It’s easy to rehydrate produce to eat cooked or to add to recipes. For some fruit, just place it in a bowl of water and let it soak until it’s rehydrated. Or, you can just spritz it with water, or add water a little at a time and add it directly to your recipes. Rehydrated fruit is perfect for pies, cobblers and on top of yogurt, warm oatmeal or in creamy smoothies. Vegetables are also easy to rehydrate – just prepare them as if they were fresh from your garden. Add hot water into a bowl of freeze dried veggies, or add water and warm in the microwave or simply cook them on the stovetop. You can easily add freeze dried vegetables right into your favorite soup recipes just like you would fresh or frozen vegetables. And, for leafy greens, just spritz with water or put them in a large ziplock bag with a moist paper towel so avoid making them soggy. Freeze dried leafy greens are also wonderful when crushed into a powder and added to spaghetti sauce or toss the crunchy greens right into your favorite smoothie recipe for a nutritional boost.

Freeze dried food can be stored for up to 25 years! Its longevity depends on how you store it, however. Here are some tips for properly storing freeze dried food so they’re fresh and ready when you need them

First make sure it’s dry.

When you remove your food from the freeze dryer, break a large piece of the food in half and check for ice particles in the very center of the food or touch your tongue to it to make sure it’s not still cold. If it’s not, it’s dry. Freeze drying works from the outside of the food to the inside, if your food still has ice particles or is cold in that center portion, you can put it back in the freeze dryer for a short dry cycle. Don’t worry, though, because the freeze dryer makes it simple and will ask you if you’d like more dry time.

Seal it well.

Place freeze dried food in an airtight container. Otherwise, it will begin to reabsorb moisture from the air and spoil.

For a 25-year shelf life, Mylar bags are the easiest and least expensive option. Add an oxygen absorber to make sure oxygen isn’t in your bag and will destroy your food over time. Then, simply seal the bag with an impulse sealer or even just a hot iron or flat iron.
Vacuum sealed plastic bags are another good option for all foods except meats or other high-protein foods. For food you want to eat in the near future, resealable jars or containers are just fine. Make sure to add an oxygen absorber to any meats or long-term food storage.
Simple air tight jars like the one below work well for snacks such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or even cheesecake and ice cream. These can easily store in a pantry for a few months without adding an oxygen absorber. Just remember to seal the jar tight after you grab your goodies.

Can I use parchment paper to freeze dry?

Yes, you can freeze dry a variety of food in parchment paper safely.

If the dry cycle is done in the middle of the night, and I do not remove the product, can it absorb moisture or is it safe to leave it for a few hours?

Safe to leave for hours, days...weeks . No rush to empty the freeze dryer when it says a cycle is done. If more dry time is determined to be needed once it is checked, that is ok: the freeze dryer will just chill down and keep the chamber freezing until it is prompted to begin additional dry time.

How do I register my warranty?

The warranty is held by HarvestRight. Please click this link to register:
https://harvestright.com/warranty-registration/

How to set up your Freeze Dryer

This video will show you how to set up your freeze dryer. It’s simple to do. Harvest Right talks about the best place to store the freeze dryer, how to clean and prep it to for its first run; filling the pump with oil, attaching the vacuum hose, placing the drain hose into the proper receptacle, and set-up specifics for power, etc. Click here to view the video.

How can I rehydrate freeze dried fruits and vegetables?