What is freeze-drying?

Our freeze-dried snacks are perfect for those looking to maintain a healthy and balanced diet on-the-go. We offer freeze-dried candy, fruits & vegetables that retain their natural flavor and nutritional value. With our cutting-edge preservation methods, we can keep our snacks fresh for longer, without the need for artificial flavors or additives. Our snacks are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, busy families, or anyone who wants to indulge in a healthy snack without compromising on taste or nutrition.

How are these made?...

A process using a commercial freeze dryer (Lyophilization), involves three steps. The freezing phase, the sublimation phase, and the desorption phase. Beginning with the freezing phase; the food is rapidly frozen between -30 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, the sublimation phase; after the food has been frozen, the freeze dryer creates a vacuum and removes all the air pressure from the chamber, then the temperature is increased. The combination of these work to turn the ice moisture into vapor and absorb it into the vacuum. Lastly the desorption phase; the temperature continues to increase as the last of the water vapor from the food has evaporated, leaving it completely moisture free. The entire process can take up to 20-40 hours.

In other words.....

The freeze-dry machine has a set of trays and they get really hot and when you put food inside it will begin to melt, then the vacuum pump turns on which pulls all the air out of the chamber making the foods expand and get super puffed-out malty texture. The process of vacuum drying!

Freeze-dried vs Dehydration

Did you know that traditional dehydration methods remove only about 70% of the water content in food? By increasing the temperature of food makes its moisture evaporate, and air moving over the food carries the moisture away. A balance of temperature and humidity is needed to successfully dehydrate foods. That's one reason why most dehydrated snacks have a relatively short shelf life. There are a few key differences between the two methods of freeze-drying and dehydrating. At Happy Little Bird, we use a home freeze-drying method that removes 99% of the water, preserving the nutrients, flavors, and textures of our snacks. Foods preserved with a freeze dryer have a 15 to 25 year shelf life when stored properly.

Read on to learn the difference between the two processes.

Both freeze-drying and dehydrating are effective ways of preserving food by removing moisture and therefore preventing decomposition or the growth of bacteria, the shelf life and the consistency of the finished product.
Freeze-dried products can have a shelf life of up to 15-25 years, whereas the shelf life of dehydrated foods is more around the 5-15 year. This is because of the moisture levels.
The next major difference is texture. Freeze-drying is, in general, entirely crunchy whereas dehydrating can give you a chewy or crispy texture depending on how much moisture is removed which can be controlled by how long you leave the product in the dehydrator.
Another difference between freeze-drying and dehydrating is the actual drying times. Food dehydration on average takes approximately 8-12 hours, whereas freeze-drying is a much longer process and can generally take between 20-40 hours on average.
Foods that can be freeze-dried range from fruits, vegies, herbs, spices, meats, eggs and seafood, dairy, snacks, desserts, drinks, condiments, sauces, full meals, bone broth, soups, fully cooked rice, bread and breastmilk.
Foods that do not freeze-dry are because of simply too fatty or oil, sugary content and/or carbonation: Butter, Peanut Butter, Preserves, jams and jellies, Honey, syrup, pure chocolate, the cocoa cannot due to the oil content, mayonnaise, alcohol, nuts and sodas.

In summary, freeze-dried foods offer a longer shelf life, lower moisture content, and generally taste better than dehydrated foods. Freeze-dried foods rehydrate faster and also retain their original shape, texture, and color. A far greater variety of foods can be freeze dried than can be dehydrated.