Freeze Drying at Home

Liisa Sullivan writes for several national and regional magazines; daily and weekly newspapers; and business-to-business newsletters. Before starting Write Away, Inc., she worked as an editor for a national medical publishing company where she managed a team of writers and did market research for new launches.

By Liisa Sullivan, eHow Contributor

1. • Freeze drying food is a popular preservation technique. It is a great way to preserve homegrown fruits and vegetables as it will save you money and time in the long run. Freeze dried products also retain their nutritional value and taste for a long period of time (up to several years).

   Defining Freeze Dried

   • Freeze drying combines two factors: very cold temperatures and low pressure. When combined, these work together to prevent food from spoiling. The fundamental principle is called sublimation, a shift from a solid into a gas.

   Benefits of Freeze Dried Foods

   • Freeze dried foods have a long shelf life. They also require minimal preparation and revitalize quickly. In addition, the total weight of the product is reduced because 98 percent of the water is removed from the food. This makes it easy to store and to carry, if necessary.

   Advantage to Freeze Drying Foods at Home

   • Freeze drying can be done in two ways: high-tech or low-tech. If you are trying this at home, low-tech is the clear choice as you will not possess expensive freeze drying equipment needed for more high-tech procedures. Your refrigerator will act as your primary tool. While the process for freeze drying foods at home may take longer, it is much more economical than buying prepared freeze dried foods or purchasing the equipment.

   Determine the Product (s) to Freeze Dry

   • If you are just starting out, potatoes and apples are good products to start with. Pick the fruit or vegetable at the height of its ripeness and then wash the product.

   Freeze Dry the Food

   • Find a mesh metal tray. The tray should have some holes or the freeze-drying process will take longer. These can be found at any restaurant supply store. Next, cut the apple or potato into very thin slices. The thinner the slice, the less time the process will take. Arrange the slices on the tray and place in freezer. Within 30 minutes, they should be frozen. Keep in freezer for about one week to completely dry. To test, remove one slice and thaw. If it is not completely dry, it will turn black. If this happens, keep slices in freezer for another day or two and test again.

   Store the food

   • Once you have determined the food is completely dry, place it in an air-tight container or zip lock bags. If you have a home version of a vacuum-pack sealer, use that. If you do not, you can simply suck the air out of the bag with your mouth and press down firmly on the bag to remove any air bubbles. Then place in freezer and store until you need it. You can reconstitute them by placing them in hot water. Apples can also be eaten in their freeze-dried state.

Read more: Freeze Drying at Home | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4794057_freeze-drying-home.html#ixzz1NnhRCt3X

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A Great Motivating Article

Are you still needing a little motivation to get prepared? Click here to read a great motivating article.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I just realized that I have a lot of canned pumpkin in our food storage that will expire in a few months. Time to find new ways to use pumpkin. Here's a recipe I found on another blog. I made it this morning for breakfast. My family loved it!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 T brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. vinegar

Mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Add more milk if necessary. Cook on griddle.

I also use pumpkin to make popsicles, shakes, pumpkin bread and cookies. I've even used it to make a cream sauce for pasta. Pumpkin is a great item to have in your food storage!

Gamma Seal Lids

My sister introduced me to Gamma Seal Lids this weekend. She loves using them for her food storage. She convinced me to give them a try. Here is a link that offers information on the lids:

(copy and paste link)
http://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/gamma_seal_lid.htm

This site has good information. It may or may not have the best price for the lids. Shop around!

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Update: This site has the lowest price I've found so far: http://freckleface.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/gammaseals.html

Stake Canner

Have you used the Stake canner yet? If your Stake doesn't have one, you can borrow one from your local cannery. It is very easy to use! It can be lifted by one person and attaches directly to your kitchen table. Doing your own canning at home allows you to can a large variety of food that is not available at the cannery. Split peas, lentils, Quinoa, chickpeas, popcorn, and so much more! I promise, once you try it, you'll be addicted! So call your local cannery or your Ward Preparedness Specialist. They'll help get you started.