Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing Batch worksheet link: Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 6 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d3x-gaD3_5SYravfrmk-SxUsp875T0lZsRmi8MLrKPU/edit?usp=sharing
@@2coolartsmusicmom572 We use parchment that cut from rolls we get from Costco. They work out to about 2 to 3 cents per sheet. Cutting Parchment Paper for our Freeze Dryer Trays th-cam.com/video/1fKKvZ8gDtQ/w-d-xo.html Cutting More Parchment Paper for our Freeze Dryer Trays th-cam.com/video/td9lV6ftWhQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks! 👍 And hopefully we never need it! But we did once get a bad bunch of bags and had to re-work hundreds of bags. (Almost all before it was too late) The Freeze Dry Video I Never Wanted to Make - th-cam.com/video/B0KUfoHuCk4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=zmNF_VmMpmrR9yBa
And the use of the fans! 😉 His plexiglass cover! Will be watching all his videos for more tips. Made me subscribe. I don't own a freeze dryer yet, but when next Black Friday sale comes around,,,,,,,
Can you explain in a bit more detail, why weigh the trays before freeze drying, w/ the weight of the Tray and not doing a Tare-Weight on the Tray? That part didn't make sense to me. I thought you'd only weigh the Chicken itself ?
@@osufwiffo I have a theory. After the first round of freeze drying he removes the whole tray, checks the weight, puts it back in the freeze dryer for two hours, and then removes and weighs again to ensure there is virtually no change in weight. That part of the process is probably easier to do using the gross weight of the tray+chicken, rather than trying to subtract the weight of the tray to determine if the chicken changed in weight.
I'm not sure you realise just how informative this video is. You go into great detail that no one else has. Much appreciated, just a pity the machines are so expensive. Well done!!
The newest machines are less than the price I paid 2-3 years ago. I paid $2895 (plus tax) for a medium freeze drier. The new larger medium machine sells for $2695 and has a significantly larger tray that freezes more food each load. The best sale all year is always the Black Friday sale.
You should cook the broth for a 'long' time, to turn it into bone broth. You might even add some cut onion, carrot and celery and some choice spice to preseason it. That way if you dehydrate it you've got ready made, extremely nutritious,very tasty, good for everything bullion powder that would be a cinch to use even in a grid down/survival situation.
I cook the bones with the veggies. When cooked to death I cool them, blend the broth and veggies to a paste and pour in sheet pans on parchment paper and dry in the oven. Once dry, back into the blender to turn to a meat / vegetable powder to use as a soup starter. Saves space. Other times I'll just pressure can the stock.
I have never found a tutorial video SO FULL of real information, as yours. TYVM for all this DETAILED INFORMATION!!! Love your videos... please keep doing them!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Perfect timing. I did chuckle a bit when I saw your comment in my new comment list this morning. 🤣 Not because of your comment, it's because the one I read just before yours was this one on yesterdays new video: _Sad you just over analyze everything you do including your FD Videos to the point you lose your Freeze Drying audience & you apparently don't care what your viewers like myself are asking you for going forward which is simplicity!!! Good luck with everything as I am un-subscribing Now!_
This is the first of your videos I have watched; it is the most exhaustive treatment of freeze drying I have yet seen. The process is more complicated than others make it seem, but now I know what it will take to lay in a long term supply of freeze dried food. Thankyou.
Thanks for watching! Part of my goal for this series was to share the how and why of how I do freeze drying, in as much detail as possible. (With extra data gathering, because viewers asked) I feel it's important to point out that we have an older firmware machine (2017) and that I like to add things to the process that are not required to get the job done, like adding thermometers in the food or parchment on the trays.
Just want to show my appreciation for how well you lay everything out,and how meticulous,methodical,and scientific you are to make certain the product you freeze dry will last for many years and take little if no guesswork to reconstitute.Theres only one other ,who’s knowledge I’ve adopted and utilized in my own efforts to build a fully functional,very organized preppers pantry.The rest make obvious mistakes I don’t care to waste my time watching.Keep the videos rolling..your shirts crack me up😂
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! On this other video I try to show every _tedious_ detail! 😁 Freeze Drying - The Next 50 Batches - Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.html
This series of videos has been the best thing I've come across. Having goals like this is an awesome way to go, especially since I'm a relatively new freeze dryer. Thanks so much for the great idea!
I really wish I'd had goals when I started. What a difference it has made. I'm terrible at getting things done unless I have a deadline; I keep meaning to join The Procrastinators Club, but I keep putting it off!
First time viewer and am really impressed. I am glad you qualified the video as I have never taken the majority of the steps you had in the processing of 1 batch. Have been freeze drying for about 3 years now and have indeed included Costco chicken, but have purchased the bulk bags they remove from the chickens after their day if they haven't sold. Liked the square tray method and the temp gauge in the bottom of the machine. Need to make a scoop or jig of some type as well. I have a goal now of 1750 lbs of meat to freeze dry, cooked, and of 4 different species, if not 5 or 6. My batch "limit" for meats is right around 32 lbs. I believe this more efficient even though each batch takes longer than what yours takes. It has worked well. Absolutely fantastic idea of almost cooking the rice and beans! Wish I had thought of that 7 years ago, but back then didn't have a dryer! Thank you. I'll be watching for sure!
Thanks for watching and commenting. WOW! 32 lbs in a batch? Impressive! 👍 Even if I filled my trays until they touched the shelf above, I couldn't cram in more than 20 lbs. Mine can not handle a water load of more than an absolute maximum of 12 lbs of water, and 32 lbs of meat usually have more than 12 lbs of water.
@@SchoolReports I contacted Harvest Right and asked about settings and made adjustments as I thought may improve them. However, I believe the largest single change I made was to increase the Final out a few hours. Batches are around 38 hours give or take, but I most often do not put in frozen product so the front end cycle is longer. I believe I can get by volume 1 additional cycle out of every 6, which is very much worth it to me. I believe given the information you provided you could get to 24 lbs with a longer finish cycle? I have a 5 tray model so the average (max) per shelf needs to be 8 lbs. Last, I believe the lowest tray has the most challenge when it comes to getting completely done on my model, so I typically put the least load, or driest tray, in that slot. I'd really like to get your ideas on a jig or funnel for 1 and 2 gallon bags in helping them stand up and direct food into them from the tray. That scoop was great!
@@SchoolReports One more thing if you don't mind? Could you ither direct me to or tell me more about the partially cooked rice and beans theory. I have not heard of it before but is a fantastic idea and built on sound logic. It's how I'd want to keep all my stored, and wish I'd heard about that several years ago😀
@@steve8189 I've considered telling people, when asked "how long did that batch take?" that it was 32 hours. And then explain that if you adjust the conditions just right, that every batch COULD be run in 32 hours. 🤣 I run mine with a minimum final dry time of 12 hours on almost all batches and then I still do a "Dry Check" on ever batch because I'm not going to run the chance of bagging anything with moisture. The machine is easily fooled and I'd never trust it. With my machine it's simply not possible to run more than a 12 lb water load batch. Time is not the issue, water is. (The weight of the food isn't that important, but the water is) If I run a bigger water load batch, the ice will build up around the heated shelves and re-sublimate and *_will_* go through the vacuum pump. Mine just can't hold that much, I've tried. Have you considered just using Gusset bottom stand up bags so you don't need to hold them up? Thingiverse has a few funnels designed for bagging into Mylar bags from the trays. (I've never used one) Harvest right Large Tray funnel www.thingiverse.com/thing:5909543 Harvest Right Medium Tray Funnel www.thingiverse.com/thing:4460339 Harvest Right Medium Tray Funnel Remix - High Sides www.thingiverse.com/thing:5703842 funnel for freeze dryer www.thingiverse.com/thing:5571247
@@steve8189 Nothing fancy. I just under cook them some so they won't be mushy when rehydrated. Kind of making homemade Minute Rice. Freeze Drying 500 lbs of Food - Batch 23 - Rice, cooked w/chicken broth th-cam.com/video/FT70M_rQ1Pg/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video, excellent work, excellent message and excellent exicusion. I know how tough it is to do this as a one man band, from the cameras and microphones, and having to ask other for help while shooting. Bravo Sir!!!, Well done 🤩
Thanks. I recently added a mic that turns on and starts recording when I open the case. I'm hoping for less times of missing audio. 🤣 It's already saved the audio at least once.
Wow! Modern Homestead Alaska mentioned your channel in her video this morning and I've been binge watching your videos throughout the day. Thank you for going through so many steps in your videos to teach us newbies. I'm a planner and an organizer and the handful of videos I've watched today have saved me so much time and energy and I haven't even gotten my freeze dryer. I'll be checking out your other videos and your Amazon list for sure. Thanks for making food prepping fun! 😊
Thanks for watching and commenting! And thanks to Modern Homestead Alaska. 😁 I haven't seen that channel because I stopped watching any freeze drying channels/videos a _long_ time ago. The last ones I watched was Catwood Cooking. I hope someday I can do something with some other video maker. Sometimes my sister watches other channels and gives me the highlights; I'll have to have her check it out.
I love Costco rotisserie chicken. I used to inspect at the plant who produces this delicious product. The smell when they inject those birds is delightful.
I appreciate all your attention to detail.... I think. I am glad that I didn't see this video first or I'd probably have just skipped past any thought of buying a freeze dryer because I'm not buying it because I love so much more work. My HR medium is being shipped this week so we'll see how it goes.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! The freeze drying process really is a lot simpler and quicker than the prepping and cooking most meals! I do show steps that are not "required" for the freeze drying process because people have asked to see them. But on the other hand I want to be realistic about the process. Some people doing freeze drying pretend that the machines can "know" when the drying is complete - they can not. The _Dry Check_ process is the only really important step in the process. The total needed hands-on time is actually very short and easy if you're not trying to document it on video. Like most new things, it seems a bit complicated the first time, but it's not.
Thank you for this channel and for taking the time to be meticulous about the process cause it helps me to comprehend the what and why and ins and outs of the process and you've also taken out the trial and error stage, very much appreciated indeed. This is the most complete tutorial on Freeze Drying I have seen. I am a nubile also so I appreciate all of the excellent and particular points that you make, I've learned a lot and P.s. I love your inventions, extra acrylic door, acrylic viewing panel flap, the fact that you measured the electrical usage; some very smart and handy tools.
We do the bone broth by adding a 1/4 cup of vinegar, carrots, celery, garlic and let it simmer in a slow cooker over night. Skim off the fat, save the bone broth to simmer down and FD... Then we take all the rest of the skin and bones and by now the bones are very soft. We package it up and freeze it to make dog food out of it... zero waste and I guarantee it is far and away better than any canned dog food. We pick through it and take out any bone pieces that are not soft (most of the bones are very soft and crush between your fingers) We put a small quantity on their dry dog food each day.
I just finished 10 lbs of upper thigh and drumb sticks- I cook them all in big roaster with water covering then- salt pepoer and garlic powder- I cook it pretty high to start and then to 400- then turn off 😢and let sit 20 more min- so full time is 80 min- - makes good broth- I lick all meat off bones and freeze small amounts in small bags And use 2 gts filled half full of meat and then U get broth boiling and fill the 2 gts and any broth left I can in pint jars- for soup or just with spaghetti or gravy-Nov- 2nd bought for 59cents a lb in 10 lb bag- I clean the scrap bons off and eat for my next meal- And I like skin-my age 87- store was piggly wiggly
This has definitely become my go to freeze drying channel. I went from about 1 batch every 2-3 months to 2-3 batches a week. The bloopers at the end are great. Keep adding those. It would be nice to see a sample reconstitute at the end of each episode so we can get an idea how it turns out. I did two batches of something (from another channel) and cannot get it to reconstitute correctly. Not sure if the person who posted the video got it right either. I now have a bunch of food I might not use.
Thanks for the kind words. I decided to not do the rehydration of the food during the series for 2 main reasons; First, and probably the biggest issue for me is that if I did, I wouldn't have 500 lbs when I'm finished. Second, and on this one I could be completely wrong. (let me know if I'm wrong) I knew the videos were going to end up being long and I didn't think I should make them longer. (As a part 2 of that, I'm having a hard time keeping up with the video making. I'm almost constantly 2 batches behind.) Share; What food did you do 2 batches of and have difficulties rehydrating? I love challenges and problem solving. It was kind of my career.
@@SchoolReports 1) you are the 1% that reply to almost all comments. I commend you for that. 2) i understand the 500lb vs 10lb per batch. A 0.5 lb sample would really only add 3 batches to the entire series. But I do underatnad why the hesitancy. Maybe your next series could be reconstitution. 3) And sorry to say, but you are wrong about video lengths. I would be more willing to watch a longer video if it showed the entire process and often filter for videos that are over 20 minutes to weed out the silly 2 minute freeze drying videos. 4) when are we going to see the man behind the camera?
@@SchoolReports it was an apple oatmeal that didn't work for me. Came out hard as a brick. Could have been because my wife added brown sugar. I do realize that most youtubers would always say you could never tell it was freeze dried. I believe you, above all else, would be the most honest.
@@YakAttack145 😁Responding in kind: 1) Wow! Thanks. 2) The problem is that if I added batches than it wouldn't be a nice even 50 Batches in 100 Days! I couldn't call the series 53 Batches in 106 Days. Yikes! My wife said I should plan a rehydration series using food from this series. I would do that. I could also take other food, of the same variety, from the main freeze dry shelf from earlier batches and rehydrate that. Almost the same. 3) I'll do a poll. I love longer videos, maybe other people do too. (I am also going to try some livestreams for Q & A) 4) I am the man behind the camera. And in front. Yes, I'm the one that forgets to start the camera, I'm the one that forgets to start the audio.
Thanks for watching and commenting! 🤣 I have to apologize for many of my older videos. In my focus to keep my older videos very short, most of my older, shorter videos are almost devoid of information! I tried hard to keep the videos down to less then 10 or 15 minutes, no matter what I had to cut out! (Like information!) Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" ("If you read it on the Internet, it's absolutely true!" - Abraham Lincoln) I look at what commercial companies are doing. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
Thanks! But, be warned, I have heard from some "authorities" (commenters on TH-cam🤣) that Costco Rotisserie Chicken is one of the worst foods there is!
I have an Australian version solar oven (designed to last at least 30 years of constant use), which meets all future cooking energy needs in any future environment, so it is easy to store bulk rice with nitrogen in the bucket and that rice can keep fresh for 30 years. You have inspired me to prep enough foodstuffs for the next 25 years. Imagine eating food in the future but at today's prices. It makes sound economic sense.
It is called Sun Oven from Australia. I use it a lot as we have so many sunny days. It cooks at a perfect temperature to retain moisture and nutrients in the food. Just point it where the sun sits in the sky at 2pm local time. Wrap a frozen seasoned chicken in an oven bag, in a pot before work and come home to a delicious meal. Sometimes I touch up the various meals with a kitchen torch for that final touch, but for stews, soups, flans, dehydrating food for free (by leaving the lid slightly open), it is the perfect accessory. Very happy with it. You have ones designed in the USA for the northern hemisphere.
The other benifits of freeze drying food is that today's fruits and vegetables,rice etc.,vhave never been more nutrient dense, but with environmental impact and commercial agricultural practices the projected nutrient level, protein levels are projected to diminish significantly. Even magnesium levels. So today's food preserved at its peak will most likely be better than what we get fresh in the future.
@@michaeldemarillac9992 Thanks. I'll have to look into them more. #1 child and I built a solar hot dog cooker for a school project when she has little. We use it for years and cooked many hundreds of hot dogs on it. (5 hot dogs at a time, for the kids at her school, over a few years) Solar Hot Dog Cooker - Cooking Hot Dogs th-cam.com/video/zHghbmGDlCI/w-d-xo.html We gave it away almost 2 years ago to someone that was going to use it with their kids.
Wow...really appreciate the level of detail you provided; impressive. Thinking of getting my first FD and you've encourage me. Thank you. Will be following your videos!
I bought my freeze dryer over a year ago and I can tell you it is awesome. My food storage is impressive and I even make backpacking food for my kids so they don't have to buy those expensive meals . And mine are mom's cooking so they don't miss a thing. 😊
I have done this many times. Walmart marks them down to 319$ i make broth and then can it . I have also made batches of pet food and can it. Great video thanks for sharing
thank you again; after watching your cooked chicken video, we are emboldened to try our own. We got some uncooked organic chickens on sale, and paid $32 for 13.8 lbs, so we got off scott cheap for organic chicken! and now, my husband is going to roast them in the webber, so it also won't take much energy to cook them. We'll see how they turn out in our stayfresh f.d; thanks for providing the expected times!
This is by far one of the best video's I've ever seen for a Freeze Dry video. You are methodical and professional in your video. I'd be curious about what you do for a living. My guess would be something in STEM.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! I was never technically employed in the STEM field, but it was part of my everyday job, and I did teach classes for a couple years at a company I worked for. (Process improvement, quality assurance, lot tracing, etc) My first career was in the food industry (20+ years - for a "premium food and gift producer" company), then photographer, next homeschool dad where I homeschooled our kids in conjunction with charter schools. That morphed into teaching elective classes at a couple local charter schools geared towards home-school families (3D Design and Printing for 3+ years for 6th - 8th grades), and now just another idiot on TH-cam! 🤣 I think I learned more while homeschooling our kids, and teaching, than I ever did while going to school. I highly recommend teaching as a way to learn. If anyone asks, after shop/elective classes, science class is #1, math is a close second tied with history. English class doesn't make the top 10!
Great question. The total cost of this batch of 10 lbs of chicken was $26.59 - including 4 chickens, electricity, bags, oxygen absorbers. A lot cheaper than commercially produced freeze dried food. Of course the hands on time is only a tiny fraction of the freeze drying time. (Especially when not videoing) Number 10 cans of Mountain House diced chicken on Amazon are just under $60 and is 482 grams. This batch ended up as 1387 grams which works out to about 1387 / 482 = about 2.88 x $60 = $172.80 - $26.59 = about $146 savings on that batch - assuming buying #19 cans. When comparing to the smaller packs, like Mylar bags, the savings is higher. If I worked efficiently it could even labor costs, and more importantly to a lot of people, they can have the recipes they want instead of the commercially made freeze dried recipes. In the recap video I did about the "50 Batch" series, I go over the payback time compared to buying bags of freeze dried food. The payback was less then 50 batches of misc. food. (With just batches of chicken the payback would be about 25 batches) Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
Hmmm new viewer. This is an extremely well presented demo. I have extensive experience with eating freeze dried food but not making it. I would seriously consider freezing your chicken broth in 125g and 315g weights. Makes the chicken taste WAY better rehydrating with broth than just adding water.
This is fascinating...just what I need another food addiction. I'm a good cook and rarely eat out but when I have an opportunity to get a Costco Chicken I get it, they are delicious. They add saline water to the chickens, so you are pulling that back out. If I were there with you doing this you'd only have 3 chickens to freeze dry, I'd have eaten the other. I've been home canning for 50 years. I've got loads of so much stored away safely. Nice thing is it's easier, quicker and already hydrated when I open a jar. When catastrophe hits we may not have available water. Roast beef on sale, I bought 24 of them and canning them the next few days. Freeze drying looks like fun. Who knows, maybe I'll do it too. Great video.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting. 🤣 We had to buy 6 chickens to still have the 4 for this batch! 😁 I'm pretty sure they're injected with unicorn tears and magical seasonings! I helped home can 50 years ago, but haven't canned anything other than jam in the last 30, and not even that in the last 10 or 15.
I use the dried weight of chicken for packaging. I use skinless boneless chicken breasts. Finished product is 5 to 1 ratio..that’s weighing raw chicken in strofoam package. 1 pound of dried chicken fits nice in 1 gallon Mylar bags….
My last batch of freeze drying was Kimchee , sliced beets, and sliced tomatoes. It was a total fail, never did dry completely even with added time. I have one of the older original models and don't freeze my food first because the program doesn't allow for that on this model. I think the food was too wet and maybe not spread out enough. I ended up putting the food into the dehydrator to finish it off but wished my freeze dryer had done it's thing correctly. I am now freeze drying sliced garlic, sliced Ginger root, and mushrooms.
I have a machine from 2017 with old firmware. It doesn't a program for frozen food, (or any other program) but it doesn't matter. I just run it in custom cycle and wait until it's cold. I don't know what you mean by "never did dry completely" It can't "not dry" if given time. Everything that was water will eventually not have water. I've freeze dried sliced beets and sliced tomatoes, but not Kimchee. Isn't Kimchee mostly cabbage and spices? That should not have been a problem to freeze dry.
@Schoolreports regarding your old firmware....just so you know, you can go to the harvest right website and download the updated firmware for free. You need to put it on a thumb drive and stick it in the USB port on the side next to the display. If not on the website call them and they will email the update to you.
@SchoolReports When the regular freeze dry cycle is complete you check to see if your food is completely dry. My trays and the food were very cold, almost to the point of not being able to touch the trays. There was a large build up of ice around the walls of the FD machine. I added more dry time and it didn't do anything, same results. I find if I try to FD rather wet foods it doesn't do a very good job and I get that ice build up inside the chamber. Thanks for the info regarding getting updates on the hard drive, we aren't very computer savvy but will try.
@@tammiw1234 Thanks for the comment! I'm well aware that I have an older version (v2.4.3) of the firmware, I mention it on a regular basis. I've talked to my Harvest Right sales rep and their tech people a couple times over the years about the different versions. It was nice when they changed the firmware version upgrade from $80 to free. I have multiple versions of the firmware, I've just made the conscious choice to keep my old version. Mine could be "upgraded" to one of the newer versions, but not the newest version, and some of the intermediate versions had some (in my opinion) deficits/issues. I have copies of owners/operators manuals for the different versions so that I can know the differences for when people ask or have questions. I choose to keep the old software because I like the level of manual control it gives me and the information it will display. My sister's new machine will have the new firmware (and I will probably do some videos with her machine) and she was more concerned with what she would lose than what she would gain.
@@ceepark114 If the trays are cold they should be rewarmed before taking them out or they will end up with condensation on them and the food. Not good. Your supposed to get ice around the walls of the FD that's the job of the cold chamber walls. As long as the ice is not touching the trays, it's all good.
You are braver than I am. I raise my own chickens, so I know what goes into them. I really want a freeze dryer, though!!! What a wonderful use of food. By the time I get one, I'll know exactly how to make the best use of it.
@@dragonslayer7587 If you are interested in how fast it might be able to pay for itself, I would say perhaps less than 50 batches. Here is a bit of data - Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html and this - First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. Don't listen to me. I could be wrong. Research. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial (freeze drying) companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
Great question! It's not at all like distilled water. I've never tried using it for anything. Mine usually has an odor that reminds me of REALLY old, melted, stale ice from the freezer that has picked up flavors and odors from whatever has been in the freezer. Perhaps with a hint of whatever was just been freeze dried. 😁 I haven't sent samples of the melt water to a water testing lab to have it tested. (or any other testing of any kind)
@@SchoolReports That's so interesting. thank you for your reply. I would assume that that water does not have any substance or salts attached to it, as you could easily tell by evaporating some down to nothing. Another thing you might try is distilling it very gently with a thermometer to see if the vapour temperature holds steady for a time before rising again. Known as a 'Fraction' in 'Fractional Distillation' That would indicate that there are compounds of different atomic weights present. Which are likely part of the nutritional value that would not be present if you were to reconstitute the foodstuffs with plain water. I wonder if a universal rehydration fluid could be distilled and used, or if a specific one for the particular dried food could be bottled and stored for later use. And if it made a difference to the eating experience vs plain water.
wait~ so the process takes the food from frozen to high heat? This is the best video I've watched which explains everything, but somehow I am missing the temperature process. Can anyone help me understand????
Thanks, great question. The freezer unit of the freeze dryer freezes the chamber to -40º Then the vacuum pump lowers the pressure in the chamber until the "boiling" point of the ice is well below freezing. Heated shelves in the chamber "gently" heat (around 120ºf) the food and "boil" off the water WHILE still frozen. (sublimation) It has to do with the triple point of water. Freeze Drying Water - Short Version - th-cam.com/video/BZRnR-AvbnY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VwygX7ztg4Z4i9xI In the same way that water boils at a lower temperature at high mountain elevations, in the freeze dryer vacuum chamber the pressure is so low that the ice will go from a solid to a gas at temperatures too low for the ice to melt; a process called sublimation - from a solid directly to a gas. (Like when dry ice disappears) The water from the food ends up on the wall of the chamber as ice in a process called desublimation or deposition - from a gas directly back to a solid. The chamber walls are being used as a moisture or vapor trap, so the water doesn't go into the vacuum pump. This is a good overview of the process, but has an error about ice crystal formation - they have it reversed. What is Freeze Drying? - th-cam.com/video/PxwgB-uFiR8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=y2NJ4m1CjfV3uPTO And this one from HR (and it also has an "error" The machine can NOT tell when it's done) How Freeze Drying Works - th-cam.com/video/eE993Vs7j8s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yddx4Ju27qN9Ml9q
Hihi just finished freeze drying my first batch of Costco Chicken. I got 6.5 lbs of deboned skinned meat from 3 chickens and about 3/4 of a gallon of broth to be cooked down before freeze drying it. The chicken bits are bagged and took about 37 hrs. Thanks so much for the instructional guidance.
How much did the 6.5 lbs of chicken weigh after it was freeze dried? Just curious, because 17 oz of freeze dried chicken cost $69.99 on sale. I wanted to see how much more valuable a $4.99 chicken could become after it was freeze dried. Thanks.
Sorry, I seldom wear gloves when I'm cooking for my own use, unless it's a messy or super spicy food. I never wear gloves when I'm making myself a sandwich.
Would you make the Vector file available for the door cover? Id love to cut it on my laser, or cnc.. Also, do you feel its a necessary item? I see the argument both ways. Great video.. thanks
Nope! I cut it freehand! 😅 (If I had a file I would share it) Here is how I made it. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/w-d-xo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, (2017) the opening is not quite round. For my first test piece I cut a very accurate circle out of a piece of foamcore and it had gaps of 1/8"+ (3mm +) around the edge. My sister's new (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. We will be making a disc for her machine and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier. I think hers is just a simple 11 7/8" diameter actual circle!
I just realized that I forgot to answer the question about the need for the disc. You don't NEED it. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Second, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess. For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is totally unneeded.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I hope you find it useful. I don't know if you saw the recap video for the _50 Batch series_ were I saw a bit of the cost vs savings - First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html Here is the list of Freeze dryers I've heard of: (If anyone knows of any others, please add to the list) (as of July 23rd 2023) harvestright.com/ (only one I've used) All the others might be great, I've just never tried them. p4lfood.com/ "The Cube" Same machine as the 4Patriots one? (Facebook page only a few months old?) 4patriots.com/products/4patriots-home-freeze-drying-system - Maybe built by Prep4 Life? stayfreshfreezedry.com/ - One person start-up import business? (Judging by the corporation papers listing a home as the Registered Address) www.cuddonfreezedry.com/products/ - Big - Probably not really a home unit. At least 20 times bigger than medium HR wmmachinery.com/products/freeze-dryer-for-home-use - Lower priced. Shipped direct from China? www.labrotovap.com/portfolio-item/large-home-freeze-dryer-lyophilizer-for-sale/ - Knockoff? Even used some of Harvest Right web page photos. www.usalab.com/freeze-dryers/ - Two models? Do they make or rebrand. freezedryco.com/equipment/food-cannabis/ Freeze Dry Company - more commercial www.hudsonvalleylyomac.com/stratus-mp3-series-floor-model.html Hudson Valley Lyomac - not really home size units d-freeze.com/ D-Freeze - Not out yet, being built in Canada www.freezedryfood.de/en/ FreezeDry® German bluealpinefreezedryers.com/ Blue Alpine Freeze Dryers - Idaho - Very new/Start-up
Do you think 5 year shelf life is achievable before it starts breaking down a bit? I know clean white rice etc. you can get 10 years or so, might be worth cycling it at 4 years. Those chickens certainly have a lot of water weight in them.
I think that 20 or 30 years is achievable with chicken, and 30 years for freeze dried rice should be no problem. This is freeze dried, not dehydrated food. I only have 6 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5+ years. But, some foods may have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, has freeze dried ground beef that's good for 30 years. mountainhouse.com/collections/freeze-dried-meats/products/ground-beef-10-can I think a lot of people forget about rotating stock (I'm a big advocate) when doing freeze drying. I want things to be as fresh as possible, plus as our methods improve, we should want to keep the newest, best things we've done!
Nothing is safe if over-consumed. As they say "dose makes the poison." Safe in what sense? I think they sell more than 2 million chickens a week and I haven't heard of millions of people dropping dead from them. Best. Chicken. Ever! 🤣 I'm not in charge of the chicken buying/processing for Costco, but I'm pretty sure they are injected with unicorn tears and magical seasonings! 🤣 The ingredients are on the label. But I do know that a lot of people hate success and will always try to put Costco down. It looks like they raise and process the chicken in Nebraska. Costco Lincoln Premium Processing in Fremont, Nebraska. www.businessinsider.com/costco-rotisserie-chicken-plant-nebraska-photos-2022-6?op=1 77% of Americans Believe this Myth About Chicken. Do You? www.chickencheck.in/blog/77-percent-of-americans-believe-chicken-raised-added-hormones-steroids/ "No chicken sold or raised in the U.S. is given added hormones. All hormones and steroids in poultry have actually been banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA since the 1950s." (It's even printed on the label) th-cam.com/video/aNMednOWW4c/w-d-xo.html
I've never canned chicken, but I've had some that friends have canned; it is great. In case you're interested, we just recently rehydrated a bag of the chicken from this batch. (and a bag from 6 1/2 years ago) Rehydrating 6 1/2 Year Old Freeze Dried Chicken (and 1 1/2 Year Old) From Batch 9 & Batch 525 - th-cam.com/video/722V2e-MQgY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MjeHXts0hvL8EjJg
i pressure cook my bones and skin for a hour or two, with about 3 q of water when i am done the collagen is melted into the water and the bones almost are. you dont taste it, but super high in vitamins and minerals. you should have about 2 gallons of finished rich broth from those bones and skin.
With leg quarters being .50-60 a lb, wouldn't it make sense to just do this in the winter and back it in the over? Making heat for the house and not really adding any cost to the chicken?
@@SchoolReports That has been normal price for the last 20 years at Walmart. It was cheaper 10 years ago even. Under .50. It could be where you live too. In FL and TN that is the price. IL is similar. 10lb bags of Leg quarters have always been the cheapest meat since I've been old enough to buy groceries. Granted, most of my shopping is experience is this century as I was born in '81. :)
@@davidroberson1962 Thanks. To be fair, I would never have give the dark meat a second glance, so I probably just never noticed. But now I've found that it's pretty good when it has taco seasoning added; I'll have to check into it more. LOVE the price!
We used those same yellow lid bins to store duck feed in our shop. We "THOUGHT" it would be mice proof....but found out the little buggers can chew thru the lid at a corner in a night. So if you were thinking those bins would keep your food safe from mice...guess again. If they get hungry they will get into those bins quite fast. Just thought I'd give you a heads-up on that. We use food grade buckets with sealing lids and so far they have not managed to get into those....the plastic is thicker and smoother so that probably stops them from getting a starting point to chew on.
You are 100% correct; that's an absolutely legitimate concern for some people, in some areas. I never once thought these bins would be mouse proof. (I only have lids on 2/5 of our bins) But with proper mitigation in the environment you can do a good job of preventing rodents from getting into the home in the first place. I know it could happen, but I've never had a rodent in a house I've had. (Unless you count rugrats!) With the storage location (both the location within the house and the house location) I really don't worry about rodents, If I did, I would go to Shawn's channel 🤣 th-cam.com/users/ShawnWoodsprimitive-archervideos and take care of the issue! Storage containers can be a big expense. Money that some people might rather spend on more food to freeze dry. We each have our own requirements for what we need out of freeze drying and storage as well as our own risk tolerances
One advantage is that freeze dried food is lighter. Most people are just looking for additional ways to keep/use food. I love canned foods, but I'm not a fan of carrying cans of food on a hike.😁 Nutrition tends to be better with freeze dried over canned. Also, personally, I'd trust freeze dried food over canned food after 20 years. (I know that the science may not agree - canned can last a very long time)
You would do well in a "Blast from the Past" situation. Meticulous, geeky. Just right. I don't waste anything on Costco chicken. Been on the carnivore diet for a week, lost 5lbs so far. I simmer the bones, skin, and fats overnight, season it with just salt and pepper, and even the bones just fall apart. So I end up eating everything, literally. I was thinking about doing this as an over-the-road flatbed truck driver. Thanks!
Thanks for watching and commenting! And for the few people that think/say that Costco rotisserie chicken is bad/evil - Don't buy them! More for us! 🤣 A couple viewers have said that they started freeze drying so they could have their own recipe on the road as long haul drivers. (trucks and otherwise)
Condensation is the #1 reason. The machines don't _need_ the disc. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Second, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess. For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is much less needed. Ice on disc: th-cam.com/video/5cHronGQID0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=D9JYNyioR3FMIpfD&t=618 Here is the list of Freeze dryers I've heard of: (If anyone knows of any others, please add to the list) (as of July 2023) harvestright.com/ (only one I've used) All the others might be great, I've just never tried them. p4lfood.com/ "The Cube" Same machine as the 4Patriots one? (Facebook page only a few months old?) 4patriots.com/products/4patriots-home-freeze-drying-system - Maybe built by Prep4 Life? stayfreshfreezedry.com/ - One person start-up import business? (Judging by the corporation papers listing a home as the Registered Address) www.cuddonfreezedry.com/products/ - Big - Probably not really a home unit. At least 20 times bigger than medium HR wmmachinery.com/products/freeze-dryer-for-home-use - Lower priced. Shipped direct from China? www.labrotovap.com/portfolio-item/large-home-freeze-dryer-lyophilizer-for-sale/ - Knockoff? Even used some of Harvest Right web page photos. www.usalab.com/freeze-dryers/ - Two models? Do they make or rebrand. freezedryco.com/equipment/food-cannabis/ Freeze Dry Company - more commercial www.hudsonvalleylyomac.com/stratus-mp3-series-floor-model.html Hudson Valley Lyomac - not really home size units d-freeze.com/ D-Freeze - Not out yet, being built in Canada www.freezedryfood.de/en/ FreezeDry® German bluealpinefreezedryers.com/ Blue Alpine Freeze Dryers - Idaho - Very new/Start-up - Looks very promising! (If I were buying one today, I'd probably at least look into this one)
I want that kitty from your channel page! I do have an Amazon link and I try to remember to link the things I'm using. If I miss linking anything you see that you want to know about just let me know and I'll do my best to add them. (I have links in the description) I'm always happy to answer any question I can. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided. By clicking on the links, you can explore the products and tools I use. www.amazon.com/shop/schoolreports
100% of the food is going to be frozen, either in the freezer or in the freeze dryer. Yes, when frozen and then freeze dried, food does lose "a bit" of it's nutrients. But, in compared to what? Freeze-dried food retains nearly 100% of its nutritional value, dehydrated contains roughly 60%, and canned food 40%. Even so-called fresh food in the produce section of the store can be significantly lower than freeze dried food. There is a lot of research about this. I would say, for "fresh" fruits and vegetables that I'm going to freeze dry, I will almost always take frozen over fresh because, assuming a quality brand, the items tend to be picked and processed faster. Not sitting in a cold storage warehouse, then in the store's back room, and finally in a store's produce section for who knows how long. I love to go to the u-pick places and pick items myself. (or grow it myself) Did you know that the apples at the store can be over a year old? CA storage is an impressive thing. In order of my personal preference, fresh that I harvest, next frozen, produce from the store, and last by a large margin canned. This is one of the benefits of using frozen foods; they usually go from field - to processing plant - to flash freezer in just a few hours. The "fresh" food you find at stores is not fresh. ( getdailyelements.com/blogs/articles/the-facts-on-freeze-drying ) . . . nutrient profiles of fresh fruits and vegetables begin to degrade the moment they’re picked-and continue degrading the longer they sit in your fridge. In fact, one study1 showed that spinach lost roughly 50% of its folate after eight days of refrigeration. Not to mention, produce from the grocery store can range from weeks to months old, some even spending upwards of a year in cold storage before you see them on the shelf. . . . freeze-dried food retains nearly 100% of its nutrition value, dehydrated contains roughly 60%, and canned a slim 40%
It the way we choose to defrost our machine. We decided to use the fan to save electricity, to save wear and tear of the freeze dryer components, and to make sure I don't give molds and mildew a warm moist growth environment. Some people that have used the defrost function (and forgot to open the door afterwards) have reported a nasty, fuzzy surprise when opening it later. Our door is always open any time the freezer unit is not on, and we leave the fan running for at least a day or two if, for any reason, we're not starting another batch as soon as it's defrosted.
Not to crush anyone's freeze drying dreams, but pressure canning rotisserie chicken also yeilds good results for shredded chicken, and you can pressure cook the bones for broth and can that as well.
Why would that crush anyone's freeze drying dreams? Canned chicken is great! Most people are just looking for additional ways to keep/use food. I love canned chicken, but I'm not a fan of carrying jars of chicken on a hike.😁
Did you subtract the weight of the thermometer when you weighed the chicken? I noticed the thermometer was still in the chicken when you were weighing them @15:49
Good question. I weigh them without the thermometers before starting and after they are completely dry, before I bag them, but I leave the thermometers in while I'm doing the Dry-Check process. I remove the thermometers before weighing for the final weights @ 20:08 During the Dry-Check process @ 15:39 I'm only checking for weight loss, not the actual weight of the food, which doesn't matter at this stage, so leaving the thermometers in doesn't matter.
Thanks for sharing , who would have thought the opening wasn't perfectly round , Ill have to wait till i can find my perspex rounds to see if it fits and I have to agree with comments below this really is the best freeze dey channel for information :)
That's a very fair question. The first answer is, you don't NEED it. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. Because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess. For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is totally unneeded. Besides, I'm just trying to trick out my ride. 🤣Some people that buy 50 thousand dollar cars add custom wheels and paint jobs!
The scoop is something that I "adjusted" starting with a scoop I got from Amazon. (link in the description) This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on.
I’ve learned quite a bit from watching this video ive had this same freeze dryer ive dried food out then tried about a yr or more later and it tasted terrible I actually thought I was drying it out right have always had to try to adjust the tore but couldn’t get the tore to appear on a few times but then i gave up so I would continue trying to dry it out on the factory setting so im thinkn even though it was dried it must have spoiled some how so i just threw it out to my chickens it wasn’t spoiled I guess it just didnt taste good so instead of wasting it I gave it to my chickens they loved it but i couldn’t stand it. The only thing i had success with was icecream sandwichs.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! Sorry to hear that some of yours have had problems. I do think companies selling freeze dryers (I have a list of about 12) are doing a disservice in portraying them as "fully automatic" and suggesting that you just throw the food in, it does the rest, and "DING" it's done and ready to bag. You do really need to check it yourself and the HR manual (at least mine) just says ". . . Check the material thoroughly to make sure it is completely dry . . . " with no hint as to how to accomplish this in a way to ensure it's 100% dry every time! Don't trust the machine - It has no way of knowing if it's dry or not. I have a bad feeling that a lot of people are going to find out someday that some of their food was not dry enough. I've heard from a few people with this nightmare story. If people trust the machine to tell them when it's dry, then they'll have no idea if it's dry or not and they're just guessing. I'm not a fan of guessing if the food is dry. The machines have no way of knowing if the food is actually dry. _Period._ The machines are just to easy to "fool." The automation in our machines can only take it so far. If we loaded the trays the way the testing was done during programing the automation it would probably do better. But the machines are still very easy to "fool." For those who use "touch" to decide it the food is dry - No human can tell if things are dry by touch. Humans do not have moisture receptors - we can't feel moisture,
Thanks for watching and for commenting! The machines don't require/need the seal insulation or the door disc we add, but for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Secondly, and most important to us, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. Then it melts and makes a mess. For people who stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, it probably doesn't really matter. (The beep can be also turned off:) We run 2 fans, one blowing in on the intake side of the machine and we do run fans on our vacuum pumps. I understand the reasoning for having the pumps run hot (to help make sure the water vapor doesn't condense in the oil - but it's never been an issue for us), but most electric motors run more efficiently and last longer when kept well under 160ºf. (My pump runs hot) Very high temperatures also degrade the oil faster, leading to less effective vacuum and the need to change the oil more frequently. After 7 years with fans, we're still happy with the results. Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" I look at what commercial companies are doing. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
Are you asking how much electricity it uses? This batch used 26.02 kWh. (about $3 in our area) Here is info for 50 batches - First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
I just weigh the food before and after freeze drying so I know how much water to put back in when rehydrating. I can give you some before and after ratios for a number of other batches of chicken. It is important for me to note here that the ratio information is not usable for any batch except each specific batch. Every batch of even what seems to be the same food will end up different due to the nature of cooking, preparing, and/or which part it is composed of. (e.g. White meat vs dark meat ratio) Here are the pre-freeze dried to finished weight ratios for 4 chicken batches: Batch 501 3.26:1 Batch 525 3.27:1 Batch 571 3.47:1 Batch 602 3.38:1 Here is a spreadsheet with data from the 50 batch series which includes weights before and after - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
my HR FD is on order, so I'm just binge watching tutorials... this was a great video. Do you open the valve before you open the door, close the valve before you start the machine? Just trying to understand the process.
You have to open the valve before the door _can_ be opened when it's done. (Because the outside air pressure will prevent it from being opened until the pressure has equalized) The valve can be closed anytime after the defrost water has drained and before the freezing/vacuum process. I _try_ to close the valve at the same point in the process each time so I don't forget. Close valve, start machine, pre-cool, open valve, put food in, close door, close valve. I would suggest this video: Freeze Drying - The Next 50 Batches - Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.html
We keep the batch drying worksheets (like the one I'm filling out during the video) in a 3-ring binder, in case we need anything off it later. We put the storage location information of each bag into an OpenOffice spreadsheet for tracking and sorting, and we keep a hard copy for day-to-day use for just-in-case.
Quick Question Please: My wife and I are new to this (haven't bought our machine yet) and we're curious about something, so please be patient with us! Why are you freezing the chicken first? You bought four chickens, de-boned them, "froze them", then put them on four trays and then put them into the machine. Why freeze the chicken if you were going to do all four chickens in the machine on the four trays? Doesn't freezing them slow down the process in the machine? Why don't you take the chicken (after de-boning) and immediately put everything in the machine? Just curious! Great video! Great process! Thanks for being so detailed! Thanks Mr & Mrs Bowen Retired, Veteran
Thanks for watching and commenting! The short answer is that prefreezing the food speeds up the process. The cut and paste answer is: I could put it directly on the trays and I have done it that way, but hardly ever. When I'm preparing most things, the trays are still in the freeze dryer. Sometimes it takes a while to get around to an item that's waiting in the freezer, sometimes weeks, months, or even a year plus! Prefreezing is not required, but we prefreeze almost everything. I prefreeze things in the other pans because: 1) it saves freeze dryer time, 2) I have the older, tilted machine which means I can't pour liquids into the trays in the machine, 3) I make very large batches of food when I cook so I may have 2 or 3 freeze dryer loads (or more) from a single batch, 4) prefreezing slightly lightens the load of ice in the freeze dryer 5) by prefreezing in the small, 2 cup pans (about 1 lb), I have pre measured quantities when I do the final bagging 6) we have a lot of freezer space available. We have had up to 15+ batches of prefrozen items waiting for the freeze dryer.
@@SchoolReports Thank-you Sir... understood 110% now! Now I fully understand why it's called "Freeze-Dried"... so the machine "freezes" the food first, then dries it out (aka eliminates the moisture). Great system, great plan! We're watching ALL of your videos as fast as possible and we've downloaded your spreadsheet... which we really really appreciate! We'll use your Affiliate link when we're ready to purchase! : ) Special Note: I believe you'll appreciate this sine you've freeze dried so much food and will probably do a lot lot more: Sustainable Agriculture (by Gabe Brown, do a TH-cam search) is changing how the world grows food... and he's helping to bring back healthy soil, which in turn is going to give us all "nutrient rich" food again (and eliminate pesticides etc and many other critical benefits)... and that in turn will give us healthier foods in our freeze-drying, smoothies etc!!! YEY!!! We're seniors and need all the healthy food we can get!! ha! ha! Thanks again for the great videos and all your hard work, we'll "absorb" all of it as fast as possible!! Mr. & Mrs. Bowen Retired, Veteran
@@BowenOrg 😇 Yep! Happy to share. Very cold (-40f) and then the tray heaters turn on and heats the food a little bit and the ice turns to gas without ever becoming liquid. (sublimation) Hence "Freeze & Dry! It's all about the gas-liquid-solid triple point. Freeze Drying Water - Short Version th-cam.com/video/BZRnR-AvbnY/w-d-xo.html
Around 22:00, you mentioned the quantity of water that was needed to reconstitute the half pound of chicken. How did you determine how much water would take? I missed that.
The weights for rehydrating come from the worksheet that I'm filling out about 2 minutes earlier. I don't show a closeup of the sheet in every (or even most) videos. Here is what it looks like: Batch 48 - th-cam.com/video/UKOjB0fGIXk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tO_DFaMYmKk-NxZ3&t=1406 & Batch 43 - th-cam.com/video/-XGk0rSgjbQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_6D9Rvkb5iCwABRX&t=1040 This is the worksheet I have been using: Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 6 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d3x-gaD3_5SYravfrmk-SxUsp875T0lZsRmi8MLrKPU/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks. I show the show electricity usage (kWh) for ever batch in this 50 batch series, along with the weight before and after, the batch time, the number of bags used, and the total cost. It's all in the description, and I have a link to the spreadsheet for the whole series. Finally, here is the recap video for the 50 batch series: Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
Sorry. Have you ever used something long enough that you no longer give it a second thought? Well, I need to remember to mention that the scoop I use is one I "adjusted." After I bought the scoop I cut both sides off and attached 3D printed end pieces to the sides. This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on.
I'm guessing you are referring to the water that comes out of the food during freeze drying and is the layer of ice on the chamber wall, and melting it and saving/using it. I assume (with no proof or testing, so I could be wrong) that the melt-water could be safe to drink, but it usually has an odor that reminds me of really old, very stale ice that has melted. I haven't tried drinking it. (I'm not going to try it without testing/filtering!)
Perfect question. I should have asked myself that question. No, you don't have to. And I need to show not using it for some batches. It's probably not _needed_ for most batches. I use it to make cleaning a little easier, but for most foods I should use it less.
thank you! @@SchoolReports Just searched and watched your video on parchment which answered so much. I appreciate all of the detail you put into your videos! th-cam.com/video/1fKKvZ8gDtQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Xywi9DGEf28p4H9h
I was thinking of getting a freeze dryer, but after watching this, I don’t think I will. My God it looks too complicated. And I don’t even know if I could do it. Don’t understand much of what you were doing. I’m gonna check and see if you have any videos of rehydrating this. Because I’d like to see what it looks like and what it taste like.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! I'm sorry to hear that it comes across as confusing, that is not my intention. The freeze drying process really is a lot simpler and quicker than the prepping and cooking most meals! I find it easier and safer than canning. I do show steps that are not "required" for the freeze drying process because people have asked to see them. But on the other hand I want to be realistic about the process. Some people doing freeze drying pretend that the machines can "know" when the drying is complete - they can not. The Dry Check process is the only really important step in the process. The total needed hands-on time is actually very short and easy if you're not trying to document it on video. Like most new things, it seems a bit complicated the first time, but it's not. I do have a playlist showing a number of things being rehydrated/used, but It doesn't show every food we've done. I am trying to add more rehydrating and using videos.
proteins/ lipids/ carbs /vegetables / fruits/ super foods/ snacks/ cant go wrong with eggs sweet potatoes and beef jerky. I would highly reccomend figuring out a recipie that reconstitutes properly before putting all the batching work in, the food will work in a pinch even if undesireable but food is a huge morale booster which would be desperately needed and pay large dividends in a disaster scenario.
Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm
First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
Batch worksheet link:
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 6 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d3x-gaD3_5SYravfrmk-SxUsp875T0lZsRmi8MLrKPU/edit?usp=sharing
Can I ask what you are using for pan liners?
@@2coolartsmusicmom572 We use parchment that cut from rolls we get from Costco. They work out to about 2 to 3 cents per sheet.
Cutting Parchment Paper for our Freeze Dryer Trays th-cam.com/video/1fKKvZ8gDtQ/w-d-xo.html
Cutting More Parchment Paper for our Freeze Dryer Trays th-cam.com/video/td9lV6ftWhQ/w-d-xo.html
@Michael Gammon
a
Favorite tip: weighing finished bags and documenting it on the bag to know if it gained moisture (went bad)
Thanks! 👍 And hopefully we never need it!
But we did once get a bad bunch of bags and had to re-work hundreds of bags. (Almost all before it was too late) The Freeze Dry Video I Never Wanted to Make - th-cam.com/video/B0KUfoHuCk4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=zmNF_VmMpmrR9yBa
And the use of the fans! 😉 His plexiglass cover! Will be watching all his videos for more tips. Made me subscribe. I don't own a freeze dryer yet, but when next Black Friday sale comes around,,,,,,,
Can you explain in a bit more detail, why weigh the trays before freeze drying, w/ the weight of the Tray and not doing a Tare-Weight on the Tray? That part didn't make sense to me. I thought you'd only weigh the Chicken itself ?
@@osufwiffo I have a theory. After the first round of freeze drying he removes the whole tray, checks the weight, puts it back in the freeze dryer for two hours, and then removes and weighs again to ensure there is virtually no change in weight. That part of the process is probably easier to do using the gross weight of the tray+chicken, rather than trying to subtract the weight of the tray to determine if the chicken changed in weight.
I'm not sure you realise just how informative this video is. You go into great detail that no one else has. Much appreciated, just a pity the machines are so expensive. Well done!!
Thanks!
True, they are expensive, but they are shareable, too. Splitting the cost 2 or 3 ways can make them much more affordable for more people.
Stupid. The electricity cost makes this more expensive than the food. The spoilage on fatty chicken might be 6 months.
The newest machines are less than the price I paid 2-3 years ago. I paid $2895 (plus tax) for a medium freeze drier. The new larger medium machine sells for $2695 and has a significantly larger tray that freezes more food each load. The best sale all year is always the Black Friday sale.
You should cook the broth for a 'long' time, to turn it into bone broth. You might even add some cut onion, carrot and celery and some choice spice to preseason it. That way if you dehydrate it you've got ready made, extremely nutritious,very tasty, good for everything bullion powder that would be a cinch to use even in a grid down/survival situation.
Yum!
I cook the bones with the veggies. When cooked to death I cool them, blend the broth and veggies to a paste and pour in sheet pans on parchment paper and dry in the oven. Once dry, back into the blender to turn to a meat / vegetable powder to use as a soup starter. Saves space. Other times I'll just pressure can the stock.
@@eckankar7756 I love this idea.
@@fullhalf420 Sounds delicious!
Pressure cooker too
I have never found a tutorial video SO FULL of real information, as yours. TYVM for all this DETAILED INFORMATION!!! Love your videos... please keep doing them!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Perfect timing.
I did chuckle a bit when I saw your comment in my new comment list this morning. 🤣
Not because of your comment, it's because the one I read just before yours was this one on yesterdays new video:
_Sad you just over analyze everything you do including your FD Videos to the point you lose your Freeze Drying audience & you apparently don't care what your viewers like myself are asking you for going forward which is simplicity!!! Good luck with everything as I am un-subscribing Now!_
This is the first of your videos I have watched; it is the most exhaustive treatment of freeze drying I have yet seen. The process is more complicated than others make it seem, but now I know what it will take to lay in a long term supply of freeze dried food. Thankyou.
Thanks for watching! Part of my goal for this series was to share the how and why of how I do freeze drying, in as much detail as possible. (With extra data gathering, because viewers asked)
I feel it's important to point out that we have an older firmware machine (2017) and that I like to add things to the process that are not required to get the job done, like adding thermometers in the food or parchment on the trays.
First freeze dryer video I
Have watched. Why do you have to freeze the chicken first, then put in freeze dryer?
@@joankirch8635 just like priming a pump, you pre-chill the food and tray, you pre-chill the machine , everything works faster & more efficiently.
@@joankirch8635do you not pre-heat an oven before baking ?
Just want to show my appreciation for how well you lay everything out,and how meticulous,methodical,and scientific you are to make certain the product you freeze dry will last for many years and take little if no guesswork to reconstitute.Theres only one other ,who’s knowledge I’ve adopted and utilized in my own efforts to build a fully functional,very organized preppers pantry.The rest make obvious mistakes I don’t care to waste my time watching.Keep the videos rolling..your shirts crack me up😂
Thanks so much for watching and for commenting!
(So many shirts!)
This is probably the most informational video I think I've ever seen on freeze drying. Thank you
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Wow. The attention to detail here is *chef's kiss* 😚
Thank you! 🤗
This is by far the most informative freeze drying video I've seen yet. You have presented details I've not seen elsewhere. ❤
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
On this other video I try to show every _tedious_ detail! 😁 Freeze Drying - The Next 50 Batches - Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.html
@@SchoolReports I subscribed and I will be watching.
This series of videos has been the best thing I've come across. Having goals like this is an awesome way to go, especially since I'm a relatively new freeze dryer. Thanks so much for the great idea!
Yes! I don’t know why he isn’t getting more views. 🙂
I really wish I'd had goals when I started. What a difference it has made. I'm terrible at getting things done unless I have a deadline; I keep meaning to join The Procrastinators Club, but I keep putting it off!
@@SchoolReports I finally joined but they keep putting off the first meeting.
All in all, one of the best most informative videos on this topic.
Well done!
Thanks for checking it out and for commenting!
First time viewer and am really impressed. I am glad you qualified the video as I have never taken the majority of the steps you had in the processing of 1 batch. Have been freeze drying for about 3 years now and have indeed included Costco chicken, but have purchased the bulk bags they remove from the chickens after their day if they haven't sold. Liked the square tray method and the temp gauge in the bottom of the machine. Need to make a scoop or jig of some type as well. I have a goal now of 1750 lbs of meat to freeze dry, cooked, and of 4 different species, if not 5 or 6. My batch "limit" for meats is right around 32 lbs. I believe this more efficient even though each batch takes longer than what yours takes. It has worked well. Absolutely fantastic idea of almost cooking the rice and beans! Wish I had thought of that 7 years ago, but back then didn't have a dryer! Thank you. I'll be watching for sure!
Thanks for watching and commenting.
WOW! 32 lbs in a batch? Impressive! 👍
Even if I filled my trays until they touched the shelf above, I couldn't cram in more than 20 lbs. Mine can not handle a water load of more than an absolute maximum of 12 lbs of water, and 32 lbs of meat usually have more than 12 lbs of water.
@@SchoolReports I contacted Harvest Right and asked about settings and made adjustments as I thought may improve them. However, I believe the largest single change I made was to increase the Final out a few hours. Batches are around 38 hours give or take, but I most often do not put in frozen product so the front end cycle is longer. I believe I can get by volume 1 additional cycle out of every 6, which is very much worth it to me. I believe given the information you provided you could get to 24 lbs with a longer finish cycle? I have a 5 tray model so the average (max) per shelf needs to be 8 lbs. Last, I believe the lowest tray has the most challenge when it comes to getting completely done on my model, so I typically put the least load, or driest tray, in that slot. I'd really like to get your ideas on a jig or funnel for 1 and 2 gallon bags in helping them stand up and direct food into them from the tray. That scoop was great!
@@SchoolReports One more thing if you don't mind? Could you ither direct me to or tell me more about the partially cooked rice and beans theory. I have not heard of it before but is a fantastic idea and built on sound logic. It's how I'd want to keep all my stored, and wish I'd heard about that several years ago😀
@@steve8189 I've considered telling people, when asked "how long did that batch take?" that it was 32 hours. And then explain that if you adjust the conditions just right, that every batch COULD be run in 32 hours. 🤣
I run mine with a minimum final dry time of 12 hours on almost all batches and then I still do a "Dry Check" on ever batch because I'm not going to run the chance of bagging anything with moisture. The machine is easily fooled and I'd never trust it.
With my machine it's simply not possible to run more than a 12 lb water load batch. Time is not the issue, water is. (The weight of the food isn't that important, but the water is) If I run a bigger water load batch, the ice will build up around the heated shelves and re-sublimate and *_will_* go through the vacuum pump. Mine just can't hold that much, I've tried.
Have you considered just using Gusset bottom stand up bags so you don't need to hold them up?
Thingiverse has a few funnels designed for bagging into Mylar bags from the trays. (I've never used one)
Harvest right Large Tray funnel www.thingiverse.com/thing:5909543
Harvest Right Medium Tray Funnel www.thingiverse.com/thing:4460339
Harvest Right Medium Tray Funnel Remix - High Sides www.thingiverse.com/thing:5703842
funnel for freeze dryer www.thingiverse.com/thing:5571247
@@steve8189 Nothing fancy. I just under cook them some so they won't be mushy when rehydrated. Kind of making homemade Minute Rice. Freeze Drying 500 lbs of Food - Batch 23 - Rice, cooked w/chicken broth th-cam.com/video/FT70M_rQ1Pg/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant pre-freezing method with the cake pans.
Thanks so much 😊
Excellent video, excellent work, excellent message and excellent exicusion. I know how tough it is to do this as a one man band, from the cameras and microphones, and having to ask other for help while shooting. Bravo Sir!!!, Well done 🤩
Thanks. I recently added a mic that turns on and starts recording when I open the case. I'm hoping for less times of missing audio. 🤣 It's already saved the audio at least once.
Wow! Modern Homestead Alaska mentioned your channel in her video this morning and I've been binge watching your videos throughout the day. Thank you for going through so many steps in your videos to teach us newbies. I'm a planner and an organizer and the handful of videos I've watched today have saved me so much time and energy and I haven't even gotten my freeze dryer. I'll be checking out your other videos and your Amazon list for sure. Thanks for making food prepping fun! 😊
Thanks for watching and commenting! And thanks to Modern Homestead Alaska. 😁
I haven't seen that channel because I stopped watching any freeze drying channels/videos a _long_ time ago. The last ones I watched was Catwood Cooking. I hope someday I can do something with some other video maker. Sometimes my sister watches other channels and gives me the highlights; I'll have to have her check it out.
I love Costco rotisserie chicken. I used to inspect at the plant who produces this delicious product. The smell when they inject those birds is delightful.
I've always assumed they're injected with unicorn tears and magical seasonings! So Good.
I’ve never seen someone so organized! Thank you! I was all over the board trying to mentally think my storage needs…. You’re an inspiration!
Thanks. It's the only organized part of my life!
That's a great idea od presaging the food in bags waiting for the dryer to come up.
We've had times where we've had more than 100 frozen blocks in the freezer waiting to be freeze dried.
I made costco chicken broth the other day, it came out fabulous. Recommended.
Thanks!
Thank you! And thanks for watching and for commenting!
I appreciate all your attention to detail.... I think. I am glad that I didn't see this video first or I'd probably have just skipped past any thought of buying a freeze dryer because I'm not buying it because I love so much more work. My HR medium is being shipped this week so we'll see how it goes.
Thanks for watching and for commenting!
The freeze drying process really is a lot simpler and quicker than the prepping and cooking most meals! I do show steps that are not "required" for the freeze drying process because people have asked to see them. But on the other hand I want to be realistic about the process. Some people doing freeze drying pretend that the machines can "know" when the drying is complete - they can not. The _Dry Check_ process is the only really important step in the process.
The total needed hands-on time is actually very short and easy if you're not trying to document it on video. Like most new things, it seems a bit complicated the first time, but it's not.
Thank you for this channel and for taking the time to be meticulous about the process cause it helps me to comprehend the what and why and ins and outs of the process and you've also taken out the trial and error stage, very much appreciated indeed. This is the most complete tutorial on Freeze Drying I have seen. I am a nubile also so I appreciate all of the excellent and particular points that you make, I've learned a lot and P.s. I love your inventions, extra acrylic door, acrylic viewing panel flap, the fact that you measured the electrical usage; some very smart and handy tools.
Thank you so much! 🤣 Especially the 'meticulous' part, instead of words some people use.
We do the bone broth by adding a 1/4 cup of vinegar, carrots, celery, garlic and let it simmer in a slow cooker over night. Skim off the fat, save the bone broth to simmer down and FD... Then we take all the rest of the skin and bones and by now the bones are very soft. We package it up and freeze it to make dog food out of it... zero waste and I guarantee it is far and away better than any canned dog food. We pick through it and take out any bone pieces that are not soft (most of the bones are very soft and crush between your fingers) We put a small quantity on their dry dog food each day.
Once again, thanks. I had never even thought of using our slow cooker for this. It seems so obvious after you say it!
I love the broth when it makes all that chicken “jelly!” 😊
I just finished 10 lbs of upper thigh and drumb sticks- I cook them all in big roaster with water covering then- salt pepoer and garlic powder- I cook it pretty high to start and then to 400- then turn off 😢and let sit 20 more min- so full time is 80 min- - makes good broth- I lick all meat off bones and freeze small amounts in small bags And use 2 gts filled half full of meat and then U get broth boiling and fill the 2 gts and any broth left I can in pint jars- for soup or just with spaghetti or gravy-Nov- 2nd bought for 59cents a lb in 10 lb bag- I clean the scrap bons off and eat for my next meal- And I like skin-my age 87- store was piggly wiggly
My broth always taste great
This has definitely become my go to freeze drying channel. I went from about 1 batch every 2-3 months to 2-3 batches a week. The bloopers at the end are great. Keep adding those. It would be nice to see a sample reconstitute at the end of each episode so we can get an idea how it turns out. I did two batches of something (from another channel) and cannot get it to reconstitute correctly. Not sure if the person who posted the video got it right either. I now have a bunch of food I might not use.
Thanks for the kind words.
I decided to not do the rehydration of the food during the series for 2 main reasons; First, and probably the biggest issue for me is that if I did, I wouldn't have 500 lbs when I'm finished. Second, and on this one I could be completely wrong. (let me know if I'm wrong) I knew the videos were going to end up being long and I didn't think I should make them longer. (As a part 2 of that, I'm having a hard time keeping up with the video making. I'm almost constantly 2 batches behind.)
Share; What food did you do 2 batches of and have difficulties rehydrating? I love challenges and problem solving. It was kind of my career.
@@SchoolReports 1) you are the 1% that reply to almost all comments. I commend you for that. 2) i understand the 500lb vs 10lb per batch. A 0.5 lb sample would really only add 3 batches to the entire series. But I do underatnad why the hesitancy. Maybe your next series could be reconstitution.
3) And sorry to say, but you are wrong about video lengths. I would be more willing to watch a longer video if it showed the entire process and often filter for videos that are over 20 minutes to weed out the silly 2 minute freeze drying videos.
4) when are we going to see the man behind the camera?
@@SchoolReports it was an apple oatmeal that didn't work for me. Came out hard as a brick. Could have been because my wife added brown sugar. I do realize that most youtubers would always say you could never tell it was freeze dried. I believe you, above all else, would be the most honest.
@@YakAttack145 😁Responding in kind: 1) Wow! Thanks. 2) The problem is that if I added batches than it wouldn't be a nice even 50 Batches in 100 Days! I couldn't call the series 53 Batches in 106 Days. Yikes! My wife said I should plan a rehydration series using food from this series. I would do that. I could also take other food, of the same variety, from the main freeze dry shelf from earlier batches and rehydrate that. Almost the same. 3) I'll do a poll. I love longer videos, maybe other people do too. (I am also going to try some livestreams for Q & A) 4) I am the man behind the camera. And in front. Yes, I'm the one that forgets to start the camera, I'm the one that forgets to start the audio.
@@YakAttack145 Apple flavored oatmeal?
Just found you the other day. I have so much to catch up on. Thanks for the great videos.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
🤣 I have to apologize for many of my older videos. In my focus to keep my older videos very short, most of my older, shorter videos are almost devoid of information! I tried hard to keep the videos down to less then 10 or 15 minutes, no matter what I had to cut out! (Like information!)
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" ("If you read it on the Internet, it's absolutely true!" - Abraham Lincoln) I look at what commercial companies are doing. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
Just found a channel I love it I can't wait to binge-watch everything
Thanks!
But, be warned, I have heard from some "authorities" (commenters on TH-cam🤣) that Costco Rotisserie Chicken is one of the worst foods there is!
New drinking game have a drink everytime you hear this “I can’t get this chicken for this price anywhere else “
I have an Australian version solar oven (designed to last at least 30 years of constant use), which meets all future cooking energy needs in any future environment, so it is easy to store bulk rice with nitrogen in the bucket and that rice can keep fresh for 30 years. You have inspired me to prep enough foodstuffs for the next 25 years. Imagine eating food in the future but at today's prices. It makes sound economic sense.
👍 What solar oven do you have? Have you been using it and do you like it?
It is called Sun Oven from Australia. I use it a lot as we have so many sunny days. It cooks at a perfect temperature to retain moisture and nutrients in the food. Just point it where the sun sits in the sky at 2pm local time. Wrap a frozen seasoned chicken in an oven bag, in a pot before work and come home to a delicious meal. Sometimes I touch up the various meals with a kitchen torch for that final touch, but for stews, soups, flans, dehydrating food for free (by leaving the lid slightly open), it is the perfect accessory. Very happy with it. You have ones designed in the USA for the northern hemisphere.
The other benifits of freeze drying food is that today's fruits and vegetables,rice etc.,vhave never been more nutrient dense, but with environmental impact and commercial agricultural practices the projected nutrient level, protein levels are projected to diminish significantly. Even magnesium levels. So today's food preserved at its peak will most likely be better than what we get fresh in the future.
@@michaeldemarillac9992 Thanks. I'll have to look into them more.
#1 child and I built a solar hot dog cooker for a school project when she has little. We use it for years and cooked many hundreds of hot dogs on it. (5 hot dogs at a time, for the kids at her school, over a few years) Solar Hot Dog Cooker - Cooking Hot Dogs th-cam.com/video/zHghbmGDlCI/w-d-xo.html We gave it away almost 2 years ago to someone that was going to use it with their kids.
I'm proud of my own emergency supply, but I really envy yours... Costco chicken!? Well done, that's premium survival food.
You can also dry in the oven, the used bones after making your broth. Then grind them up to make bone meal for your garden!
Slap forehead! That's a great idea and the thought never crossed my mind.
I'm glad I came across this video..
It's giving me lots of info I need to see, to help me decide if I want to invest in a freeze dryer. Thanks!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@SchoolReports
You also have a new sub!
Wow...really appreciate the level of detail you provided; impressive. Thinking of getting my first FD and you've encourage me. Thank you. Will be following your videos!
Thanks for watching and commenting.
I bought my freeze dryer over a year ago and I can tell you it is awesome. My food storage is impressive and I even make backpacking food for my kids so they don't have to buy those expensive meals . And mine are mom's cooking so they don't miss a thing. 😊
I have done this many times. Walmart marks them down to 319$ i make broth and then can it . I have also made batches of pet food and can it. Great video thanks for sharing
Great value!
thank you again; after watching your cooked chicken video, we are emboldened to try our own. We got some uncooked organic chickens on sale, and paid $32 for 13.8 lbs, so we got off scott cheap for organic chicken! and now, my husband is going to roast them in the webber, so it also won't take much energy to cook them. We'll see how they turn out in our stayfresh f.d; thanks for providing the expected times!
This is by far one of the best video's I've ever seen for a Freeze Dry video. You are methodical and professional in your video. I'd be curious about what you do for a living. My guess would be something in STEM.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I was never technically employed in the STEM field, but it was part of my everyday job, and I did teach classes for a couple years at a company I worked for. (Process improvement, quality assurance, lot tracing, etc)
My first career was in the food industry (20+ years - for a "premium food and gift producer" company), then photographer, next homeschool dad where I homeschooled our kids in conjunction with charter schools. That morphed into teaching elective classes at a couple local charter schools geared towards home-school families (3D Design and Printing for 3+ years for 6th - 8th grades), and now just another idiot on TH-cam! 🤣
I think I learned more while homeschooling our kids, and teaching, than I ever did while going to school. I highly recommend teaching as a way to learn. If anyone asks, after shop/elective classes, science class is #1, math is a close second tied with history. English class doesn't make the top 10!
Wow! You are amazing in your attention to detail. Thank you. So helpful.
After figuring in the cost of equipment and electricity to run the freeze dryer, but negating the labor, are you really saving money?
Great question.
The total cost of this batch of 10 lbs of chicken was $26.59 - including 4 chickens, electricity, bags, oxygen absorbers. A lot cheaper than commercially produced freeze dried food. Of course the hands on time is only a tiny fraction of the freeze drying time. (Especially when not videoing)
Number 10 cans of Mountain House diced chicken on Amazon are just under $60 and is 482 grams. This batch ended up as 1387 grams which works out to about 1387 / 482 = about 2.88 x $60 = $172.80 - $26.59 = about $146 savings on that batch - assuming buying #19 cans. When comparing to the smaller packs, like Mylar bags, the savings is higher. If I worked efficiently it could even labor costs, and more importantly to a lot of people, they can have the recipes they want instead of the commercially made freeze dried recipes.
In the recap video I did about the "50 Batch" series, I go over the payback time compared to buying bags of freeze dried food. The payback was less then 50 batches of misc. food. (With just batches of chicken the payback would be about 25 batches) Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
30 chicken breasts fit is 1 load in medium sized harvest right freezer.
Finnishd product yields 3.5 to 4 pounds of dried chicken.
Hmmm new viewer. This is an extremely well presented demo. I have extensive experience with eating freeze dried food but not making it. I would seriously consider freezing your chicken broth in 125g and 315g weights. Makes the chicken taste WAY better rehydrating with broth than just adding water.
You are correct, rehydrating with broth is way better, and we almost always do.
This is fascinating...just what I need another food addiction. I'm a good cook and rarely eat out but when I have an opportunity to get a Costco Chicken I get it, they are delicious. They add saline water to the chickens, so you are pulling that back out. If I were there with you doing this you'd only have 3 chickens to freeze dry, I'd have eaten the other.
I've been home canning for 50 years. I've got loads of so much stored away safely. Nice thing is it's easier, quicker and already hydrated when I open a jar. When catastrophe hits we may not have available water. Roast beef on sale, I bought 24 of them and canning them the next few days. Freeze drying looks like fun. Who knows, maybe I'll do it too. Great video.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
🤣 We had to buy 6 chickens to still have the 4 for this batch! 😁 I'm pretty sure they're injected with unicorn tears and magical seasonings!
I helped home can 50 years ago, but haven't canned anything other than jam in the last 30, and not even that in the last 10 or 15.
I will wait to go home and cook me something before I buy fast food or food.
Just remember you aren’t pulling the “saline” or the salt out just the water.
Cheese cloth and twine to contain all the stuff making a bone broth my favorite kitchen tools.
Smart!
I use the dried weight of chicken for packaging.
I use skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Finished product is 5 to 1 ratio..that’s weighing raw chicken in strofoam package.
1 pound of dried chicken fits nice in 1 gallon Mylar bags….
Thank you for an excellent informative video! Just came across your channel today and subscribed.
Thanks!
Very interesting. Great job. You have this down pact. Appreciate your video.
Thank you for your detailed info. Very helpful. Keep up the good efforts of sharing what you have learned. You have a new subscriber!
Thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Your Awesome.
Great job.
Best of luck to you and your family.
Thank you.
What great detail! Thank you! I’m new to this process and you made some excellent tips on prep and pre-freezing.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
My last batch of freeze drying was Kimchee , sliced beets, and sliced tomatoes. It was a total fail, never did dry completely even with added time. I have one of the older original models and don't freeze my food first because the program doesn't allow for that on this model. I think the food was too wet and maybe not spread out enough. I ended up putting the food into the dehydrator to finish it off but wished my freeze dryer had done it's thing correctly. I am now freeze drying sliced garlic, sliced Ginger root, and mushrooms.
I have a machine from 2017 with old firmware. It doesn't a program for frozen food, (or any other program) but it doesn't matter. I just run it in custom cycle and wait until it's cold. I don't know what you mean by "never did dry completely" It can't "not dry" if given time. Everything that was water will eventually not have water.
I've freeze dried sliced beets and sliced tomatoes, but not Kimchee. Isn't Kimchee mostly cabbage and spices? That should not have been a problem to freeze dry.
@Schoolreports regarding your old firmware....just so you know, you can go to the harvest right website and download the updated firmware for free. You need to put it on a thumb drive and stick it in the USB port on the side next to the display. If not on the website call them and they will email the update to you.
@SchoolReports When the regular freeze dry cycle is complete you check to see if your food is completely dry. My trays and the food were very cold, almost to the point of not being able to touch the trays. There was a large build up of ice around the walls of the FD machine. I added more dry time and it didn't do anything, same results. I find if I try to FD rather wet foods it doesn't do a very good job and I get that ice build up inside the chamber. Thanks for the info regarding getting updates on the hard drive, we aren't very computer savvy but will try.
@@tammiw1234 Thanks for the comment!
I'm well aware that I have an older version (v2.4.3) of the firmware, I mention it on a regular basis. I've talked to my Harvest Right sales rep and their tech people a couple times over the years about the different versions. It was nice when they changed the firmware version upgrade from $80 to free. I have multiple versions of the firmware, I've just made the conscious choice to keep my old version. Mine could be "upgraded" to one of the newer versions, but not the newest version, and some of the intermediate versions had some (in my opinion) deficits/issues. I have copies of owners/operators manuals for the different versions so that I can know the differences for when people ask or have questions. I choose to keep the old software because I like the level of manual control it gives me and the information it will display. My sister's new machine will have the new firmware (and I will probably do some videos with her machine) and she was more concerned with what she would lose than what she would gain.
@@ceepark114 If the trays are cold they should be rewarmed before taking them out or they will end up with condensation on them and the food. Not good.
Your supposed to get ice around the walls of the FD that's the job of the cold chamber walls. As long as the ice is not touching the trays, it's all good.
You are braver than I am. I raise my own chickens, so I know what goes into them. I really want a freeze dryer, though!!! What a wonderful use of food. By the time I get one, I'll know exactly how to make the best use of it.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I just found this Channel, and like you, I'm wondering whether it's worth the investment & power, vs buying it already freeze dried...
@@dragonslayer7587 If you are interested in how fast it might be able to pay for itself, I would say perhaps less than 50 batches. Here is a bit of data - Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html and this - First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. Don't listen to me. I could be wrong. Research. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial (freeze drying) companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
@@SchoolReports
I'm checking it out now! Thank you so very much! God Bless!
{If it's on the internet, it's gotta be true!}😉
Does anyone know if the water that is removed, have any flavour? Or is it pure distilled water?
Great question! It's not at all like distilled water.
I've never tried using it for anything. Mine usually has an odor that reminds me of REALLY old, melted, stale ice from the freezer that has picked up flavors and odors from whatever has been in the freezer. Perhaps with a hint of whatever was just been freeze dried. 😁 I haven't sent samples of the melt water to a water testing lab to have it tested. (or any other testing of any kind)
@@SchoolReports That's so interesting. thank you for your reply. I would assume that that water does not have any substance or salts attached to it, as you could easily tell by evaporating some down to nothing. Another thing you might try is distilling it very gently with a thermometer to see if the vapour temperature holds steady for a time before rising again. Known as a 'Fraction' in 'Fractional Distillation' That would indicate that there are compounds of different atomic weights present. Which are likely part of the nutritional value that would not be present if you were to reconstitute the foodstuffs with plain water. I wonder if a universal rehydration fluid could be distilled and used, or if a specific one for the particular dried food could be bottled and stored for later use. And if it made a difference to the eating experience vs plain water.
wait~ so the process takes the food from frozen to high heat? This is the best video I've watched which explains everything, but somehow I am missing the temperature process. Can anyone help me understand????
Thanks, great question.
The freezer unit of the freeze dryer freezes the chamber to -40º Then the vacuum pump lowers the pressure in the chamber until the "boiling" point of the ice is well below freezing.
Heated shelves in the chamber "gently" heat (around 120ºf) the food and "boil" off the water WHILE still frozen. (sublimation) It has to do with the triple point of water.
Freeze Drying Water - Short Version - th-cam.com/video/BZRnR-AvbnY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VwygX7ztg4Z4i9xI
In the same way that water boils at a lower temperature at high mountain elevations, in the freeze dryer vacuum chamber the pressure is so low that the ice will go from a solid to a gas at temperatures too low for the ice to melt; a process called sublimation - from a solid directly to a gas. (Like when dry ice disappears) The water from the food ends up on the wall of the chamber as ice in a process called desublimation or deposition - from a gas directly back to a solid.
The chamber walls are being used as a moisture or vapor trap, so the water doesn't go into the vacuum pump.
This is a good overview of the process, but has an error about ice crystal formation - they have it reversed. What is Freeze Drying? - th-cam.com/video/PxwgB-uFiR8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=y2NJ4m1CjfV3uPTO
And this one from HR (and it also has an "error" The machine can NOT tell when it's done) How Freeze Drying Works - th-cam.com/video/eE993Vs7j8s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yddx4Ju27qN9Ml9q
Hihi just finished freeze drying my first batch of Costco Chicken. I got 6.5 lbs of deboned skinned meat from 3 chickens and about 3/4 of a gallon of broth to be cooked down before freeze drying it. The chicken bits are bagged and took about 37 hrs. Thanks so much for the instructional guidance.
How much did the 6.5 lbs of chicken weigh after it was freeze dried? Just curious, because 17 oz of freeze dried chicken cost $69.99 on sale. I wanted to see how much more valuable a $4.99 chicken could become after it was freeze dried. Thanks.
@@DangerClose13E2lbs
You are awesome because you are wearing gloves as many do not! I wear surgical gloves each time I cook! It is the healthy way to cook!
Sorry, I seldom wear gloves when I'm cooking for my own use, unless it's a messy or super spicy food.
I never wear gloves when I'm making myself a sandwich.
Would you make the Vector file available for the door cover? Id love to cut it on my laser, or cnc.. Also, do you feel its a necessary item? I see the argument both ways. Great video.. thanks
Nope! I cut it freehand! 😅 (If I had a file I would share it)
Here is how I made it. Making an Acrylic Disc Front for a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer th-cam.com/video/erH1VDqNi80/w-d-xo.html If your freeze dryer is like ours, (2017) the opening is not quite round. For my first test piece I cut a very accurate circle out of a piece of foamcore and it had gaps of 1/8"+ (3mm +) around the edge.
My sister's new (late 2022) machine has a chamber that is very round. We will be making a disc for her machine and I think the fact that it's round will make it easier. I think hers is just a simple 11 7/8" diameter actual circle!
I just realized that I forgot to answer the question about the need for the disc. You don't NEED it. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Second, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess.
For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is totally unneeded.
i am so glad i found you i am going to get a food dryer and was wondering about the cost verses savings I see it now
Thanks for watching and commenting! I hope you find it useful.
I don't know if you saw the recap video for the _50 Batch series_ were I saw a bit of the cost vs savings - First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
Here is the list of Freeze dryers I've heard of: (If anyone knows of any others, please add to the list) (as of July 23rd 2023)
harvestright.com/ (only one I've used) All the others might be great, I've just never tried them.
p4lfood.com/ "The Cube" Same machine as the 4Patriots one? (Facebook page only a few months old?)
4patriots.com/products/4patriots-home-freeze-drying-system - Maybe built by Prep4 Life?
stayfreshfreezedry.com/ - One person start-up import business? (Judging by the corporation papers listing a home as the Registered Address)
www.cuddonfreezedry.com/products/ - Big - Probably not really a home unit. At least 20 times bigger than medium HR
wmmachinery.com/products/freeze-dryer-for-home-use - Lower priced. Shipped direct from China?
www.labrotovap.com/portfolio-item/large-home-freeze-dryer-lyophilizer-for-sale/ - Knockoff? Even used some of Harvest Right web page photos.
www.usalab.com/freeze-dryers/ - Two models? Do they make or rebrand.
freezedryco.com/equipment/food-cannabis/ Freeze Dry Company - more commercial
www.hudsonvalleylyomac.com/stratus-mp3-series-floor-model.html Hudson Valley Lyomac - not really home size units
d-freeze.com/ D-Freeze - Not out yet, being built in Canada
www.freezedryfood.de/en/ FreezeDry® German
bluealpinefreezedryers.com/ Blue Alpine Freeze Dryers - Idaho - Very new/Start-up
Do you think 5 year shelf life is achievable before it starts breaking down a bit? I know clean white rice etc. you can get 10 years or so, might be worth cycling it at 4 years.
Those chickens certainly have a lot of water weight in them.
I think that 20 or 30 years is achievable with chicken, and 30 years for freeze dried rice should be no problem. This is freeze dried, not dehydrated food.
I only have 6 years of personal experience with OUR freeze dried items, so I only KNOW it's good for about 5+ years. But, some foods may have a shorter shelf life; Mountain House only gives their ice cream bars a 3 year life span, and by way of comparison, has freeze dried ground beef that's good for 30 years. mountainhouse.com/collections/freeze-dried-meats/products/ground-beef-10-can
I think a lot of people forget about rotating stock (I'm a big advocate) when doing freeze drying. I want things to be as fresh as possible, plus as our methods improve, we should want to keep the newest, best things we've done!
@@SchoolReports Nice. Thanks! Yep rotating is smart, just in case there are any issues your food is very likely to still be fresh and good to go.
What is in the solution they use for brining or injecting? Is it safe?
Nothing is safe if over-consumed. As they say "dose makes the poison."
Safe in what sense? I think they sell more than 2 million chickens a week and I haven't heard of millions of people dropping dead from them.
Best. Chicken. Ever! 🤣
I'm not in charge of the chicken buying/processing for Costco, but I'm pretty sure they are injected with unicorn tears and magical seasonings! 🤣 The ingredients are on the label. But I do know that a lot of people hate success and will always try to put Costco down.
It looks like they raise and process the chicken in Nebraska. Costco Lincoln Premium Processing in Fremont, Nebraska. www.businessinsider.com/costco-rotisserie-chicken-plant-nebraska-photos-2022-6?op=1
77% of Americans Believe this Myth About Chicken. Do You? www.chickencheck.in/blog/77-percent-of-americans-believe-chicken-raised-added-hormones-steroids/
"No chicken sold or raised in the U.S. is given added hormones. All hormones and steroids in poultry have actually been banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA since the 1950s." (It's even printed on the label) th-cam.com/video/aNMednOWW4c/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the info.
I can Sam's chicken. So yummy! Now I know how to freeze dry too. Thanks!
I've never canned chicken, but I've had some that friends have canned; it is great.
In case you're interested, we just recently rehydrated a bag of the chicken from this batch. (and a bag from 6 1/2 years ago)
Rehydrating 6 1/2 Year Old Freeze Dried Chicken (and 1 1/2 Year Old) From Batch 9 & Batch 525 - th-cam.com/video/722V2e-MQgY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MjeHXts0hvL8EjJg
i pressure cook my bones and skin for a hour or two, with about 3 q of water
when i am done the collagen is melted into the water and the bones almost are. you dont taste it, but super high in vitamins and minerals. you should have about 2 gallons of finished rich broth from those bones and skin.
Sounds good.
Omg! I use a popcorn style scoop too! 😄
Pot lid separator works great to hold the
non gusseted bags up. 😉
That was funny when he brought that out.. lol
Electric mixer makes shredding easy.
I really enjoyed the video I like the details.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
With leg quarters being .50-60 a lb, wouldn't it make sense to just do this in the winter and back it in the over? Making heat for the house and not really adding any cost to the chicken?
Wow! That's a great price per pound! I don't think I've seem that price in 20 years!
If you like dark meat that sounds like a great way to go.
@@SchoolReports That has been normal price for the last 20 years at Walmart. It was cheaper 10 years ago even. Under .50. It could be where you live too. In FL and TN that is the price. IL is similar. 10lb bags of Leg quarters have always been the cheapest meat since I've been old enough to buy groceries. Granted, most of my shopping is experience is this century as I was born in '81. :)
@@davidroberson1962 Thanks. To be fair, I would never have give the dark meat a second glance, so I probably just never noticed. But now I've found that it's pretty good when it has taco seasoning added; I'll have to check into it more. LOVE the price!
We used those same yellow lid bins to store duck feed in our shop. We "THOUGHT" it would be mice proof....but found out the little buggers can chew thru the lid at a corner in a night. So if you were thinking those bins would keep your food safe from mice...guess again. If they get hungry they will get into those bins quite fast. Just thought I'd give you a heads-up on that. We use food grade buckets with sealing lids and so far they have not managed to get into those....the plastic is thicker and smoother so that probably stops them from getting a starting point to chew on.
You are 100% correct; that's an absolutely legitimate concern for some people, in some areas. I never once thought these bins would be mouse proof. (I only have lids on 2/5 of our bins)
But with proper mitigation in the environment you can do a good job of preventing rodents from getting into the home in the first place.
I know it could happen, but I've never had a rodent in a house I've had. (Unless you count rugrats!) With the storage location (both the location within the house and the house location) I really don't worry about rodents, If I did, I would go to Shawn's channel 🤣 th-cam.com/users/ShawnWoodsprimitive-archervideos and take care of the issue!
Storage containers can be a big expense. Money that some people might rather spend on more food to freeze dry. We each have our own requirements for what we need out of freeze drying and storage as well as our own risk tolerances
I’m not sure about the advantages of freeze dried beans vs canned.
One advantage is that freeze dried food is lighter. Most people are just looking for additional ways to keep/use food. I love canned foods, but I'm not a fan of carrying cans of food on a hike.😁 Nutrition tends to be better with freeze dried over canned.
Also, personally, I'd trust freeze dried food over canned food after 20 years. (I know that the science may not agree - canned can last a very long time)
You would do well in a "Blast from the Past" situation. Meticulous, geeky. Just right. I don't waste anything on Costco chicken. Been on the carnivore diet for a week, lost 5lbs so far. I simmer the bones, skin, and fats overnight, season it with just salt and pepper, and even the bones just fall apart. So I end up eating everything, literally. I was thinking about doing this as an over-the-road flatbed truck driver. Thanks!
Thanks for watching and commenting! And for the few people that think/say that Costco rotisserie chicken is bad/evil - Don't buy them! More for us! 🤣
A couple viewers have said that they started freeze drying so they could have their own recipe on the road as long haul drivers. (trucks and otherwise)
I'm just now starting to do research on freeze drying ... What's the purpose of the acrylic disc that you put and before you closed the door
Condensation is the #1 reason.
The machines don't _need_ the disc. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Second, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess. For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is much less needed.
Ice on disc: th-cam.com/video/5cHronGQID0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=D9JYNyioR3FMIpfD&t=618
Here is the list of Freeze dryers I've heard of: (If anyone knows of any others, please add to the list) (as of July 2023)
harvestright.com/ (only one I've used) All the others might be great, I've just never tried them.
p4lfood.com/ "The Cube" Same machine as the 4Patriots one? (Facebook page only a few months old?)
4patriots.com/products/4patriots-home-freeze-drying-system - Maybe built by Prep4 Life?
stayfreshfreezedry.com/ - One person start-up import business? (Judging by the corporation papers listing a home as the Registered Address)
www.cuddonfreezedry.com/products/ - Big - Probably not really a home unit. At least 20 times bigger than medium HR
wmmachinery.com/products/freeze-dryer-for-home-use - Lower priced. Shipped direct from China?
www.labrotovap.com/portfolio-item/large-home-freeze-dryer-lyophilizer-for-sale/ - Knockoff? Even used some of Harvest Right web page photos.
www.usalab.com/freeze-dryers/ - Two models? Do they make or rebrand.
freezedryco.com/equipment/food-cannabis/ Freeze Dry Company - more commercial
www.hudsonvalleylyomac.com/stratus-mp3-series-floor-model.html Hudson Valley Lyomac - not really home size units
d-freeze.com/ D-Freeze - Not out yet, being built in Canada
www.freezedryfood.de/en/ FreezeDry® German
bluealpinefreezedryers.com/ Blue Alpine Freeze Dryers - Idaho - Very new/Start-up - Looks very promising! (If I were buying one today, I'd probably at least look into this one)
Do you have a store to purchase some of the gear I see on your channel? Thank you for the GREAT information!
I want that kitty from your channel page!
I do have an Amazon link and I try to remember to link the things I'm using. If I miss linking anything you see that you want to know about just let me know and I'll do my best to add them. (I have links in the description) I'm always happy to answer any question I can.
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases from the links provided. By clicking on the links, you can explore the products and tools I use. www.amazon.com/shop/schoolreports
Why did you freeze it first? I heard by doing that you loose some nutrients
100% of the food is going to be frozen, either in the freezer or in the freeze dryer.
Yes, when frozen and then freeze dried, food does lose "a bit" of it's nutrients. But, in compared to what? Freeze-dried food retains nearly 100% of its nutritional value, dehydrated contains roughly 60%, and canned food 40%. Even so-called fresh food in the produce section of the store can be significantly lower than freeze dried food.
There is a lot of research about this.
I would say, for "fresh" fruits and vegetables that I'm going to freeze dry, I will almost always take frozen over fresh because, assuming a quality brand, the items tend to be picked and processed faster. Not sitting in a cold storage warehouse, then in the store's back room, and finally in a store's produce section for who knows how long. I love to go to the u-pick places and pick items myself. (or grow it myself) Did you know that the apples at the store can be over a year old? CA storage is an impressive thing.
In order of my personal preference, fresh that I harvest, next frozen, produce from the store, and last by a large margin canned.
This is one of the benefits of using frozen foods; they usually go from field - to processing plant - to flash freezer in just a few hours. The "fresh" food you find at stores is not fresh.
( getdailyelements.com/blogs/articles/the-facts-on-freeze-drying )
. . . nutrient profiles of fresh fruits and vegetables begin to degrade the moment they’re picked-and continue degrading the longer they sit in your fridge. In fact, one study1 showed that spinach lost roughly 50% of its folate after eight days of refrigeration. Not to mention, produce from the grocery store can range from weeks to months old, some even spending upwards of a year in cold storage before you see them on the shelf.
. . . freeze-dried food retains nearly 100% of its nutrition value, dehydrated contains roughly 60%, and canned a slim 40%
Why do you need a fan blowing in it ? Does it not do it on its own ?
It the way we choose to defrost our machine.
We decided to use the fan to save electricity, to save wear and tear of the freeze dryer components, and to make sure I don't give molds and mildew a warm moist growth environment.
Some people that have used the defrost function (and forgot to open the door afterwards) have reported a nasty, fuzzy surprise when opening it later.
Our door is always open any time the freezer unit is not on, and we leave the fan running for at least a day or two if, for any reason, we're not starting another batch as soon as it's defrosted.
Not to crush anyone's freeze drying dreams, but pressure canning rotisserie chicken also yeilds good results for shredded chicken, and you can pressure cook the bones for broth and can that as well.
Why would that crush anyone's freeze drying dreams? Canned chicken is great! Most people are just looking for additional ways to keep/use food. I love canned chicken, but I'm not a fan of carrying jars of chicken on a hike.😁
@@SchoolReports oh yes that makes sense for hiking
Did you subtract the weight of the thermometer when you weighed the chicken? I noticed the thermometer was still in the chicken when you were weighing them @15:49
Good question.
I weigh them without the thermometers before starting and after they are completely dry, before I bag them, but I leave the thermometers in while I'm doing the Dry-Check process. I remove the thermometers before weighing for the final weights @ 20:08
During the Dry-Check process @ 15:39 I'm only checking for weight loss, not the actual weight of the food, which doesn't matter at this stage, so leaving the thermometers in doesn't matter.
Thanks for sharing , who would have thought the opening wasn't perfectly round , Ill have to wait till i can find my perspex rounds to see if it fits and I have to agree with comments below this really is the best freeze dey channel for information :)
I have a question...with the expensive machine, why do you have to create an additional clear door? Just curious. Thank you
That's a very fair question.
The first answer is, you don't NEED it. However, for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. Because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. And then it melts and makes a mess.
For people that stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, all this is totally unneeded.
Besides, I'm just trying to trick out my ride. 🤣Some people that buy 50 thousand dollar cars add custom wheels and paint jobs!
Thank you.
Very well done videos. Thanks so much. Where did you get the funnel scoop, I want one. Great tool.
The scoop is something that I "adjusted" starting with a scoop I got from Amazon. (link in the description) This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html
It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on.
Thank you
I’ve learned quite a bit from watching this video ive had this same freeze dryer ive dried food out then tried about a yr or more later and it tasted terrible I actually thought I was drying it out right have always had to try to adjust the tore but couldn’t get the tore to appear on a few times but then i gave up so I would continue trying to dry it out on the factory setting so im thinkn even though it was dried it must have spoiled some how so i just threw it out to my chickens it wasn’t spoiled I guess it just didnt taste good so instead of wasting it I gave it to my chickens they loved it but i couldn’t stand it. The only thing i had success with was icecream sandwichs.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! Sorry to hear that some of yours have had problems.
I do think companies selling freeze dryers (I have a list of about 12) are doing a disservice in portraying them as "fully automatic" and suggesting that you just throw the food in, it does the rest, and "DING" it's done and ready to bag. You do really need to check it yourself and the HR manual (at least mine) just says ". . . Check the material thoroughly to make sure it is completely dry . . . " with no hint as to how to accomplish this in a way to ensure it's 100% dry every time! Don't trust the machine - It has no way of knowing if it's dry or not. I have a bad feeling that a lot of people are going to find out someday that some of their food was not dry enough. I've heard from a few people with this nightmare story.
If people trust the machine to tell them when it's dry, then they'll have no idea if it's dry or not and they're just guessing. I'm not a fan of guessing if the food is dry. The machines have no way of knowing if the food is actually dry. _Period._ The machines are just to easy to "fool." The automation in our machines can only take it so far. If we loaded the trays the way the testing was done during programing the automation it would probably do better. But the machines are still very easy to "fool." For those who use "touch" to decide it the food is dry - No human can tell if things are dry by touch. Humans do not have moisture receptors - we can't feel moisture,
Why did you put the plexiglass “circle” in the front of the machine? Why the fan? Thanks!
Great video!!!
Thanks for watching and for commenting!
The machines don't require/need the seal insulation or the door disc we add, but for us it's a useful addition because of two related things: condensation and heat transfer. First, while it's cooling, but before the vacuum pump starts, it helps with heat transfer. Secondly, and most important to us, because I often (very often!) don't get to the machine right away when it finishes, it just sit there chilling. Sometimes it waits 12 hours or more. Very chill, -40 chill. By the time I get around to it, without the front disc and seal insulation, the entire door and seal would be covered with condensation, both liquid and frozen. Then it melts and makes a mess. For people who stay right on top the the process, ready to take it out and check it the minute it beeps, it probably doesn't really matter. (The beep can be also turned off:)
We run 2 fans, one blowing in on the intake side of the machine and we do run fans on our vacuum pumps.
I understand the reasoning for having the pumps run hot (to help make sure the water vapor doesn't condense in the oil - but it's never been an issue for us), but most electric motors run more efficiently and last longer when kept well under 160ºf. (My pump runs hot) Very high temperatures also degrade the oil faster, leading to less effective vacuum and the need to change the oil more frequently. After 7 years with fans, we're still happy with the results.
Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" I look at what commercial companies are doing. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)
200 pans of freeze dried chicken! wowza
How about the cost of electricity u use freeze drying? Is it it even worth the trouble.
Are you asking how much electricity it uses? This batch used 26.02 kWh. (about $3 in our area) Here is info for 50 batches - First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
Hi, how does the water-to-chicken ratio work? is there a formula one needs to follow? Thanks
I just weigh the food before and after freeze drying so I know how much water to put back in when rehydrating.
I can give you some before and after ratios for a number of other batches of chicken. It is important for me to note here that the ratio information is not usable for any batch except each specific batch. Every batch of even what seems to be the same food will end up different due to the nature of cooking, preparing, and/or which part it is composed of. (e.g. White meat vs dark meat ratio)
Here are the pre-freeze dried to finished weight ratios for 4 chicken batches:
Batch 501 3.26:1
Batch 525 3.27:1
Batch 571 3.47:1
Batch 602 3.38:1
Here is a spreadsheet with data from the 50 batch series which includes weights before and after - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing
my HR FD is on order, so I'm just binge watching tutorials... this was a great video. Do you open the valve before you open the door, close the valve before you start the machine? Just trying to understand the process.
You have to open the valve before the door _can_ be opened when it's done. (Because the outside air pressure will prevent it from being opened until the pressure has equalized) The valve can be closed anytime after the defrost water has drained and before the freezing/vacuum process. I _try_ to close the valve at the same point in the process each time so I don't forget. Close valve, start machine, pre-cool, open valve, put food in, close door, close valve.
I would suggest this video: Freeze Drying - The Next 50 Batches - Batch 585, Mixed Vegetables - Every Little Detail th-cam.com/video/lpa3db5al20/w-d-xo.html
Very interesting video! My husband and I are really interested in a freeze dryer! This is Great Information! Thank you ❤️😊
How do you keep your records is there a format you use?
We keep the batch drying worksheets (like the one I'm filling out during the video) in a 3-ring binder, in case we need anything off it later. We put the storage location information of each bag into an OpenOffice spreadsheet for tracking and sorting, and we keep a hard copy for day-to-day use for just-in-case.
Quick Question Please:
My wife and I are new to this (haven't bought our machine yet) and we're curious about something, so please be patient with us!
Why are you freezing the chicken first?
You bought four chickens, de-boned them, "froze them", then put them on four trays and then put them into the machine.
Why freeze the chicken if you were going to do all four chickens in the machine on the four trays?
Doesn't freezing them slow down the process in the machine?
Why don't you take the chicken (after de-boning) and immediately put everything in the machine?
Just curious!
Great video! Great process! Thanks for being so detailed!
Thanks
Mr & Mrs Bowen
Retired, Veteran
Thanks for watching and commenting!
The short answer is that prefreezing the food speeds up the process.
The cut and paste answer is: I could put it directly on the trays and I have done it that way, but hardly ever. When I'm preparing most things, the trays are still in the freeze dryer. Sometimes it takes a while to get around to an item that's waiting in the freezer, sometimes weeks, months, or even a year plus!
Prefreezing is not required, but we prefreeze almost everything. I prefreeze things in the other pans because: 1) it saves freeze dryer time, 2) I have the older, tilted machine which means I can't pour liquids into the trays in the machine, 3) I make very large batches of food when I cook so I may have 2 or 3 freeze dryer loads (or more) from a single batch, 4) prefreezing slightly lightens the load of ice in the freeze dryer 5) by prefreezing in the small, 2 cup pans (about 1 lb), I have pre measured quantities when I do the final bagging 6) we have a lot of freezer space available. We have had up to 15+ batches of prefrozen items waiting for the freeze dryer.
@@SchoolReports Thank-you Sir... understood 110% now!
Now I fully understand why it's called "Freeze-Dried"... so the machine "freezes" the food first, then dries it out (aka eliminates the moisture).
Great system, great plan!
We're watching ALL of your videos as fast as possible and we've downloaded your spreadsheet... which we really really appreciate!
We'll use your Affiliate link when we're ready to purchase! : )
Special Note:
I believe you'll appreciate this sine you've freeze dried so much food and will probably do a lot lot more:
Sustainable Agriculture (by Gabe Brown, do a TH-cam search) is changing how the world grows food... and he's helping to bring back healthy soil, which in turn is going to give us all "nutrient rich" food again (and eliminate pesticides etc and many other critical benefits)... and that in turn will give us healthier foods in our freeze-drying, smoothies etc!!! YEY!!!
We're seniors and need all the healthy food we can get!! ha! ha!
Thanks again for the great videos and all your hard work, we'll "absorb" all of it as fast as possible!!
Mr. & Mrs. Bowen
Retired, Veteran
@@BowenOrg 😇 Yep! Happy to share. Very cold (-40f) and then the tray heaters turn on and heats the food a little bit and the ice turns to gas without ever becoming liquid. (sublimation) Hence "Freeze & Dry! It's all about the gas-liquid-solid triple point.
Freeze Drying Water - Short Version th-cam.com/video/BZRnR-AvbnY/w-d-xo.html
Around 22:00, you mentioned the quantity of water that was needed to reconstitute the half pound of chicken. How did you determine how much water would take? I missed that.
The weights for rehydrating come from the worksheet that I'm filling out about 2 minutes earlier. I don't show a closeup of the sheet in every (or even most) videos. Here is what it looks like: Batch 48 - th-cam.com/video/UKOjB0fGIXk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tO_DFaMYmKk-NxZ3&t=1406 & Batch 43 - th-cam.com/video/-XGk0rSgjbQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_6D9Rvkb5iCwABRX&t=1040
This is the worksheet I have been using:
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 4 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14_1KDR7-eEv_h9EdwJcHb2Dex5MuhnxlDV24qPR7H6c/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 5 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tgNrGRD3BICKsokLxuClAbQAYvHfDTmbXu6XvA089nc/edit?usp=sharing
Freeze Drying batch worksheet - 6 tray - 2 per sheet (Feel free to download a copy and use it anyway you want. You don't need to ask :) docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d3x-gaD3_5SYravfrmk-SxUsp875T0lZsRmi8MLrKPU/edit?usp=sharing
Video idea 💡, could you show electricity costs for all types of fruits, veggies, and meats per batch.
Thanks.
I show the show electricity usage (kWh) for ever batch in this 50 batch series, along with the weight before and after, the batch time, the number of bags used, and the total cost. It's all in the description, and I have a link to the spreadsheet for the whole series. Finally, here is the recap video for the 50 batch series: Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Recapping the First 50 Batches th-cam.com/video/IRkac5wrCzI/w-d-xo.html
All this effort and all this bags and all the energy spend is worth it I rather walk and buy my rotisserie chicken
Love the “scoop”. Where might I find one?
Sorry. Have you ever used something long enough that you no longer give it a second thought? Well, I need to remember to mention that the scoop I use is one I "adjusted."
After I bought the scoop I cut both sides off and attached 3D printed end pieces to the sides. This is how I changed the scoop - Food Scoop For Freeze Dryer Tray th-cam.com/video/trs26E42Zho/w-d-xo.html
It could be done without a 3D printer by heating up the cut off pieces with a heat gun (could be done over a toaster or in an oven) and I was able to easily flatten them. It would then be very easy to sand them to fit the side of the scoop and glue them on.
Have you tried freeze drying the rotisserie chicken skin as it's already lusciously brown and savory.
It should do fine, _but_ it never lasts that long. 🤣 If I prep it for freeze drying, I get to eat it while doing the prepping!
Can you use the hydration water for broths, breads, rices, pasta, etc.?
I'm guessing you are referring to the water that comes out of the food during freeze drying and is the layer of ice on the chamber wall, and melting it and saving/using it.
I assume (with no proof or testing, so I could be wrong) that the melt-water could be safe to drink, but it usually has an odor that reminds me of really old, very stale ice that has melted. I haven't tried drinking it. (I'm not going to try it without testing/filtering!)
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for watching!
Do you have to add parchment?
Perfect question. I should have asked myself that question.
No, you don't have to. And I need to show not using it for some batches. It's probably not _needed_ for most batches. I use it to make cleaning a little easier, but for most foods I should use it less.
thank you! @@SchoolReports Just searched and watched your video on parchment which answered so much. I appreciate all of the detail you put into your videos! th-cam.com/video/1fKKvZ8gDtQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Xywi9DGEf28p4H9h
Thanks for watching and for commenting!
I was thinking of getting a freeze dryer, but after watching this, I don’t think I will. My God it looks too complicated. And I don’t even know if I could do it. Don’t understand much of what you were doing. I’m gonna check and see if you have any videos of rehydrating this. Because I’d like to see what it looks like and what it taste like.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! I'm sorry to hear that it comes across as confusing, that is not my intention.
The freeze drying process really is a lot simpler and quicker than the prepping and cooking most meals! I find it easier and safer than canning. I do show steps that are not "required" for the freeze drying process because people have asked to see them. But on the other hand I want to be realistic about the process. Some people doing freeze drying pretend that the machines can "know" when the drying is complete - they can not. The Dry Check process is the only really important step in the process.
The total needed hands-on time is actually very short and easy if you're not trying to document it on video. Like most new things, it seems a bit complicated the first time, but it's not.
I do have a playlist showing a number of things being rehydrated/used, but It doesn't show every food we've done. I am trying to add more rehydrating and using videos.
I love what you are doing. Are you "awake" ? I would like to know more with what your doing. Your accuracy is great.
Thanks. I have no idea how to respond to this. 🤔
@@SchoolReports probably conspiracy/“prepper” stuff, pay no mind
proteins/ lipids/ carbs /vegetables / fruits/ super foods/ snacks/ cant go wrong with eggs sweet potatoes and beef jerky.
I would highly reccomend figuring out a recipie that reconstitutes properly before putting all the batching work in, the food will work in a pinch even if undesireable but food is a huge morale booster which would be desperately needed and pay large dividends in a disaster scenario.