I used a banana slicer for mine and pre froze them. And then decided to do pickles before them. I haven’t had a banana in a decade. Not that I don’t like them I just don’t buy them. I froze mine in single layers but might freeze dry in double layers. I really enjoy your videos!! Thanks so much for providing all of this invaluable information!!
@@SchoolReports I bought two different ones on Amazon. One is a plastic flat one that is curved like a banana and one that is a pit the banana in about an inch then smash down the slicers and it provides even slices. I used the latter.
Have you ever tried using duct tape to seal the edge instead of the pulse sealer? Just curious if that would hold, because it keeps the bag intact without sealing damage.
@@SchoolReports Hmm too bad. I was more inclined to think the tape would only be there to “compress and hold” the two mylar sheets together allowing the mylar to do the “preventing oxygen’s entry”.
I've been using 2 tsp of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per liter/quart of water. I don't know if it's the right amount, but it seems to work for most fruits.
Wow! Thanks. And to get multiple layers of bananas on a tray without sticking, I found that I can freeze them in single layers on cookie sheets first and then pile them on the freeze dry trays.
@@SchoolReports yes...I do that with lots of food. Lemons...apples ..and such. I store them in containers or ziplock bags once frozen. I loved how you cut the bananas.
@@oladeegriffin7434 This was the first time I cut bananas this way; I was very happy with it. It was quick and easy. (It's even faster if you're not trying to show it to a camera)
I haven't rehydrated bananas, except as a powder in banana cream pie filling. BTW, the upcoming video is banana cream pie filling made using some freeze dried egg yolks and some powdered freeze dried bananas.
Thanks. I've been trying to make them more informative. I watched some of my older (just a few months ago) videos and found that they seemed almost devoid of information.
Our machine is from 2017 and we are running version 2.4.3 With this older version we get to control more of the parameters, that's why we chose to not update our firmware when we could have. The newer machines with the newer firmware are faster and have more features, including "Candy Mode" but you loose some control.
@@SchoolReports , thank you for replying. I’m going to contact HR and see if I can back mine up. So glad these didn’t come with the Candy mode. So many people are having a lot of problems with their units.
Good deal. I have a tray of bananas in the freezer right now with other meals. We just got a new power switch and relay board. The power switch had gone bad months ago and caused the FD to shut down a handful of times. My son-in-law is going to replace it and hopefully that will fix the problem once and for all. I like doing bananas. If we don't watch it, we'll eat a whole bag haha. I don't stack mine because I don't want them sticking together. But I forgot about using parchment paper. Have to try that next time.
After this video, I found that if I freeze them in single layers on cookie sheets first and then pile them on the freeze dry trays, it keep them from sticking and I can still have two or three thin layers.
I did a batch with an extra hour on the "freeze" and 2 hours on the dry (total of 4) reducing the freeze temp from -10 to -20 and my drying temp from 125 to 110. Since the first batch came out like mush. This did not work either, so I re-ran the freeze dryer with 0 extra freeze and 1-hour extra dry time ... they came out perfect (i think). They were crip and became very sticky in my mouth. The only problem was it was late, and I did not bag them until the next AM. They were all spongy at that point. Now ... how do you set the machine up to do high-sugar fruits? We have only had one round of melons work and our first batch of apples.
As with most batches, we froze these down to -40, and next, because we have an older machine with it's older firmware, (2017) ours has a main dry cycle of 30 hours before going to the final dry cycle. The machine jumps past the remaining main dry time if/when it "senses" that the food is almost done drying. (It's almost wrong by at least a couple hours.) I currently have the final dry time set for 11 hours and I hardly ever go less. I rarely change the tray temperature away from 120f; it probably was 120 for the bananas. I never bag anything without doing a "weight check" drying cycle to confirm the dryness of all foods. (I show this a lot in my newer videos) I don't do much, if anything, different for sugary fruit as far as drying, I just make double sure it's 100% dry. Now days if It's late I usually leave it in the machine running until I do have time to bag. I've never had any issue with bananas like you describe, so I don't know what's up with that!
The silver stuff is metalized film bubble stuff that is used for shipping cold stuff. We got our bubble stuff when it arrived wrapped around some frozen food, (a cake, I think) with frozen cold packs, from Harry & David. I saved it knowing that a use for it would show up. And Voilà! I put this on to better insulate the seal area because the seal would freeze and end up with ice and frost on it. Then, when the freeze dryer was defrosted, the ice would melt and water would run down the front of the freeze dryer. I measured the space between the door and the front of the freeze dryer and cut strips of the insulation material that wide. Next, I cut enough to wrap around the seal 3 or 4 time, taped them together end to end, and finally, wrapped it around the seal and taped the end. This has to be done a differently on the newer machines, I'm working on it (and a video) for my sister's newer machine. Adding Front Seal Insulation To A Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/LA1sHVUqKts/w-d-xo.html
@@lauraihlefeld390 What's the stuff called on Amazon? The most common vacuum issue places are the door seal not being spotless (it happened to me twice during my first couple hundred batches, but not since then), the hose to the vacuum pump (or the o-rings in the fittings), or the drain valve. With my sister's new machine it was the o-rings in the vacuum hose. Hers failed multiple times starting at the end of batch one. Once we re-cleaned the o-rings and o-ring grooves (don't know why twice wasn't enough!) and added a bit of Nylog Blue, she has had no problems and she just passed 60 batches.
Love your videos, just got my medium unit and I'm in the process of setting up my freeze drying and chamber vacuum sealing work area. I'm have a blast watching how to videos and figuring out my own efficent work area. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations! My own work area is currently quite inefficient, but I just did an inventory of the materials I have on hand to build with and designed myself new freeze dryer and bagging tables/carts.
Yes you can. You can also prefreeze them, spread out on baking sheets and then transfer them on to the freeze dryer pans while very frozen, and they don't stick much at all.
I have the older firmware and can set the freeze time to whatever I want, so I just give it extra freeze time before it starts the dry cycle. th-cam.com/video/Xqzr_6V8bn4/w-d-xo.html
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank You for the continued information!!!
Thanks!
👍👍👍👍👍
I used a banana slicer for mine and pre froze them. And then decided to do pickles before them. I haven’t had a banana in a decade. Not that I don’t like them I just don’t buy them. I froze mine in single layers but might freeze dry in double layers. I really enjoy your videos!! Thanks so much for providing all of this invaluable information!!
Which banana slicer do you use?
@@SchoolReports I bought two different ones on Amazon. One is a plastic flat one that is curved like a banana and one that is a pit the banana in about an inch then smash down the slicers and it provides even slices. I used the latter.
Have you ever tried using duct tape to seal the edge instead of the pulse sealer? Just curious if that would hold, because it keeps the bag intact without sealing damage.
Duct tape instead of heat sealing? No I haven't, because duct tape will let oxygen go through.
@@SchoolReports Hmm too bad. I was more inclined to think the tape would only be there to “compress and hold” the two mylar sheets together allowing the mylar to do the “preventing oxygen’s entry”.
How much fruit, fresh, or citric acid do you add to soaking water?
I've been using 2 tsp of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per liter/quart of water. I don't know if it's the right amount, but it seems to work for most fruits.
I always enjoy watching your videos! I love freeze dried bananas! I will try thinner slices like these.
Wow! Thanks. And to get multiple layers of bananas on a tray without sticking, I found that I can freeze them in single layers on cookie sheets first and then pile them on the freeze dry trays.
@@SchoolReports yes...I do that with lots of food. Lemons...apples ..and such. I store them in containers or ziplock bags once frozen. I loved how you cut the bananas.
@@oladeegriffin7434 This was the first time I cut bananas this way; I was very happy with it. It was quick and easy. (It's even faster if you're not trying to show it to a camera)
I like it best when you show us how best to rehydrate after you FD the food :)
I haven't rehydrated bananas, except as a powder in banana cream pie filling. BTW, the upcoming video is banana cream pie filling made using some freeze dried egg yolks and some powdered freeze dried bananas.
I like the subtitles you include, very informative. I’m going to try prefreezing for my bananas
Thanks. I've been trying to make them more informative. I watched some of my older (just a few months ago) videos and found that they seemed almost devoid of information.
Hello, can I ask you how you are pre freezing this low? We have 2 mediums and that option isn’t there. Your screen looks different too. Thank you
Our machine is from 2017 and we are running version 2.4.3
With this older version we get to control more of the parameters, that's why we chose to not update our firmware when we could have. The newer machines with the newer firmware are faster and have more features, including "Candy Mode" but you loose some control.
@@SchoolReports , thank you for replying. I’m going to contact HR and see if I can back mine up. So glad these didn’t come with the Candy mode. So many people are having a lot of problems with their units.
@@Bee-Kind-Baker I don't know if they are reverse compatible that far back, but there are other ways to cheat the machine to make it get colder.
Good deal. I have a tray of bananas in the freezer right now with other meals. We just got a new power switch and relay board. The power switch had gone bad months ago and caused the FD to shut down a handful of times. My son-in-law is going to replace it and hopefully that will fix the problem once and for all.
I like doing bananas. If we don't watch it, we'll eat a whole bag haha. I don't stack mine because I don't want them sticking together. But I forgot about using parchment paper. Have to try that next time.
After this video, I found that if I freeze them in single layers on cookie sheets first and then pile them on the freeze dry trays, it keep them from sticking and I can still have two or three thin layers.
@@SchoolReports - Ok great. I have a bunch of bananas sitting on the table in the kitchen so I'll remember to do them that way in the morning.
@@annwithaplan9766 Upcoming video is banana cream pie made using some freeze dried egg yolks and some powdered dried bananas.
I did a batch with an extra hour on the "freeze" and 2 hours on the dry (total of 4) reducing the freeze temp from -10 to -20 and my drying temp from 125 to 110. Since the first batch came out like mush. This did not work either, so I re-ran the freeze dryer with 0 extra freeze and 1-hour extra dry time ... they came out perfect (i think). They were crip and became very sticky in my mouth. The only problem was it was late, and I did not bag them until the next AM. They were all spongy at that point. Now ... how do you set the machine up to do high-sugar fruits? We have only had one round of melons work and our first batch of apples.
As with most batches, we froze these down to -40, and next, because we have an older machine with it's older firmware, (2017) ours has a main dry cycle of 30 hours before going to the final dry cycle. The machine jumps past the remaining main dry time if/when it "senses" that the food is almost done drying. (It's almost wrong by at least a couple hours.) I currently have the final dry time set for 11 hours and I hardly ever go less. I rarely change the tray temperature away from 120f; it probably was 120 for the bananas.
I never bag anything without doing a "weight check" drying cycle to confirm the dryness of all foods. (I show this a lot in my newer videos)
I don't do much, if anything, different for sugary fruit as far as drying, I just make double sure it's 100% dry. Now days if It's late I usually leave it in the machine running until I do have time to bag.
I've never had any issue with bananas like you describe, so I don't know what's up with that!
What is that around your door gasket, looks like foil
The silver stuff is metalized film bubble stuff that is used for shipping cold stuff. We got our bubble stuff when it arrived wrapped around some frozen food, (a cake, I think) with frozen cold packs, from Harry & David. I saved it knowing that a use for it would show up. And Voilà!
I put this on to better insulate the seal area because the seal would freeze and end up with ice and frost on it. Then, when the freeze dryer was defrosted, the ice would melt and water would run down the front of the freeze dryer. I measured the space between the door and the front of the freeze dryer and cut strips of the insulation material that wide. Next, I cut enough to wrap around the seal 3 or 4 time, taped them together end to end, and finally, wrapped it around the seal and taped the end. This has to be done a differently on the newer machines, I'm working on it (and a video) for my sister's newer machine.
Adding Front Seal Insulation To A Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/LA1sHVUqKts/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports thank you so much for the detailed explanation!
@@lauraihlefeld390 What's the stuff called on Amazon?
The most common vacuum issue places are the door seal not being spotless (it happened to me twice during my first couple hundred batches, but not since then), the hose to the vacuum pump (or the o-rings in the fittings), or the drain valve.
With my sister's new machine it was the o-rings in the vacuum hose. Hers failed multiple times starting at the end of batch one. Once we re-cleaned the o-rings and o-ring grooves (don't know why twice wasn't enough!) and added a bit of Nylog Blue, she has had no problems and she just passed 60 batches.
@@SchoolReports bubble foil insulation wrap. It come in envelopes or keep scrolling and there is a roll
@@lauraihlefeld390 Thanks!
Love your videos, just got my medium unit and I'm in the process of setting up my freeze drying and chamber vacuum sealing work area. I'm have a blast watching how to videos and figuring out my own efficent work area. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations! My own work area is currently quite inefficient, but I just did an inventory of the materials I have on hand to build with and designed myself new freeze dryer and bagging tables/carts.
Could you put another layer of parchment in between the two layers to prevent any sticking?
Yes you can. You can also prefreeze them, spread out on baking sheets and then transfer them on to the freeze dryer pans while very frozen, and they don't stick much at all.
@@SchoolReports Thank you kindly, sir. 🙏🏼
How to pre freeze your machine so cold before you put your food in?
I have the older firmware and can set the freeze time to whatever I want, so I just give it extra freeze time before it starts the dry cycle. th-cam.com/video/Xqzr_6V8bn4/w-d-xo.html