RamblingMad
I'm an 80s kid too.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2019
Freeze dried is actually quite different than dehydrated. Nearly all the water is removed, while a dehydrator might remove about 80-90% of the water.
Freeze drying is an industrial process and requires expensive equipment. It requires a vacuum to reduce the pressure such that the the ice turns straight into water vapor, like how dry ice turns straight into CO2 gas at normal atmospheric pressure.
But freeze drying is generally far better for taste and for something that reconstitutes closer to the original. But it's expensive. I remember my kid always wanted freeze dried ice cream, although it's not meant to be reconstituted.
I looked at freeze drying equipment. It's a couple of thousand dollars versus a dehydrator for less than $100. You can buy freeze dried ingredients. This is a much cheaper route.