Kirk and I were talking about it recently about how much having a Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer changed how we view food, and food waste. I held out the longest of us in buying our unit. The cost is what held me back. It IS a major appliance purchase. It’s not like buying a food dehydrator, where if you don’t use it often…well it was just a $100 and you can shoo it away into a cupboard or closet. This is an appliance that asks you “why are you ignoring me?”
Kirk kept at me, and finally I saw his way and said “sure, let’s get it” 2 years ago on a huge Black Friday Sale (which their annual one is running till end of November with up to $500 off!) He used our desire to have less food waste play in. And honestly, he wasn’t wrong about that.
Holidays are a prime example. Let’s say you made some amazing sweet potatoes, or turkey breast that is so good. Or you have an entire pumpkin pie left over, because 3 relatives brought the same dessert. Do you eat it for 2-3 days till you cannot stand it anymore? And then scrape it into the garbage can, like every year?
What if instead, when the leftovers were prime and fresh, you pulled out your freeze-dryer trays, and got to making mini meals on them? A meal you could tuck away in MRE style mylar bags. How about mashed potatoes with gravy and diced up turkey in one? Take your cranberry sauce, your stuffing. Even the mac & cheese.
Now think how good that would taste to eat in the middle of July by an alpine lake? Real food. Made by you! Not the pasty stuff commercial companies pass off as a meal.
Freeze-dried stuffing would be great to have on top of soup as well, like croutons.
Or what if you sliced up that entire pumpkin pie and freeze-dried it? (It’s super easy: Just slice it up, lay it on the trays and freeze. Then run on auto in the freeze-dryer. Bag or jar up with an oxygen absorber till it’s snacky time.)
Now, kick back your feet and dream of this:
It’s chilly out, you’re in camp with a hot cup of drink….and you pull out a mylar bag of freeze-dried pumpkin pie slices and offer them around. Your friends nibble on it and they can’t believe it: It’s like creamy, but crispy, biscotti. Before you know it the bag is empty.
Don’t tell them you also have cheesecake slivers as well, hidden in your food bag. Keep those for the next night.
I love freeze-drying now, and the things we have processed have been amazing. It’s a learning experience every time we try something new. But one thing cool is that we can take meals for home, and turn them into future outdoor meals – and snacks. It’s an investment into being outdoors, and eating the things you really like.
And I am saying…until you have tried freeze-dried pumpkin pie life has been missing something.
FTC Disclaimer: This post contains afilate links. However, we do own and use a Harvest Right machine and love ours. All thoughts are ours. And yes, we have holiday leftovers waiting to go in ours.
~Sarah