Mr Freeze Miser - Continued

 

 

We been able to run several batches. We managed to catch 2 pound bags of vegetables on sale. Conveniently, a 2 pound bag will fill one tray. The benefit of using frozen over fresh is that they are already blanched. It takes 24-26 hours to run a batch.  Weight after drying is 8 - 10 oz. depending on the vegetables. A 2 pound bag is about 1 1/2 quarts.

Many of the reviewer talked about how loud the pumps can be.  I decided to go with the premium oil pump over the oil-less pump because I was worried about the noise.  I have an oil-less air compressor and it's so loud it requires hearing production when it's running.  The freeze dryer itself is louder than the pump so I think I made the right choice.  I have it in the garage which is right under The Pink Monster's bedroom and she can't hear it.  

I don't really like the Harvest Fresh Mylar bags. They're flat. I've been using gusseted bags which are much easier to fill and seal. 

The sealer that came with the bundle seems to do an ok job. Time will tell. It only seals a thin line where the hair straightener we were using seals the entire top of the bag. I've been double sealing just to be on the safe side. 

Don't give me any crap about reusing lids.  This batch is only for short term storage and I just need to keep out the moisture.  The mixed vegetables in the picture came from Samuel's Clubhouse. They had absolutely no flavor when steamed.  I'm hoping that by drying them I can add them to soup and they're absorb some.

The peas are awesome dried.  They'd be great in homemade trail mix.  The drying process intensifies the flavor. 

One of the challenges is controlling the product after it's dried.  It's so light it wants to fly everywhere.  GunDog likes lima beans and was happy to help clean them up.  Some folks are using french fry scoops. My current solution is to use a square freeze container. It's working well enough for now. 

The cart is working well.  Everything is contained in one place. The drain hose is routed through a hole and into a bucket. Of course the bucket came from the grocery store deli so it was free. Extra oil, the filter, and back sealer are stored on the bottom shelf. The working height is good and it's easy to watch the process. Back to noise, I was concerned the cart would act as a sounding board and amplify the pump noise, but the pump has very good rubber free that keep that from happening. The lip of the cart blocked access to the power connectors and the drain hose so I used pieces of scrap plywood to raise it up. 

I've been using the shipping box to keep it covered. Plans are to find a grill cover or Something along those lines to protect it from the garage environment.  So far I'm pretty happy. Now we just need to make it pay for itself.