Freeze-drying or lyophilization is a dehydration technique based on the sublimation of water in a product. This means that the product’s water content transitions from a solid to a gaseous state — or from ice to vapor — without going through the liquid state. Freeze-drying is considered a high quality dehydration method for a couple of reasons, including:

• it operates at low temperatures, which contributes to preserving a product’s nutritional value, taste, appearance, and heat-sensitive compounds
• freezing inhibits chemical and microbiological processes, which significantly delays the product’s deterioration (thereby extending its shelf life)

Freeze-dried foods are a healthy food choice. Freeze-drying is one of the most common dehydration methods due to its numerous benefits.Freeze-drying is one of the best ways to retain the activity of beneficial plant compounds, such as phytochemicals, and nutrients while preserving color, flavor, and structure. That’s why it’s widely used to produce high-value food products. Freeze-drying is the most effective at retaining antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid or vitamin C.

Freeze-drying has allowed us a fun way to make things for our family and others!