A Culinary Revolution 🚀

Good morning on this my wonderful 65th birthday 🎂for I get to share my absolute love for freeze-drying. It truly is a fascinating and rewarding process, and I'm so excited to share the magic of it with you all. ✨

The Gift That Keeps on Giving 🎁

Receiving my first freeze dryer in 2019 was a surprise from my hubby, and boy was I excited! 🤩 It truly was the gift that keeps on giving. Venturing into this whole new world of learning the how-to's and why's has been an incredible experience. I have to say, it's one of the best investments my husband and I have ever made! 💯Yes we now have more than one freeze dryer!

Embracing the Freeze-Dry Journey 🚶‍♀️

It's completely normal to encounter a few hiccups when learning any new skill, and it seems my "blob" moments have been few and far between. 😂 The ability to adapt and learn from those instances is a testament to my dedication. The fact that I consistently choose freeze-drying over other methods speaks volumes about its advantages. 👍

The Science Behind the Magic 🔬

This sublimation process is key to preserving the food's original shape, color, nutritional value, and flavor. When rehydrated, the food closely resembles its fresh state, a feat few other preservation methods can achieve. Imagine enjoying perfectly preserved strawberries 🍓 that taste and look almost as if they were just picked, or crispy, flavorful yogurt bites 😋 that are perfect for on-the-go snacking. The extended shelf life is also a significant advantage, often lasting for 25 years or more when stored properly, making it an excellent option for emergency preparedness 🚨 or simply reducing food waste. 🍎➡️🍃

Beyond the Can: A Look at Canning's Drawbacks 🥫🚫

Although canning has been used for years and was the "preferred" method of storing food, it has its own set of problems. The high heat needed to ensure all bacteria are killed to preserve the food also kills the beneficial nutrients. Essentially, you're eating food that is stripped of most of its nutritional value. 📉 Furthermore, canning season often falls during the summer when it's already hot. ☀️ Standing at a stove, either blanching or canning your food, is incredibly draining, especially when it's 100 degrees outside and you feel like you're in a sauna. 🥵 Canning also has a much shorter shelf life, at best 5 years, depending on what you're canning. ⏳

Canning food, a time-honored preservation method, offers many benefits, but it's not without its challenges. The time commitment and effort required are substantial, from washing and preparing produce to sterilizing jars, filling them, processing, and cleaning up. This entire process can be quite lengthy, especially with large quantities. While some basic canning supplies are relatively inexpensive, the initial investment in proper equipment can be significant, including jars, lids, rings, a canner, jar lifters, funnels, and headspace tools. Pressure canners, necessary for low-acid foods, are also more expensive than water bath canners. Perhaps the most critical disadvantage is the potential for botulism. Improperly processed low-acid foods can harbor Clostridium botulinum spores, which can multiply in the anaerobic environment of a sealed jar and produce a deadly toxin. Strict adherence to tested recipes is crucial, and due to this, it's difficult to can things that your taste buds truly enjoy. For instance, I love making homemade salsa 🌶️🍅, but with canning, I had to stick to time-tested recipes to keep it safe. It was not fun, to say the least! 😭 Additionally, jar storage is very cumbersome. Jars are heavy 🏋️‍♀️, need to be kept in a cool, dry place, and are a pain to move. Believe me, I've had to move years' worth of boxed jars across the country! 🚚 Not to mention the space needed for storage, the fact that they break easily, and even after stored, you must check them periodically for a broken seal. 💔

Why Freeze Drying Reigns Supreme 👑
From what I've shared, it's clear that freeze-drying offers a unique blend of benefits that have captured my heart. ❤️ Unlike canning, which uses heat that can degrade nutrients and alter textures, or dehydration, which often results in a chewier product, freeze-drying is a gentle process. It works by lowering the pressure and temperature, allowing the frozen water in the food to transform directly from solid ice to gas (sublimation). ❄️➡️💨

My Freeze-Dry Love List ❤️

Here are the reasons I love to freeze-dry:

1. I can play with my recipes, like my salsas, without worrying about the acidic balance. This means I can create foods that we absolutely love without the fear of accidentally poisoning my family! 👩‍👧‍👦
2. The time! This is a big one. Although there is still prep time involved, it's much easier and shorter than when canning. ⏱️
3. Storing & Space 📦
   This is also a big one! When your food is ready, you simply put it into freeze-dry bags and seal them. They are good for up to 25 years ⏳, take up much less space 📉, are light 🕊️, and easy to travel with! ✈️
4. TASTE! This is a ginormous one for me. When freeze-drying, it preserves color, flavor, NUTRIENTS, and TASTE! 🌈😋 There is nothing better, in my humble opinion, than freeze-dried applesauce, salsas, soups, stews, and so much more. You decide how thick you want them, so you control the amount of liquid used to rehydrate them, and OH MY GOSH! the flavors just POP in your mouth. Literally, your mouth has a party and thanks you with every bite! 🎉🥳

A Flavorful Future & A Call to Action! 🌟

My journey with freeze-drying is an inspiration. It's a testament to how embracing new technologies can bring such joy and practicality into our lives. Here's to many more delicious and freeze-dried adventures for me!

Ready to unlock a world of flavor, nutrition, and convenience? 🤔 If you're curious about giving freeze-drying a try, I highly encourage you to dive in! It's a journey that rewards you with incredible taste, preserves the goodness of your food, and offers peace of mind. You'll be amazed at the health benefits and the sheer enjoyment you'll get from rediscovering your favorite foods in a whole new way! Happy freeze-drying! 😊👍

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