Freeze Drying Berries
Freeze drying berries couldn’t be easier, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite ways to preserve that summer flavor. Follow this simple tutorial for freeze drying berries from fresh or frozen.
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Equipment
- Freeze Dryer
- Trays & Liners
- Mason Jars or Mylar Bags
- Jar Sealer
- Oxygen Absorbers optional
Ingredients
- berries fresh or frozen
Instructions
Freeze Drying Fresh Berries
- After properly preparing the fresh berries (see directions in post above), arrange them on the freeze dryer trays.
- Add trays to freeze dryer, press “Start,” then select “Not Frozen.”
- The freeze dryer will have a timer to tell you when the food has frozen. Then you’ll need to come back and select the next steps on the machine.
- Follow the prompts on the screen.
- After 24-36 hours, the freeze dryer will say, “Process Complete.” Hit “Warm Trays” before opening the door to check the berries. (See “How to Know if Freeze Dried Food is Done” in post above.)
- If berries are completely freeze dried, move on to the next step. If you feel any signs that they’re not entirely done, put them back into the machine for an additional 4-6 hours.
- Store freeze dried berries in Mason jars or mylar bags.
Freeze Drying Frozen Berries
- Hit start on the freeze dryer, then select “Pre-Frozen.” This will cool the freeze dryer down before you add the trays so everything stays frozen.
- While the freeze dryer is dropping in temperature, prepare and arrange the frozen berries on the freeze dryer trays.
- Once the freeze dryer is ready, add trays of frozen berries to the machine.
- Follow the prompts on the screen.
- After 24-36 hours, the freeze dryer will say, “Process Complete.” Hit “Warm Trays” before opening the door to check the berries. (See “How to Know if Freeze Dried Food is Done” below.)
- If berries are completely freeze dried, move on to the next step. If you feel any signs that they’re not entirely done, put them back into the machine for an additional 4-6 hours.
- Store freeze dried berries in Mason jars or mylar bags.
Notes
Tips for Perfect Freeze Dried Berries
- Size – Smaller berries (or pieces of berries) will freeze dry and reconstitute much more quickly than larger ones.
- Preparing the Fruit – Read the instructions for properly preparing each type of berry. Not doing so can result in freeze dried berries that don’t retain their shape.
- Pre-Freezing – Putting your berries on trays in the freezer ahead of time can speed up the freeze drying process, but it isn’t necessary.
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