Here at That Sweet Lyfe, we love experimenting with freeze-drying new foods and candies. Whenever we love a candy, we pop it in our freeze-dryer to see what happens! Many of our experiments have been a huge success (we’re looking at you, freeze-dried salt water taffy)! But other times… not so much.
Freeze-drying is an intricate and technical process, and some foods don’t freeze-dry as well as others. As we’ve been experimenting with different snacks and candies, we’ve learned exactly what foods cannot be freeze-dried, and we’re here to give you all the details!
If you’re ready to start freeze-drying but aren’t sure what foods to avoid, keep reading – learn from our freeze-drying mistakes so every snack is a success.
#1: Say No to Oil-Based Foods
The first thing you’re going to want to avoid when freeze-drying is oil-based foods – this means things like peanut butter, syrup, and other yummy treats.
As much as we love these snacks, they don’t fare well in the freeze-dryer. Freeze-drying removes water, but it doesn’t remove oil, so you’re left with a bit of a mess. Pass on the peanut butter and syrups to save yourself some time.
#2: Say No to Pure Chocolate
You’re also going to want to avoid pure chocolate. Here at that sweet lyfe, we are true chocolate fans – chocolate hits the spot no matter what mood you’re in. But like peanut butter and syrups, pure chocolate doesn’t freeze-dry well. Many pure chocolates are high in oil too, so steer clear of this when popping things into your freeze-dryer.
But not all hope is lost on the chocolate front! Some chocolate treats do really well in the freeze-dryer when the chocolate is mixed with other ingredients. Keep your eyes peeled for our reviews of freeze-dried Riesen Chocolate Caramels and Milk Duds – these turned out incredible! If you’re a chocolate fan like us, try freeze-drying candies like these that are mixed with other ingredients to get the best results.
#3: Say No to Overloading Your Machine
Finally, you’re going to want to avoid overloading your freeze-dryer. This goes for all types of food. Remember, freeze-drying is the process of removing the water content from your food. The smaller the piece, the easier it is to get the water out.
This is great when freeze-drying small candies that come in tiny, individual pieces. But if you try to freeze-dry larger foods like fruits, you’re going to want to cut them into small pieces. When you put a whole lemon in your freeze-dryer, for example, there isn’t really anywhere for the water to escape. But by slicing the lemon into thin, small bites, you can remove all the moisture and get that freeze-dried texture we know and love.
The same goes for overloading your machine – try not to mix too many different foods at once. We know, freeze-drying is so exciting that you want to try it all! But freeze-drying foods with starkly different flavours at the same time can change the flavour of foods, and sometimes, for the worse. Try for one flavour at a time.
This may seem like a lot to avoid, but there are still so many foods out there that you can freeze-dry! Be sure to follow along our blog for our reviews of all our freeze-drying experiments, and get the inside scoop on which candies are the best.
Or if you want to skip the process and simply enjoy, order your first batch of freeze-dried foods from us, That Sweet Lyfe, today. We guarantee you’ll be in love.