Things You'll Need:
- Foods suitable for freeze-drying (fruits and vegetables)
- Freezer
- Freezer storage bags
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Step 1
Prepare your foods for freeze-drying by cutting them into strips or small pieces so that the meaty or fleshy part of the food, the part with the majority of moisture, is exposed to the air. Foods suitable for freeze-drying include fruits and vegetables.
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Step 2
Clear out the freezer of your refrigerator or your stand-alone freezer and turn the temperature control to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, or just above freezing. This prevents the water molecules inside the cells of the foods you are freeze-drying from actually freezing and expanding.
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Step 3
Place the foods that you prepared for freeze-drying on a drying or cooling rack (the kind used to cool cookies) and place in your freezer for 24 hours.
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Step 4
Remove freeze-dried foods from your freezer and immediately place them in food storage freezer bags and seal.
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Step 5
Reset the temperature control for your freezer as per manufacturer's directions (to 0 degrees or slightly above). Your freeze-dried foods can be kept in the refrigerator or may be stored outside the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
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Step 6
Take your freeze-dried foods along with you on a camping trip -- there is no need for refrigeration. Place any freeze-dried foods that you wish to consume in a plastic baggie and add a ounce or so of water. Allow the freeze dried food time to absorb most or all of the liquid and then eat. Taste, texture and nutritional content should be very similar to fresh. Freeze-dried foods can be added to stews and other liquid-based meals and cooked as if they were fresh.
