Initial Thoughts On My Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer

Recently, I started using a Harvest Right domestic freeze-drier. After a small number of loads, here are my initial impressions of the products usefulness. Rather than repeating the usual unboxing videos and demonstrations on e.g. YouTube, I focus on some of the practical costs and benefits. Some ballpark operating numbers follow the main text.

For myself, this remains a good purchase. The main benefits so far are in the volume I get from my garden, increased flexibility for my life, and preserving food more consistently. Saying that, actual payback will take some years. 

In my opinion, a freeze-drier is most justified when you're committed to a lifestyle involving food production and storage. As such, I wouldn't recommend it to most people/families I know. If you're stocking up for one of the standard Civil Defense emergencies, or only run a small garden that you snack off, then I don't consider it value-for-money. 

Why A Freeze-Dryer?

I've used other methods like pickling, canning, water-bathing, dehydrating over several years. However, I was caught in the contradiction that I wanted to grow more food but 

• Resented the time involved in hands-on processing, creating a barrier 
• Had become bored with the available results e.g with canning everything is effectively boiled. Consequently, I was using what I stored less often.

What Have I Done So Far?

So far, seven loads of fruit and vegetables, either from my freezer or the garden. These are stored in a mixture of Mylar bags, canning jars and air-tight plastic jugs/boxes. 

The quality of the results has been up to the high expectations I had. Probably the best testament is that my hands reach for the new freeze-dried products before finishing the existing stock (dehydrated, canned).

What's Different About A Freeze-Drier 

What makes a freeze-drier different is a combination of factors 

• It's an automated process similar to an electric dehydrator, so there's no need to stand over the equipment as it runs. 
• The span of knowledge required is similar e.g. which foods are suitable, how they should be prepared, what settings are appropriate, checking the food is completely dry, how to package, how to reconstitute/rehydrate.  
• The minimum quantity of anything for a batch is reduced. Got a lone cherry tomato? - freeze it until you're ready and put it in with another crop.
• It's one process for all qualifying types of food.
•  The food produced is more interesting with a variety of shapes, textures etc
• It's inherently safer than canning (high-pressure steam) or water-bathing (hot water).   

Saying that

• I have found default settings and the online support adequate.
• It takes some practice to determine how long the machine should run if the food is dry enough. Various people use various methods depending upon how much you want to spend on gadgetry. For now I am going with trusting the machines sensors, inspecting samples and extending the dry time until satisfied. But again, similar to dehydrators.
• There is very little mechanical support available in NZ. An owner has to be comfortable with going it on their own, if the device breaks. My plan is to rely upon a local HVAC technician or similar.

The Benefits So Far

The main benefits so far are in my personal productivity

• It's easier to harvest as crops come ready e.g. that one tomato which is ripe today can go in the freezer until enough are ready. 
• Preserving food is significantly easier (automation), meaning time saved for me and my crops are actually being preserved.  
• I preserve when convenient to me rather than being constrained to nights and weekends. 
• Related to this, I can do multiple freeze-dryings runs per week without feeling like my life is only about e.g. canning.  

Other benefits

• I'm starting to eat better as as freeze-dried veges make great snacks!
• The risk from a mains power cut is being gradually reduced as the contents of the vertical freezer are freeze-dried. 

Is It Worth It?

Yes, but only because I can see myself sticking to 'this' in the long-term. By 'this' I mean a lifestyle of

• Growing my own food.
• Expanding what I grow e.g. fruit, nuts etc.
• Buying what I can't grow in bulk as savings present e.g. meat.

Actual value-for-money is a long-term proposition. 

In my opinion, the purchase cost is most justified for those who are settled into a lifestyle continuously   

• Producing your own food, and/or 
• Storing large quantities of food. 

At the other end of the spectrum, a freeze-drier is least justified if you're stocking up for a shorter duration Civil Defense emergency, or running a small garden with the occasional excess to be preserved.    

Conclusion

Overall, I feel good about my purchase so far. I appreciate the productivity gains and especially am pleased to be preserving consistently.   

Appendix: Some Useful Metrics

Here are some figures that I've compiled. Please note these reflect my pattern of use and are indicative only. Freeze-dry runs are known to vary highly depending upon the food, moisture content and room temperature among other factors. 

The figures themselves are ball-park figures due to limited documentation and measuring tools.

• Total Weight Of Food: Estimate 400gm to 600gm per tray x 28 trays =  11.2 kg - 16.8 kg (Deliberately light loads to follow recommended practices.)
• My hands-on Time: 5 - 6 hours.
• Typical Run-Time: About 23 - 25 hours (Would expect longer runs).  
• Electricity Used: 0.6 Kw per hour to 1.6 KW per hour (Varies with the phase of the process). Using an average of 1 KW/h. 
• Electricity Cost: For an average of 1 KW/h @ 23.74 cents per hour, a 23 hour run works out to $5.46. This should be considered a minimum, not an average.