Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

When Harvest Right first contacted me about their freeze dryer, I was intrigued but hesitant. After all, I do so much canning—would a freeze dryer even work for me?

Then I thought about;

• How I love freeze dried fruit in my granola.
• How convenient freeze-dried meals would be for traveling.
• How satisfying it would be to create my own food storage while knowing exactly what’s in each jar, bag, or can.

Now I fully realize that this is not for everyone. If you are happy with canning and/or dehydrating. That is a good plan too.

But, if you know you want freeze dried foods as a part of your pantry, read on. Freeze Dried foods do have some pretty big pros.

Set up

When my freeze dryer arrived (she’s blue— yes, it feels like a “she”), I set up a spot outside. The pump is loud, so having it out of the house was a good decision. Plus,it was a location that had the right electrical setup—a dedicated 20-amp circuit is recommended.

My husband offered to set it up for me but I said I’d like to do it myself so I can report how it goes. So after lifting the freeze dryer onto the table (I really did need help with that part), off he went and left me alone with my instructions in hand.

Following the step-by-step instructions, I added the oil to the pump and got the freeze dryer ready to go. If I can do it… so can you.

Pros of Freeze Drying

Harvest Right goes over in more detail here some of the benefits of freeze drying…. there are many! Here are my top 3.

1. Delicious Results: Freeze-dried food is fantastic. Apricots, peaches, and corn are my favorites! Corn is great rehydrated or as a crunchy snack.
2. Long Storage Time: Freeze-dried foods last much longer than canned or dehydrated ones.
3. Knowing Your Food: This is a big one for me. With at home freeze drying, I know exactly where the food came from and what’s in it.

Things to Consider

Maintenance of the dryer/pump.

The pump that I have requires oil changes every five batches and a “power flush” every ten. While it’s not difficult, it can be messy. But Harvest right has developed several pump options since I got mine. Even an oilless option!

Placement and Noise Levels

The pump is noisy, and Harvest Right suggests a dedicated 20AMP circuit. I recommend placing it somewhere away from living spaces.

Time to Dry

Harvest Right states that most cycles will take 24-27 hours on average. I found that most things I’m drying are on the upper end of that or even longer.

Now in reality, I’ve mostly done fruit and liquid items like raw eggs and stew. High sugar items apparently take longer and it would make sense that items with lots of liquid are going to take longer.

Costs

A freeze dryer is an investment. The cost of the machine itself is a big upfront cost. Then running the machine and pump will vary depending on your electricity rates. However, the cost is still much less than buying pre-packaged freeze-dried food.

The long term ROI is good if you know you’ll be doing a lot. Have a young family? It might be just the thing for you.

It just occurred to me how blessed I am. I have enough food to have issues in deciding just how to preserve it! How many people are worried about having enough food for the week or the day? Stop and think about that one.

What I’ve Freeze-Dried So Far

There are many many things that can be freeze dried. Harvest Right has a full list at this link.

These are the foods I’ve done so far.

• Cantaloupe (super yummy!)
• Strawberries
• Raw eggs
• Soups
• Potato chunks
• Blueberries
• Pineapple
• Peppers
• Cherries
• Apricots
• Peaches

While fruits and snacks are a hit, I still prefer some items canned or dehydrated. For example, I like the chewy texture of dehydrated bananas and apricots better. And home canned green beans simply can’t be beat. Freeze dried onions however are one of the most convenient things to have on hand!

Note: I’ve added even more foods to my list since writing this!

Harvest Right Customer Service

So far I’m pretty pleased. When I was setting up the freeze dryer, I placed a call to the customer service number with what I felt like was probably a dorky question about the door seal. I called customer service and the representative was pleasant, helpful, and easy to understand—a huge plus in my book!

Is Freeze Drying for you?

Let the freeze drying begin!

If you want to build a home food storage and you love to do it yourself…. try the Harvest Right freeze dryer.

PUrchase here