**BlueAlpine freeze dryers bluealpinefreezedryers.com/providentprepper Use the promo code ProvidentPrepper to get 5% off. **Harvest Right affiliates.harvestright.com/901.html **PackFreshUSA Mylar Bags packfreshusa.com/?rfsn=7503114.ecc85c Use promo code PROVIDENT to receive 10% off your order. I prefer to use smaller sizes for freeze-dried foods. **Kelly Kettle Cooking Stove Kit shrsl.com/4f1bu We earn a small affiliate fee that helps to support our channel with every sale and we appreciate you using our links. Remember that the important thing is to build a well-stocked pantry that can see you through challenging times. Freeze-drying may or may not be a good option for you. You don't have to have a freeze-dryer to be prepared! But it sure is nice. Thanks for being part of the solution!
Freeze dryer is a worthwhile investment for those of us with food restrictions due to illness. In my 70’s, with arthritis, canning is too risky for me - hot water, heavy pans, glass jars - so dehydrating and freeze drying are my best options for shelf stable foods. Salmon burger patties (thanks, Costco!) - cooked, freeze dried and sealed in mylar bags - rehydrate in a fast minute with a little hot water poured over them. I like to make from scratch and then freeze dry soups and stews - lentil, chili, vegetable, others - when prepared they can be made thicker or thinner depending on how much hot water you add. And, can be a whole other kind of meal if ladled over or mixed with rice, pasta, potatoes, bread. I’m off to make some taco meat…! Thanks, K & J! 🙏❤️
People in here complaining about the cost of a freeze dryer, like so many things, the first thing you make is expensive. The more you use it, the less expensive per use it is.
It is a great tool for someone that likes to preserve their own food. I factor the cost like I would a dehydrator or pressure canner. I love mine! However, I live the type of lifestyle that the investment makes sense.
@@oldgranny410 I don’t think I was “complaining”. I simply stated that at my age it would not be worth it for me. I can, freeze and dehydrate and purchased 6 months of freeze dried goods quite awhile ago.
Costco rotisserie chicken is so economical, easy and tastes wonderful when rehydrated! Yes, don't forget to rinse off to get as much fat off as possible. We remove the skin and I'm careful to use the less fatty portions of the chicken for the freeze dryer. But there is still a use for the carcass, skin and fattier portions (like the dark meats). We take all of that and cook it all down for several hours. Strain it and put the broth in the fridge overnight. That separates the fat to the top. Remove the fat and you've got chicken bone broth to go into your freeze dryer. 3 costco chickens works perfect in my medium FD.
I love my freeze dryer. I saved up and bought one - finally - in 2021. I use it most often for meals, eggs, milk, cheese. I started to play with it last fall doing some sweets, but it's primarily for real food. I'm very grateful for having been able to buy one. Also very appreciative of the people who share their experiences, recipes, tips, for the freeze dryer.
I LOVE mine too! Last night I thinned by fall beets so I go two huge buckets of young beet greens. No way we could eat all that at once. We washed it and chopped it up and it is in the freeze dryer. It looks amazing. Now I'll have it all year long for smoothies, soups, or to grind into a flour to add nutrition to baked goods. I'm dehydrating what wouldn't fit in the freeze dryer. The dehydrated is fine but it just isn't as flavorful as the freeze dried.
Just got my freeze dryer, on my 3rd batch, and I LOVE it! So much easier than canning, and will have more freezer space! Got mine with affirm with no interest.
We love shredded chicken and ground beef. They reconstitute so fast and they are delicious! We have purchased a large and two XL Harvest Right freeze dryers in the last 9 months. We sold Freeze dried candy to help purchase the two XL machines.
I have small scissors in all my first aid kits. The ones in my medicine cabinet are titanium, from Walmart, and they cost me about $8. They've lasted for years, and are still super sharp.
Very interesting to see. I'm not going to invest in a freeze dryer. I just buy long shelf life food Periodically as I can and so far I've enjoyed what I've bought
Good to review what has been done. I like spicy food and I think the heat increases bit. As well mixed meals (e.g. meat plus sauce and rice ) do great as the rice absorbs the flavors. I must admit the gusseted bags I can buy in Canada tend to leak. I vacuum seal and the zip lock does tend to be a problem. Just got some bags with the "knicks" to open at the top and you seal the bottom. That would work well (for the manufacturers out there ).
As a hiker I have lived off mostly dehydrated long term food for three months at a time. I would hike off trail to one of the small towns off trail and pick up my supply package at post office, usually grab a burger to eat, then go back on trail. I usually tried to carry no more than up to 5 days in my pack. Once in the Sierras I was out 9 days because I tripped and needed to rest my foot. The dehydrated foods are pretty good any more. I have heard that freeze dried foods taste better but are bulkier in your back pack. I am presently 66 years old and am planning a 2500 mile, or there about hike from Georgia to Maine. You can nd up going into a town for resupply every 3 to 5 days. One thing I have learned as a year round hiker. I know how to survive with only what is in my backpack. I have ( with the help of a lifestraw). Even been forced to drink absolutely filthy water from old stock ponds. So. I bought a hand pump for our well here on the property, and have everything I would absolutely have to have to survive. One method backpackers use to prepare food is similar to what you do here. We make an insulating folding bag ( some people don’t make s bag, instead they make a cozy that fits around and over the lid of the small cookpot/cups that most backpackers carry. ). Then you put the bag your dehydrated meal comes into the bag till the food is rehydrated and soft to your liking. Nice hot meal on trail without using extra water. The bags are made of that silver bubble like stuff similar to what many insulating car windshield shades are made of. You can usually get it by the foot or yard at Home Depot or similar. That and a long handled spoon to eat directly out of the bag uses very little fuel.
Thank you for the video, we just went through a 24 hour power outage and realized we could be more prepared. For the carrots and broccoli, did you cook them prior to freeze drying?
My mother-in-law bought one at 86 and loves it. But she is an avid home canner. This is what she has to say about it th-cam.com/video/KoL-0XOiXtU/w-d-xo.html
I’m 73 and my wife is a bit younger and we get very good use… much of our garden and soups and fruits, meats and fun candy… it does take time but worth it
I have to have your secret for the broccoli. I did a huge batch, and it is just gross! I blanched it, and then freeze dried. But, trying to heat it, it turned to mush and the taste was terrible. Fun video! 😊😊
Some things - like broccoli - I buy the frozen organic florets and freeze dry those. (Why won’t it grow in my garden!??) I tell myself if they needed blanching, that happened before they were frozen. 🤷🏼♀️ Working for me so far… 🙏❤️
Kelly Kettle - your link does not work, however, I looked it up on Amazon. I am not sure what it cost on the site you linked but it says $50 shipping fee on all orders. Amazon, of course, has free shipping for people with prime. It would be great to see a demonstration on all the other components of the Kelly Kettle. Thank you, this is a valuable update.
Awhile back you ask what I needed to prepare for. I told you about Los Alamose and the national forest. Los alamose is fine, the is a forest fire north west of my home, ( controlled burn ? ) huh
@TheProvidentPrepper alot of smoke but the fire is not moving towards me l supposed to be put out on Sunday, maybe if the wind doesn't get bad. Thank you for asking.
Johnathan would it be possible to run the freeze dryer on an eco flow entirely using the solar panels? If so there will be no electric increase for me. Which might mske a purchase seem better?
Just a quick question.... Has your freeze drier paid for itself, in the amount of food you put in storage? If not, how much more will it take for you to break even?
It's not so much the amount of food that I put in storage because for the most part we use it all the time. Most of it is stored in mason jars and used just like I use the peaches or applesauce I bottle every year. We grow a lot of our own food and so food preservation is big for us to make it from year to year. It has paid for itself because of our lifestyle. Last night I cut up Asian pears to freeze dry. They are so delicious. We use them as a snack food. It's super cool that it has such a long shelf life.
@@TheProvidentPrepper So in other words, you justify buying an expensive toy (that normal families could never afford) to satisfy extravagant tastes that cannot be duplicated by any other means?
@@HWhit9000No that’s not what she at all. They grow their own food. You have to preserve it somehow between harvests or it goes bad. Food that you grow is free or minimal cost compared to shopping at a grocery store. Wasted food is an economic loss regardless of being purchased or grown. This allows them to preserve their food with all the nutrients intact until they are ready to eat it and reduces reliance on grocery stores. This likely saves them thousands of dollars every year that would have otherwise been spent at a grocery store. So in this case it is less expensive than shopping. This is not a toy. Yes freeze dryers are expensive to produce and then to acquire, but it does pay for itself typically in about six months or less of regular use if compared to cost of purchasing similar freeze dried foods. The lifespan of these machines is at least a decade as I have had mine that long. Save up over time if you really want one. It took me about four years of saving between when I initially discovered Harvest Right being sold on classifieds as a startup business before I was able to afford to purchase one. If you don’t feel you can afford one, there are still plenty of other options for long term food storage that are available with no or low additional cost beyond purchasing.
@@ThirteenKidsLater Not once have I mentioned the cost of the items being freeze dried, so the origin of the food is a moot point. I've been living in my off-grid cabin for 10+ years, grow close to 75% of my food, forage in the 1,000+ acres of surrounding woodland for wild edibles, mushrooms, and medicinal plants. I do have a chest freezer that is for temporary storage only, if I plan on storing food for more than a month, I either pressure can, dehydrate, pickle, ferment, cure, or smoke the items to make them shelf stable. No need for an expensive toy that will be as useless as a door stop during a long-term power outage. And if you think those glorified batteries will supply enough to power all your electrical toys, you may want to do some real studying about wattage and amperage.
@@HWhit9000 you mentioned the economic costs of a freeze dryer so I pointed out its value and how the costs could be justified. You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder and are quite condescending. I’m happy for you having such a sustainable lifestyle but please realize you’re not the only one who understands these concepts or lives this way. Most of us realize full well that freeze dryers are very difficult to run off grid. Their purpose is to build a long term supply in the here and now while they can still be used. Of course we will utilize other methods later and I currently use many methods to preserve food. I hope you have a better rest of your day.
It absolutely does not make sense for 6 meals. It totally makes sense the way that I use it. In two days I can turn 40 pounds of chicken breast that I got on sale for $1.50 a pound into delicious shelf stable meat for 40 meals. I didn't used to be a fan of freeze dryers until I got one. As a homesteader, it makes good sense as another tool to preserve the harvest. Good point!
@@kan-zee I bought 6 months of prepackaged freeze dried foods from 4Patriots. That is 3 months for my hubby and 3 months for me. I have lots of canning done and dehydrated also.
**BlueAlpine freeze dryers bluealpinefreezedryers.com/providentprepper Use the promo code ProvidentPrepper to get 5% off.
**Harvest Right affiliates.harvestright.com/901.html
**PackFreshUSA Mylar Bags packfreshusa.com/?rfsn=7503114.ecc85c Use promo code PROVIDENT to receive 10% off your order. I prefer to use smaller sizes for freeze-dried foods.
**Kelly Kettle Cooking Stove Kit shrsl.com/4f1bu
We earn a small affiliate fee that helps to support our channel with every sale and we appreciate you using our links. Remember that the important thing is to build a well-stocked pantry that can see you through challenging times. Freeze-drying may or may not be a good option for you. You don't have to have a freeze-dryer to be prepared! But it sure is nice.
Thanks for being part of the solution!
Freeze dryer is a worthwhile investment for those of us with food restrictions due to illness. In my 70’s, with arthritis, canning is too risky for me - hot water, heavy pans, glass jars - so dehydrating and freeze drying are my best options for shelf stable foods.
Salmon burger patties (thanks, Costco!) - cooked, freeze dried and sealed in mylar bags - rehydrate in a fast minute with a little hot water poured over them.
I like to make from scratch and then freeze dry soups and stews - lentil, chili, vegetable, others - when prepared they can be made thicker or thinner depending on how much hot water you add. And, can be a whole other kind of meal if ladled over or mixed with rice, pasta, potatoes, bread.
I’m off to make some taco meat…!
Thanks, K & J! 🙏❤️
People in here complaining about the cost of a freeze dryer, like so many things, the first thing you make is expensive. The more you use it, the less expensive per use it is.
It is a great tool for someone that likes to preserve their own food. I factor the cost like I would a dehydrator or pressure canner. I love mine! However, I live the type of lifestyle that the investment makes sense.
@@oldgranny410 I don’t think I was “complaining”. I simply stated that at my age it would not be worth it for me. I can, freeze and dehydrate and purchased 6 months of freeze dried goods quite awhile ago.
Costco rotisserie chicken is so economical, easy and tastes wonderful when rehydrated! Yes, don't forget to rinse off to get as much fat off as possible. We remove the skin and I'm careful to use the less fatty portions of the chicken for the freeze dryer. But there is still a use for the carcass, skin and fattier portions (like the dark meats). We take all of that and cook it all down for several hours. Strain it and put the broth in the fridge overnight. That separates the fat to the top. Remove the fat and you've got chicken bone broth to go into your freeze dryer. 3 costco chickens works perfect in my medium FD.
Adding a layer of paper towel underneath chicken or other meats also helps to absorb any residual fats during the freeze dry process.
Thanks for the tip!
@@ThirteenKidsLater , that's what I do too.
That food looks delicious! Best prepping channel out there! Thank you Jonathan and Kylene!
Terrific. Looks like you are enjoying yourselves as always. Great video, yum! Thank you Jonathan and Kylene, happy trails!
I love my freeze dryer. I saved up and bought one - finally - in 2021. I use it most often for meals, eggs, milk, cheese. I started to play with it last fall doing some sweets, but it's primarily for real food. I'm very grateful for having been able to buy one. Also very appreciative of the people who share their experiences, recipes, tips, for the freeze dryer.
I LOVE mine too! Last night I thinned by fall beets so I go two huge buckets of young beet greens. No way we could eat all that at once. We washed it and chopped it up and it is in the freeze dryer. It looks amazing. Now I'll have it all year long for smoothies, soups, or to grind into a flour to add nutrition to baked goods. I'm dehydrating what wouldn't fit in the freeze dryer. The dehydrated is fine but it just isn't as flavorful as the freeze dried.
Just got my freeze dryer, on my 3rd batch, and I LOVE it! So much easier than canning, and will have more freezer space! Got mine with affirm with no interest.
We love shredded chicken and ground beef. They reconstitute so fast and they are delicious! We have purchased a large and two XL Harvest Right freeze dryers in the last 9 months. We sold Freeze dried candy to help purchase the two XL machines.
I have small scissors in all my first aid kits. The ones in my medicine cabinet are titanium, from Walmart, and they cost me about $8. They've lasted for years, and are still super sharp.
It's great you show us the mistakes. Everyone learns from this.
All your freeze-dried foods looked delicious!
Very interesting to see. I'm not going to invest in a freeze dryer. I just buy long shelf life food Periodically as I can and so far I've enjoyed what I've bought
I remember how excited you both were to begin your FD journey!! How fun it is to see how it's gone
I use my freeze-dried stuff all the time when making meals. I usually rehydrate things for a few minutes before using as if it was fresh.
Boy, I sure would love a freeze dryer but man, they are awfully expensive.
Thanks for showing us the good and bad. I hope to have one of these one of these days. Great video.
Good to review what has been done. I like spicy food and I think the heat increases bit. As well mixed meals (e.g. meat plus sauce and rice ) do great as the rice absorbs the flavors. I must admit the gusseted bags I can buy in Canada tend to leak. I vacuum seal and the zip lock does tend to be a problem. Just got some bags with the "knicks" to open at the top and you seal the bottom. That would work well (for the manufacturers out there ).
That's frustrating. Do you use mostly mason jars then?
@@TheProvidentPrepper I do use Mason jars mostly for fruit and veggies now, but also the flat mylar bags.
Wish I could afford one
Great video, thank you
I love my freeze dryer!
As a hiker I have lived off mostly dehydrated long term food for three months at a time. I would hike off trail to one of the small towns off trail and pick up my supply package at post office, usually grab a burger to eat, then go back on trail. I usually tried to carry no more than up to 5 days in my pack. Once in the Sierras I was out 9 days because I tripped and needed to rest my foot. The dehydrated foods are pretty good any more. I have heard that freeze dried foods taste better but are bulkier in your back pack. I am presently 66 years old and am planning a 2500 mile, or there about hike from Georgia to Maine. You can nd up going into a town for resupply every 3 to 5 days. One thing I have learned as a year round hiker. I know how to survive with only what is in my backpack. I have ( with the help of a lifestraw). Even been forced to drink absolutely filthy water from old stock ponds. So. I bought a hand pump for our well here on the property, and have everything I would absolutely have to have to survive. One method backpackers use to prepare food is similar to what you do here. We make an insulating folding bag ( some people don’t make s bag, instead they make a cozy that fits around and over the lid of the small cookpot/cups that most backpackers carry. ). Then you put the bag your dehydrated meal comes into the bag till the food is rehydrated and soft to your liking. Nice hot meal on trail without using extra water. The bags are made of that silver bubble like stuff similar to what many insulating car windshield shades are made of. You can usually get it by the foot or yard at Home Depot or similar. That and a long handled spoon to eat directly out of the bag uses very little fuel.
Wow! 2500 miles! You are amazing!
im freeze drying my first meal right now. ive done candies and fruits and now a meal! it's birria taco meat and rice.
Thank you for the video, we just went through a 24 hour power outage and realized we could be more prepared. For the carrots and broccoli, did you cook them prior to freeze drying?
Unfortunately here in Australia freez dryer’s cost mega bucks 😢
At 72 I’m not sure I will get enough use for the initial cost of freeze dryer.
At 77 I agree
My mother-in-law bought one at 86 and loves it. But she is an avid home canner. This is what she has to say about it th-cam.com/video/KoL-0XOiXtU/w-d-xo.html
I’m 73 and my wife is a bit younger and we get very good use… much of our garden and soups and fruits, meats and fun candy… it does take time but worth it
I have to have your secret for the broccoli. I did a huge batch, and it is just gross! I blanched it, and then freeze dried. But, trying to heat it, it turned to mush and the taste was terrible. Fun video! 😊😊
Some things - like broccoli - I buy the frozen organic florets and freeze dry those. (Why won’t it grow in my garden!??)
I tell myself if they needed blanching, that happened before they were frozen. 🤷🏼♀️ Working for me so far… 🙏❤️
Kelly Kettle - your link does not work, however, I looked it up on Amazon. I am not sure what it cost on the site you linked but it says $50 shipping fee on all orders. Amazon, of course, has free shipping for people with prime. It would be great to see a demonstration on all the other components of the Kelly Kettle. Thank you, this is a valuable update.
Awhile back you ask what I needed to prepare for. I told you about Los Alamose and the national forest. Los alamose is fine, the is a forest fire north west of my home, ( controlled burn ? ) huh
Are you doing okay?
@TheProvidentPrepper alot of smoke but the fire is not moving towards me l supposed to be put out on Sunday, maybe if the wind doesn't get bad.
Thank you for asking.
@@JoanWakefield How are you?
@TheProvidentPrepper all is good now, maybe we will get some snow pretty soon, next few days.
Johnathan would it be possible to run the freeze dryer on an eco flow entirely using the solar panels? If so there will be no electric increase for me. Which might mske a purchase seem better?
So, it still tastes good, but were there any unscheduled trips to the washroom after?
Nope. It was just delightful. I'm a fan of my freeze dried foods :) Can't say the same about some of the commercial meals that I've tried.
Oh forgot to mention I have solar, so cost is minimal!
Have you done a video where you compare the Blue Alpine with the Harvest Right? Pros/cons of each?
We are doing our experiments right now. I'm pretty pleased with the Blue Alpine so far. I'll let you know more after I put it through the ringer :)
Haha... my motto too! Thus my chubby buns. Lol
Just a quick question.... Has your freeze drier paid for itself, in the amount of food you put in storage?
If not, how much more will it take for you to break even?
It's not so much the amount of food that I put in storage because for the most part we use it all the time. Most of it is stored in mason jars and used just like I use the peaches or applesauce I bottle every year. We grow a lot of our own food and so food preservation is big for us to make it from year to year. It has paid for itself because of our lifestyle. Last night I cut up Asian pears to freeze dry. They are so delicious. We use them as a snack food. It's super cool that it has such a long shelf life.
@@TheProvidentPrepper So in other words, you justify buying an expensive toy (that normal families could never afford) to satisfy extravagant tastes that cannot be duplicated by any other means?
@@HWhit9000No that’s not what she at all. They grow their own food. You have to preserve it somehow between harvests or it goes bad. Food that you grow is free or minimal cost compared to shopping at a grocery store. Wasted food is an economic loss regardless of being purchased or grown. This allows them to preserve their food with all the nutrients intact until they are ready to eat it and reduces reliance on grocery stores. This likely saves them thousands of dollars every year that would have otherwise been spent at a grocery store. So in this case it is less expensive than shopping. This is not a toy. Yes freeze dryers are expensive to produce and then to acquire, but it does pay for itself typically in about six months or less of regular use if compared to cost of purchasing similar freeze dried foods. The lifespan of these machines is at least a decade as I have had mine that long. Save up over time if you really want one. It took me about four years of saving between when I initially discovered Harvest Right being sold on classifieds as a startup business before I was able to afford to purchase one. If you don’t feel you can afford one, there are still plenty of other options for long term food storage that are available with no or low additional cost beyond purchasing.
@@ThirteenKidsLater Not once have I mentioned the cost of the items being freeze dried, so the origin of the food is a moot point.
I've been living in my off-grid cabin for 10+ years, grow close to 75% of my food, forage in the 1,000+ acres of surrounding woodland for wild edibles, mushrooms, and medicinal plants. I do have a chest freezer that is for temporary storage only, if I plan on storing food for more than a month, I either pressure can, dehydrate, pickle, ferment, cure, or smoke the items to make them shelf stable.
No need for an expensive toy that will be as useless as a door stop during a long-term power outage. And if you think those glorified batteries will supply enough to power all your electrical toys, you may want to do some real studying about wattage and amperage.
@@HWhit9000 you mentioned the economic costs of a freeze dryer so I pointed out its value and how the costs could be justified. You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder and are quite condescending. I’m happy for you having such a sustainable lifestyle but please realize you’re not the only one who understands these concepts or lives this way. Most of us realize full well that freeze dryers are very difficult to run off grid. Their purpose is to build a long term supply in the here and now while they can still be used. Of course we will utilize other methods later and I currently use many methods to preserve food. I hope you have a better rest of your day.
6 Peak refuel store freeze dried meals, costs us $120.oo cad.
6 Mountain house freeze dried meals, costs $140 cad
Home made Freeze dried meals costs
One time purchase of freeze drier , costs $5000 cad
Monthly Electrical bill = $150 cad
Groceries for freeze drying 6 meals (berries, veggetables, chicken, beef) = $ 200 cad
Total $5350.oo for 6 meals
It absolutely does not make sense for 6 meals. It totally makes sense the way that I use it. In two days I can turn 40 pounds of chicken breast that I got on sale for $1.50 a pound into delicious shelf stable meat for 40 meals. I didn't used to be a fan of freeze dryers until I got one. As a homesteader, it makes good sense as another tool to preserve the harvest. Good point!
@@kan-zee I bought 6 months of prepackaged freeze dried foods from 4Patriots. That is 3 months for my hubby and 3 months for me. I have lots of canning done and dehydrated also.
Take a chance about a few more. If you do six more, that will cut your cost by almost half.
@@BusDriverShirley Your awesome....6 months of prepackaged freeze dried meals, is awesome
@@kan-zeethank you. Buying pre-made and packaged was cheaper for us.