Great video! I've been freeze drying for almost two years now, but I'm always looking for new ideas. I love FD cheese, too!! I recently learned how to rehydrate shredded cheese back to normal, and there's no going back. Lol You lay it out in a single layer on very damp cheesecloth (but not dripping wet) and let it sit in the fridge for a least a few hours, up to overnight. Unroll, shake it off the cheesecloth, and viola!
Hey lovely... just some advice. The pre shredded cheese is good, but it has stuff like potato starch or cellulose. I highly recommend you buy 100% real cheese and shred yourself. I use the Professional SaladShooter Electric Slicer/Shredder. I can shred 12lbs of cheese in like 10 minutes. Just make sure you slide the large blocks in half. I freezedry a lot of cheese. :D
Not all shredded cheese has pototo or tapioca… just don’t buy big box name cheese. I buy Kraft shredded cheese and it’s good. However, if we’re trying to save $$$, then yes, buy the bricks and shred on your own. I just bought my FD and plan to slice my cheese into finger slices so they store uniformly. Good video!
Hi Bonnie 😊 I just found your short from my feed and now I'm subscribed. I appreciate your hard work on willingness to share! God bless you & your family 😊
just subscribed new to freeze dried foods and have been buying freeze dried foods from a company. i did not know about Harvest Right until after I spent a ton of money on freeze dried foods. I have just purchased a FD and am looking for information and just found your channel today. I won't get my FD until the end of May..10 week waiting time for delivery. Thanks so much for this video. I agree with you..when end of days happens I want to eat more than beans and rice!!! I am so excited. Making my list of things to FD as soon as it gets here.
I'm So excited for you! May is a great time to get your machine. And you're not alone. I spent a TON on MRE style foods too until I saw this was available. I got it 3 years ago and I want everyone to have one. I'm so happy you're getting yours. Congratulations! Let me know what you do first!
Hi I'm new to freeze drying. I'm just on my second cycle! I'm really enjoying your content/personality/explanations. I hope you plan to do more videos on any topic!
This woman is adorable. She really likes her cheese.😆 I love how she says the word "bag". Great video, I didn't know cheese doesn't reconstitute in water.
I just subscribed to your channel. I've had my FD for about two months now. And I Love it. Right now, I have bone broth on all 4 trays. I'd like to make a few gallon jars of bone broth powder for soups or recipes later on.😊
Thank you so much! What a great idea. Do you skim the fat off your broth first? I just completed a lot of stock and it's PHENOMENAL tasting. I love the idea of keeping it in powdered form.
When I shred my cheese, I LIGHTLY dust the cheese with corn starch...it helps to keep the shreds as separate shreds. Grocery store shredded cheese keeps separate by cellulose or potato starch.
I’m so excited to buy my freeze drier in a few months! Thank you for your practical guide. As you said, we busy moms need all of the shortcuts we can get.
Thanks for the info! My freeze dryer will be delivered once my house is built in a couple of months. I'm going to hit the ground running with the freeze drying and really appreciate your tips. Just subscribed!
Thanks so much for your videos, I am enjoying them immensely! I am on my second batch as I type this. You mentioned at the end of this video (shredded cheese) to check out your beginner videos by going to 'start here for the playlist'. I can't find them.....I'm sure I'm not looking in the right place...
Hi Linda! I'm trying to find the directions on how to find the playlists. I only now how to do it from my phone. So You go to my page and click playlists. I have start here/beginners. Which most of my videos mostly for beginners, anyway. :)
Thank you so much! I actually do a pretty heavy layer of the FD cheese mixed with FD cottage cheese and then make sure my sauce is a little bit "wetter". It makes for a VERY thick lasagna with multiple layers and holds up well. If it's too thick, always add a little bit more water (by the spoonful).
Not significantly enough to make a difference. It really comes down to what's available for an affordable price for me. Some times I get tons of blocks of cheese for cheap so I'll do my own and sometimes I'll get lots of bags of shredded cheap. I prefer shredding it myself. I think they taste better, but to be honest, I'll freeze dry anything hahahaha
We have been doing freeze dried cheese for some time now...we prefer the block cheese and shred it ourselves... as the shredded cheese has cellulose (wood pulverized) and a antifungal that is used to treat pink eye...in the mix..NATAMYCIN not what we want to ingest with our cheese. Plus, it tastes so much better.
Just another way to test if it’s completely dry is to take it out, weight and record each tray after it’s finished, and then put it back in for an extra hour. Then weight each tray again. If there’s no change in weight, it’s done. If there is, stick it in for another hour. Rinse and repeat.
Warm freeze dryer or trays equals moisture in the air from the ice that can ruin your freeze dried food or even cause the dreaded vacuum spray. Never personally had a vacuum spray inside the machine but have heard about it.
Thanks Bryan, I've never had vacuum spray in my machine and I ONLY do warm trays and warm machine. I also don't have condensation on my door, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Thanks for your comment!
great video! I will be freeze drying some cheese today, I hope. How long did the process take? Seems like cheese should go pretty quickly since it isn't dense or liquid-y. I will check out your channel for other freeze drying ideas :) Thanks
I LOVE cheese freeze dried. Go you! It really depends on how it's prepared and what kind. I've noticed that Havarti cheese seems to take a little bit longer. Probably because it's a semi-soft. Mozzarella shredded does better than sliced, but then cheddar does better than mozzarella. I have the medium and it put out my cheese in 22 hours. So it did pretty well. I like cheese for fast loads. Cottage cheese and cream cheese are more viscous and liquid dense so they take a while longer. (I've got cottage cheese in right now and it's at 48 hours so far). Good luck! I can't wait to hear how it goes. :)
@@FreezeDryingMama Thank you for the reply. My first cheese load was a success :) We have the large Harvest Right, so I was able to get 11 lbs of shredded cheese in. I just bought bags of pre-shredded cheese from Sams - quick & easy! I was able to fit 2.5 lbs of mozzarella on a tray (did 2 of those) and only about 2 lbs of cheddar per tray on the other 3 trays. It turned out great, I will definitely be doing cheese again, and our total time was around 22 hours as well. We have only had our freeze drier for about a month, so I still have a lot to learn, but am enjoying trying new things.
Does that shredded cheese have all kinds of preservatives in it to keep it separated??I like to buy the chunk pieces and shredd it myself in a food processor.
I've done it both ways. When I do the blocks of cheese, I prefer to cut them into cubes, but the shredded works beautifully. I've just burned out more than my fair share of food processors lol.
You mention beginner freeze drying videos, but I can't find them. I don't see any playlists marked, "Start here," that you mentioned? What (or where) should I be looking for? Thanks! I have watched a lot of your vids already & they have been very helpful.
Hi Barb, I'll have to check and see if I haven't organized it right. Wouldn't be the first time! haha. Thanks for letting me know. I'll get on that. Thank you!
Thank you! Yes, I have. It was kind of oily, but did reconstitute well. Since it's already a hard cheese, I actually powdered it after freeze drying it and put it in my lasagna. Oh my word. I'll be doing that again. I highly recommend making sure you have parchment paper under it as well as a thin napkin to capture any extra oils. Thank you!
Can I put my freeze dried shredded cheese back in the FD to process longer? Even though it was crispy when I took it out after 15 hours it felt like it was to heavy in the sealed bags😲. I was already defrosting the machine. Now I’m worried I didn’t process it long enough. What should I do? Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you! Didn’t see this video in time but I’m loving them.
Sorry I didn't answer in time. Craziness over here. Okay, so cheese is going to be heavy. That's okay. I always test by temperature. Is it warm? All the way through? I'll break it off. I'll taste it. That's the best indicator for me. If it's warm all the way through. Heavy is okay. Cheese is heavy. It's not light. It doesn't have a massive water content.
Awesome video! Good Information. You are right about who doesn't want cheese in the end of the world! If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus yet seek him. He died on the cross for our sins. We are living in the last days. Jesus is the ONLY truth in this upside down evil world we are in. God Bless you all!
Yes, crying repentance is the most important thing right now. Jesus is our Savior and He knows the way. All the food preparation in the world won't save us, if we don't have Him in our lives. Thank you for sharing here!
Yes, so I test my stuff all the time and I just opened a bag of cheese from about 4 years ago and it was AMAZING! So, this is definitely a win. I'm not sure on the 10 years yet. But I hope to be around so I can test it.
@@FreezeDryingMama Canada. I would only get Lasagna once a yr because it was my birthday and Mom would ask what I wanted for dinner. It was always lasagna. I'm one of ten kids so we were raised on hand me downs, goodwill and yard sales so we didn't have money for expensive food. Mostly potatoes, pork chops and some kind of vegetables that I hatted.
I've been testing mine for a few years and it's still good (3 years so far). I try some every year. So far so good. Other people claim it will stay good for up to 20 years. If I'm still around, I'll let you know ;)
well, Parmesan cheese has very low moisture content which makes it hard to freeze and then to pull out moisture. The entire process of lyophilization depends on the presence of water and the activity of evaporation. If there's no moisture, then it can't freeze the way it needs to and when you heat it up, it just... melts. I wouldn't do parm or any other super hard or aged cheese, stick to the softer cheeses and medium ones like cheddar, mozzarella, gouda is a good one, feta even works, it's those super hard ones that are very difficult to have success with.
I haven't done shredded Parmesan from Costco. But last week I freeze dried 5 pounds of their Cello brand, organic Copper Kettle Shaved Parmesan. It turned out beautifully! I have also done several batches of Frigo shredded Parmesan, just the regular stuff you get from Walmart. And that turned out great, too. I wonder if you are using too high of a temperature? As mentioned before, it will melt and do weird things if it's TOO hot. I never go over 125 with cheeses
You can do it a number of ways. If you just add it to a recipe than it rehydrates. You can also add water by spritzing cold water onto the cheese and letting it sit a little while. My son likes to take a damp napkin and wrap cheese in it and that seems to work well too.
What does that machine add to the electric bill, say, using it 3 x week, all year long? 100% new to the idea of freeze drying & have NO CLUE what it would cost to run this thing NOR where to get one. Thank you.
I use it 24/7 and it seems to have added about a dollar a day? but I live in a drier climate than most. I'm moving to a more humid clime and I'm anticipating more like 1.50 USD a day? Check out freezedryingmama.com I have a bunch of recommendations on where and how. Good luck. I can't wait to hear how it goes!
Being keto, does the starch on the shredded cheese not bother you? Not judging lol, just wondering. I just buy blocks of cheese and shred them in the food processor. Thanks for the video! We're REALLY considering a freeze dryer and want to do as much research as possible. 😊
Lol, Great question Kaya! I don't do keto for diabetic or other deadly health reasons. It's mostly for PCOS control and weight (I slip on the weight goals obviously lol). So the negligible amount of starch on the cheese doesn't affect me the way it does others. I would definitely do the block cheese, shredded, if the starch bothers you. Cheese turns out beautifully no matter how you put it in (as long as it's not too thick). And ask away, I'm open about doing dirty keto. I'm not going to recommend everyone do it the same as me, but I'll definitely try to help answer any questions to fit any of the other ways! Thanks for commenting! I hope you get one. They're amazing.
@@FreezeDryingMama Thanks for the response! I've been keto for 3 years. I started for weight loss and general health. But I've heard about its effects on PCOS. I don't have it, but have you found that keto has helped you with it?
@@khaskin18 I didn't see this! I'm sorry. I try to answer right away. Yes, I've been keto for 3 years as well. I definitely have taken some short breaks and I ALWAYS come back. I had PCOS so bad my next option was surgery. The pain was intense. I was lying on the floor late one night in serious pain and I looked up treatments for PCOS. A really small article popped up about the effects of keto with PCOS. I had been looking at the diet for a while and then I decided to just try it. Why not? I've tried EVERY THING else in the world. Let's not talk about the grapefruit diet lol Within 3 weeks, my pain was gone. My next period was almost ignorable. I had never faced something like that before. I used to cry just thinking about having a period and my next one... like when I was fifteen again. It was insane. I haven't had migraines or PCOS symptoms or anything like that since.
I do put it on parchment paper so I haven't noticed any. I've heard some people put napkins down to absorb any extra cheese. I also do like the medium sharp cheddar. it seems less oily.
Hi Kimberly, I like the one quart for half a tray in the medium size freeze dryer. HOWEVER, that size is a little bit smaller if you use ones with the resealable option. Not by a lot, but just something to keep in mind. Thanks for stopping by!
I just requested to join your facebook group even though I don't have my FD yet and not a facebooker, guess i will learn, another month before they deliver my FD. I bought and read your book, thank you for that information. I am working on getting as much info as I can before it gets here so I can get it going asap. Getting to the screen info now in your book. I noticed that you didn't pre freeze your cheese in this video. Do you find that it doesn't save that much time on the FD time to pre freeze it? My main concern is going to be electric costs on the FD. In CA and elec and gas prices keep going up. But hoping what I will save on doing my own FD it will even out. Thrive Life has FD cheese and their reconstitute is 3 1/2 TBSP to 1 cup of cheese, shake it up and put in frig for 30mins then it is supposed to be just like when you bought it. Have you ever tried that? I haven't opened any of my purchased FD food. End of days is not here yet. Thanks for all your videos. Going to view the beginner ones now
Awesome! I can't wait to see you in there. YAY! Great job and early congratulations. I'm so excited for you to get it. OKay, so honestly, when I pre-freeze the majority of my dishes, it does seem to cut down on the freezing cycle time for the FD. Which is a good thing. Especially with the cost of electricity and oil going up. Some foods that aren't that dense won't take that long to freeze in the freeze dryer - like cheese, marshmallows, cooked chicken, etc. I put in without pre-freezing. But for the most part, I put in prefrozen foods. I hope that helps!
Yes, it will. but remember that heat changes the constitution of the fats in the cheese, so the structure will change if you use hot water. If you use cool water and give it adequate time, you should be able to reconstitute it fairly well.
@@cindykq8086 That's a great question. I'm not sure exactly because I've never tested it. I do know cheese does really well, but that's because the fats are processed and broken down enough. Something like butter or coconut milk wouldn't be as effective.
Actually, food cooks when the water is present and can reach specific temperatures. When the food is frozen and heat is applied, the water vaporizes instead of allowing the proteins to denature. So raw food will stay "raw". Now, if it's not frozen properly or the trays are TOO hot, then they'll melt or burn. This happens, too. It's a fine balancing act that I find the machines do very well with.
I have some smoked cheese in the freeze dryer right now. Looks like it’s making a big mess. Looks like it’s covered in grease that’s boiling and splattering on everything.
@@FreezeDryingMama I didn’t keep the label to check but it must have had a lot of oil in it. I wiped up the grease and place some paper towels in the tray and turn it back on. Eventually the grease came out of the cheese. The end product was good but the whole machine had grease in it.
Hi Shelby, you can definitely powder it. I don't like to powder everything I put in my bags because I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to use the bag of food for. For instance, if I have to just grab a bag and run and I grab a cheese bag, it's easier to eat if the cheese is shredded versus trying to shovel the powder into my mouth. But powder would be easier to use for some other things, so it really comes down to what you personally want to do, etc
Omg 🤦♂️ the top will always be warm then the middle where is cold and not done. I thought you knew what you was doing, until you said you touching it will tell you it’s done🤦♂️ you are on the road for problems. The best way to find its fully dry is weighing your trays. Just because the freeze drying process is complete, doesn’t mean it’s dry.
Great video! I've been freeze drying for almost two years now, but I'm always looking for new ideas.
I love FD cheese, too!! I recently learned how to rehydrate shredded cheese back to normal, and there's no going back. Lol You lay it out in a single layer on very damp cheesecloth (but not dripping wet) and let it sit in the fridge for a least a few hours, up to overnight. Unroll, shake it off the cheesecloth, and viola!
Hey lovely... just some advice. The pre shredded cheese is good, but it has stuff like potato starch or cellulose. I highly recommend you buy 100% real cheese and shred yourself. I use the Professional SaladShooter Electric Slicer/Shredder. I can shred 12lbs of cheese in like 10 minutes. Just make sure you slide the large blocks in half. I freezedry a lot of cheese. :D
Thank you for the suggestion! Mine broke. I need a new one. Thank you!
How long will the cheese keep?
@@kennethgoodrum1411 10+ years
Not all shredded cheese has pototo or tapioca… just don’t buy big box name cheese. I buy Kraft shredded cheese and it’s good. However, if we’re trying to save $$$, then yes, buy the bricks and shred on your own. I just bought my FD and plan to slice my cheese into finger slices so they store uniformly. Good video!
I'm waiting for my first machine to come in and I'm so excited thank you for all the tips everybody posts
Hi Bonnie 😊 I just found your short from my feed and now I'm subscribed. I appreciate your hard work on willingness to share! God bless you & your family 😊
Good video. I would like to see more of the rehydrating and actually see it being used in recipes. I’m subscribing lucky 13th sub👍🏻
Thank you so much! What a great idea Sandra. Thanks! I'll start doing more of those. I appreciate your comment. :)
just subscribed new to freeze dried foods and have been buying freeze dried foods from a company. i did not know about Harvest Right until after I spent a ton of money on freeze dried foods. I have just purchased a FD and am looking for information and just found your channel today. I won't get my FD until the end of May..10 week waiting time for delivery. Thanks so much for this video. I agree with you..when end of days happens I want to eat more than beans and rice!!! I am so excited. Making my list of things to FD as soon as it gets here.
I'm So excited for you! May is a great time to get your machine. And you're not alone. I spent a TON on MRE style foods too until I saw this was available. I got it 3 years ago and I want everyone to have one. I'm so happy you're getting yours. Congratulations! Let me know what you do first!
Yeah! A keto freeze Dryer creator. Just bought my FD and I am most interested in keto necessary food!
So exciting! I love keto foods. I can't wait to hear how you do.
New sub. I am saving for one just encase I don’t win free one. Going back to watch your videos. TY
Thank you! Waiting on my FD to arrive and trying to figure what to do first.
Hi I'm new to freeze drying. I'm just on my second cycle! I'm really enjoying your content/personality/explanations. I hope you plan to do more videos on any topic!
Thank you Katherine, so much for that. I'm coming up with more all the time. Can't wait to get to know you!
A fellow cheesehead!
Very helpful. Thanks. I eat keto, so cheese is a must. Going on my FDer queue list.
I am going to be getting my freeze dryer in about 3 months. Can hardly wait, I'm so excited to start.
Yay! Welcome to the family. It's so much fun. What are you going to do first?
@@FreezeDryingMama I know it sounds silly, but I want to do yogurt bites. Lol
I really like you, you explain the process really well, I like that.
I appreciate that! Thank you so much!
This woman is adorable. She really likes her cheese.😆 I love how she says the word "bag".
Great video, I didn't know cheese doesn't reconstitute in water.
I just subscribed to your channel. I've had my FD for about two months now. And I Love it. Right now, I have bone broth on all 4 trays. I'd like to make a few gallon jars of bone broth powder for soups or recipes later on.😊
Thank you so much! What a great idea. Do you skim the fat off your broth first? I just completed a lot of stock and it's PHENOMENAL tasting. I love the idea of keeping it in powdered form.
Yes, I try to skim as much of the fat as I can, but I don't overdo it. Simply.🥰
Who doesn't want cheese at the end of the world? Great thought!
I have learned if you reconstitute with cold water, then squeeze out with a paper towel, it turns out great.
When I shred my cheese, I LIGHTLY dust the cheese with corn starch...it helps to keep the shreds as separate shreds. Grocery store shredded cheese keeps separate by cellulose or potato starch.
Great channel - more vids please!!! ❤
I’m so excited to buy my freeze drier in a few months! Thank you for your practical guide. As you said, we busy moms need all of the shortcuts we can get.
Congratulations! I'm so excited for you!
Thanks for the info! My freeze dryer will be delivered once my house is built in a couple of months. I'm going to hit the ground running with the freeze drying and really appreciate your tips. Just subscribed!
congratulations and so excited to see you here! I can't wait to hear what you do and congrats on the house!
Wow you could rehydrate in milk heat in a pot for an instant cheese sauce.
Oh that's a great idea! Love it!
What a great idea!!
Thanks so much for your videos, I am enjoying them immensely! I am on my second batch as I type this. You mentioned at the end of this video (shredded cheese) to check out your beginner videos by going to 'start here for the playlist'. I can't find them.....I'm sure I'm not looking in the right place...
Hi Linda! I'm trying to find the directions on how to find the playlists. I only now how to do it from my phone. So You go to my page and click playlists. I have start here/beginners. Which most of my videos mostly for beginners, anyway. :)
Awesome! Keto! My dryer is coming any day now! it's going to be a game changer for our way of eating 🙌!
I can't wait to hear how it's going. Keep me updated!
new sub here..so glad i found your channel 💖
Thank you for joining Carolyn! Glad to have you here!
Bonnie is me. lol
Thank you!
enjoyed ur video!When you make your lasagna, how do you incorporate your cheese into it? Make a sauce to sprinkle it on? what do you do please😊
Thank you so much! I actually do a pretty heavy layer of the FD cheese mixed with FD cottage cheese and then make sure my sauce is a little bit "wetter". It makes for a VERY thick lasagna with multiple layers and holds up well. If it's too thick, always add a little bit more water (by the spoonful).
you know those cheeses have saw dust and other stuff to keep them from clumping!
Have you noticed if there is a difference in freeze dryer times when you shred your own vs pre shredded medium cheddar cheese.
Not significantly enough to make a difference. It really comes down to what's available for an affordable price for me. Some times I get tons of blocks of cheese for cheap so I'll do my own and sometimes I'll get lots of bags of shredded cheap. I prefer shredding it myself. I think they taste better, but to be honest, I'll freeze dry anything hahahaha
We have been doing freeze dried cheese for some time now...we prefer the block cheese and shred it ourselves... as the shredded cheese has cellulose (wood pulverized) and a antifungal that is used to treat pink eye...in the mix..NATAMYCIN not what we want to ingest with our cheese. Plus, it tastes so much better.
Thanks!
Can you do a video cooking with FD cheese. Does it look and taste like fresh cheese in lasagna.
Great idea! yes, thanks, I will! Oooh lasagna, spaghettis surprise, Mexican lasagna. It looks and tastes phenomenal in all of these things. Thanks!
Just another way to test if it’s completely dry is to take it out, weight and record each tray after it’s finished, and then put it back in for an extra hour.
Then weight each tray again. If there’s no change in weight, it’s done. If there is, stick it in for another hour. Rinse and repeat.
Great idea!
I love FD beets! Great video!
Thanks so much! My husband loved them too
Warm freeze dryer or trays equals moisture in the air from the ice that can ruin your freeze dried food or even cause the dreaded vacuum spray. Never personally had a vacuum spray inside the machine but have heard about it.
Thanks Bryan, I've never had vacuum spray in my machine and I ONLY do warm trays and warm machine. I also don't have condensation on my door, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Thanks for your comment!
How do you do slices of cheese? Not like the American slices but if you take a block of cheese and cut them into little squares?
With a cheese grater or mandolin 😊😊
Loving your channel. Have you tried Velveeta and if so how did it come out?
Thank you so much for stopping by! I have only tried Velveeta mixed with things, but never alone. Now, i'm adding that to my list!
No pre-freezing for the cheese?
it's not a requirement. I usually only prefreeze anything that will slop around when I move.
Great information!!
Thank you 😊
Thank you!
God Bless You!!
And you!
Can you make powdered cheese with it to use in dishes. Will it reconstitute properly.
yes! It reconstitutes very nicely and when you put it in dishes it becomes all melty and yummy. I love it so much in mac and cheese
great video! I will be freeze drying some cheese today, I hope. How long did the process take? Seems like cheese should go pretty quickly since it isn't dense or liquid-y. I will check out your channel for other freeze drying ideas :) Thanks
I LOVE cheese freeze dried. Go you! It really depends on how it's prepared and what kind. I've noticed that Havarti cheese seems to take a little bit longer. Probably because it's a semi-soft. Mozzarella shredded does better than sliced, but then cheddar does better than mozzarella. I have the medium and it put out my cheese in 22 hours. So it did pretty well. I like cheese for fast loads. Cottage cheese and cream cheese are more viscous and liquid dense so they take a while longer. (I've got cottage cheese in right now and it's at 48 hours so far). Good luck! I can't wait to hear how it goes. :)
@@FreezeDryingMama Thank you for the reply. My first cheese load was a success :) We have the large Harvest Right, so I was able to get 11 lbs of shredded cheese in. I just bought bags of pre-shredded cheese from Sams - quick & easy! I was able to fit 2.5 lbs of mozzarella on a tray (did 2 of those) and only about 2 lbs of cheddar per tray on the other 3 trays. It turned out great, I will definitely be doing cheese again, and our total time was around 22 hours as well. We have only had our freeze drier for about a month, so I still have a lot to learn, but am enjoying trying new things.
@@Flow-x6b That is phenomenal! Great job. Isn't it liberating feeling? I just love doing cheese. What is your favorite thing to freeze dry so far?
Enjoyed the video! After you put the cheese in mylar bags, do you add an o2 absorber?
Thank you! Absolutely. I put an O2 ab in everything I do.
Does that shredded cheese have all kinds of preservatives in it to keep it separated??I like to buy the chunk pieces and shredd it myself in a food processor.
I've done it both ways. When I do the blocks of cheese, I prefer to cut them into cubes, but the shredded works beautifully. I've just burned out more than my fair share of food processors lol.
You mention beginner freeze drying videos, but I can't find them. I don't see any playlists marked, "Start here," that you mentioned? What (or where) should I be looking for? Thanks! I have watched a lot of your vids already & they have been very helpful.
Hi Barb, I'll have to check and see if I haven't organized it right. Wouldn't be the first time! haha. Thanks for letting me know. I'll get on that. Thank you!
Great video! Thank you!
Have you tried FDing Costco Shredded Parmasan cheese? Did it FD all the way? Did it reconstitute in meals all the way?
Thank you! Yes, I have. It was kind of oily, but did reconstitute well. Since it's already a hard cheese, I actually powdered it after freeze drying it and put it in my lasagna. Oh my word. I'll be doing that again. I highly recommend making sure you have parchment paper under it as well as a thin napkin to capture any extra oils. Thank you!
Can I put my freeze dried shredded cheese back in the FD to process longer? Even though it was crispy when I took it out after 15 hours it felt like it was to heavy in the sealed bags😲. I was already defrosting the machine. Now I’m worried I didn’t process it long enough. What should I do? Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you! Didn’t see this video in time but I’m loving them.
Sorry I didn't answer in time. Craziness over here. Okay, so cheese is going to be heavy. That's okay. I always test by temperature. Is it warm? All the way through? I'll break it off. I'll taste it. That's the best indicator for me. If it's warm all the way through. Heavy is okay. Cheese is heavy. It's not light. It doesn't have a massive water content.
Awesome video! Good Information. You are right about who doesn't want cheese in the end of the world! If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus yet seek him. He died on the cross for our sins. We are living in the last days. Jesus is the ONLY truth in this upside down evil world we are in. God Bless you all!
Yes, crying repentance is the most important thing right now. Jesus is our Savior and He knows the way. All the food preparation in the world won't save us, if we don't have Him in our lives. Thank you for sharing here!
Those are some nice begs, so those begs come in any other colors?
I'm not sure? They're mylar, so maybe they come in black too?
How long will it last in a Mylar bag and o2 absorber?
Yes, so I test my stuff all the time and I just opened a bag of cheese from about 4 years ago and it was AMAZING! So, this is definitely a win. I'm not sure on the 10 years yet. But I hope to be around so I can test it.
Hmmm, Lasagna. I had to check and I figured that you were in the States because I've never seen big bags of Cheese like that.
Oh wow, where are you at? And I love LOVE lasagna. We go through so much cheese with all the kids.
@@FreezeDryingMama Canada. I would only get Lasagna once a yr because it was my birthday and Mom would ask what I wanted for dinner. It was always lasagna.
I'm one of ten kids so we were raised on hand me downs, goodwill and yard sales so we didn't have money for expensive food. Mostly potatoes, pork chops and some kind of vegetables that I hatted.
@@GetUrPhil awww I love that. Moms try so hard. That's awesome!
Great video!!!!! Has anyone told you that you kinda look like Lori petty?
How long will it last?
I wish! Thank you!
I've been testing mine for a few years and it's still good (3 years so far). I try some every year. So far so good. Other people claim it will stay good for up to 20 years. If I'm still around, I'll let you know ;)
I try Parmesan from Costco and it was an dark oily mess when it came out of the freeze dryer. What did I do wrong?
well, Parmesan cheese has very low moisture content which makes it hard to freeze and then to pull out moisture. The entire process of lyophilization depends on the presence of water and the activity of evaporation. If there's no moisture, then it can't freeze the way it needs to and when you heat it up, it just... melts. I wouldn't do parm or any other super hard or aged cheese, stick to the softer cheeses and medium ones like cheddar, mozzarella, gouda is a good one, feta even works, it's those super hard ones that are very difficult to have success with.
I haven't done shredded Parmesan from Costco. But last week I freeze dried 5 pounds of their Cello brand, organic Copper Kettle Shaved Parmesan. It turned out beautifully!
I have also done several batches of Frigo shredded Parmesan, just the regular stuff you get from Walmart. And that turned out great, too. I wonder if you are using too high of a temperature? As mentioned before, it will melt and do weird things if it's TOO hot. I never go over 125 with cheeses
Oh, and crumbled Gorgonzola/Blue Cheese is my new favorite. I just carry bags of it around with me in my truck to snack on 😅
Could you show how you use it for lasagna?
I will definitely work on that, thanks!
Where did you buy the trays you are using
I got these from Harvest Right.
How do you re-hydrate the cheese? TIA 😊
You can do it a number of ways. If you just add it to a recipe than it rehydrates. You can also add water by spritzing cold water onto the cheese and letting it sit a little while. My son likes to take a damp napkin and wrap cheese in it and that seems to work well too.
@@FreezeDryingMama ok thank you
What does that machine add to the electric bill, say, using it 3 x week, all year long? 100% new to the idea of freeze drying & have NO CLUE what it would cost to run this thing NOR where to get one. Thank you.
I use it 24/7 and it seems to have added about a dollar a day? but I live in a drier climate than most. I'm moving to a more humid clime and I'm anticipating more like 1.50 USD a day? Check out freezedryingmama.com I have a bunch of recommendations on where and how. Good luck. I can't wait to hear how it goes!
Being keto, does the starch on the shredded cheese not bother you? Not judging lol, just wondering.
I just buy blocks of cheese and shred them in the food processor.
Thanks for the video! We're REALLY considering a freeze dryer and want to do as much research as possible. 😊
Lol, Great question Kaya! I don't do keto for diabetic or other deadly health reasons. It's mostly for PCOS control and weight (I slip on the weight goals obviously lol).
So the negligible amount of starch on the cheese doesn't affect me the way it does others. I would definitely do the block cheese, shredded, if the starch bothers you.
Cheese turns out beautifully no matter how you put it in (as long as it's not too thick). And ask away, I'm open about doing dirty keto. I'm not going to recommend everyone do it the same as me, but I'll definitely try to help answer any questions to fit any of the other ways! Thanks for commenting!
I hope you get one. They're amazing.
@@FreezeDryingMama Thanks for the response!
I've been keto for 3 years. I started for weight loss and general health. But I've heard about its effects on PCOS. I don't have it, but have you found that keto has helped you with it?
@@khaskin18 I didn't see this! I'm sorry. I try to answer right away.
Yes, I've been keto for 3 years as well. I definitely have taken some short breaks and I ALWAYS come back.
I had PCOS so bad my next option was surgery. The pain was intense. I was lying on the floor late one night in serious pain and I looked up treatments for PCOS. A really small article popped up about the effects of keto with PCOS. I had been looking at the diet for a while and then I decided to just try it. Why not? I've tried EVERY THING else in the world. Let's not talk about the grapefruit diet lol
Within 3 weeks, my pain was gone. My next period was almost ignorable. I had never faced something like that before. I used to cry just thinking about having a period and my next one... like when I was fifteen again. It was insane. I haven't had migraines or PCOS symptoms or anything like that since.
We just tried this do you usually get oil on cheese when drying?
I do put it on parchment paper so I haven't noticed any. I've heard some people put napkins down to absorb any extra cheese. I also do like the medium sharp cheddar. it seems less oily.
I heard that you like to use the 7Ml but I missed what size bag use use for 1/2 sheet pan of cheese.
Hi Kimberly, I like the one quart for half a tray in the medium size freeze dryer. HOWEVER, that size is a little bit smaller if you use ones with the resealable option. Not by a lot, but just something to keep in mind. Thanks for stopping by!
Can you post a link to the mylar bags
I was getting them from discountmylar.com but I think they sold their company.
I just requested to join your facebook group even though I don't have my FD yet and not a facebooker, guess i will learn, another month before they deliver my FD. I bought and read your book, thank you for that information. I am working on getting as much info as I can before it gets here so I can get it going asap. Getting to the screen info now in your book. I noticed that you didn't pre freeze your cheese in this video. Do you find that it doesn't save that much time on the FD time to pre freeze it? My main concern is going to be electric costs on the FD. In CA and elec and gas prices keep going up. But hoping what I will save on doing my own FD it will even out. Thrive Life has FD cheese and their reconstitute is 3 1/2 TBSP to 1 cup of cheese, shake it up and put in frig for 30mins then it is supposed to be just like when you bought it. Have you ever tried that? I haven't opened any of my purchased FD food. End of days is not here yet. Thanks for all your videos. Going to view the beginner ones now
Awesome! I can't wait to see you in there. YAY! Great job and early congratulations. I'm so excited for you to get it.
OKay, so honestly, when I pre-freeze the majority of my dishes, it does seem to cut down on the freezing cycle time for the FD. Which is a good thing. Especially with the cost of electricity and oil going up.
Some foods that aren't that dense won't take that long to freeze in the freeze dryer - like cheese, marshmallows, cooked chicken, etc. I put in without pre-freezing. But for the most part, I put in prefrozen foods.
I hope that helps!
@@FreezeDryingMama Yes helps a lot. Thank you very much
Would the cheese still melt / taste good when dehydrated with hot water?
Yes, it will. but remember that heat changes the constitution of the fats in the cheese, so the structure will change if you use hot water. If you use cool water and give it adequate time, you should be able to reconstitute it fairly well.
But I thought you weren't supposed to freeze dry fatty foods. How long does it last?
If I freeze dry buttermilk, do the cultures in it stay alive?
@@cindykq8086 That's a great question. I'm not sure exactly because I've never tested it. I do know cheese does really well, but that's because the fats are processed and broken down enough. Something like butter or coconut milk wouldn't be as effective.
10:45 Better to be eating the cheese, than cutting the cheese.
HAHAHAHAHA
How hot does the food get? Enough to cook raw food?
Actually, food cooks when the water is present and can reach specific temperatures. When the food is frozen and heat is applied, the water vaporizes instead of allowing the proteins to denature. So raw food will stay "raw". Now, if it's not frozen properly or the trays are TOO hot, then they'll melt or burn. This happens, too. It's a fine balancing act that I find the machines do very well with.
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I have some smoked cheese in the freeze dryer right now. Looks like it’s making a big mess. Looks like it’s covered in grease that’s boiling and splattering on everything.
OH NO! I'm freaking out for you. Did everything turn out okay? What happened? Was it a super fatty cheese?
@@FreezeDryingMama I didn’t keep the label to check but it must have had a lot of oil in it. I wiped up the grease and place some paper towels in the tray and turn it back on. Eventually the grease came out of the cheese. The end product was good but the whole machine had grease in it.
Why not powder it?
Hi Shelby, you can definitely powder it. I don't like to powder everything I put in my bags because I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to use the bag of food for. For instance, if I have to just grab a bag and run and I grab a cheese bag, it's easier to eat if the cheese is shredded versus trying to shovel the powder into my mouth. But powder would be easier to use for some other things, so it really comes down to what you personally want to do, etc
Hey i have a babby would you try make fruit pure for the baby feed then could be freeze dried. I am waiting you
Sure! You can definitely do that.
Freeze dry some baby carrots...
Omg 🤦♂️ the top will always be warm then the middle where is cold and not done. I thought you knew what you was doing, until you said you touching it will tell you it’s done🤦♂️ you are on the road for problems. The best way to find its fully dry is weighing your trays. Just because the freeze drying process is complete, doesn’t mean it’s dry.