My first real freeze-drying project was to better store a few bags of frozen fruit that had been in the freezer long enough to begin to get ice crystals. I loaded up a tray each of mango, dark cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, and got the freeze dryer to work.
The total run time ended up being a little over seventeen hours, and then I screwed up. I thought that after seventeen hours everything had to be done and I wouldn't need extra dry time. Big mistake.
The strawberries and raspberries were finished, but not the mango and cherries. Now what to do? I didn't want to start the freeze dryer again with just two trays. I bagged the mango and cherries and slipped them back into the freezer to freeze so I could reprocess them with the two bags of mixed vegetables I wanted to do next.
I reasoned that once they were again frozen, everything would be fine. This is a learning process and I would learn if that would work, or not.
I allowed the unit to cool completely, and then reloaded the fruit and the bags of veggies. I knew it would likely be about a twenty-hour run. It actually took close to twenty-two hours, and this time, it worked. The mango and cherries finished dry. I put them in jars with an oxygen absorber and then vacuum sealed the lids. The plan is to use the fruit over the winter which is why I used jars instead of Mylar bags.
Learning everything about using the HarvestRight freeze dryer is going to take some time but it will be well worth it. Freeing up space in the freezer is all about getting meat into the freezer and I feel that I've made a positive first step.
The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)
