HARVEST RIGHT FREEZE DRYER

I've been flip-flopping for years about buying a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. I had a long list of pros and cons, but tonight I finally broke down and ordered one. I got the small size with the extras included for just under 2k. I'm planning to set it up in the barn, because of the size, and there is power and a refrigerator/freezer to store the meat, milk, eggs, etc. in until freeze dried. Just have to go to the barn every day to load/unload the freeze-dried food, clean the trays, and reload the unit.
The biggest reason I bought a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer is the high cost of 25-year food, powdered milk and eggs, dehydrated foods, etc. Hopefully, I will be able to freeze dry hundreds of pounds of food to go with my stockpile of other foodstuffs.

 

Let us know how that works out. I have almost bought one several times

 

We have one. I can eat eggs from chickens long dead. Really handy to prep it the way i want to eat it and without other crap put in my food. I love "goolosh" made with hot rotel in it so so she makes it for my hunting trips along with other foods and makes it the size i want so there is no waste. Feeze dried carnitas for sandwhiches or as a stand alone meal hydrates really well. Etc etc.
She runs the freeze dryer and i do the pressure canning.

 

If you don't mind answering a question. How do you determine the correct amount of water to put into each meal? I would assume that each meal might have different consistencies and amounts. With the store bought varieties it's known and printed on the instructions. Do you have any suggestions as to how best to store the food? Especially with individual meals. What have you found does not rehydrate well and what does?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yeah, I'm hoping that this isn't one of those purchases that gathers dust and I regret. We've all made those kinds of purchases, usually exercise equipment.  The 2nd hand market is good, and I could unload it on eBay, but I'm hoping to get a lot of use out of it, save money and add to my preps.

 

good luck. like the others im hoping you post your success. i lived on my mountain house reserves for 2 years.

 

I recently bought my retirement home in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

I am hoping to reap the full benefits of the numerous fruit and vegetable stands with the long growing seasons and subtropical weather. The may even be some profits for sales of freeze dried citrus, mango, papaya, etc.

 

You might be able to work a deal with the folks that operate those fruit and vegetable stands. You buy the fruits and vegetables from them, and they sell the freeze-dried stuff for you...everybody wins.

 

I have one I haven't used since my wife passed away about 2 1/2 years ago. It's the middle sized one. It has the original oil type vacuum pump and the oil less one as well. Probably won't use it again.

If I want more freeze dried preps I'll simply purchase them. But I have a lot and now it's just me and two cats.

 

I suppose a Margherita mix where you just add tequila and water should be feasible.

With tropical fruit variants....it might be fun doing the experiments.

 

Oh, wise Sloth, how do you do eggs? This ignorant one wishes to learn from a wise one, such as yourself.

 

I've been doing some research, and many users purchase bulk foods from farmers' markets, supermarkets, Sam's Clubs, Cosco, etc. Fresh or frozen. Fruits, veggies, eggs, milk, cheese, meat, etc.

 

Just ordered it, I haven't got it yet!

 

I've had a harvest right for about a year and a half now, the medium size. I has worked flawlessly, no updates other than the upgrade to use the wifi dongle that they sell.
My wife and i will hit the local stores early in the morning when they have the most "marked down" items in the meat section. We will frequently get 5 or 6 day old rotisserie chickens for $2.00. Get them home and debone them, freeze dry the meat (sometimes just give the meat to the chickens as a supplement). Then put the chicken carcasses in a roaster and make bone broth. Cool the broth and separate the fat, then FD the broth into powder. So much better than the store bought stuff.
I FD much of my garden surplus as well as regular canning. I like to make tomato powder, it can be used to thicken up dishes or made into a paste, really what ever you need just add the appropriate amount of water.
Some of the family favorites:
Cheese - buy the blocks of cheese slice uniformly and FD, makes something like a "cheese-it" cracker
Fruit - my wife's favorite that I can't keep around is pineapple - we get the peeled and quartered pineapple from Sam's, slice and FD. We have found that fresh is generally, but not always, better than pre-frozen packaged stuff. Something about the pre-frozen stuff can go through freeze/thaw cycles that changes the fruit and makes it hard to get FD properly.
Veggies - When I got the FD we had several packages of frozen diced onions, 3 pepper blend, mirepoix and other frozen veggies that were starting to get freezer burnt. Just put them all in the FD and now they will last a long time. I also make my own onion and garlic powder. Buy in bulk from Sam's and FD away. When doing garlic I make sure the next batch or 2 is something than can handle the garlic flavor, even deep cleaning the machine it will linger.
Meat - I've only done cooked meat, but you can FD raw as well. I'll get the family size package of WM brand sausage patties and freeze dry them (putting paper towels on top and bottom of the patties).
Candy - yeah, done some candy, makes for nice gifts to the nieces and nephews.

One of my favorites is to take 2 slices of deli meat and some sliced cheese along with a drop or two of mustard. Roll it up and cut into thirds. After freeze drying I will take and rehydrate by soaking in pickle juice (usually the left over juice from my canned jalapeno's) .
Another 'treat' is to use small cubes (like 1", I have the HR silicone mold) put in a layer of pudding (chocolate, vanilla, banana, etc.) then some yogurt (compliment the pudding) and them fruit, usually strawberry that has been pureed. Sometimes it's just the fruit, sometimes just the yogurt or pudding.

0 issues with my HR FD, though at first the WiFi dongle was a bit temperamental but it has been working great lately.

Really wish I had my FD years ago.

Funny "fail" story. When I first got the FD, I was processing my jalapenos, my daughter was helping and she put the diced jalapeno's on the silicone mats that came with the FD. After running the jalapenos and washing everything we ran a few runs of misc stuff then the kids wanted candy. So we did the candy and the candy came out spicy, like jalapeno spicy. Turns out the silicone mats absorbed the spicey from the the peppers. Even after soaking and washing multiple times they are still spicey! I usually just use parchment paper now for most of the runs.

 

They have already answered you well.

 

WB, PLEASE give us review as soon as you get the procedure down. I am interested in not only the cost of the unit but the operating cost, like how much electric is it using, cost of producing your own products as opposed to purchasing, taste, etc... What is your plan once you have your product freeze-dried, vacuum seal it or what?

I have a lot of freeze-dried food, Mountain House as I don't like the taste of others, but I have noticed that the portions have gotten smaller as the cost has gone up which is driving my interest in doing myself. I have a bunch of #10 but then turned to pouches, costs a bit more but much more practical and those pouches have gotten smaller...

 

green oil? what is that?

 

@kckndrgn How are you storing your Freeze-dried foods? In mylar with oxygen absorbers or vacuum pack or how? We just got one of those Foodsavers machines and it seems to work great...not sure how long the seal lasts but...

 

A combination of mylar bags, the thicker the better, and vacuum sealing in mason jars.

 

I have had very little luck keeping a vacuum on products I repackaged.

Basic vacuum sealers last a few months for me. Mylar with oxygen absorbers works fairly well in buckets. Vacuum sealing in mason jars seems to last a while and will probably prevent enough moisture intrusion over time to work well even if failed.