
Even though it doesn’t sound tasty, it will taste very much like a fresh apple slice after being rehydrated. The freeze-dried apples are very crispy and have a texture that is almost like styrofoam, but they retain their shape and size. After being fully dehydrated, they take on a slight brown hue and become quite thin, at which point they are prepared for storage. Our dried apple slices are a bit crispy and leathery. Although neither will rehydrate and become like a fresh slice of bread, they will both function admirably for dried bread products. I am unable to favor one method over another when it comes to this food.

The bread that was freeze-dried, however, became even crunchier than the dehydrated bread, which may come as a surprise to you.Įither of these bread could be crumbled and mixed with butter and seasonings to top a casserole or add to meatloaf, for example. The very crumbly texture of dehydrated bread makes it ideal for use with the aforementioned items. Perhaps you’re wondering why anyone would freeze-dry or dehydrate bread in the first place, but it’s actually a great way to make breadcrumbs or croutons. To compare the differences, we dehydrated and freeze-dried five different foods. The shelf life of the same foods dried using a freeze dryer is 15 to 25 years. The majority of home-dehydrated goods, including dried fruit, meat, and vegetables, have a shelf life of one year or less. 99% of the water is removed during home freeze drying with a Harvest Right. The food is only edible in this situation for a short period of time. Inefficient dehydrators remove about 70% of the water during dehydration.

The shelf life and nutritional value of the food are increased by doing that without altering its fundamental makeup. To prevent food from rotting or developing bacteria and mold, the main goal of food preservation is to remove moisture. Difference Between Freeze-dried And Dehydrated You can choose to make your snacks yourself or simply buy them from the store. It’s time to stock up on your preferred method now that you are more knowledgeable about the specifics of freeze-drying versus dehydrating food.

“Dried fruit is essentially dehydrated fruit, with manufacturers sometimes adding extra sugars for sweetness,” Gans says. The same information might be available on their website in a different format, or you might find more details there.Īnd to be honest, if you enjoy purchasing snacks like cured meats or dried fruit (hi, charcuterie boards), it’s likely that you are dehydrated as a result. There is a good reason why people have been dehydrating food for thousands of years. Generally speaking, depending on how much moisture you’ve removed from the food, dehydrated foods can be kept on your shelf for about a year with relative ease.ĭehydrating is very simple, to begin with, because all you need is a dehydrator, a warm sunny day, or even a low temperature in your oven.ĭehydrating food again removes about 80% of the water in a food item, so even though it’s not quite as durable as freeze-drying, Gans says it’s still a great way to preserve produce you know you won’t be able to use right away. As a result, the food will be shelf-stable and won’t develop mold or bacteria buildup without that moisture. When you dehydrate food, you take between 70 and 90% of the moisture out of it using warm air. Almost any food, including dairy, eggs, grains, and other ingredients, can be freeze-dried.-whereas dehydrated foods are more limited in scope. When moisture is removed from dehydrated foods using a heating-intensive process, about half of the nutrients are lost. Yes, food that has been freeze-dried is better at retaining its natural minerals and nutrients. Dehydrated food, on the other hand, tends to retain more of its weight. According to Gans, freeze-drying typically results in food that is lighter in weight, making it easier to transport in a hiking backpack or go-bag. There are a lot of benefits to freeze-drying your food.

Although the cost of the home models of these can be prohibitive, we have found that the value is well worth it. The drawback of freeze-drying is the requirement for a freeze-drying unit. Freeze-drying, which uses extremely cold temperatures (like -40 F) in place of heat, creates a vacuum around the food and alternately heats and cools it to remove 99% of its moisture.Īs a result, the food can maintain a remarkable level of nutrient density and last up to 25 years on your shelf. Difference Between Freeze-dried And Dehydratedĭehydrating is quite different from freeze-drying.
