the nutritional value. But I also dehydrate tomatoes,mushrooms, and peppers because we like them best that way. And I can lots of fruit and pie fillings because they taste great and are so convenient. Variety is the spice of life! 😊
The comment section is what my husband calls “crabs in a bucket”. As soon as someone invests in something that makes their life easier, all the other crabs are there to pull them back down in the bucket.
Exactly. Considering they have been so generous with their life and time sharing their knowledge all these yrs …people should be ashamed for being negative Nancy’s. If the content is not for you, move on. Don’t be jealous and rude people!
Because they have such a lack mindset lol and poor is all they ever know
Hahahahah!!! That made my day. I’m using that one!
Wow, I'm so intrigued by this . Freeze drying is amazing 😃 I would have to ask my husband to watch this video so that he would consider buying one of these.
I am glad I have my own money and don't need to ask my husband permission to buy anything lol
Yes! We love our freeze dryer so mich!!
I preserved many Cherry Tomatoes. Various varieties. I I Cut in half before freeze drying.
I have not had success with reconstitution. But they are a delicious natural sweet snak.
I have used them in recipes such as rice. They worked well.
Not everyone can afford a freeze dryer.
So canning it is
Canning can be done without electricity
Yes harvest right is ridiculous
Agree. Moving to other channels for canning advice.
@@johnparkhurst825 exactly 👍🏼 my electric bill was ridiculous this past month. I could not afford the bill ontop of the freeze dryer. I have been canning outdoors this year.
@@EveryDayAmityShay, if you buy freeze dried food on a regular basis it is well worth to buy a freeze dryer instead and do it yourself. We share one with our two sons and after half a year of fd we had our money back. You can fd all sorts of things . From veggies to fruits, milk, yoghurt, sourcream, eggs and so on.
Great info ❤
Another great and informative video. Thank you, Carolyn!
Glad it was helpful!
wow that looks so much easier!
Carolyn , at 6:55 you pull what appears to be a screen out of your processor . Does that part remove the skins and seeds , or did you just add that to another tray off screen. Love the video's , thanks for sharing your knowledge.
It is the dicing attachment for the Breville food processor. It just dices and does not remove the skin or seeds: breville.oie8.net/VmnNn6
This was incredibly helpful, thank you 😊
I have a freeze dryer. I find that if after pouring the tomatoes on the tray I stick it in the deep freeze for a few hours. If not, I get a little of condensation on the door and it takes longer to freeze dry
Thanks for sharing your tomato techniques
I loved this video. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Oooooohhhhhhh…… I would have never thought you could do this! 😮
Great video. I had no idea you could reconstitute like that. Thank you 😊
I have a scoop, kind of thing where I scoop them up off the tray. And I use a funnel to put them in the jar. You can use a french fries scoop that will help get them all because I find that if I scoop them like the way you doing this video, turn into powder. With the french fry scoop, the one in is narrow enough you don’t drop them everywhere. You’re doing a great job! You can also go to live life simple video or website. He’s been doing freeze drying for a long time and they have parchment paper. That is pre-cut to fit those trays. Blessings thank you for sharing.
Good for you
I have a freeze dryer as well. I prefreeze mine before I dry it.
I enjoy your videos. I am not able to purchase a freeze dryer so canning it is.
Wish I could purchased a freeze dryer!!
I would still drain first because I love that tomato juice. This will definitely be what I do from now on.
Love it! Thank you!
Thank you for this information!
Glad it was helpful!
I also don't have the funds for classes or a freeze dryer
Don't forget to mention the seeds take longer to dry and if they aren't completely dry will ruin your vacuum packed jar of tomatoes.
Never say never. 😊
Due to chronic illness I can no longer afford the things I could before. A freeze dryer would be a huge step in eating healthier. But I did sign up to be on the waitlist.
Watching from Mackinac Island Michigan
Freeze drying is the best. I even freeze dry pet treats.
Thanks so much Carolyn. Your family is such a blessing to us.
Does your dicing kit remove and of the seeds and skin? If so, is there any problem leaving all the skin and seeds in, if we have to use a non dicing processor?
No, it does not remove the seeds and the skin.
I've always wanted a freeze dryer but just can't afford it even with the payment method with the economy being so unpredictable. Thank you for show us how to use the products once freeze dried.
Oh I love this! I, too, have spent hours canning tomato sauce…but then I dehydrate the skins for uses like tomato paste…but I’ve got a freeze dryer so that’ll be a huge time saver to just have all of those items from one job! I do have 2 unrelated questions though: 1) Have you freeze dried quiche? I have so many eggs and have freeze dried many dozen but I want to have some stored in a different way. 2) Can you freeze dry homemade pasta? And save it just like store bought?
I checked the wait list page. It says to enter the contest for the free Harvest Right one must be a resident of the USA. I'm in Canada.
Plus I cannot pre-order the Carolyn's upcoming book on freeze drying as it is delivered "in the US only". Best of luck to all the subscribers from the US.
🥕👩🏼🌾🥕
If you know someone down here have them buy the book and mail it to you
you will be able to order a book after its released, or i would be happy to send you a copy 🌻
I hear ya. I am in Canada too.
Why would they not ship to Canada ?
❤❤❤That is very nice! I would love to have a freeze dryer. It's just not in the budget for this year. Saving yo for one though.
maybe powder the tomatoes and add more water to make a tomato juice? I LOVE my freeze dryer! Have a supply of canned tomatoes and freeze dried ones are next on the list!
Would love a freeze dryer. I would probably take your class if I had one. Sure hope I win!
Yes! I bought my freeze Dryer a year ago and it's the BEST preserving tool ever! I can't imagine going back to only canning. Some of my favorites are Tomatoes, Peppers and zucchini flour!!!!!
Freeze dried is great as long as potable water is plentiful.
You can eat them without rehydrating. They taste great.
Also for sauce instead of pre-blending just use a hand blender after rehydrated
I have a freeze dryer and love it. I have a question about your process. I often vacuum seal the FD food in a jar. I was under the impression that an oxygen absorber wasn’t necessary if you vacuum seal. Are they both needed? Thanks for your awesome videos.
For long term storage, it is recommended to use both the vacuum sealer and the oxygen absorber.
Thank you for the response. Didn’t realize I needed both. Good to know.
I really want a freeze dryer, they are so expensive.
Would love to know about the red kettle
When you are processing your tomato does your machine remove the skin and seeds? I've enjoyed all your videos it's always so informative. Thank you
Couple of questions please. So if you are vacuum sealing the jar why do you need an oxygen absorber, and what size did you use? Also, do you have a link to that little vacuum sealer device you were using? Thank you so much.
I foolishly purchased the freeze drying class last year thinking it would be " a master class". It was mostly a " why you should have a freeze dryer" class. Unfortunately, we already had a freeze dryer and i didn't learn anything new.😂. I paid atleast $100.00 for that class. I feel a bit frustrated that now there is going to be an actual helpful class.
I can´t find any information about the materials used for the freeze dryers. What material are the trays made of, aluminium or Steel? Is there PFAS inside, the coating is black, what is the tube coated with on the inside? If Pfas floats around and gets in the food, it would not be so safe. Do you guys have more information for the sceptics?
Interested in the response, if you get one.
Thank you for asking important questions!!
I have a HR, Large, since Feb. 2022. The trays that came with it are stainless steel. The tube/chamber inside is stainless steel, it's not black. It's not coated with anything. The tray holder looks like a mix between stainless steel and then the heating elements, perhaps silicone coating, but it doesn't touch the food. Nothing inside touches the food except the stainless tray the food rests on. When the chamber freezes, anything 'floating' around is caught on the ice wall. School Reports' channel has tons of information about them, as well as Phil at 4800 Ft, Evan Rowell, all on YT.
Check " live life simple " products
Had mine since 2017. Love it!
@@earthzeroapothecary Well, it looks like there is no answer to my question.
Great video, I am curious how the skins of the tomatoes are after freeze drying. If they also powder up or break up nicely and not noticeably it seems like the skins would add even more flavor and nutrition.
So smart! I was just dicing and processing tomatoes yesterday for our freeze drier! But I needed that idea for storage. Thank you.
But why both add the oxygen absorber AND vacuum seal the jar? Is one method alone not enough?
Sadly, the dicer kit for your food processor you linked your blog post is no longer available here in the US. The vender does have a dicer kit, but since your processor is a pro model, the dicer kit available requires and additional adapter kit.
As I’ve learned from the big freeze dryer group is that when using a oxygen absorber it needs to pull the oxygen out and leaves behind nitrogen which is needed for long term storage and they don’t recommend vacuuming to remove the air/oxygen. This was a paper written from a professional knowledgeable person
I always vacuum my jars with the oxygen absorber in them before shelving my freeze dried products. You will find experts (with degrees and all) on both sides of the debate. Just remember, saying “don’t do” and “I don’t bother doing” are not the same thing.
never say never. some recipes are worth canning still. i see how freeze drying is beneficial to you.
Snappers. I have a small feeeze dryer. I should have been doing this but I will next year
I’d be interested in knowing what kind of vacuum sealer you’re using for sealing your jars?
Here it is: amzn.to/3JcNNV2
What about sliced tomatoes? How well do they store for uses on sandwiches, etc?
They do not reconstitute well for sandwiches.
I know someone who did sliced but they didn’t reconstitute them they just added them on their sandwiches and burgers dry and said it was the only way to eat on a sandwich.
Yes, sliced tomatoes are great, too!
Can u please tell me where you got your neat vacuum sealer?
I haven’t seen one like the one u used
I bought mine from Amazon it was 20.00 but you hook it to your machine to use it. I love mine.😊
Amazon, TH-cam has videos comparing the various models. Mine is charged with a USB.
We like this one: amzn.to/3JcNNV2
I love you videos! I don't see the link to the food processor. Am I looking in the wrong place?
Here it is: homesteadingfamily.com/breville-food-processor-a
@homesteadingfamily can I ask why you added an oxygen absorber and vacuum sealed it? I thought if you were vacuum sealing it you did not need the oxygen absorber.
It is always beneficial to do both just in case the seal releases, you will still have the oxygen absorber.
@@HomesteadingFamily how many CCs are you using in those jars?
Also just add dry product to dishes you want to thicken. No need to rehydrate.
Can you share the link to the food processor
Here it is: homesteadingfamily.com/breville-food-processor-a
@@HomesteadingFamily thank you
You mentioned that you were coring and removing the seeds from the tomatoes in the past. Your current method is faster, but you might want to look at the negative health effects of tomato seeds.
I believe it was one of Dr. Gundry's videos where he points out that in Italy they DO NOT have a lot of the gut issues we have here, while eating more tomatoes. Researching this, he found one of the causes of damage to the intestinal wall promoting "leaky gut" was due to tomato seeds (and skins?). Those were always removed in Italian recipes calling for cooked tomatoes or tomato sauces.
It would be interesting to see if there are any digestive issues with this process of leaving the seeds and skins in, say, over the next year or two. I doubt it would appear instantly.
If digestive issues DO NOT appear, then that would be great news, too.
I'm currently canning whole tomatoes in pints and quarts (San Marzano and Romas). Mostly for "restaurant style" salsa. I have crushed and sauce canned, as well. I do have a freeze dryer though. I'll try this method, as well.
Any luck freeze drying whole or halved tomatoes?
Will this master class be available to those that already have the Homestead Kitchen Membership?
Yes!
What about the skins on the tomatoes? How is their consistency after rehydrating? Do they flake off easily?
Is there more information in the class than the book I ordered???
They are fairly equivalent - the videos in the class give a nice visual representation.
@@HomesteadingFamily thank you for the reply
Carolyn, do you not pre-freeze your trays of diced tomatoes?
Yes, I do pre-freeze the tomatoes normally.
How to do we sign up for the free give away? I did click onthe link and it only talks about your class and book
Here it is: classes.homesteadingfamily.com/freeze-drying-waitlist
What is the lid sealer your using
Here it is: amzn.to/3JcNNV2
How much longer on your freeze drying book? Thanks
It will be released in September. Here it is: homesteadliving.com/freeze-drying-the-harvest
I use parchment paper to dump all of my freeze dried food on and then just dump into each storage container.