Harvest Right Freeze Dried vs. Store Bought Freeze Dried Strawberries, Apples, Mangoes
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- I have always wanted to put the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer and it's home freeze dried food up against a wealth of competing store bought freeze dried food. The first video of my new series is putting ALDI Simply Nature freeze dried fruit up against Harvest Right freeze dried fruit at home. We are freeze drying strawberries, fuji apples and mango. This video goes over the entire cost difference, quality of food, a taste test, energy consumption and cost and my thoughts on the two compared side by side.
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I am a convert to putting my peeled apples in salt water 😆 I never had luck with lemon juice. My kids don't seem to notice any flavor difference.... so I can batch cut apples and store in ziploc baggies for school lunches that week.
I've been doing this for years. I have four of the machines. 😊
Hi, Do you freeze dry for yourself or do you sell what you freeze dry?
I finally ordered one!!! You have helped to give confidence in the purchase so thank you. 10 week lead time right now - horrible but I'm on the list at least. Oh and, for anyone considering purchasing it - DEFINITELY call Harvest Right before you order online! VERY nice discounts on extras - didn't even ask and some were 50% off because I was talking with sales person.
Congrats and thanks for the tips for phone ordering.
Yes HR can match or beat any offer from any dealer or affiliate. Can I ask what size you ordered and what your cost was? Did you order the oil less pump? I ordered my large dryer directly from HR back in Dec. 2018 with oil less pump - $4300 with shipping. I run it almost 24/7 and love it.
@@jerrysmith372 sure - I ordered the large in stainless. I chose to get the standard pump on the unit I purchased (for a backup) but also bought the Premier Pump as an extra (will use as primary) in lieu of the oil less for longevity, noise, and savings. I got quite a few extras like a second set of trays, oil, a continuous bag sealer, bags, etc... but my total was just under 5k. I wish I wasn't waiting for 10 weeks but knowing one is on it's way is satisfying.
@@freakybiggles6458 Good for you, going with the large. It can process more food than the small and medium combined. I found that the oil less pump runs quieter than the standard pump. With mine it had an issue at 8 months in but HR rebuilt it at no charge and even covered the shipping. It's been running great for about a year now. Two sets of trays come standard - along with the bag sealer and silicone mats and door insulator.
I found that using a hair flat iron to be easier to use and gives me a wide seal on bags - even 5 gallon bags.
You should go ahead and order your accessories to have on hand when your dryer arrives. Like Mylar bags and O2 absorbers. I think HR only includes 50 each to get you started. I like to order the HR bags. I find them to be a high quality bag. I order O2 absorbers off Amazon.
I built my work station from 2X4 and 3/4 inch 4X8 sheet of counter top material from Home Depot. I built in a second level at the right spacing for the pump to sit below, giving me a large work space.
These dryers are designed to operate in temperatures between 35 and 85 F. If its too hot it wont preform well. The only space I had was in my garage - but when summer hit here in the desert southwest I had to build a custom air moving system to pass cool house air through the machine. If I had the space it would be in the house.
I hope you enjoy your new dryer as much as I do. It's the best prepping tool I own and it's fun to do. I'm doing a load of ice cream for the grandkids right now. But I mostly do serious loads of foods for long term. Search for freeze drying channels and watch all the videos you can to get a leg up on the how-to's.
My tips for you - don't over load the trays. Keep the level at or below the edge of the tray. I keep my loads at or below 15 pounds. The largest load I've ever done was 26 pounds of meat. It dried, but it took a long time. One quart of liquids per tray. Per-freezing is good if you have the freezer space. (I don't)
Todays machines are almost fully automatic - just let the machine do all the timing. You can add time to the final dry so you can be there when you have the time to process it.
Now it's just me - but I like to sanitize the chamber and rack before each batch to prevent any bacteria building up and causing odors. Bacteria can survive the drying process so food safety is important.
Things with high sugar content don't dry well - like jelly's nor do things with high fat content like bacon. A little fat is OK but try to make it as lean as possible.
Other than that you can freeze dry almost anything you can think of. Things like raw scrambled eggs (6 dozen at a time) I pass through my food processor to powder them. Same with tomato puree, milk, sour cream. You get the idea. Place the tray in the machine almost all the way then pour in your liquids to avoid spilling (unless you pre-freeze your trays)
I hope HR made you aware that the large dryer requires a dedicated 20 amp circuit- I'm an electrician so I ran my own circuit. Now is the time to get that done before your dryer arrives. But you have to know where your going to put it. The noise level I would compere to a cheep dishwasher. It's not bad - but mine is in the garage so I don't hear it at all.
Do experiments - don't be afraid to try anything (at least once)(don't do hot dogs) And always make sure your drain bucket (If you use one) is empty before you vent the chamber or you'll suck water into the chamber and have to do the batch all over again. Been there, done that.
Fresh vegetables need to be blanched first just as you would for prepping them for the freezer - store bought frozen vegetables have already been done with this step. Fruits with skins need to be pierced - like cutting grapes in half to let the water out. If the water vapor cant get out it wont dry
Enjoy you're new dryer, have fun with it and learn from your mistakes. Ask me any questions you like - I'd be happy to help.
Just finding this video for the first time. Information that stays fresh. Thank you
I want a freeze dryer but they are too expensive for my budget. As a 22 year old in college I can't afford one. I would use it for my garden and when I go pick raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries from local farms.
When I use apples for cooking, I peel them with a vegetable peeler before slicing. Very little waste and it goes quite quickly.
I’m saving for a FD because of your honest evaluation
Ty
😀👌
If you call HR directly you can inquire about a finance program if you didn't want to wait. It will pay for itself in less than a year. I love my large dryer and oil less pump - have had it since Dec. 2018. I run it almost 24/7. Large dryer will process more food than the small and medium dryers....combined.
You can put it on layaway with Harvest Right. I did, and the process was flawless. Layway gave me the latitude to buy the oil-less pump as well. Using it as we speak.
@@tomkinton Good for you - welcome to the community. I'm doing a load of ice cream for the grandkids right now. I'll get back to some serious freeze drying soon. My large dryer runs almost 24/7 with something. I also have the oil less pump. Bought mine back in Dec. of 2018 and have put up a lot of foods. This dryer has paid for itself twice over. And you know what's in the foods - things you know you like to eat. Best way to preserve foods by far.
I hope you enjoy your dryer as much as I do.
I would be looking more in to this before I would spend that much money
I just bought a dehydrator, I wish I had seen THIS BEFORE I bought the dehydrator. Now I really REALLY want a Freeze Dryer !!
Harvest Right has a lay away program. Take as long as you need to pay for it. I had mine on lay away for 3 years!
@@20footcommute14 thank you! That is really, really good info to have.
SALE IT, MANY PERSONS HAVE PREFERENCES FOR DEHYDRATOR.
Your freeze drying videos are so helpful and inspiring. You make it look EASY! Thank you for sharing :D
You are so welcome!
Does your price include the Mylar bag and oxygen absorber?
I've been looking forward to seeing you back making videos. It's great to get the price breakdown and comparison. Many thanks.
More to come!
Great video. This might be the best one yet. I hope you do more like this. Going to share.
Thanks Tom!
I loved seeing the coat break down. Great job
Glad you liked it!
You should add the labor cost and cost of mylar bag or glass jar? Also the fixed cost of the Harvest Right machine.
I just watched these two videos this past week. Makes me want to get one even more now but not in a position to. th-cam.com/video/2YjbP8gEQMc/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Z3j-47FioTk/w-d-xo.html
I am trying to wait until Black Friday to order a medium FD with a oil less pump. I use pineapple juice on my apple before dehydrating them. It works great. Thanks for the amazing videos.
Does it add any pineapple flavor, or just help with browning?
Retired at 40- Live.Life.Simple. It did not add pineapple flavor just helped with the browning. I used the juice from pineapple rings then added them to the dehydrator too.
Update : just made some dehydrated apples with pineapple juice. My son was able to taste the pineapple juice in the apple. He did state he liked it better than the lemon juice.
Appreciated the video. I think the big thing I consider is personal labour and capital cost of the machine. Looking to fulfill my food security concerns and $4k+ (cad) on the dryer vs buying product gives me alot to think about. How long do the machines really last and what is the maintenance cost to upkeep them over the long run. Ahh well... Watch more videos
Some people are still.running the original machines from 13 years ago. Just like anything, some will last a very long time and need little to no maintenance and some will require more.
If you can't find ascorbic acid, fear not. Just use a bowl of water and put in some lemon juice. Put all of your slices in the water with lemon juice as your making lemon slices. It will do the same thing. You can also spread lemon juice on avocado to also prevent it from browning.
Great tip! That's what I do.
If you're going to peel the apples, it's best to do it first, then put your sliced apples into the water and lemon juice as you go. Salt water will work also.
Super interesting stuff. Really thinking to get a freeze drier for myself. Your cost calculation is easy enough to follow but I would think that the electricity cost of the initial pre- freezing is missing. If your fruits would have gone directly to the freeze drier the cycle would have been longer by several hours hence have a higher electricity bil.
Thanks for the cost breakdown
Thanks for the video, Brian! As always, great job comparing the store-bought freeze-dried fruits to the Harvest Right freeze-dried fruits. Hope you are settling into your new home, and I hope that derecho didn't cause you any problems.
We are moved, settled, and enjoying. The derecho was a crazy thing but we are safe but our trampoline almost went airborne!🚀
Good work!! this was broken down nicely you should do some video on homemade seasonings.
Great suggestion!
YES, ABSOLUTELY !!!! SEASONINGS !!!!
your a great advertisment for the freeze dryer.. i want one really bad but i dont see mre ever affording one
Price per kw is 17 cents plus delivery fee plus regulatory fee plus 13 percent hst in Ontario so math is a little more difficult to get actual cost of use. Thanks for the videos.
the only reason to peel apples before fd'ing is if you want to use them for pie filling later or to make apple sauce.... in either case, you peel before you slice! Keeps the waste down, takes less time and less time for the slices to brown. :)
Wow what a awesome video this is the first time I've ever watched your video and I enjoyed it I know I need to get a freezer like you like you have but they're so expensive for over $3,000 which I have no type of money to buy one.
Great video! Would love to see more comparisons.
Love your videos and channel. After watching several, I am sold and have ordered my FD. My sales person is amazing and very helpful. Won't use FB, tired of the scammers on there. At least with YT I can somewhat control it.
Most people buy the medium dryer - what size did you order? I have the large dryer and oil less pump.
That is awesome!
@@jerrysmith372 I ordered the medium as well and the standard pump
@@kathiepahner1603 I'm sure you'll be happy with your new freeze dryer. Mine arrived December 2018 and I've done a lot of batches since. It runs almost 24/7.
I never liked all the oil filtering an pump cleanings needed with the standard pump. For me the oil less pump was worth the extra money.
HR has a great customer service department and will work with you with any issue you may have. I personally like their Mylar bags - very good quality. I just reordered 200 of them. Keep in mind when doing fresh vegetables you need to blanch them first as if you were prepping for the freezer or they won't come out right. Do experiment and don't be afraid to make mistakes - we all do. Key points are to not over fill the trays - let the machine do all the timing you can add time in the final dry segment if need be - so you can be there when you're ready to pack it. Operate only in temperatures between 35 and 85 F
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th-cam.com/users/EpicenterBryanvideos
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These are some channels that do a lot of freeze drying - you may want to watch a bunch of videos while you wait for your delivery and get some advanced knowledge - everything from freeze drying to cleaning the pump you'll find somewhere in these channels.
Have fun and welcome to the community.
@@jerrysmith372 - How long can you leave the food in the machine before you put it into mylar bags (or jars)? Thanks.
Great video. I was wondering if you have favorite Mylar bags with good prices. I try to factor that cost in also. My HR is on its way, so I am bingeing the channel and learning.
I don't have a freeze drier yet but I would love one. Not sure the wife would agree though. Its great to see these videos, I love freeze dried fruit but it is so expensive for what it actually is.
As you are slicing the apples, place them in a bowl with water with the juice of 1/2 or 1 lemon that will prevent them from browning
Or salt water
Liked the video but some other things to keep in mind. Cost of packaging, whether it's your own mylar bags or jars. The store bought includes the bags. Also, fruit is really variable. If you pick one bad apple (literally) it changes the math a lot. Also capital cost of the freezer dryer, vacuum sealer, etc. All that considered, if the store bought bags can be had for ~$4, that doesn't seem like such a bad deal in comparison.
I like mangoes. I have dehydrated and freeze dried them. Frankly it is one fruit where the dehydrated is much more intense in flavour than the freeze dried and is the better "candy". Strawberries are much better freeze dried I think.
Thanks for the comparison in price.
Thanks for sharing, i have not have them dehydrated. Mangoes will probably be something we work into the food bank from now on.
So true I dehydrate everything but my fav is the mango, jackfruit
How's those cost figure In with the cost of the machine/life and maintenance?
Thank you Brian for the math and cost break down - I'll be sure to share this video with people interested in a dryer for themselves. One fact that changes the cost of freeze drying is with a pre-freeze of the foods. I for one don't have the freezer space to do that - therefor it adds to the electric cost pre batch. To be fair, you should do the complete cycle in the dryer including the freeze cycle and than compare to commercial FD foods. Harvest Right would still win that contest.
I see in the comments that several people have placed orders for a dryer. When you're comparing dried products you should also inform viewers of the differences in the Harvest Right dryers themselves.
The large dryer can process more food than the small and medium dryers.....combined. For about the same cost in electricity. I realize that cost is an important issue for a lot of people and the large dryer is more of an investment - but for people who want to get the best bang for the buck in my opinion is with a large dryer. It will still pay for itself in less than a year. I've had my large dryer and oil less pump now since December of 2018 and love it - best prepping tool I own. It's a well built machine and they are making improvements all the time.
Here is a video showing the size difference's with the dryers your viewers will find interesting. As you can see the tray size is much larger for the large dryer and can hold more foods.
th-cam.com/video/aLGq9YIaHMw/w-d-xo.html
Yes the run times will be longer with a large dryer simply because it holds more foods. I generally keep my load size to 20 pounds or less and only a quart of liquids per tray. But the largest load I've ever done was 26 pounds of meats (yes it took a long time)
I will caution viewers that the large dryer requires a dedicated 20 amp circuit to operate or you run the risk of overloading a circuit. This may add cost to anyone's investment.
And yes the oil less pump is extra money that also adds to anyone's investment. But for me the oil less pump is well worth it - not dealing with oil filtering, pump cleanings, or spills and just the overall mess with the standard pumps. The oil less pump runs quieter but does run hotter at 130 F and casts off more heat. Something to keep in mind when you decide on a station location.
I do enjoy your videos and watch everything you put out. They are very informative and well made. I look forward to your next freeze drying video. Thank you.
As always, appreciate your comment. You are right, I will mention the different sizes in the next video and consider adding in the entire cycle (prefreeze included). So much of the cost breakdown is situational. I will try to get the breakdowns from different perspectives.
I'd also love to know what other costs, such as bags, machine, pump, etc - seems like of course it would eventually pay for itself but trying to justify.
What is the black plug that you are putting behind the door? It did not come with our dryer. Is it an option?
Any recommendation for vacuum systems to seal glass jars?
Not to be a stickler because I love love the research you're providing but you have to factor in the cost of the mylar bag & the oxygen removal tab. Otherwise great video and information. I am subscribed.
You are right! That should be factored in
How about freeze drying lemons and use powder for ascorbic acid/preserving on apples?
Did you include the cost of the storage bag?
So if you were to sell them at a farmers market how would you price them? Any ideas would be appreciated
Can you rehydrate the fruit and use it like you would fresh? For example, could you use the apples to make a pie?
Mix some cold water with lemon juice and dunk the apple slices in it right after you cut the apples. The acid from the lemon juice will stop the Browning of the apples
So when you seal the bags you don’t need to vacuum seal them?
Great video..very interesting!!
have you done ham slices? We have had nothing but horrible luck with our drier and the company. First, 3 months to get it once ordered. Pump did not work and while having the rep on the phone following her instructions, the cord exploded, sparks, loud explosion, so they sent a new motor, (this was the oiless one) and then the dryer does not work. We can either ship it back or they will send us a new mother board which we will have to install, (who does that?) With our original purchase we were to get the silpats cuz the order was so long in getting here. Never have gotten them. The machine never worked, right. We had to ship the whole thing back, building a pallet, repackaging (which they did send the box and paper work). So hours, food loss that we had waiting to go in the machine, our time installing, repackaging etc. you would think the company would send some extra trays or something to compensate, not to mention the silpats not here yet, 4+ months later. Now no response whatsoever!! Did I mention the thing ways a ton and we are in our 70's? Any suggestions? No responses now from them!
Using a cermaic knife will also help the apples from oxidation.
I don't see the link for the apple corer. Where would I find that? BTW we love your videos... We also love our Harvest Right freeze dryer.
All links can be found in the description of videos
apple corer:
amzn.to/2Y6aa7e
why is my gummies still chewy in center after 2 1/2 days of fding? im just keep on adding more time. someone said, when finished, not to use OA in candy mylar bags? is that true.
Don't you think instant coffee would be the most efficient way to go. It was an interesting experiment.
I found the 2 for $1. Flexible chopping mats make easy liners. Cheaper than cutting up a silpat.
Question. I love the bag sealer you used in this video. Can you say the brand/model please?
Impak 16 inch Here is a link:
amzn.to/3goiTI0
Mary from Florida on Richard's phone I'm wondering if the texture difference is because they started out with dehydrated fruit then freeze dried it because that's what the strawberries look like.
TY, did you put ascorbic acid on your apples - it does keep them nice and white.
Do NOT use FACEBOOK and will not use FACEBOOK!!!
I did not, but several have said certain citrus fruits help with browning
@@thefreezedryingcommunity Abscorbic acid is just Vitamin C and usually comes from lemons
@@thefreezedryingcommunity A vitamin C powder comes prepackaged in large jars. I've also seen an article by a doctor explaining that she uses powdered vitamin c in her dishwasher instead of commercial dish washer powders.
Brian? Like Epicenter Brian? That makes things a whole lot easier to remember. Great work boata ya’s... Thanks for taking the time to put up good content, which I have used on multiple occasions.... Cheers from NW Wisconsin. It ain’t the ends of the earth but you can see it from here... 😜
My pleasure
Fuji apples are my favorite apple variety of all time. Tastes amazing with peanut butter.
I'm a total noobie. Can you rehydrate the fruit? I think I'd buy a freeze-dryer in a second if I could have fresh strawberries anytime of the year. Especially home-grown ones!
Apple skins can be dried and ground foe fruit powdered. Throw the apple slices into water with lemon juice to prevent browning. Not wasting food is a good thing so freeze drying imperfect fruit is a good thing as long as its not rotting. That should be composted.
Just ordered a medium HR thanks to all of your helpful videos. So glad to see how well this stuff comes out; freeze-dried fruits are my main reason for wanting one.
Slightly off-topic question: what happens if you have a power outage during a cycle? Is the batch ruined or does the Harvest Right resume the cycle when power is restored?
It will resume the cycle once power is restored. I have never experienced a power outage until two weeks ago and it happened twice.
FYI for anyone thinking about getting a Harvest Right freeze dryer- Home Depot also carries them. Home Depot offers 24 months *interest-free* financing for purchases over $1,999 on their credit card. I also had credit card points that I was able to convert to $600 in Home Depot gift cards- that made the difference between being able to get the medium freeze dryer over the small model. .
I saw that, again what are the rest of expenses and equipment you need to complete this full cycle. Add in a few hundred for a deep freezer, all these bags, containers, vacuums, sealer, scales and blah blah that tends to be left out in all these great videos!! As I mentioned in my comment... no one has pointed out these details and how it will suit the novice person that gets roped into buying it and making payments on something that is going to eat up a lot of free time, lots and trial and error themselves and watching endless like these!!
Thanks for these wonderful uploads😊
I think i need to invest in one of these
Let me know if you ever have questions
thank you thank you thank you
If you use a mason jar and constantly use some how long will the strawberrys keep?
Nearing 4 years and counting for me. Others have had their machines much longer with positive results
I thought of a question I hope that's okay is there a bigger freeze dryers or is that as big as you could get thank you and if you have the time to answer the question if you don't I could always look it up well at least try to thank you so much
Great review🤩 thanks for doing this. It initial price is high for the FD but in the long run the money that is saved from preserving my own food is well worth it.🇺🇸
If you are going to use it regularly, it's worth it
Why didn't you peel the apples before segmenting them?
this makes me wonder if they are dehydrating before freeze drying to save cost?
How long will these last vacuum sealed in a mason?
Thank you for this informative video!!!
Peel apples before slicing? I have a nifty spiral gadget that peels and cores at the same time. Thanks for the great videos! My Harvest Right arrived on Thursday, I haven't set it up yet but will in the next couple of days
Me to, then i toss them in a canning pan with water and lemon juice.
I wonder if they didn't dehydrate those first and then freeze-dried them afterwards because of issues with humidity.
The strawberries (Store bought) do look a bit dehydrated before freeze drying whether that was on purpose or not...
They do look similar to dehydrated fruits
I don't think you added cost of freeze dryer into any figures??
Nice video. :) My most expensive item is my time. But it does not calculate for the quality of freeze drying your own quality food.
cool video. how do you know how long to cycle the foods for? thanks
the freeze dryer is pretty intelligent and does most of the work. If the food is very moist, add time to the final dry
I would peel the apple before slicing and coring it!
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What can a guy expect for shelf life when stored in vac seal bags or mylar bags? Is this a good option for long term (5+ years) storage?
freeze dried food properly stored is good for 20-25 years
Do you have to pre freeze all of your food before putting it in the freeze dryer? I just got one and I'm setting it up now.
How long?
It reduces the 1 cycle of the freeze dryer dramatically. You basically skip a step. I freeze overnight
Did you try the difference on rehydrating them?
The Simply Nature sample looks like they were dehydrated vs actually being freeze dried. Dehydrating not only changes the shape and size (making them shrivel), but you lose more nutrients in the process. Dehydrating foods negatively affects vitamin A & C, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin. Whereas with freeze drying, mostly vitamin C is the only nutrient with exceptional loss due to the fact it evaporates fairly quickly during the preservation stage.
👌great info!
When I think of ascorbic acid I think of vitamin c
Lemon juice - keeps fruit from browning. 1 lemon (squeezed) in a bowl of water will do the trick.
👍
@@thefreezedryingcommunity I've used lemon juice, and lime, too, to keep the apples white. And I agree that the peeling on the apple tastes great. It add wonderful color as well.
@@marthaanderson2594 And has a lot of vitamins in the skins as well.
It is the outer shell of the vitamin C. It works bc it's highly acidic which aids in protecting. But, vit c has all this complex domain within the outer shell. For health, we need the whole. But for storage the shell should be fine.
Is it necessary to vacuum seal freeze dried product?
How do they compare when it comes to reconstituting?
Most freeze dried fruits will not reconstitute well. They are best eaten as a snack
@@thefreezedryingcommunity thank you!! We just got our machine and are still learning a lot. Reconstituting has become our biggest source of confusion. Haha.
Looks like the store bought are partially dehydrated then freeze dried, accounting for the texture and 'shrivel' factor.
Yep. And lacking flavor as well
Why do you have to freeze it before you put it in the freeze dryer?
How do I find your links? I'm new to FD and need some supplies
Www.freezedryingsupplies.com or click show more under the videos and it will show all of my freeze drying tools used. Happy freeze drying!
The Aldi product looks like it is dehydrated with heat before it is freeze dried. I thought about doing this to reduce finished volume because dehydrated is 1/2 to 1/3 the volume,
but the texture is harder.
👍
Keep good comparisons rollin!
for sure!
All ripe mangoes, regardless of type, have a color hue that is not very pale as these Aldis’ are. I grew up with mangoes, in Hawaii. Ripe Haden Mangoes have bright, juicy, orange meat. My mother loved Pirie Mangoes, whose meat was more chalky peachy looking, but still a definite buttery peachy yellow.
We use unripe, green, commin mangoes to slice and dip in a soy sauce with vinegar, salt, and pepper as a simple snack.
By no means am I an expert at mangoes as there are many varieties. However. I have never seen any that have such a pale, washed out color when ripe. It makes me wonder where Aldi gets their mangoes from, which kind these are, and how ripe they are. They don’t look ripe, so I am not surprised they lack flavor.
Did you calculate your investment/depreciation cost? The per day cost of machine ownership.
Assuming it cost $2,000 to buy the freeze dryer and work properly for 5 years = $2,000 divided by (5 weekdays x 52 weeks x 5 years) = $1.54 : 3 tray = 51 cents : 2.83 bags = an additional cost per pack of 18 cents depreciation cost.
you should dip the apples in water with a little lemon to avoid browning
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toss the apples in lemon juice before freezing to keep them white
Ugh i keep thinking that things always need to be only one layer.
I agree with you the store bought are lesser quality products, maybe about to go bad or be thrown away, so the freeze drying saves the product from going to waste, and they can charge more. Like baby carrots... broken carrots that are processed to look the way they do, to sell at a higher cost. The wife buys them any way, she says their cute.
The top of my list of positives for the freeze dryer is being able to control what i freeze dry. Quality foods, nutrients and quantity.
Great analysis: thank you. About the mango, strawberries and apples, I bet yours were much more fresh. Some people think that edible skins carry bitterness. A little bitterness doesn't bother me. Rather, it adds to the flavor profile, imo. Thank you for the energy analysis, also. As a thrifty minded consumer, I've always had a concern about that. It would be very important if energy costs rise (expected and documented to be creeping up drastically, at least on the west coast) and if off grid where energy resources may need to be juggled to accomplish freeze drying.
Have you factored in the cost of the pre-freezing? Plus the cost of packaging.
pre freeze for me is a 0. My deep freeze is already running, on my next comparison i will add in the freeze cycle as well.
@@thefreezedryingcommunity Ah. Great point tbat it was already running!!!!! Silly me. Thank you for the thoughtful reply. But maybe include the cost of the packaging ;-)
Hii.. How can i buy that freezer dryer? i want buy that machines for prudence n selling after all
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Hi, if you buy a snack package of freeze dried fruit , like the one you bought on Aldi. What is the shelf life of that product?
It wasn't on the packaging. I think that the shelf life is not something they are concerned about.
The storebought probably indeed use substandard fruits bought cheap, strawberries looked maybe like they were drying out already before they processed. and mango probably cheap small, barely ripe hard suckers....
What about the cost of the machine, bags, sealer, oxygen absorbers, preparation time, etc…. That stuff wasn’t figured into the cost at all.
did you factor in the cost of the mylar bags for storage?
nope but i did on the next video harvest right vs. trader joe's
I can't believe you have never done mangos before. They were one of my first batches. My wife cuts them up into small cubes and uses them as croutons for her salad. Having said that, 2 for a dollar is a great deal. I am lucky if I get them for a buck a piece. As far as apples are concerned, the type of apple being used has a lot to do with browning. I also would never dream of skinning them. I did Macintosh and they browned. I did Honey Crisp and they did not brown at all. Unfortunately Honey Crisp are of course a lot more expensive but I got a bushel from the orchard when they were in season and it wasn't too bad. Cutting up and getting 42 pounds of apples ready for the drier was a lot of work but they are so good!
Could we purchase prefrozen organic fruits from the grocery store and then freeze dry them?
Yes
WHOA! This would save so much time and money since frozen fruits are typically much cheaper AND it allows you to get the produce even in the winter!
Thanks a bunch!