Our freeze-dried candy maker gets a lot of action in our kitchen. We freeze dry candy, fruits, and even desserts to create an assortment of tasty products that will satisfy your cravings.
While most of you may be familiar with freezing food items and even dehydrating them, you might wonder exactly how freeze-drying works. Here is our step-by-step guide.
The Three Steps to Freeze-Drying
We use a special appliance called a freeze-dryer to freeze-dry our candy. It prepares the candy in a process that follows three steps.
Step 1: Freeze The Candy
The first step of the process involves freezing the candy. The candy is frozen at extreme temperatures, which can go as low as -45°C (-50°F). During this process, the water in the candy turns into ice.
Step 2: Dry The Candy
In step two, the frozen candy is put under a high-pressure vacuum chamber. This converts the ice crystals that are embedded in the candy directly into a gas. 95% of the water is removed from the candy in this process which is known as sublimation.
Step 3: Dry The Candy Again!
It’s time to get rid of the other 5%. This second drying step, known as desorption, removes the remaining water by applying more high pressure to the candy. This pressure vaporizes the water leaving the candy perfectly freeze-dried.
Once the process is complete, we vacuum package the candy and ship them off for you to enjoy!
How Does Freeze-Dried Candy Taste?
Freeze-dried candy tastes amazing. The benefit of freeze-drying is that the food retains its colour, nutrients, and flavour. In many cases, food that is freeze-dried is more flavourful and also has a much lighter, airy texture.
Experimentation: The Fun Part
So now you know how our machine works, but what about the products that go inside the machine? You see, that’s the fun part. At That Sweet Lyfe, we love experimenting with freeze-drying all kinds of food. There is literally no sweet treat, fruit, or dessert that you can’t put inside our machine.
Enjoy Some Yummy Candy
We all love candy, but freeze-dried candy is something entirely new. Imagine freeze-dried skittles. What about milk duds or jolly ranchers? By taking the water out from the candy, you’re left with a totally new sweet experience.
One of our most popular freeze-dried candies is our freeze-dried pillows, known commonly as Starbursts. These normally soft and chewy candies take on a light and airy texture and offer a taste explosion in your mouth.
Ice Cream That Doesn’t Melt?
If you’re a chocoholic, you’ll love this one. Try our freeze-dried bites of Chocolate Heavenly Hash ice cream for a satisfying creamy crunch. The taste is just heavenly, and each bite just melts in your mouth.
Snack on Some Tasty Fruit
If you prefer a healthier option, you can try our selection of freeze-dried fruit. We have strawberries, cherries, raspberries, bananas, and even flavourful watermelons.
While most of you have probably come across dehydrated fruit, we have to tell you that freeze-dried fruit is something entirely different. When it comes to taste and texture, these two foods are worlds apart.
Treats That Last A Long Time
While freeze-dried treats offer a totally new and exciting taste experience, these treats also last a long time. When you expose foods to the freeze-drying process, remove all of the moisture content, and store it well, the food can last for several years.
Try our treats for yourself and tell us what you think. We’d love to hear from you!