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  • Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 4, 2016
    17
    1
    Indianapolis
    I've considered the same myself. I recently met an individual who let me try some of her year-old strawberries and chicken. It was delicious . Sure beats the heck out of the dehydrator. And there is so much more versatility on foods you can freeze dry. I think that the pricing is becoming more reasonable on the at home units and they're getting smaller too, which is a huge convenienence. Sounds like a no-brainer to me
     

    Brett

    Marksman
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Jul 13, 2010
    203
    18
    ECI
    I just took delivery of my freeze dryer 3 weeks ago and it has been running non-stop. I purchased it because I have a large garden and wanted another way to preserve my food other than the usual canning. If I didnt have a garden, I am not sure that I would have bought it. I can say that even during the winter months, my freeze dryer will still be running as there is just so much you can freeze dry. I am also on the look out for any food deals much more than I used to be! :):
     

    1DOWN4UP

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Mar 25, 2015
    6,418
    113
    North of 30
    I just took delivery of my freeze dryer 3 weeks ago and it has been running non-stop. I purchased it because I have a large garden and wanted another way to preserve my food other than the usual canning. If I didnt have a garden, I am not sure that I would have bought it. I can say that even during the winter months, my freeze dryer will still be running as there is just so much you can freeze dry. I am also on the look out for any food deals much more than I used to be! :):
    What brand is yours?
     

    Brett

    Marksman
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Jul 13, 2010
    203
    18
    ECI
    What is your average cycle time? I have looked at one of them as a 2 year pay off given the time I have to run it.

    That's a tough question to answer as it depends on what you are freeze drying. The moisture content of the food is the big thing to remember plus you have to remember not to over fill the trays, especially with high moisture foods. So far, I would put my average cycle time around 30 hours per batch. My freeze dryer seems to be faster compared to others running the same foods. Maybe I just got lucky or maybe I am not overfilling my trays. There are a few good Facebook Harvest Right groups that have a treasure trove of information. Also, Harvest Right just announced a bigger model but it is 220 volts only.
     

    stocknup

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 28, 2011
    1,059
    113
    Monrovia area
    It is said that freeze drying retains 90+% of original nutritional value ,unlike dehydrating .
    We purchased a Harvest Right about 3 months ago and it has been running almost non stop since .
    We did purchase items from some of the online stores ( emergency essentials , etc) previously , and finally took the plunge into our own freeze drier .
    We are totally pleased in the outcome and quality of the finished product . We have not done a precise dollar savings......but would estimate a more than 50% savings vs online purchasing , plus I think we use a better quality product than you would get online in a #10 can .
    We buy what is on sale and dry accordingly , or what is ready in the garden.
    We have done a lot of shredded cheeses , chicken ( most expensive online )tens of dozens of eggs , peppers , onions , strawberries , Apple's , blueberries .
    We pack all of our finished product in canning jars and seal it with our food saver machine with a jar sealer attachment which seals very nice .
    Some people use mylar with O2 packs ........but we can pop a jar open , remove what we want and reseal , and should be good for 20,25 years .
    ( all jars kept away from uv light and in a controlled temp setting )
     
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