The beauty of freeze-drying is that there are endless possibilities for what you can do. At That Sweet Lyfe, we highly encourage experimentation because you never know what the result might be. You might end up with an exciting new variation on your favourite treat, or you might pull a new flavour out of a candy you prefer to the original.
Anything is possible when experimenting with freeze-dried candy and foods!
You Can Freeze-Dry (Almost) Anything!
There is so much out there to freeze-dry and taste test. Freeze-drying is a simple process that permits a wide range of treats to be dried when you use the right machine. To get your creative brain turning, let’s go over the process of freeze-drying.
- First, the sweet treats for freeze-drying are frozen at a super cold temperature.
- Next, while still frozen, the moisture is sucked out of the treats with a vacuum.
- And just like that, you’re left with fluffy, flavour-bursting, long-lasting treats!
This process can be completed with a freeze-drying machine, though there are ways to do it without it, such as with dry ice.
Freeze-Drying Creates Delicious Treats, Most of the Time!
Sometimes experiments don’t turn out so great. Most turn out awesome, but some can get weird. For example, freeze-drying pure chocolate may sound wonderful, but the results don’t quite work. The problem is that with pure chocolate, the moisture gets sucked out of the chocolate, but any oil in the candy remains. So if you have a particularly oily candy, it might not be worth spending too much time putting it through the freeze dryer. Butter, honey, jam, syrup, and peanut butter are other items that don’t freeze dry well. This means that chocolate and peanut butter combinations are out.
However, there’s no need for concern because there are so many delicious treats that freeze-dry incredibly well! Our personal favourites are chewy and hard candies with fruity flavours just waiting to be amplified by freeze-drying.
Tastiest Top Five
In our kitchen, we love trying different freeze-dried treats to see what we can create. Here are our top five tastiest experiments that turned out amazing!
Skittles
Freeze-dried skittles boast an intensified flavour paired with an exciting new texture. Instead of the chewy texture you’re used to, enjoy your fruity, crunchy, freeze-dried treats!
Saltwater Taffy
These fluffy treats create a new and fun taffy-eating experience for all. They’re especially convenient if you love the taste of saltwater taffy but don’t love the chewiness. And if you have dental concerns, you can enjoy taffy when you eat it freeze-dried and crunchy!
Milk Duds
This freeze-dried treat melts in your mouth with an incredibly light and airy texture while still retaining all the flavour of the original candy! The chocolate-covered caramel bites explode (literally!) into a new and flavourful adventure.
Jolly Ranchers
When you freeze-dry these hard candies, you can start popping them like regular candy. Without moisture in them, they become fluffy and crunchy. You can enjoy a quick burst of flavour and a fun texture without breaking your teeth!
Starbursts
The freeze-dried versions of these sweet and fruity treats are fluffy and fun with an even more intense flavour! If these are already your favourite sweets, freeze-drying them offers a new way for you to enjoy them and switch things up!