32 hours at lets say 15 cents a kwh. 7.2 dollars in electricity. Some places will cost more than that some less. 16 for the groceries (i know your budget was 12). 3k for the harvest right. Lets say you make 3000 of these in a year, thats 333 days of the harvest right running, so realistically a year. Now lets actually round the budget up to 20 per cycle for 12 meals. per meal for 3000 meals. Plus the cost of .24 for each mylar bag. The cost of the tray liners and lids. And the cost of pre cooking and pre freezing. No additional cost for time spent. $3.59 per meal actual cost.
@Neal-b2e4 ай бұрын
A lot cheaper then 12 bucks
@ii18254 ай бұрын
@@Neal-b2e Wrong. It was supposed to be 12 meals for $12 or $1 per meal. Not even close.
@dart3364 ай бұрын
Depends on how much money are you willing to spend up front with infrastructure. Santan solar normal has used 250W panels running at 75% (187W) for 50. If you have the real estate for 100 panels (5K plus taxes and shipping) you will generating about up to 3K worth of electricity every long summer day. Spend more on the biggest model to maximize production schedules. That should lower it to about 70 cents per load.
@KarasCyborg4 ай бұрын
Freeze drying is great if you have a garden and want to preserve the most amount of nutrients in the least amount of space/weight. But if you won't have a way to heat water or access to clean water in the future, you might be out of luck. I mean you can still eat the freeze dried food unhydrated like bannna /strawberry chips, but the lasagna won't be the same.
@OldSchoolPrepper4 ай бұрын
hi Robert, everyone seems to be criticising your post, BUT I love it, i'm a geek so if you hadn't done the math I would have. To take this a step further if she makes these meals over the course of many years...each year the price will drop and the cost of the MRE (in the store) will increase. Of course so will the price of the bags, electricity (we have had a 40% bump in PGE costs this year alone) etc. No matter what this is much cheaper. than the $9 or whatever it was listed for. That said often I look for the 10# can's of their items and just measure them out and while they didn't have this exact meal I priced out a couple others and they came out to be less than $3 each. Finally since the poster is doing a lot more freeze drying than only these meals the cost of the unit itself will cease to be an issue once it pays for itself for food storage assuming she is using it for other things. Over all I think the poster did a great job and I am looking for a used unit myself as I have a huge garden and want to freeze dry my own meals... Robert again thanks for the inital post, it's important to realize that things cost money even if they are made at home...nothing is free, really not even our time. take care
@JAD1DAD4 ай бұрын
We took your list but tripled the ground turkey and doubled the black beans. It definitely added to the cost but I believe it was worth it. This gave us individual meals with one cup rice and one cup fajita mix each. It takes about 1.5 cups of hot water per meal and 10 minutes of waiting after water added and mixed. I don't think that Mountain House could have done it any better.
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@JAD1DAD nice job!! Sounds so good 👏 I love being able to make them myself and control the ingredients
@scarleenswalker79235 ай бұрын
I love the detail you use and explain as you use your FD machine! I learn SO much from you! Keep up the good work! You are appreciated! Hugs from Georgia!
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@scarleenswalker7923 so sweet thank you!! I’m glad my videos have helped 🥰🥰
@scarleenswalker79235 ай бұрын
@@DIYfreezedry I’m a new freeze dryer…..so much to learn. There’s so much that is not in the manual. I eagerly await your videos as you go step by step with the settings and explain the whys. I’ve learned more about the settings and how to use the machine from you than I’ve learned from reading. I learn better from watching hands in. THANK YOU !
@rce25534 ай бұрын
She is amazing! I love that she uses the freeze dryer. Believe me it’s easy to buy one, and let it sit unused. I’m going to use mine.
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@rce2553 tell me what you make 😄😄😄
@rce25534 ай бұрын
@@DIYfreezedry Hi. When 2020 Covid started I bought a lot of canned chicken that hasn’t been eaten. Which is so much more expensive now 4 years later. I don’t want to lose any of it, so that’s my first priority , freeze drying Canned chicken, I also have a few cases of canned albacore tuna, but I expect it doesn’t freeze dry as easily as chicken. Haven’t seen freeze drying tuna on KZbin. Have a great day!
@DoubleDogDare543 ай бұрын
I've never even heard of a freeze dryer before. This is a first.
@PeaceIsJesusChrist3 ай бұрын
@@rce2553 How’s your freeze drying going? I’m here to encourage you to do it! Hehe! 😊
@HollyArms15 ай бұрын
A neat way to check if they are done is to use a thermal imager, it will show cold spots if it's not done. Amazon has some that connect to your phone.
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@HollyArms1 ok I should try that it would have definitely saved me some hassle! Thanks 😊
@kimgage43543 ай бұрын
Even after you add in the cost of the electricity used and the mylar bags it's a savings. Plus you control the ingredients.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@kimgage4354 that’s the best part I can make them how I like them - and use the freeze dryer for SO many other things. Totally worth it to me 😁😁😁
@jimginnyohio4 ай бұрын
Nice. Great video! When you calculate the cost for your MREs, be sure to also include the cost of the mylar bag, oxygen absorber, and power estimate for running your machine to get the true cost. Take care!
@JuryDutySummons4 ай бұрын
I've done the math on mine - It's about $10 per batch with mine. But I have very expensive power.
@KingDavidtheRed13 ай бұрын
Don't forget the cost of the machine = $4,000
@mikenelson26092 ай бұрын
close 5k in equipment u can buy year supply cheaper
@RichardChappell116 күн бұрын
@@mikenelson2609 Well, you can for one year. That price amortizes each year, so for an honest evaluation, you should take the cost and divide it by the life expectancy time the expected number of usages per year. I've seen it suggested they are abouit 5 years, or about 1500 runs. Of coure, they can probably last longer with maintenance and replacing parts like the motherboard, but you have to draw a lone somewhere. So if you take $5 in cost\1500 usages, you are looking at about $3 and change per run. For 12 servings, it's less than $.39 per serving. A year supply is definitely not cheaper from any manufacturer. What you buy when you purchase a year supppkly, is convenience. And of course, the throw out factor if you don't use it in it's life time. If you want to take food storage seriously, it should be your regular diet so your food is constrantly rotated.
@KarenShady-l4b5 ай бұрын
Such an informative video. I appreciate you showing youre mistakes also, as we all learn from them. I didnt know about using the green leaf, to bypass some of the functions. Thanks so much for sharing that :).
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@KarenShady-l4b thanks for watching I’m so glad you found it helpful!
@heatherburrell84124 ай бұрын
Cost of the machine, the 12+ hours of electricity, the bags and absorption packs……. Your cost is misleading
@philiprhodes39764 ай бұрын
Ya was gonna say the machine is $3,000 or more and that's not including the cost of your electricity.
@bairfreedom4 ай бұрын
Only up to a point. The machine pays for itself after you use it so many times. I have seen people also do cost on 1 cycle. It isn't bad
@Hman07624 ай бұрын
Electricity is $2-$6 depending on location. People are good at making excuses.
@josephjarvis82284 ай бұрын
Freeze dried meals can cost anywhere between $10-$18 depending on brand and are always limited to whatever ingredients and recipes they have, this offers you much more direct control. Yeah it’s a big initial investment but if you do a lot of backpacking, overlanding, or food storage this can easily save around 50-70% at least down the road
@thomascrompton77754 ай бұрын
@Hman0762 no way running that machine to point her room gets hot windows need open for 24 plus the extra she needed say 30 hours and it cost 2 bucks.
@The41114 күн бұрын
Looks like it turned out great. I freeze dry all the ingredients on their own in bulk so I can just mix them together in the mylar when needed. That way I can make many variants. Also, not making the meal in a large pot before freeze drying helps to limit the amount of water you need to remove.
@isa300012 ай бұрын
THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much for show and telling the settings for times and temps you used. That makes it so helpful when doing this, especially for the first time. It drives me nuts watching all these videos and they don't share this information.💐
@DIYfreezedry2 ай бұрын
@@isa30001 oh you’re very welcome!! I’m glad you’ve found it helpful 🥰🥰🥰
@isa300012 ай бұрын
@@DIYfreezedry I found it incredibly helpful! I'm not a fan of gatekeeping information when learning, so I appreciate those folks who like to help others learn.
@erics.7865 ай бұрын
I loved this one! Please do more like this!
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@erics.786 thank you!! I’ll definitely do more
@tom_greenery5 ай бұрын
This was the perfect video. We are getting ready to head out for a month in the camper van. Going form SF Florida to the west coast. I’m about to get to work
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@tom_greenery thank you!! Have so much fun - that sounds like a fun adventure. The FD MRE meals will be perfect for your trip
@tom_greenery5 ай бұрын
@@DIYfreezedry dog food. The fact that you just made 12 meals for my dog for $15 is great as well. That only $70 month. Crapo dried kibble is $100 month
@redheadsinalaska63905 ай бұрын
Yay for nice Alaska weather 🎉
@carebear81465 ай бұрын
Loving what you come up with! MRE such a great hack!
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@carebear8146 thanks 😊 turned out great!
@chuppath1ngy3 ай бұрын
So I've definitely always been fascinated by freeze drying. I know click bait titles exist for a reason; but how many premade MRE's could you buy for the price of a freeze drier? This is like those woodworking videos about making $2M a year in a shed, but yet they're rocking tons of high grade equipment. Still subscribed for when I can afford a freeze drier, as they seem awesome and as long as they can last a few years will eventually save me money.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@chuppath1ngy thanks for following along - I try to show all of the uses for a freeze dryer and why it is a worthwhile investment for those who want to preserve foods 😍😍😍 but i definitely get your point
@flatcat1015 ай бұрын
Exactly what i needed, thank you for all the details it helps.
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@flatcat101 oh awesome I’m glad to hear! Thanks for watching
@woodystube1000Ай бұрын
Great info and it's always good to have options. Knowledge is power. Couple questions for you though. How much did that freeze dryer cost? How many hours of prep and packaging did you spend from the moment you left the grocery store until the meals were on a shelf? I'm certainly not saying that buying a Mountain House meal is a better option for everyone, but when you do buy them you are paying for a lot more than just the ingredients. Time, energy, quality control....all worth money.
@woodystube1000Ай бұрын
I just went to the Harvest Right web site and looked at the prices. Their units START at $2,500. AM I missing something? I can buy a whole lot of Mountain House for food storage and still be a lot of money ahead. I get that if you already have one of these heavy-duty freeze dryers that doing your own meal is a viable option, but that is a monumental "if."
@reneebeam4265 ай бұрын
I live in Alabama. My fd is in the laundry room. Even without anything else running my room sometimes overheats. I put a small fan blowing on the fd on the side with the vent. That keeps me from getting the "room too warm" message MOST of the time. Thanks for that trick with the leaf, i did not know that. Made the same mistake once. Looks like a recipe i will enjoy as well. Plus, your servings are probably larger than commercial ones.
@10xshooters5 ай бұрын
What scale do you use? What do you recommend? Thanks great content
@reneebeam4263 ай бұрын
@10xshooters I'm sorry, I missed this question. I use a digital, smooth top scale. Smooth glass top, so no seams to get grimy.
@SiXiam11 күн бұрын
If you watch the recent technology connections video on freeze dryers. It says that the food can't go above the height of the tray. That is why it didn't fully freeze dry and required more time.
@lunarminx6 күн бұрын
Hardtack, tomato/ chicken bouillon and hot chocolate packets. The hardtack is eaten in the bouillon and hot chocolate. Throw in a daily multi vitamin and two tbsp of coconut oil packets. You save money and survive and have the least clean up while hiking and camping.
@tomevans44024 ай бұрын
Mountain house is crazy expensive. I have two in my truck all the time. You’ve done good her lady
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@tomevans4402 thank you!! I love making my own 😁😁
@sherriruiz33924 күн бұрын
Thanks for the great MRE recipe ideas. Wanted to let you know(In case it is less expensive than where your buying your mylar bags). Azure Standard has great prices for their quart size and gallon size mylar bags. Also, good prices on the oxygen absorbers...Your adorable and I love your videos, they are very helpful...Sherri-Idaho
@iwillitryican4 ай бұрын
I hope you continue to add more videos of homemade MREs.
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@iwillitryican I will work on more for sure, I love making them
@ericraleigh73632 ай бұрын
Just subscribed!! Been binge watching you!!! Love it!!! Question....would a steam oven be beneficial when rehydration meals??
@DIYfreezedry2 ай бұрын
@@ericraleigh7363 thanks so much!!! And yes I bet it would be helpful! I haven’t mastered the steam rehydration yet - but I have heard people do it and it works good! I tried to rehydrate pieces of potato in a microwave steamer and it just burnt the food so i definitely did something wrong 😆😆
@wendellhammond7853Ай бұрын
I love you . I e been making this for years . I mix different beans. I don't freeze dry.
@DIYfreezedryАй бұрын
@@wendellhammond7853 oh that’s awesome!
@jayc6159Ай бұрын
The Freeze Dried Foodie channel has tons of delicious recipes for freeze dried meals. I've made dozens of her meal in jars recipes and they are all delicious. Some days I come home from work and I'm too tired to cook I just dump one of the jars in a pot and add water for an easy dinner. 😇
@colesdad20003 ай бұрын
Plus the electricity, plus the mylar bags, plus the gas to go to the store
@stevestruthers61803 ай бұрын
And the cost of the freeze dryer, amortized on a cost-per-meal basis.
@bangalorebobbel3 ай бұрын
plus the o2 absorbers, plus the heat sealing machine, plus the food processor and energy costs to cook the food in first place, and if you consider how much time was spent for all that ... And a final thought: besides of all costs which truely calculated might be finally even higher than the costs for any ready made meals, all contents here were already anyhow pre-processed and plastic packed and who knows from where transported food items, which were twice again processed (cooking plus freeze drying and rehydrating). Compared to food you get from a nearby farmers market or harvest yourself from your garden, prepare it anyhow at home and sun dry it, the food you finally eat at the end of this freeze dry process contains surely less vitamins and has consumed a bizarre amount of energy, creating an unimaginable carbon dioxide footprint. And about the huge amount of (mainly plastic) waste I don't even want to think ... It might be an exciting hobby and a lot of fun, but economically as well as ecologically seen it makes surely not much sense to follow that path.
@jarred2673 ай бұрын
@@stevestruthers6180 Shush, youre ruining her clickbait title with your logic. The freeze dryer is only ~$2500, it can totally pay for itself in a year...not
@josephlarue482 ай бұрын
@stevestruthers6180 yeah that freeze dryer is about $4k .
@josephlarue482 ай бұрын
@@jarred267try $4k for that freeze dryer
@mikeelder62984 ай бұрын
June was our hottest month here in north central Arkansas, temps were just over 100 degrees, but with the heat index it was 110s. Air conditioner is required here.
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@mikeelder6298 wow! That is hot 🥵 hopefully it cools down soon
@michaelstoeckel2954Ай бұрын
What is the cost of the freeze dryer? How many MREs can you buy for that sum? After how many self produced MREs do you hit the break even when you include the machine, electricity, bags etc.?
@ZacchaeusNifongАй бұрын
When you use a rice cooker, it's the same water-to-rice ratio. By the way. (Not always, but most of the time - for white rice.)
@mikelundquist45962 ай бұрын
Regarding the cost of the freeze dryer, you could find several families interested and split the cost... kind of a coop. Schedule time and save money.
@mrthomas75114 ай бұрын
This is one of those weird videos recommended to me. I wasn't even looking for it. It sure is a good idea and I'm glad I watched it!
@frankenstein31633 ай бұрын
same >_
@puddin943 ай бұрын
Knor rice side $1.28. Pouch of chicken $1.50. Light weight, cheep, no work.
@kentancock65872 ай бұрын
By the way instead of Jennie-O for $4.66..look for fiesta brand Turkey… typically sells for $1.98 and in my opinion tastes 500% better than the Jennie-O which every time I have cooked it tastes some what rubbery
@DIYfreezedry2 ай бұрын
@@kentancock6587 that’s good to know I’m gonna see if we have that brand!! Thanks!
@EdHeinlein4 ай бұрын
Loved your vid! I do the same thing, and I'd like to share a couple of things I've "learned" with you if you don't mind. I found that if I spread my food "piles" out, they FD much faster and more thoroughly. This may require more FD cycles to get them all done, so I'm not sure if it would be any more efficient than your method, but I don't have to do the "weigh/redry" method? I also go so far as to pre weigh a serving before and after, which then lets me calculate how much water I will need to add to "properly" re hydrate the meal, and avoid the too dry, too soupy situation. I noticed some critical comments below, but I do this so I can make meals the "I" like and I know what the quality of the ingredients are going in as well. Also, after a bit of experimentation, you will get a handle on how big to make each serving as well! This way you can tailor the serving size to make both the bigs and the littles happy!! I know for some folks the cost of the FDer and all other supplies may be prohibitive. A lot depends on family size and your families activities. If you do a lot of camping/backpacking and the likes, I find I can't beat this method. And finally, I see many ads for "survival" or "SHTF" food bundles for sale. If you look at what they include, they are mostly carb heavy concoctions. With this system, you can make, and stash for emergencies, far better quality meals, and SO many other treats (like FD fruits, etc) that all others can not hold a candle to. So, keep up the great work, and for others out there, if you can afford a FDer, I really don't think you will regret it!!
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@EdHeinlein thank you for sharing!! Those are some great tips 👏 I sure love being able to whatever I want in these meals, it’s fun to customize to whatever you like
@1.618Golden3 ай бұрын
Great vid, but a MRE is a Meal Ready to Eat. You don't need to add water to an MRE. What you have is a Freeze Dried Meal. Good, and very useful, but not an MRE. Still, a thumbs up from me and a subscribe! Keep up the content, you are a smart lady.
@cassiesmith63155 ай бұрын
You are the BEST freeze dry content on the internet! Obsessed 😍 keep it up pretty girl!
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@cassiesmith6315 🥰🥰🥰 thanks friend you’re the best!
@PeaceIsJesusChrist3 ай бұрын
My immediate thought, _“This lady is Superwoman!”_ ❤
@lindaorozco45953 ай бұрын
Girl , you are doing great.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@lindaorozco4595 🥰 thx!
@JohnMurphy-dw6ml4 ай бұрын
What about the thousands of dollars it cost for the freeze dryer?
@jeremiahclydeleoantionenow814613 күн бұрын
this was pretty cool. good job
@davidwinters2084Ай бұрын
That’s pretty neat to freeze dry. I’ve never seen that before. How long were they last for though?
@DIYfreezedryАй бұрын
@@davidwinters2084 they will last up to 25 years 🥳
@surf60093 ай бұрын
Something else I have time to learn about. I'm all about canning and preserving.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@surf6009 I have tons of videos on my channel if you want to learn more 😁 it fits right in with all of that!
@xman5773 ай бұрын
Five years ago I was paying half that much for mountain house. The Can mountain house what’s going for about 15 to $20 a can now they’re well over $50 again
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@xman577 oh wow! Ugh prices have gotten out of control
@jmason613 ай бұрын
Very cool video & it's interesting too about the math etc (including the comments!). Pretty much though unless you're doing hard core wilderness backpacking you don't even need freeze dried foods, just saying
@tom_greenery5 ай бұрын
Ugh I’m the opposite with the dryer room temp. Only place I had to put was garage. I live in SWFL. It definitely takes a little longer for mine lol. Sometimes garage is upper 90s
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@tom_greenery my in-laws in Arizona have the same problem, theirs is in the garage too 😅
@Arthur-s8t4 ай бұрын
Alaska looks beautiful
@evilskull093Ай бұрын
I just came across your channel when Covid started I bought some mountain house meals they were delicious I was wondering sense you do you own is it easy to do and what meals do you freeze dry also have you ever thought on doing freeze dried meals and selling them I wouldn’t mind trying them
@FIREWEEDthreads5 ай бұрын
Fun bounce house! The MRE looks great
@DIYfreezedry5 ай бұрын
@@FIREWEEDthreads the kids love it!
@larryjanson40114 ай бұрын
you forgot the prep costs. the cost of your machine, electric to run the machine. your time costs. other? i would just like to find a way to get boiling water with no flame on the trail. as i like mt house better than mre’s. but a mre has a heater.
@curtistolman58304 ай бұрын
At about $3000.00 for a dehydrator, you did not include in your price per serving. You have to make enough pouches to feed the US army to make it pay for itself.
@tonyb331683 ай бұрын
@@curtistolman5830 We found a 'Large' at CAL Ranch outfitter for $2800. She has the 'Medium'. That is a lot of money, but compared to the Start Up costs of canning, it doesn't look so bad. With a Freeze Dryer , unlike canning, you can also make a lot of different products to sell. My wife is selling hundreds of dollars of candy per week! So you get an excellent food preserver and something that generates income. That sounds like a win to me. Also, freeze drying is so much easier than canning. There is substantial saving in being able to preserve the, fresh foods, that we often get in bulk. If I could send pics I would, of what our pantry already looks like after only a few months.
@mugglesarecooltoo3 ай бұрын
I guess she doesn't know in advance how much she will use it. Maybe one could make an estimation based on the warranty of the machine and say that one freeze dries a pot of food per week for the lifetime of the freeze dryer? I imagine that it will be hard to calculate.
@arcticgypsy3 ай бұрын
Every time you run a batch, the cost of the machine goes down.
@markphillips48782 ай бұрын
$3000 where the f£c£ you go shopping . Mine only cost £240 /$400
@DoubleDogDare543 ай бұрын
I live in Illinois. MREs must be a thing in areas other than Illinois. Don't ever remember seeing them around here in any stores.
@timp39313 ай бұрын
They are not "MREs". They are freeze dried meals. Really just the entree, no coffee, tea or dessert.
@danielhammond22263 ай бұрын
This is interesting but we need more information being the analytical person I am. 1 What is the amount of watts your drying machine uses and how long did you run to so we can calculate power consumption in the various regions where we live. 2nd is the cost per bag, 3rd is the cost to purchase a drying machine like yours verse how many uses to get a return on investment.
@jefferystephens76773 ай бұрын
This is from someone who has never freeze dried anything. Can you over freeze dry and is it better to freeze dry or dehydrate?
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@jefferystephens7677 freeze drying gives you a longer shelf life than dehydrating & preserves more nutrients so I prefer it! But freeze dryers are much more expensive 😬. And you can’t really over dry - once all of the moisture is removed it will just hold at that state until you remove it from the machine
@puppygirl86023 ай бұрын
I've wanted one of those machines forever but they are just so expensive 😢
@reese08123 ай бұрын
Do you have a recipe written out for this? Just got a Harvest Right and want to try this.
@lyndabuchholz12164 ай бұрын
I can't find the measurements in the video. What size pkg of corn and the pepper and onion mix?
@tuff98daddy2 ай бұрын
Not quite if someone has a freeze dryer be sure to calculate energy and materials cost. This is most likely roughly around 5 bucks per meal now still cheaper than 10 bucks but is most defiantly more than 1.25 per meal.
@hello-vs4me4 ай бұрын
Wow 27 hours that's a long time
@surf60093 ай бұрын
Nothing else to do, but got some food for you.
@robmarshall51003 ай бұрын
With the cost of electricity in your labor and everything else not just the cost at the store
@wakeupslaveamerica27 күн бұрын
Do count your labor in watching KZbin videos? You don't count labor if you are not selling.
@customsmithmfg43773 ай бұрын
Love the video and then idea. however buying Mountain House in bulk saves me all the time and effort. MH is one of my favorite tasting brands- I am sure yours is or could be even better. keep up the video's it is a great hobby.
@JenniferClements-vw6yf2 ай бұрын
Do you know if it’s a problem that you did not drain the meat? I have seen so many things on having to rinse the meat. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try it.
@jayc6159Ай бұрын
Fat will go rancid and doesn't freeze dry well. I buy the extra lean hamburger and rinse it several times before freeze drying. Turkey and chicken breast are the easiest meats to freeze dry, I like freeze dried fish as well.
@jhill48742 ай бұрын
Do you calculate how much water is needed to rehydrate the meal?
@twboegel29183 ай бұрын
Good show, thanks.
@vickieadams66483 ай бұрын
I've done a taste test of those mountain house meals, they are high carb, very little protein and taste like cardboard. The best thing you can do is buy the #10 cans of meat and make up your own. I tried the fried rice meal and chicken teriyaki. I couldn't eat the entire baggie.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@vickieadams6648 it’s nice to be able to make your own, you can make them high in protein and taste great! The canned meat is a good idea too
@adrockey2 ай бұрын
Great video. It might be cost-effective overtime and especially living in Alaska. The cost of the machine, the bags and the electricity. We don’t wanna start to pay for itself if the machine several years and you used it on a regular basis.
@DIYfreezedry2 ай бұрын
@@adrockey yep this is a long term investment that is definitely worth it if you’re going to use it a lot!
@frankenstein31633 ай бұрын
Does a freezdryer use more electricity that a dehydrator ?
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@frankenstein3163 yes it does it’s more similar to a large appliance like a fridge. Averages $3-$5/24 hours of use depending on electric costs
@frankenstein31633 ай бұрын
@@DIYfreezedry Cool . way better than I was thinking. TY :)
@owenbevans60622 ай бұрын
The cost should also include the electricity to run the freeze dryer and the cost to cook along with the mylar bags, those are hidden costs. I'm sure it's well below mountain houses price.
@rudyo84093 ай бұрын
now I understand why they charge what they do for them freeze dried meals . Thanks for sharing.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@rudyo8409 you’re very welcome!
@360EverydayPerry3 ай бұрын
I make my own freeze dried meals for hunting/backpacking. These are not MRE’s. MRE’s require no water/preparation.
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@360EverydayPerry good point - you do have the step of rehydrating
@surf60093 ай бұрын
Thank you for your comment.
@bobbycarr23192 ай бұрын
so how many total meals did you make before you broke even from the cost of the dryer. wanted one for a long time but realistically i can buy a crap ton of freeze dry food at better price than mountain house , and not have to create the time for the cooking and prep. it can make since but for most people it really doesnt. you can get a year worth of food for less than the cost of a small harvest right plus zero time sourcing etc. just thoughts . i have freeze dryer on my if i have extra cash and time wish list.
@snick69z3 ай бұрын
Holy Weasley family lol. Like the idea 😊
@tenmilechicks3 ай бұрын
I'm new visiting your channel. I was wondering about drying the oranges with the skins on. What are the reasons for that? Thank you
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@tenmilechicks if you slice them thin enough you can eat them with the skin on, but mine were too thick and still bitter so when I eat them I just bite them and don’t eat the rind. The slices are good to scoop into yogurt!
@4150CHF3 ай бұрын
What size is your Harvest Right freeze dryer?
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@4150CHF mine is a size medium 😁 the new version of the mediums comes with 5 tray shelves instead of 4
@donnywilkes64173 ай бұрын
Most people cant afford a freeze dryer.
@PeaceIsJesusChrist3 ай бұрын
Yikes!! I was curious and learned that an average home unit is $2-4K!!
@maddogmaz15762 ай бұрын
You can afford it. You just don't want to.
@maddogmaz15762 ай бұрын
@@PeaceIsJesusChrist how much are you willing to pay for food once the food chain breaks down?.
@KoriLester2 ай бұрын
If you share the cost with a friend it is better. Also you can process for other people and charge them or trade for a portion.
@PeaceIsJesusChrist2 ай бұрын
@@KoriLester Great idea!! ❤️
@dawn97803 ай бұрын
Love your video , well done 👍
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@dawn9780 thanks so much 😍
@dwight36312 ай бұрын
One should wash the cooked meat in hot water to remove the grease...if need be add some beef broth for additional flavor. For those adding up the $$$...one thing to consider is the finished product is much better than Mountain House....very little meat.
@DIYfreezedry2 ай бұрын
@@dwight3631 good tips!! And yes I agree, I love being able to make my own and control the ingredients.
@maxnemo16433 ай бұрын
How much were the bags and oxygen absorbers per meal ?
@charliecharlie78984 ай бұрын
What was the cost of the dehydrating machine and how much of an electric bill was used for the 30 hours of running your machine?
@robertbrannan93754 ай бұрын
32 hours at lets say 15 cents a kwh. 7.2 dollars in electricity. Some places will cost more than that some less. 16 for the groceries (i know your budget was 12). 3k for the harvest right. Lets say you make 3000 of these in a year, thats 333 days of the harvest right running, so realistically a year. Now lets actually round the budget up to 20 per cycle for 12 meals. per meal for 3000 meals. Plus the cost of .24 for each mylar bag. The cost of the tray liners and lids. And the cost of pre cooking and pre freezing. No additional cost for time spent. $3.59 per meal actual cost.
@bairfreedom4 ай бұрын
The more the machinebis used, the more that cost is mitigated
@robertbrannan93754 ай бұрын
@@bairfreedom yeah that's why I presented math of using it for a year straight.
@KoriLester2 ай бұрын
The cost could be reduced with peace of mind that you are storing food that doesn’t have weird chemicals. It is also super awesome when you have your own garden or raise or hunt your own meat.
@zmzmzn20003 ай бұрын
And the cost of the freeze dryer, wow.
@hello-vs4me4 ай бұрын
How much was you dehydrated cost
@timwright78713 ай бұрын
Good job!
@MeganHulsey-o1l4 ай бұрын
Love this and am totally doing it! Love all your videos!❤️
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@MeganHulsey-o1l thanks for watching 🥰🥰
@ironboy32453 ай бұрын
Will dehydrating the meals have a similar effect? I'd love to try something just like this but 2.3k is a bit too much of an ask for someone starting out
@jeffvoss79732 ай бұрын
The only similarity with a Dehydrator and a Freeze Dryer… they both remove moisture. Freeze-dried food has less moisture (1-2%) compared to dehydrated food (~10%). The taste, texture, nutrition, flavor, and shelf life are dramatically different between these two processes. Freeze-Dried Food retains 90-97% of the nutrients, Dehydrated 60-70% of the nutrients. The use of heat in the dehydration process can cause the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and some B vitamins. The shelf life of dehydrated food depends on several factors, including the type of food, how well it's dehydrated, how it's stored, and whether oxygen absorbers or desiccants are used. Under ideal conditions, dehydrated food can last from 6 months (meats) to several years (Grains and Legumes). Freeze-dried foods can last much longer (20 to 30 years) due to the greater removal of moisture and oxygen. It can be hard to tell the difference between rehydrated Freeze Dried food and fresh food.
@CragScrambler13 күн бұрын
Its actually cheaper for ke in the UK to buy Mountain house in bulk from the US and get it deligered here than buying stuff locally.
@brucemattes50153 ай бұрын
I both agree and disagree with *Noneyabusiness911.* I fully agree that very few people are calculating in the cost of every single thing that goes into creating one's own homemade versions of a Mountain House freeze-dried meal, or a MealsReadyToEat, aka the ubiquitous MRE from the various militaries across the planet. The first incredibly serious question that you must ask yourself and be brutally honest when evaluating your answer is why you are undertaking this enormous project. And, recreating the equivalent of an MRE full-day's set of three meals in a vacuum sealed heavy-duty mylar bag is no inconsiderable task. As far as this ex-military, 70-year-old fart is concerned, the bulk of the three homemade meal entrees has to offer sufficient calories and balanced nutrition to allow a hard-working adult man, or growing teenaged boy, expend from 4,000 calories to 7,000 calories per day without losing muscle mass. And be capable of sustaining such energy expenditures for weeks at a time without either constipation or diarrhea becoming a debilitating issue. Fat in a proper percentage for optimal human health is the key. I can think of at least 6 valid reasons for creating *complete!* freeze-dried meals. The first is to take food to one's job for lunchtime so that one is not spending insane amounts of one's yearly budget on eating out on high-quality local take-out/delivery foods, or even worse, eating a steady diet of unhealthy local fast food. This is where this particular video in all likelihood has its most useful application. The reason that most so-called preppers purchase a freeze dryer is to recreate military MRE's. And, that only makes sense if you are truly dedicated to doing so. If you are, and the commitment is real; then making one's own custom-to-an-individual-person's, or family's palate, complete, 24-hour, 3 meals and 2 snacks worth homemade MRE's including all of the wipes, toilet paper, condiments, and eating utensils; starts to make economic sense. The only two sizes of Harvest Right freeze dryers that make economic sense for creating large quantities of nutritious, healthy, good-tasting complete all-day meals are the large and extra-large models with the newer inserts that add an additional tray to each model size of freeze dryer. The large model now comes equipped with an insert that accepts 6 large trays instead of the previous 5 trays. The extra-large model now holds 7 trays instead of the previous 6 trays. To make complete meals a worthwhile endeavor, you have got to think in bulk quantities of foodstuffs and scale as far as making enough individual complete meals so that one has the option of eating that particular meal many times over the course of months, or years. Then, once your freeze-dried meals are made, you have to be able to securely store large quantities of those bulky homemade MRE's in a cool, dark, dry space that is vermin free. The closer to freezing, 32° Fahrenheit, that any MRE, homemade, military, or commercial military-style, is kept, the longer they will last without the nutritive values of the foodstuffs in the mylar bags degrading. A USGI military MRE that is newly manufactured and immediately placed in dry, dark storage between 34°-37° Fahrenheit has an approximate non-degraded lifespan of 25-30 years. The homemade versions should have that ultimate storage end goal as the result, or else I must ask myself, *"Why the f~~k am I spending good money and inordinate amounts of my life's time recreating better tasting, healthier, and more complete versions of a Mountain House freeze-dried meal or a military MRE if I'm going to waste my efforts away through improper storage?"* A Harvest Right XL freeze dryer with all of the accompanying accouterments and accessories to allow one to freeze dry foodstuffs around the clock is going to set one back approximately $9,000-$12,000. This would include a spare vacuum pump; at least 2 extra sets of stainless steel trays; lids; corner stackers; tray dividers; non-stick silicone mats; bulk pre-cut parchment paper; a decent sized chamber vacuum sealer with 2 heat bars for double sealing; 5-mil and 7-mil mylar bags in various sizes; a large bore funnel with a large square head on a stand for filling bags; oxygen absorbent packs; desiccant packs; a high torque blender with 32oz, 48oz, and 64oz carafes; a large capacity food processor; and a 6qt to 8qt stand mixer. I'm a now retired professional chef with 22 years of experience who ate a boatload of C-rations, 1st Gen MRE's, and Mountain House freeze-dried foods over the course of 3 years in the military and a decade of spending at least 60-150 days per year outdoors camping, backpacking, rock climbing, mountain climbing, ice climbing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Most of those meals were barely palatable, and the C-rats were usually post-Korean War to Vietnam War vintage. I served from 1976-1979 as a 91B medic at Ft. Lewis, Washington. I can see the value in driving a less expensive car or truck and spending the monies on a new car instead on running a couple of dedicated freeze dryers to put away large quantities of nutritious foods that one actually looks forward to eating because they suit one's tastes and desires. But, I will reiterate this point again, which is that freeze-dried foodstuffs are incredibly bulky, although they are also incredibly light. A month's worth of 24-hour, 3 complete meals and 2 snacks homemade MRE's are going to occupy a lot more space than military MRE's are going to occupy. Probably someplace between 1.5 times to 2.5 times the volume. If you can't or won't make the space, and you claim to have purchased the freeze dryer because you want to be ready for the coming Apocalypse, then you are just kidding yourself as to why you purchased a freeze dryer in the first place.
@taunbeddes70553 ай бұрын
At least a dollar a bag and $2,000 for the freeze dryer. Plus wear and tear and electricity.
@michaeltruman30634 ай бұрын
Weather in such a beautiful country
@Nonyabusiness9114 ай бұрын
Most people have no idea what their actual cost is. Your actual cost is probably twice once you calculate in your other expenses. It’s always going to be better and cost less when you do it yourself. The real question is what is your time worth. I love diy and just saved $1000 by doing my own brakes. Buying and using one of these isn’t a once and done. You need to use this machine a lot to get your value. Also you have to be;eve the world is going to end. In a modern world I make and eat fresh with some left overs.
@ironboy32453 ай бұрын
not really. These freeze dry machines are also useful if you go hiking/backpacking/bikepacking a lot, because bringing 2 meals that you can rehydrate and eating lunch at a local diner makes camping out on the trail a lot easier and cheaper
@lynette82344 ай бұрын
Purchasing a FD would be a huge expense for me but I can see myself using this couple times a week when I’ve made big batches of say soups, spaghetti, tacos, etc and if I have extra veggies n don’t want to waste them or for those times one comes across great sales and for me putting things in a FD would be more convenient than dragging out the canning jars n heating up water or pressure cooker for only a couple jars(which doesn’t last as long). Making veggie powders, etc. All forms of putting up foods takes a certain amount of energy costs and container cost comes in many forms of storage/reusable storage so Mylar bags are not a necessity for those who think it’s to costly. IMO😊.
@zmzmzn20003 ай бұрын
And you had to run your freeze dryer for how many hours and packaging, plus additional ingredients and packaging so how much are you really coming out ahead??
@CoolHandLukeakaSgtBilly2 ай бұрын
I've looked at several MRE's and in your comments it says the recipe will be listed below. HOW far below. I've looked everywhere and was unable to locate an actual recipe.
@nealnc073 ай бұрын
Do you prepare these meals just for your family or are you allowed to sell them? I would think you could offset any incurred costs by selling your freeze dried meals. 😊
@DIYfreezedry3 ай бұрын
@@nealnc07 these I keep for my family - to be able to sell them since I’m cooking food I have to prepare it in a commercial kitchen which I don’t have :/ I do sell freeze dried candy on the side and have recouped the cost of my freeze dryer within a year of owning it 😁😁
@AngelaJonesReviews4 ай бұрын
Nicely done
@MOUNTAINOUS22 сағат бұрын
the sound of the fork sliding along the teeth makes a noise that makes my hair stand on end lol. if i did that it would make my shiver. i am weird about that. i never let the fork touch my teeth. just my tongue and lips. is that weird? looks like a good meal. shiver me timbers.
@ygrittesnow17012 ай бұрын
In fairness your math is taking into account the cost of the food alone. It doesn't factor in the cost of the equipment, freeze drier, mylar bags, energy consumption. In the case of the commercial products there are other residual expenses like transportation, labor, far far more expensive freeze drier systems, marketing. If you already have a freeze drier I absolutely agree it is the more economical approach to prepping your own MRE style meals.
@costcontrolaccounting46132 ай бұрын
Why freeze drying instead of simple dehydration which is effectively the same?
@jeffvoss79732 ай бұрын
I would not call the two process the same. The only similarity with a Dehydrator and a Freeze Dryer… they both remove moisture. Freeze-dried food has less moisture (1-2%) compared to dehydrated food (~10%). The taste, texture, nutrition, flavor, and shelf life are dramatically different between these two processes. Freeze-Dried Food retains 90-97% of the nutrients, Dehydrated 60-70% of the nutrients. The use of heat in the dehydration process can cause the loss of heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and some B vitamins. The shelf life of dehydrated food depends on several factors, including the type of food, how well it's dehydrated, how it's stored, and whether oxygen absorbers or desiccants are used. Under ideal conditions, dehydrated food can last from 6 months (meats) to 10 years (Grains and Legumes). Freeze-dried foods can last much longer, 20 to 30 years, (including meats) due to the greater removal of moisture and oxygen. It can be hard to tell the difference between rehydrated Freeze Dried food and Fresh food. Dehydrated food is very different from Fresh food in so many ways.
@tonyavermillion23644 ай бұрын
Everyone keeps saying, "What about the cost of the freeze dryer?" She already had it before she decided to make the MREs. She may have already gotten her money's worth from it before she decided to make MREs. I've had a freeze dryer for 3 years. I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it. When I make something in it now, I don't consider the cost of the FD as part of the cost.
@DIYfreezedry4 ай бұрын
@@tonyavermillion2364 that’s exactly how I look at it - when I’m making new things I just count my direct out of pocket expenses, I already have a stock pile of Mylar bags / o2 absorbers / the machine itself. So I just count the foods and stuff I need to make the recipe.