There are 3 ports on the chamber that I made slits in the plastic to get around and taped them up once around them. Do not tape to the insulation. Tape only to the vapor barrier plastic. It doesn't take long, just be careful. After the plastic is in place and secure around the chamber I sealed the plastic to the back of the front and back panels using the packing tape. All the way around the front and back of the chamber to completely seal the chamber from outside air and humidity.
After a few years of research, I finally decided to purchase a freeze dryer. It was one of the best purchases I have ever made. The only regret I have is that I didn’t buy one sooner.
The best choice I ever made when it comes to long-term storage food is getting a freeze dryer. I didn’t always think that. It was far more work than I imagined and the maintenance on the machine is annoying when it needs it.
This new Industrial Pump rarely needs to have the oil changed or filtered. The pump has a gas ballast feature that makes it so water does not stay in the oil. Because of this, the oil in the pump will be pristine and clear, even after 30 or more batches.
Obviously things like ice cream and marshmallows you would want to let the freeze cycle run longer. When I'm ready to start the drying cycle, I open the door, remove the insulator, and check the temperature of the food on the trays with an infrared thermometer. As long as it's below -10F I start the dry cycle. A side note for TonyC, have you ever thought about attaching a mirror to each side of the tray rack to reflect the radiant heat back in to the trays? I've looked at some mirror finish stainless on ebay, and it looks like you could do it for about $40. Not sure if it's worth a try or not. I would think it would let you get more water out in a cycle website because the radiant heat wouldn't be warming the ice on the chamber walls. Just a thought.... Edited December 16, 2015 by Pipsqueak duplicate post (log)
I want my son to have great meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, just as the rest of us do. And it’s not feasible for me to cook the entire meal for a huge crowd.
Vic says: 2 years ago Going on a second year with the freeze dryer. Considering getting another one. It really takes commitment, but it is very rewarding. The freezer is good also, but it needs constant source of electricity, and the storage is limited to the size of the freezer.
So I corrected the oversight - I drilled and tapped the elbow to add the port. Here is a picture. It worked great today when I flushed the pump to clear out the gunk.
1. Capacity Needs: Assess how much food you plan to freeze dry at once. Smaller models are suitable for individual use, while larger models are better for families or community storage.
Foods with lots of seeds can be freeze dried but usually take longer. That’s because the seeds hold moisture. If you’re processing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, and kiwis you’ll need to add Em excesso time. I like to add at least 12 hours when processing these foods.
Freeze dried salsa One of our favorite things to freeze dried is our homemade salsa. It tastes much more like fresh than it does when canned. It reconstitutes very quickly and is delicious to eat as a dip or added to spaghetti sauce. We also like to sprinkle it get more info on popcorn.
The current and emerging food crises in the United States have millions of Americans very concerned about the future. From supply chain shenanigans to food processing plants “inexplicably” being compromised to bird flu decimating the poultry industry, it’s pelo wonder there has been a sharp rise in the “prepper” food industry.
Forgive me for the extremely long post but I thought other southerners may also face this problem and could use this information.
Unfortunately, freeze-dried food can often be very expensive. We’ve seen this first hand as the only company that sells both frozen beef boxes to store in the freezer for up to a year as well as freeze-dried beef cubes to store in the closet for over a decade.