There are 3 ports on the chamber that I made slits in the plastic to get around and taped them up once around them. Do not tape to the insulation. Tape only to the vapor barrier plastic. It doesn't take long, just be careful. After the plastic is in place and secure around the chamber I sealed the plastic to the back of the front and back panels using the packing tape. All the way around the front and back of the chamber to completely seal the chamber from outside air and humidity.
Brian Nichols Albert was responsive, informed and efficient. Harvest Right freeze dryer and kit are as expected, arrived sooner than expected, passed functional test and initial "bread run". Highly recommend both the company and the product.
You can freeze dry things with fat and oils in it. The point isn’t to completely get rid of all the fat, but to reduce it. The reason being is for the storage process.
For ground meats, it’s a good idea to cook and then drain off as much grease as possible. I like to rinse ground meat before putting it in my machine to get rid of even more fat.
The pros and cons are easy to understand. In fact, there really is only one pro and it’s a huge one. Those who are willing to spend the time and money to freeze dry their own food should do so as long as they’re going to be committed.
For the price of a large home freeze dryer one can have 48 servings of premium freeze dried beef delivered to their home every month for a year with promo code “jdr“.
They can last for decades, with regular maintenance of course. It’s like any other major appliance, it has running parts and will need to be maintained or repaired as needed.
What I presume was happening was that condensation was building up on the cooling coils between the insulation and the chamber and freezing. When I finally turned the FDer off it took 3 days for the ice buildup to melt and slowly soak through the insulation and drip onto the counter.
Tray lids– Though freeze drying is underway, you would possibly end up prepping for the next batch. Tray lids are vital in these conditions, preserving your prepped food from contaminants, odors, or unintended spills with your freezer.
Pre-frozen food takes less time to process since the machine doesn’t have to completely freeze the food. Your climate (humidity and temperature) can also affect the cycle length. My average load takes around 24 hours, but it can be significantly longer.
And therein lies the cons to buying a freeze dryer. It takes time to make them cost effective. Depending on humidity in your area, a single run can take up to two days to complete.
Another best practice is to set up a station. This will take space. Having a freeze dryer, freezer, prep table, and processing area all together has been a good decision. It can all be done in a large kitchen, but the machines are noisy and a freeze-drying project can take up Buy Now a lot of space.
If you don’t have the time or money, or if you believe the food crisis will hit hard very soon, then it makes more sense to buy freeze-dried food instead.
The food options we had there were extremely limited and full of preservatives. To counter that, my buddy Lance went in with family members on the purchase of a freeze dryer for home use.