September is the time of year we race from harvesting fruit to processing it so we can enjoy it all winter long! 

Our usual mode is freezing or dehydrating, but they both have their downsides. Freezing takes up a lot of freezer space, and when storms come through and the lights go out, it can be nerve-wracking to think all our hard work is defrosting without us. 

Dehydrating makes for some delicious snacks, but removes most of the nutritional value of foods. 

So this year we invested in a freeze dryer. It freezes the food and then vacuums out all of the moisture, keeping 90 percent of the nutritional value and allowing us to store it dry. Properly prepared, freeze dried food can last up to 25 years on the shelf, so it’s a great way to sock away some food for emergencies. 

We’ve already freeze dried sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, ice cream sandwiches, strawberries, honeyberries and grapes. Now we’re putting in Asian pears, apples and elderberries. Freeze dried food can be rehydrated, but will reconstitute as if it had been frozen. That makes it a good choice for veggies in stews and soups, fruits in pies and cobblers or just eating straight out of the pack crunchy (like the ice cream sandwiches!)

The process can take anywhere from 18 to 40 hours using a small, 12-volt vacuum pump. So while it’s a long time, it’s not a lot of energy. 

We bought our freeze dryer from Harvest Right in Utah. They are the premier place to get one, far as we’re concerned, and have a wonderful Facebook page of thousands of people who can help answer questions and who cheer us on in our adventure.