Freeze Drying Your First 500 lbs of Food - Batch 41- "Dry" Rice and "Dry" Hashbrowns

**This one turned out long. You might want to watch at 2x speed! **
Freeze dryer batch #41 - 27 lbs (27 lbs when rehydrated) of rice and hashbrowns. Started freeze drying this batch July 13th.
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First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.co...
Batch worksheet link: docs.google.co...
Cost of the the rice and hashbrowns: $16.45 for 7.78 lbs (27 lbs wet weigh of the food) $11.08 for the hashbrowns, $5.37 for the rice.
Total batch time: 27 hours 48 minutes
Weight before drying: 7.78 lbs. Weight after drying: 3311 grams (about 7.3 lb)
Power use: 17.33 kWh
Bagged into: 16 pint & 8 quart 7 mil Mylar bags with 300cc oxygen absorbers.
This list is about getting started on a 500 lb mixed pantry of freeze dried foods in 100 days.
(This may be a bit optimistic and perhaps it'll only be 400 lbs)
Goal of about 85 lbs per category. (100 lbs per category if we don't do the Meals/Dishes)
1) Meats:
2) Vegetables:
3) Fruits:
4) Dairy:
5) Grain / Starch:
6) Meals / Dishes:
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We have been buying oxygen absorbers and 7 mil Mylar bags from PackFreshUSA since early 2018. During all that time (1000's of bag and oxygen absorbers, and about 6 year before before we added this affiliate link) we have been happy with the products and service we have received from them.
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Before buying a freeze dryer, perhaps research to find out more about the downside of the machine; some people have problems with their machine and it's big and heavy and hard to return!
I'd check Costco first to see if you can get one there. - Best return policy:)
When trying to decide what to freeze dry you can start by asking why.
Start by asking yourself this question. Why are you freeze drying food? Knowing this should help you decide what you should freeze dry first.
I'm freeze drying because:
Just to freeze dry leftovers?
You want to make your own food for camping/backpacking?
For if/when the SHTF?
For a short term emergency?
You have your own garden and want to freeze dry the food?
You love Costco but don't have a family of 6?
You are good at finding the food sales but only have 1 freezer?
When you cook homemade chili just for yourself you make 10 gallons? Because you have 3 full freezers and are worried about power outages?
If I knew then what I know now, I would have freeze dried things in a different order. Or maybe not, because I started freeze drying because we had 3 full freezers, I was thinking of getting another one, and I decided I should buy a walk-in freezer instead. I started looking into walk-ins and realized they were expensive to buy (even used ones) AND expensive to own and operate. Then I found out Harvest Right was making home sized freeze dryers. One of my first thoughts was "I like Mountain House!" I have used their food for backpacking almost 45 years and we even kept some in our travel trailer, for just in case.
Freeze dried food will stay fresh for many years and be ready and waiting when you need it.
We do videos showing how we are using our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer to freeze dry food for long term storage. (We have the medium size machine that we got in August of 2017) We talk about how to load and unload the freeze dryer, how to know if the food is dry, is it better to freeze dry raw food or cooked food, and do a few taste tests. Freeze dried food is also great for prepping or just for camping and snacking!

[@SchoolReports]

Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee :-) www.buymeacoffee.com/DanZm If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our affiliate link. It helps us and costs you nothing! affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html First 500 lbs data spreadsheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ieekdk5aH_2OWLUealeOLurU9_zl03BfFEg_qhAgcaA/edit?usp=sharing Batch worksheet link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13DCB2hXo9_ZYrhIUicLk2IrEaQGszwbaJTcEH8wJxk4/edit?usp=sharing

[@christoff124]

bob ross of the freeze drying food

[@judyjohnson1012]

I appreciate how scientific you are with this freeze drying. I am getting my FD this week and have been watching many diff videos. I have been on earned how nonchalant some people are about not knowing if their food is truly dry. I don’t want to invest all this money and time and then have it not be edible in a few years. Thank you for all your hard work and explanations.

[@SchoolReports]

Nonchalant. And sometimes just downright silly! Thanks for watching, commenting, and for the kind words! I hope you find some of it useful. Isn't it amazing how much water is in "dry" food? This experiment even surprised me. "Remember kids, the only difference between Science and screwing around is writing it down." The only really important thing is the _Dry Check._ As far as I'm concerned, anyone who is bagging any food for storage without doing a _Dry Check,_ using a sensitize scale, is wasting their time, food, and money. Without the _Dry Check_ you're just guessing as to whether or not the food is dry. This is my personal guideline about dry food: 🤣(Only a little tongue-in-cheek) #1 Never trust the freeze dryer or a spot check moisture meter to tell you if the food is dry! Do a Dry Check using a scale to make sure it's dry before bagging and storing. #2 Don't overload the freeze dryer. I try to keep the medium machine to a maximum of about 8 pounds of Water Weight per batch. (I have had 11+ lbs of water. It took a long time and I won't do that again) #3 Don't make the food on the trays too thick (height, not viscosity) If you do, you may have to run the batch twice. #4 When in doubt about dryness, add extra final dry time. #5 Never trust the freeze dryer or a spot check moisture meter to tell you if the food is dry! Do a Dry Check using a scale to make SURE it's dry. #6 NEVER trust the freeze dryer or a spot check moisture meter to tell you if the food is dry! IT CAN'T KNOW! Do a Dry Check using a scale to make SURE it's ALL dry before bagging and storing. I've heard from too many people that thought their food was dry, only to check again a short time later (or a year or 2) and find out it wasn't, and now it has gone bad. My biggest issue with the Harvest Right manuals is where it just says ". . .Check the material thoroughly to make sure it is completely dry . . ." with no hint as to how to accomplish this in a way to _ensure_ it's 100% dry every time. I have a bad feeling that a lot of people are going to find out someday that some of their food was not dry enough. Many foods can hide moisture that's not noticed at the time of bagging. #1 rule of freeze drying - Never trust the freeze dryer or a spot check moisture meter to tell you if the food is dry! _It can't know!_ I'm paranoid about having water in my freeze dried bags of food. 🤣 Remember, I'm just another idiot on the internet. I could be wrong. The #1 joke at our house is "But, I saw it on the internet!" Consider looking at what commercial companies are doing. That's where I look to for guidance. If they can do it, we probably can too. (with method adjustments)

[@jeffrichards2011]

I find it incredibly interesting as to how much water WAS in those two food items in their shelf packaging. This video is a great lesson in understanding how or why FD'ing makes a whole lotta sense.

[@SchoolReports]

It was a surprise to me just how much water there was. I was really happy that the water demo at the end shows the issue so well. (At least in my opinion) Maybe I should have given this video one of those stupid over-the-top KZbin titles; I FREEZE DRIED SOME "DRY" STUFF - YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED!!! with the equally bad open-mouth (pretend) shocked face thumbnail.

[@darrylgordon5170]

@SchoolReports I have, for quite some time now, wondered, "Can I vacuum seal DRY goods and be confident that it won't spoil?" The reason I have asked this question is that I know there is still water in all dry goods. they are dry enough to be shelf stable and safe for short term, 1 to 2 years, storage. but I want long term, 25 plus years, storage. the only way to guarantee that is to remove more water. I like the weight and temp measurements for determining "doneness." I will adopt that practice. the demonstration at the end drives home the fact that "dry, really isn't dry." you could add the cheesy thumbnail pic and the over the top name, and you would probably get more views. But then it would degrade the value of the video. in my humble opinion. but I am kinda nerdy at times, so take it for what it's worth.

[@PS-ut5ct]

Thank you so much. I’m shocked at how much water was in those items!

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks for watching. I knew there would be water in the "dry" food, but I was surprised by how much there was!

[@KitchenFairy61]

I just got my new Harvest Right fully hooked up and am getting ready to do the batch of bread to burn off the "new car smell" as the book calls it. I've got a list of foods to freeze dry. I appreciate all of the work you've been doing to make these videos. I've learned a great deal from you.

[@SchoolReports]

Congratulations! Good for you to have a list of things you plan to do. Until I started making the "First 50 Batch" series of videos, we had never even given much thought to having any plan or goal for our freeze drying. That was one big reason I started making the series, to tell other people to start with a plan or goal. Any plan or goal!

[@juliemaring6048]

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Bought you a coffee.

[@SchoolReports]

😀

[@juliemaring6048]

Thanks!

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks! And thanks for watching.

[@donnastormer9652]

WOW ! Thanks for taking the time to teach!!!

[@SchoolReports]

It was interesting. 😇 Who knew that dry things would have so much water?

[@berlygirl123]

Smart ideas!! Love your channel.

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@floridaman9260]

Thank you

[@patiencekates5975]

I am amazed at how much moisture was in it

[@SchoolReports]

Ditto! I knew there would be water in the "dry" food, but it was surprising how much there was.

[@YakAttack145]

Another great video. Thank you

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks.

[@kerry1963qld]

Great info thanks for sharing , I would not have thought to do the rice .

[@SchoolReports]

It had a lot more water than I expected.

[@jhippl]

More instant than instant rice, I wonder how much water is in instant potatoes

[@eileenniehaus5368]

Great demonstration at the end. Thank you!

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks. What did you think of the Chocolate Mousse in batch 40?

[@eileenniehaus5368]

@@SchoolReports I need to rewatch it, I was busy when I watched but it looked a bit complicated for me, all those little pieces. I bet they taste amazing though. Maybe some day... Taking another break from freeze drying cause of life and work.

[@SchoolReports]

@@eileenniehaus5368 When we're not freeze drying it, we just spoon it into cups to chill and eat! Much quicker.

[@eileenniehaus5368]

@@SchoolReports hmmmmm

[@CraftEccentricity]

Thanks so much for another great vid!

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks again for watching!

[@stacycole1935]

Excellent demonstration!!

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks! Who there was so much water in "dry" food!

[@maryjoglenn1731]

Wow! Who would have thought so much water was in the rice.

[@SchoolReports]

I know I was surprised! I knew there would be water in the "dry rice," but even I was surprised by the amount. I was trying to illustrate that there is no way to tell if freeze dried food is finished drying just by feeling.

[@IgoOutlateAtnight]

How much water do you think is in NON minute rice? I ask because people say standard rice in mylar can last decades (which was my thought). But is there water in those? Guess I may need to try... Thanks School!

[@SchoolReports]

I do want to try regular, uncooked rice to find out the water content.

[@annwithaplan9766]

@@SchoolReports - Wouldn't using a desiccant be a better option?

[@SchoolReports]

@@annwithaplan9766 Might be good as an addition; I would still remove the water first. 🙂I don't see how leaving the water in the bag with the food and just adding a desiccant could be a better option. It could be an interesting side-by-side experiment!

[@gigis5017]

Hmm I've seen other people do the dry hash browns- thought that was a neat way of extending the shelf life. Never thought to do the minuet rice- cool. What do you think about FD'ing cheerios, have you tried to FD these? Might be a fun experiment.

[@SchoolReports]

I haven't tried Cheerios in the FDer. My Cheerios eaters are grown, so I don't have any Cheerios.🤣 Might be worth a try.

[@SchoolReports]

Cheerios video today.

[@ddhrsa]

I cook 4 cups rice with 8 cups of water. Freeze dry in my medium freeze dryer. The result is 2 cups of already made rice + 1 cups of hot water. Voila, Instant rice for dirt cheap.

[@SchoolReports]

Agree 100%! (This was my sister's batch) But I was surprised that the big box of Minute Rice was only $5.37. I like to do my rice using 4 cups of rice to 6 or 7 cups of water or broth so that it ends up a bit under done and on the dry side, because I don't like wet or soggy rice. Batch 23 - Rice, cooked w/chicken broth kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIWaYYCVp7Zkhsk

[@traviskillough]

I’ve been wanting to get a freeze dryer, but if it’s this much of a hassle I may rethink

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks for watching and for commenting! The freeze drying process really is a lot simpler and quicker than the prepping and cooking most meals! I do show a lot of steps that are not "required" for the freeze drying process because people have asked to see them. But on the other hand I want to be realistic about the process. Some people doing freeze drying pretend that the machines can "know" when the drying is complete - they can not. The total needed hands-on time is actually very short and easy if you're not trying to document it on video. Like most new things, it seems a bit complicated the first time, but it's not. Like learning to ride a bike.

[@coloradogirl9913]

I just use the preset setting and add more time, if I check the food and it seems wet. You can taste a tiny bit and tell if it's cold or chewy. Check all parts of the tray. Food that's done is like styrofoam. He is very scientific! He's very smart. I guess I just trust the setting and check the food, by taste. I'm a Grandma, not a scientist....LOL

[@SchoolReports]

@@coloradogirl9913 Thanks so much for watching and for commenting! I'm currently working on a video about the _Dry Check_ process. Hopefully I will be able to show the simplicity of it and the need for it. The machines can never know if the food is dry, and humans do not have the ability to sense wetness. 😁 We have touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste, but not wetness. (Some would include spatial awareness and balance, for a total of 7)

[@coloradogirl9913]

I wonder if you need a new seal? Mine doesn't do what yours does. It always seals easily. Maybe the seal dries out, after a while?

[@SchoolReports]

Great questions! I'm sure wear and tear change the seal over time. Some peoples machines do seem to seal easier/better than others. Mine would probably seal most of the time even if I didn't do anything. Mine, my sister's, and many others don't seal perfectly every time, so I like to make sure; it only takes a second. I've heard from a lot of people saying theirs also have issues sealing. I always keep a spare seal on hand, and the newest one I got for my sister had a different shape and seems softer/squishier, which might help them seal better.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKabd55rZp1nnKMsi=iuaSKXtTXPZQnBi7

[@dyannrickel2025]

Where did you get the pan dividers? Great idea.

[@SchoolReports]

Thanks for watching and commenting! The dividers are just something I made. The dividers are designed to fit the pans we got at a Dollar Tree store. They were called 8x8" but the bottoms are about 7x7", 2 1/2 pans are a perfect fit ** for our medium freeze dryer trays. (Turns out they have them online too www.dollartree.com/cooking-concepts-square-cake-pans-75-in/10065 ) The file is on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:3848619 (Some people feel that it's wrong to have food touch plastic - it's low on my personal risk list) I've updated the Thingiverse listing to include a new version of the divider that is slightly narrower at the bottom to fit more of the pans. ** Clarification on the 2 1/2 pans per tray; it only works IF the divider is the thickness I use. (or thicker) The freeze dryer trays actually fits about 1/2" less than 2 1/2 pans; that's one reason I made the dividers that thick, that and to fit the magnets. For those without a 3D printer, here's my best ideas for getting some 3D printed dividers. Lots of areas have Maker's places with people that would love to do it for you. Or, better yet, some schools have 3D printing labs. Check with a the local charter school that has junior high or high school age students. I taught 3D Design and Printing for 3+ years at a local 6th - 8th grade charter school. We loved it when we could find/were given a real-world project with a real need. I finally made a couple of the dividers without using the 3D printer a short time ago. It turns out it's an easy craft project and my sister says they are working well. (I will be making more non 3D printed ones, they're easy, cheap, and work!) Making Dividers for My Pre-freeze Pans Without Using a 3D Printer (For Our Medium Freeze Dryer) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn_Wk4qkZ56rmqc Stay tuned. 😁 I'm going to show another way using 1/2 thick cutting board. (For people with more tools and/or skills)

[@mikesfarmmikesfarm3977]

this was instant rice. Can we assume uncooked rice is fine not FD for long term storage, or does uncooked rice pick up moisture in the air ?

[@SchoolReports]

Uncooked rice is complicated. Dry, uncooked rice is going to be over 10% moisture by weight, depending on the temperature, but it kind of needs some of that moisture under "normal" storage conditions. One of the problems with water in food, when in a sealed container, is that the humidity levels change (a lot) with temperature changes. This can change safe Water Activity (aw) levels from a safe range to an unsafe range. This article talks a lot about the subject of moisture levels in rice: Rice Drying, Storage and Processing: Effects of Post-Harvest Operations on Grain Quality - www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672630821000998

[@DuesenbergJ]

Was wondering how dried plums would take to freeze drying. Haven’t seen it done.

[@SchoolReports]

I'll have to add those to my list!

[@SchoolReports]

I forgot to mention that we have freeze dried (regular, not dried) plums. Though they may have been pluots. (The gift box we received didn't say) Freeze Drying Plums and Apples kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZvXnJiDqqZ-jpY

[@DuesenbergJ]

@@SchoolReports that will be interesting. :)

[@dinakreutzer1827]

Great video, do you know the rehydrated difference between cooked rice and dries rice? Also the difference between frozen hashbrowns and dried hashbrowns?

[@SchoolReports]

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean home cooked rice and then freeze dried vs freeze drying minute rice vs uncooked raw rice? In all cases the more it had been cooked before freeze drying the faster it will rehydrate. The frozen hashbrowns will rehydrate quicker than the ones that started out as dried.

[@dinakreutzer1827]

Yes thank you. That answers my question.

[@hydej1667]

😃 ❤️ 🐸 *

[@angelaallard3185]

Why would you not use your own farm raised food? I get preserving, This is a terrible idea. Your also storing the preserves and chemicals! Antibiotics and more. Terrible idea!

[@SchoolReports]

Rice and hashbrowns antibiotics? I don't have a farm.

[@JH-tj9jd]

Most people don't have a rice paddy.

[@SchoolReports]

@@JH-tj9jd 👍 🤣