Freeze Drying - What's It All About?

The Process

Freeze Drying is based upon a principle known as sublimation, the shift from a solid directly into a gas. When it comes to food, a freeze drying machine produces foods that are flash frozen and then taken slightly above the freezing point in a vacuum chamber. The water in the food thus becomes warm enough to thaw, but because there is not enough pressure for a liquid to form, it goes directly into a gas - water vapor.  The rapid freezing causes the water in the food to separate from everything around it, so when that water is removed, nothing else is affected.

The whole process could take several hours, even days, but you are left with foods that are virtually moisture free and ready for long term storage. As they rehydrate quickly, they are immediately sealed in a moisture free package.  The vacuum sealed, Mylar packages used by the Wise Company are water tight, air tight, and resistant to insects and rodents and lend themselves well to superior food storage.

The Advantages

Though freeze drying can not be done at home, freeze dried foods offer many benefits to those interested in the home storage of foods.

1. Freeze dried food offers super convenience.  A steaming hot meal can be effortlessly prepared, and can be table ready in as little as ten minutes.
2. The dry weight of freeze dried food may be as little as 10% of the original fresh weight.
3. No refrigeration is required, meaning you never need worry about food spoilage due to power failure.
4. If properly sealed, which Wise Foods certainly are, you are looking at a storage life of 25 to 30 years.
5. Wise Freeze Dried Food is pre-cooked, helping to conserve fuel, water and time.
6. Preservatives are not needed.
7. Freeze dried food retains color, flavor and nutritional value.  Eating Wise Freeze Dried Food is just like eating fresh food, freshly prepared.
8. Freeze dried food offers peace of mind.