I think I'm going to do this with eggs this winter. Don't know if this is the right section to post this.

[Bkaye]

I always use raw eggs, cracked and whisked. “Powdered” in a blender or food processor once finished.
I didn’t find that cooked, freeze dried, and reconstituted eggs worked all that well. I’m sure they would be ok if there was no way to cook.... but. You should have a -bunch- of small propane containers on hand and a way to use them (or another way to heat water and/ or food) if you are going this far
My medium freeze dryer runs 40 eggs at a time (10 eggs x 4 trays).... in large part because I bought the tray dividers from (no association lol I wish I could get a commission - but these guys are fantastic! Totally worth watching their YouTube videos if you do get, or have, a freeze dryer!)
https://www.freezedryingsupplies.com/products/freeze-dryer-tray-dividers
It allows me to easily separate my finished product into Mylar bags w O2 absorbers. Some in 1-2 eggs per bag for baking, most in 3-6 eggs per bag for cooking into a scramble or omelette.
I use the dividers with -every- load of any type that I freeze dry. Typically if I’m doing an entree, I just divide each tray into quarters and can usually do 4 cups per tray.
Weigh the tray wet (filled w what you plan to freeze dry w the dividers in place), run the cycle, weigh once finished, and the math is easy for how much water was “lost”/ how much you will likely need to properly re hydrate.
Do a test w a small batch of a new food item, sometimes I find I need to adjust.
With anything “new”, I usually take one “square” and add the amount of hot water I think it needs, while I bag up the rest w 02 absorbers, mark the bags with how much I’ve added, get them sealed, try my test batch, and then label each bag with the item, date, and how much water to add.

Seems like we shop at some of the same places (and probably watch a lot of the same YouTube vids). I have those same dividers and love them! I also have his lids. I don’t use my dividers for eggs though. I can get 84 eggs roughly in my medium. Which is roughly 7 doz (depending on how many bantam eggs are mixed in). I have found it’s easiest for me to put 4 cups of eggs per tray. I put my tray in the freezer and pour in so I don’t have to worry about spillage. I think put them in Mylar. I do keep a mason jar that’s vacuum sealed. I replace it from my mylar storage as needed. I have heard and it works for my usages that 2 Tbs of powder and 2 Tbs water equals one large egg.

I do as you do with my meals. I also have started doing a couple extra steps lately after watching some videos. I weigh my trays when the time is complete and then add 2 more hours dry time. If after the 2 hours the weight hasn’t dropped it’s good to package up. If it’s dropped I add more time until the weight no longer drops. I have also started to write the weight of the bag in grams after everything is packaged up. When I get ready to use the bag I can weigh it and if the weight has changed I know it’s gained moisture somehow.

 

[HeritageFan]

Seems like we shop at some of the same places (and probably watch a lot of the same YouTube vids). I have those same dividers and love them! I also have his lids. I don’t use my dividers for eggs though. I can get 84 eggs roughly in my medium. Which is roughly 7 doz (depending on how many bantam eggs are mixed in). I have found it’s easiest for me to put 4 cups of eggs per tray. I put my tray in the freezer and pour in so I don’t have to worry about spillage. I think put them in Mylar. I do keep a mason jar that’s vacuum sealed. I replace it from my mylar storage as needed. I have heard and it works for my usages that 2 Tbs of powder and 2 Tbs water equals one large egg.

I do as you do with my meals. I also have started doing a couple extra steps lately after watching some videos. I weigh my trays when the time is complete and then add 2 more hours dry time. If after the 2 hours the weight hasn’t dropped it’s good to package up. If it’s dropped I add more time until the weight no longer drops. I have also started to write the weight of the bag in grams after everything is packaged up. When I get ready to use the bag I can weigh it and if the weight has changed I know it’s gained moisture somehow.

That is a brilliant idea!!
(I also have lids and an extra set of trays, but the freezer space is a bit of an issue most of the time :/ )
I have really been concerned about how to be -certain- that the load is finished and ready to package up... esp if I come back from work and the alarm is telling me it’s done :/
I only work out of the house a few hours a day, early in the mornings, but it seems like the freeze dryer always “finishes” when I’m away. So I set a bit more time and pack it up once it finishes the additional cycle.
I keep thinking I should invest in a moisture sensor. Esp after I tried doing skittles for the kids.... which were great at first (so I’ve been told, I’m allergic to corn and soy so I don’t get to try those treats). But I packaged them up and the bags feel a bit squishy at least it’s not been long enough that I need to toss them lol
The gummy bears did the same.
Everything else has been pretty solid. But it is always such a challenge to know for sure when things are actually finished
Have you come up with a way to tell apart from the re weighing?

 

[Bkaye]

That is a brilliant idea!!
(I also have lids and an extra set of trays, but the freezer space is a bit of an issue most of the time :/ )
I have really been concerned about how to be -certain- that the load is finished and ready to package up... esp if I come back from work and the alarm is telling me it’s done :/
I only work out of the house a few hours a day, early in the mornings, but it seems like the freeze dryer always “finishes” when I’m away. So I set a bit more time and pack it up once it finishes the additional cycle.
I keep thinking I should invest in a moisture sensor. Esp after I tried doing skittles for the kids.... which were great at first (so I’ve been told, I’m allergic to corn and soy so I don’t get to try those treats). But I packaged them up and the bags feel a bit squishy at least it’s not been long enough that I need to toss them lol
The gummy bears did the same.
Everything else has been pretty solid. But it is always such a challenge to know for sure when things are actually finished
Have you come up with a way to tell apart from the re weighing?

I work during the day so I’m gone most of the time when mine finishes, I always either add more time when I get home or warm the trays prior to taking it out. If the stuff is still cold after that it still has moisture in it. I went by the feel method for a long time. We did invest in a cheap moisture meter and I found my hands were more accurate than the meter was. When I have done skittles all of my skittles pop open so I can see the whites on them. If they haven’t popped open they are like a normal skittle still. I haven’t tried gummy bears. Mushrooms were the most challenging for me. The first batch I did they felt good but as I was packaging I noticed some of them felt cold and they still had moisture in them.

I’ve only just started the extra time and reweighing recently. I think I’ve done 3 batches since them. We bought a amp meter a while back so I can see how much money we are spending in electricity to run it. The extra few hours to ensure that it’s done costs Pennies so to me it’s worth it.

 

[HeritageFan]

I work during the day so I’m gone most of the time when mine finishes, I always either add more time when I get home or warm the trays prior to taking it out. If the stuff is still cold after that it still has moisture in it. I went by the feel method for a long time. We did invest in a cheap moisture meter and I found my hands were more accurate than the meter was. When I have done skittles all of my skittles pop open so I can see the whites on them. If they haven’t popped open they are like a normal skittle still. I haven’t tried gummy bears. Mushrooms were the most challenging for me. The first batch I did they felt good but as I was packaging I noticed some of them felt cold and they still had moisture in them.

I’ve only just started the extra time and reweighing recently. I think I’ve done 3 batches since them. We bought a amp meter a while back so I can see how much money we are spending in electricity to run it. The extra few hours to ensure that it’s done costs Pennies so to me it’s worth it.

My skittles had all popped open, were reportedly super crunchy at first, and my gummy bears felt super dry.
But.
They are all soft in the bags w the 02 absorbers a year later :/
Oh well. The kids just need to eat what I can’t
The eggs and meals have come out much better!
Live and learn

 

[Bkaye]

My skittles had all popped open, were reportedly super crunchy at first, and my gummy bears felt super dry.
But.
They are all soft in the bags w the 02 absorbers a year later :/
Oh well. The kids just need to eat what I can’t
The eggs and meals have come out much better!
Live and learn

That’s interesting. I wonder if maybe your seal partially failed. The only issue I had with something similar was lasagna. It was nice and crunch but 6 months or so later it was soft. I questioned if it may have been the oils from the fat that did that or if maybe it wasn’t 100% dry to begin with.

We have had ours around 3 years and I’m still constantly learning tricks. I’ve always heard not to do chocolate. However I did a batch of chocolate pudding the other day and in it currently is little chocolate cakes for chocolate lava cake. Gotta have junk food saved up

 

[Sally PB]

This is what we do. I have freeze dried some already scrambled and cooked but much rather freeze dry raw. We have a medium and regret not spending a little extra to get the large. We have had ours a few years and love it. We’re able to put up meals, extra veggies from the garden before they spoil, and same with fruits. Leftovers as long as they are not greasy can be freeze dried. I use to do a lot of canning. I much prefer the ease of freeze drying. Don’t get me wrong I still can up some things.

Ours runs quite regular, I’ve put up 14 doz eggs in the past week as well as some soups.

I've been thinking about a freeze dryer. How loud are they?

 

[Bkaye]

I've been thinking about a freeze dryer. How loud are they?

I have the mid old standard pump. It’s a little louder than what’s offered now. I have mine in the kitchen which is attached to my livingroom. We can sit and listen to the tv. The best comparison I can give you is if you have ever been around one of those cigarette lighter air pumps for your tires it’s about like that.

I have a friend that has the premier pump which they come standard with now. It’s significantly quieter. You can stand beside it and carry on a conversation and not have to raise your voice. To me the noise really isn’t bothersome.

 

[HeritageFan]

I have the mid old standard pump. It’s a little louder than what’s offered now. I have mine in the kitchen which is attached to my livingroom. We can sit and listen to the tv. The best comparison I can give you is if you have ever been around one of those cigarette lighter air pumps for your tires it’s about like that.

I have a friend that has the premier pump which they come standard with now. It’s significantly quieter. You can stand beside it and carry on a conversation and not have to raise your voice. To me the noise really isn’t bothersome.

Mine in is a spare bedroom. I have no issues w the premiere pump running, but I (obviously) don’t run it when I have guests coming.
It is about as loud as my window AC unit.
It does, however, put off a fair bit of heat....so I also try to avoid running it if it’s going to be really hot (...in large part because we don’t have central AC) those days are few and far between at elevation in the PNW, however.... both on the temperature concerns, as well as the visitors

 

[chicChickChick]

I dehydrate a lot of fruit, fruit leather, jerky, etc.
We also smoke some jerky/ meats.

All of that does extend the safe storage length for those items. Esp if vacuum sealed.

But. Those items, even in a vacuum sealed bag need to be refrigerated, frozen, or used fairly quickly.

Canning increases safe storage times between a few months, to a few years, depending on the item and the process.

Freeze drying and properly sealing in Mylar bags increases safe storage to 8-10 years (for foods high in fat), to 20-30 + years for other food items, once you have the hang of what you need to know and do.

Not every food item can be freeze dried. Butter, similar fats... are not going to go well. But scrambled eggs properly dried and stored will rehydrate (in my opinion better than fresh) for 15-20 years. You can make a scramble, omlette, or use them for baking, and it completely eliminates egg waste if you have a routine.

We fish, camp, hunt, take long road trips. Have a big garden. We make excellent use of our freeze dryer. It was a big investment and I am so very grateful to have made the leap.
(Again. Not on the Tube. Not on Harvest Right’s payroll. Just am very happy to have this fantastic tool!)
We have it running often. It is SO nice to take off for a few days with a handful of bags that weigh nothing, only needing a cooler for a handful of drinks (and butter ). We only bring a way to treat water, or water, a way to boil water, and can have a meal in ~5m after the water boils.
Buy the heavier Mylar bags, and you can just add water to the bag, roll it closed, wrap it in a towel to slow heat loss, stir after 5-10 m depending on the meal, and you have a finished meal.
Or, with raw eggs, add cold water to the powder in the bag, stir w a fork, and cook as you would fresh eggs.
You can also freeze dry produce (think about making your own freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, zucchini noodles, banana chips, apple chips... )
And they last for decades....

I’m not shy about being a huge fan

Are the Mylar bags reusable?

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I desperately want a freeze dryer but the harvest right ones run $8,000-$12,000 here. I guess the importer pays a lot to get them shipped over because that's definitely not how much they should be on the exchange rate difference. I don't want one as badly as $12k! No other alternatives I can find either. I'll stick to attempting to time early spring pullets to lay in time for winter!