2 years ago

151

Re-Bagging Freeze Dried Food from Thin Bags
The big oops! My biggest freeze drying screw-up. (so far)
I messed up and cheaped out and used some thinner bags a couple years ago.
I was low on bags, in a hurry, and bought some cheap bags. DON'T DO THAT!
The thin bags did not stop the moisture! Moisture made it through the bag - 1% to 4% by weight.

I"m re-drying the food using the final cycle in the freeze dryer by leaving the freeze dryer running and then using the "More Dry Time" button.
For the test, I ran the final dry for 3 hour and then re-weighed the food, then I ran it for an additional 3 hours and checked the weight again. After the first 3 hours the weigh had dropped a couple %, but there was no weight change after the additional 3 hours, telling me (I hope) that the water was again gone after the first 3 hours.
The items that I did have weights on before from when it had been originally bagged went back to the starting weight.
Is the food safe? I think so but you would have to decide for yourself. If I find bags I don't feel good about, I will toss them out.
DON'T CHEAP OUT ON THE BAGS. DON'T SAVE A FEW PENNIES AND LOOSE YOUR FOOD. Check often.
The Harvest Right bags are good bags. Make sure to use a high quality, heavy bag.
The Gala apples from batch 18 were in a 7mil thick bag from Harvest Right from 4 years ago were still perfect.
I'm going through all my bags in storage and replacing the thin bags with thick bags.
For the rest of the thin bags I find, I'll use one 5 hour cycle of "More Dry Time."
All re-bagged items will get new oxygen absorbers in new heavy bags.
Last, I'll write the gross weight on ALL bags from now on.

Freeze dried food will stay fresh for many years and be ready and waiting when you need it.

We do videos showing how we are using our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer to freeze dry food for long term storage. (We have the medium size machine that we got in August of 2017) We talk about how to load and unload the freeze dryer, how to know if the food is dry, is it better to freeze dry raw food or cooked food, and do a few taste tests. Freeze dried food is also great for prepping or just for camping and snacking!

AFFILIATES & REFERRALS
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If you are thinking of buying a freeze dryer, please consider supporting us by purchasing through our link. It helps us and costs you nothing! https://affiliates.harvestright.com/995.html
We have the medium freeze dryer with the original vacuum pump.
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Amazon affiliate links to some of the things we have been using; it helps us and costs you nothing.
• Escali Primo Kitchen Scale https://amzn.to/3r8VqRe
• This is the scoop I use for bagging https://amzn.to/3pdTB4J
• Silicone Square Cake Pan - Set of 2 https://amzn.to/2YvAp6L
• Teflon Tape for Impulse Sealers https://amzn.to/3pt2nMd
• Dial Thermometer -40 to 160 F 1-Inch https://amzn.to/3pvAfIm
• Parchment paper - We usually get our at Costco, but they also have it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3owy5qC or https://amzn.to/3Cw1WXL
• Corrugated Plastic Sheets we use in our freezer https://amzn.to/2YqAM2A
• Drill Bit 5/32" x 10" Extra Length https://amzn.to/3tEOvRx
• Wilton 8" Pans, Set of 2 https://amzn.to/3bP3n85
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We are participants in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is where I started when we first started doing our freeze drying. There is a lot to learn about freeze drying. There is a lot to learn about freeze drying, but I think that Water Activity is THE most important thing when it comes to long term storage.
Water Activity: 0.85 & 0.60 - These numbers are why I'm not too worried (when in doubt, throw it out) about botulism.

I would love to have a Water Activity meter, but they are a bit spendy, $700 - $7000. Maybe someday if I can find a good $700 one. Or someone sends me one to use.
Do you think that "I really, really want one" is a good enough reason?

Videos that I used to learn about Water Activity when I started freeze drying.
Water Activity in Foods https://youtu.be/zqutTpEURMk
Water Activity 101: Mastering the Basics of Water Activity in Food Safety https://youtu.be/PYLkt9kZHg4
Water Activity 102: Microbial Growth https://youtu.be/PDPOh89evNs
https://safefood360.com › resources › Water-Activity.pdf
https://safefood360.com/resources/Water-Activity.pdf