Yeah, about $2000. But in the end, I've been able to make the expense a worthwhile investment. I can make all kinds of things and have instant foods or things I'd normally have to buy.
For example:
- Freeze dried mini marshmallows. Just like in Lucky Charms.
- Freeze dried spaghetti sauce, drinks, refried beans. It's just me so opening any of those means I have a good chance of it going bad before I use it all. Just freeze dry it and use only enough for my meal.
- Long term food prep. 25 years.
- Freeze dry a whole holiday meal and have it ready in like 10 minutes.
There are a lot more benefits. You can also use it to vacuum seal jars but you have to get clever about it.
Freeze dry a whole holiday meal and have it ready in like 10 minutes.
I want to freeze dry a whole turkey now
Do you know just how much you can get from a whole turkey?
- Freeze dry the meat.
- Use the broth for soup.
- Boil the bones to make stock.
It's insane. Same thing for juicing fruits and veggies. You can use the fruit pulp to make jams, preserves. the veggies can be mixed and boiled into broth. Use some of the broth to make spaghetti (which flavors the pasta). Pour that back into the broth and now you have a soup broth with body.
A freeze dryer looks like a good idea, but they aren't cheap. I just dehydrated a lot last year and will continue doing that this summer.