MEAT! One of the most desired things to freeze dry! Most all of it does very well, especially when cooked first. Try rehydrating in sauces, marinades or add a splash of bourbon or beer! If you have a minute, drop by the NEW! store and browse our freeze drying supplies! NEW products added all the time! www.freezedryingsupplies.com
I would try steam rehydration, since I think it would be less likely to make it soggy, and the steam would reheat it. FYI: Never tried this & I don't have a freeze dryer to test.
When I was in the Army stationed in Germany in 1976 I was in the field and had KP duty. We were rehydrating pork chops from WWII so it was 30 years old. It tasted fine. I didn't think anyone would believe me but my Dad back in the states read an article about the Army having 30 year old meat from WWII they were serving the troop. Well I am a witness to the fact this was true.
I was a cook in Germany, too. 1969 - 1971. We had #10 cans with freeze-dried fish. They were in perfect squares about 1/2" thick. Had to lay them in water ever so carefully or they would break up. I had no idea when they were canned, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were from WWII. They tasted fine, but were a pain to handle because they were so fragile. One cook who had an attitude, when it was his turn to prepare the meat, he turned the fish squares into fish crumbles.
Thanks for serving Daniel. I was also in Germany in 1776, Idar Oberstein Germany, 2nd 81 Field Artillery Battalion. Electronics stationed to an artillery unit. I was born in Wiesbaden, as well as 3 other siblings.
Great video. Only thing I would add is to NOT add rehydrating ingredients one at a time. If you add a "dash" of Worcestershire sauce to completely dehydrated meat, the meat that first contacts the liquid will absorb it all into that piece, or pieces. Mix all your rehydrating liquids together, and add them all at the same time. That way, they get an even distribution through the meat.
Just a suggestion for those that don't want anything but the food taste and no extra spices. Use a simple steamer. Put the food into a bamboo steaming wicker and Put it over a boiling pot of water. That limits the amount of water that infuses the food.
Tip for optimal water usage: Measure before and after drying. Then you have the exact value of water you need to replace to avoid that soaked water flavour
This is an excellent tip. But one thing to remember less is best bc it’s easier to add more then to remove it and some things will occasionally need a little more and or a little less water or liquid. Beef and chicken broth are excellent choices as well to reconstitute your meats. But also presoak I them in broth, then prepare/cook and finally freeze dry. Hope this helps.
So do you use a kitchen scale and weigh the meat before freeze drying, the weigh it after freeze drying and then document missing weight of liquid (like in oz or grams)?
Suggestion ... freeze dry various types of stock and make stock powders or bases. Then rehydrate with your stock of choice. A seafood stock for that tilapia may have been better than plain water.
I worked for Oregon Freeze Dry for a while. They make the Mountain House freeze dried food. They do cut up all their foods to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch sizes for the most part, so the hot water is more easily absorbed. At least at the time, they didn't try to do large meat entrees, probably for the reasons you stated. Their largest individual item was ice cream sandwiches.
@@skylinelogging8783 With some products, they used especially large bags and filled them with Nitrogen gas. The vast majority were just bagged in the (approx) 6 oz bags just with an oxygen absorber.
@@IWantMyCountryBack2 NO, fat isn't affected by freeze drying. That's why you're supposed to drain off any fat from pre cooked meat to extend shelf life. Fatty meat will only last a few years before it goes rancid. Only way to freeze dry bacon is to render all the fat out first and make it crispy, for example.
you can rehydriate with the vacuum sealer WAY faster. it basically forces out all the air and instantly infuses your steak with liquid. works great for marinades with non freeze dried meats too
With regards to the ground PORK, if an egg were added prior to making patties, the egg might have some ability to help bind the ground pork. Thus giving you a patty rather than crumbles. Love the videos keepem coming!
@@DMS20231 hi Matt. I am waiting for my freeze dryers so have no experience. Did you find out about cooked eggs by themselves or used as an ingredient in other food?
Like others have mentioned, stock gets better hydration. With re-hydrating big slabs of meat, time is your friend. I usually rehydrate it with a stock-based marinade in the fridge for two days. Don't worry, it won't get any soggier than it would if you were marinating it fresh. Your ground pork also didn't have enough moisture, that's why it was crumbling like that.
Thank you for sharing. A lovely experience to watch. Everyone had an enjoyable time and am grateful to have met you. A lovely guy in my opinion. Thank you once again. Kids said “hi, hello again, remember me?” Hope you remembered us lol 👍😂
@@Jordie0001 with steak I find adding freshly juiced beetroot works amazingly well too because it looks just like blood. I do 50:50 stock and beet juice. It turns it from grey to like a fresh steak. Half of eating is done with the eye, as they say ;)
@@Jordie0001 Beets are so healthy too, although maybe not so much added to cheap wine ;). Seriously though, I was dumbfounded at how much it looked like blood and improved the look of the steak. Give it a try and you will be pleased with result
I was thinking if you had a good bone broth and re-hydrated the meat in the flavors of its brethren. The idea for me came from the Chefs Steps Class about the freeze-dried apples for their apple pie. They freeze dried apples, re-hydrated them in apple cider then made the pie. Seems like that would give it extra flavor as well.
I was thinking broth too. I'd use beef broth for steak, chicken broth for chicken, and if you can't find a pork broth, use bone or veggie. I've made a delicious onion broth that would be fabulous with any meat too.
Well done! Loved how you told us exactly what the food was, how you were going to rehydrate it and what the results were. Your presentation was great. The stir fry looked delicious! But what happened to the apple crisp? How did you rehydrate it and what was the result?
When I freeze dried a whole pork tenderloin I cut them 3/4 inch thick. They lost 1/4 cup of water per slice. When I re-hydrated they were always tough and dry on the inside. I soaked them for a whole day and still dry in the center. I happen to push down on one in the Ziploc bag accidentally and bubbles came out of the meat. What I ended up doing was putting in 1/3 cup water in the bag and let is set overnight. Then I would press my hand on the bag and release a couple of times and drive the air out of the center. Let rest about 5 minutes and repeat. Once there was no air bubbles coming out the meat was ready. I would some times put it back in the fridge to use the next day just to let the meat relax as it ended up kind of squished. Then they cooked up good and were tender on the inside. Next time I will cut them thinner.
I wonder what would happen if you added the liquid then vacuum-sealed them in a bag - like with a food-saver. Might that help get the fluids back in the meat?
@@Former11BRAVO I think that would work. Food saver make a special container for marinating meat the pulls a vacuum and releases it. I did not think about trying it at the time and have not freeze dried any more meat yet.
I apologize but I had to come back. I just bought my Harvest Right Freezer dryer and I am sooo excited I could cry lol Your videos are going to help me out a ton! I ordered a red one medium size. And I’m going to place it in our business hanger. Again thank you so much!!
Accurately weigh each item before and after freeze drying and write difference on labels, then ensure your rehydrating liquid is equal to that weight and leave to rehydrate overnight?
I just came across your videos yesterday and I love them.Ifound of a video last year on raw meat freeze drying and I started to SOUS VIDE my steaks then freeze dry after then grill,It turned out the best for flavour and actually looked like a steak.The reason why I boiught my machine was to make foods only for long term storage incase of the world going south.So for me I just wanted food that tastes good and is palatable.Keep up the good work.
About documentation, weigh the produce before and after freeze-drying and note that on the package for storage, then you know how much water is needed to rehydrate...
I'm thinking, based on your outcome, that a thick steak is doable if... Prepare/season the steak as you would normally, then grill it rare (125 internal). Once cooled, cut the steak into your standard bite sized chunks and freeze dry with notes on the bag/jar as to how it was prepared to that point. Once you are ready to cook, rehydrate by adding small but increasing amounts of beef broth (say every hour add a 1/4 cup of broth to the bag/jar) until it stops soaking in. You know, like when you mop the trailer deck with linseed oil until it quits soaking in! :) Pat the meat dry once hydrated, put a little butter or oil in a pan and get a light sear on all sides. The reason I think grilling it rare is best is that, once rehydrated, you aren't re-heating an already/previously well done steak. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Use bone broth for added vitamin. Soak raw meat like you do wild game , in salt & ice , water. You can also use coke . We soak ours for up to 5 days takes the blood out . Taste much better when rehydrated. GOD BLESS FROM CHRISTMAS VALLEY OREGON
I just started a lay away at harvest right for a medium freeze drier. They told me the same thing about the meat, and that it turns out better if it has been cooked prior to freeze drying.
I'd like to see the steaks weighed before freeze drying and again afterwards. Note the difference and add that much liquid and the steak, vacuum seal it for however long, then cook.
I am running my 1st test batch (bread) right now cant wait to get to the real thing maybe tomorrow soooo excited !!!!!!!!!!! thank you for the helpful videos
Debbie M this would be after you pull it from storage you can’t store it in liquid unless you’re freezing it which completely defeats the point of freeze drying. Sous vide is a type of cooking
I bet that would work great re-hydrating in a pressure cooker because you can use less water.. I saw another person off grid using a instant pot on a 400w solar panel too cook in less time with less water.. I have re-hydrated things in my instant pot using the steamer basket with broth. So the food dont have to sit in liquid.
FYI: the red color in your steak isn't blood. It's myoglobin, which is the protein that delivers oxygen to the muscles. Every time you call it blood, a teenager somewhere turns vegan ;)
reminds me of when i went camping some time ago. I didn't freeze dry but dehydrated instead. All the food i took for a weeks camping was as light as i could get it. I never took water with me because i planned on on-site access to water. But i can see where freeze dried scrambled eggs would have been nice. I think for your items, placing them into a ziplock bag and introducing moisture there would work faster. Just remove as much air as you can.
Great video my friend. Still paying on my harvest right. Can't wait to start putting food back. I'm glad someone finally made a video showing some food that had a little age.
I live in Florida I have experienced to much moisture in summer time I freeze dried vegetables 3times thinking I didn’t leave it in long enough, but garage gets pretty hot the minute I take it out it gets soft again
Awesome video! Love the experiment. I've always wondered how it tastes after rehydrating. Someone once told me to try rehydrating apples with grape juice for apple pie filling. Sounds so good!
Thanks. That was great info. I was interested in the pork and the raw meats in particular. So I have freeze dried stir fries containing cooked meats, and they came back OK but I found the meat tough. I have taco spiced cooked hamburger that has come back tasting fine.. I get more success with wet cooked meats -- chili, stews, chili-mac, curries and Indizn style foods. The InstaPot has been great, and my older slow cooker has been OK, for cooking meat with lots of juices. Those have been more tender for me.
Yes meat in a dish seems to do much better than just plain. I think some of the toughness could be from not giving them a long enough soak and i think soaking them in a marinade helps as well.
@@thefreezedryingcommunity I find I tend to use too much liquid. When I first was experimenting with commercially canned stuff I would weigh what went in vs. what came out to figure out how much water I extracted (a lot easier in metric). For that stuff reconstituting with about 10% more water (warm) let it sit for a bit and then heating gave me the best results. I tended to add too much before that.
I cook it b4 freeze the meat it last longer. with out freezer burn i also add its juices back into it when freezing the cook meat. I open a bag of turkey meat that was frozen for 5 years. IT WAS EXCELLENT no freezer burn at all. YUMMY it tasted just like out of the oven YUM
Remember that Beef/Pork/Fish/Chicken Broth is your friend, Stop using water. If you are taking out the Beef Juices, Rehydrate With Beef Juices. Even if you are Just Thinning out your BBQ Sauce, No Water, Broth/Stock And I am not talking about that Powdered Cubed Stuff. Get the Liquid in the Cartons, The Real Broth/Stock. When your done, Back in the Fridge. No Water Needed. Nice Video, Good Job.
@Jason Reyes I agree, The “Better than bullion” is a very good product. My point really didn't have anything to do with using the Broth or Stock from a carton. Was just stating, that if you are Removing the Liquids from, for example, beef, Replace it with Beef Liquid. Regardless if you make your own or buy a product. Using water is just Flat. To Me, it is like Making a Filet Mignon and Preparing it Well Done. LOL. I know Preparation is based on Individual Taste. Don't want to hear it. Be Good, Eat Good!
I just bought my freeze dryer and haven't used one yet, but one thing I learned when b.b.q.ing and smoking meat is when the heat stops early it will ruin your brisket or ribs or whatever. My secret to saving meat is......the crock pot. And I wonder if a crock with a separator to keep the dry stuff on top might be the right steam bath to re- hydrate your meat. Or turn tough meat from freeze drying I to tender meat again? Just a thought
I appreciate you doing these types of videos, it is hard to find info on freeze drying foods and what to do with them so you can eat them down the road.
Regardless of all the drawbacks, you have sustainable food stores to keep you and yours alive when the shelves are empty! I do canning rather than dehydrate, but I’ll definitely look into this again. WHY you might ask? Pretty simple really. What’s easier and faster to load if you do have to bugout? A bunch of mason jars or a bunch of light dehydrated food? I will likely have both before long. Thanks for the vid, excellent job!
i put cooked hamburger patties in the instant pot with some store bought beef broth for 2 min. they came out completely hydrated. only change id make is water down the broth or just use water if the meat is seasoned before hand.
I have found that the water you use to rehydrate definitely effects taste. Distilled water will add no of putting tastes, but sparkling water rehydration will tenderize meat
Hey man, I haven't seen all your videos, so I don't know if you've already covered this, but have you compared rehydrating cooked meat patties versus raw meat patties and then cooking them, to see which resulted in a better experience?
Trusting the safety of my freeze dried food has been a question I've had. I see people doing candy and fruits and whatnot, but seeing meat brought back after years is a great vid..thanks!!
Love your channel Quick question on freeze drying I have one and I'm new to this. Wh way temperature should my freezing reach before my vacuum pump kicks in? Some say -30 but mine only reaches that on test mode wirh do is it kicks over to pump at around -17 I keep cancelling the cycle Please help
For the dehydrated cooked steak have you thought of using a sous vide at a low temperature with a nice marinade to slowly rehydrate the steak over hours? This might give you the infused flavors you're trying for and give the meat the time it needs to fully rehydrate to it's fullness. Just a thought.
Try using beef chicken or vegetable broth. I have never freeze dried anything I’m on my way to getting my freeze dryer atm but I think it would do better than water cause it’s already seasoned
After watching your video, I think I would rehydrate the steak in concentrated low salt broth with olive oil. I think it needs the fat to become as it was, thus the olive oil. The sous vide idea sounds like it would be perfect, as the sous vide machine keeps the liquid at a certain temperature, where it would not overcook and dry out. At least it would be tender when it was finished, but not rare. You could then place it on the BBQ grill for one minute on each side, basting with oil, to get the flavor into the steak. You could even freeze dry the au jus, or drippings from your steak, after you let it sit, to rehydrate the steak, Just thinking as I go.
Okay, y'all I've been saving for an entire year to buy my freezer, I'm VERY NERVOUS to finally pull the trigger on the purchase, I have enough!!! My guy tell's me I should just do it, but ☝️ I'm afraid to lose the money I just saved!!! I JUST NEED a little encouragement to get the actual courage to make my big purchase!!! I'm always the what if girl,I grew up very poor and am just a little nervous.
Sometimes my friend you just have to go for it. It will save you money the first year in throw out food. My Mrs. Just bought a counertop dishwasher and she couldn't be happier. I'm the one that usually spends money on this or that to make life easier but she made a decision and I'm really happy. Do it for yourself!
@@rinab4405 Good for you! Welcome to the FD community. Most people are saying their orders are on back order due to high demand. Are you experiencing this? The medium size is the most popular I assume that is what you went with. I've been using my large dryer and oil less pump for 2 years almost 24/7. There is a learning curve that everyone goes through but you'll get comfortable with it quickly. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. I'll help any way I can.
How would using the marinate function in the vacuum sealer work to rehydrate? Even vacuum sealing in whatever you want to rehydrate with might be fast and effective.
Rather than scroll down through all the comments I'll just give my two cents here, not knowing if it's already been stated. My understanding (from a food science friend) is that freeze drying raw meat can be a little dangerous without the proper equipment to test for zero water activity. If you have even a miniscule amount of water activity, a 3 year old steak in an anaerobic pouch could kill you. I'm speculating here based on what my food science friend warned me about when I made some freeze dried dog treats using raw chicken livers.
im a food scientist and a chef, they are freeze drying the meat so the water activity is cero... obviously, the thicker the pieces the more water in them so that is why is best to have no more that 1/2 pieces or thinner. Now for the point of this equipment the idea is to have food when the SHF, natural emergencies, camping, RV, etc. not the gourmet freshly made food. yes someone with cooking experience can make marvelous things with freeze dry method or dehydrated food. you can cook at home delicious recipes and freeze dry them and enjoy 95% of the original delight after 25 years. is just a matter of creativity, but is creativity in a situation on nothing matter, just make a pot of freeze dry items, a stew or a ratatouille... remember all type of vegetables, tubers , and fresh beans can be process and enjoy when the need comes. so dont mine the look or taste, just add your freeze dry veggies, herbs, season and fill the belly. remember always filter and boil saved waters. or make sure you Imodium on hand always.
Your food science friend is missing a few facts - by using an oxygen absorber with packaged foods will drastically reduce the activity of microbes and bacteria. Yes Bacteria can survive the freeze drying process - so cooking raw meats is one way of killing such food born microbes. As with any foods - not just meats - safe food handling practices must be followed. Foods will be completely dry when foods are not cold to the touch - indicating the presents of moisture/ice. I would never recommend consuming raw FD foods - they should be rehydrated and cooked.
should have freeze dried the veggies in the stir fry too!!! You should try that!! Freeze dry all the ingredients of the stir fry and see if you can have a full meal, just add water!! that would be awesome!
Something to possibly try for the steaks would be marinating it in a beef broth, then cook with sous vide, then you can torch it if you want that browning/caramelization on the surface.
MEAT! One of the most desired things to freeze dry! Most all of it does very well, especially when cooked first. Try rehydrating in sauces, marinades or add a splash of bourbon or beer!
If you have a minute, drop by the NEW! store and browse our freeze drying supplies! NEW products added all the time!
www.freezedryingsupplies.com
I would try steam rehydration, since I think it would be less likely to make it soggy, and the steam would reheat it. FYI: Never tried this & I don't have a freeze dryer to test.
@@guytech7310 👍
If you want a good technique to re-hydrate meat use a steamer pot.
F FB get a GAB group
If you use egg in your burger it will hold shape and yummyness 👍🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🔥
When I was in the Army stationed in Germany in 1976 I was in the field and had KP duty. We were rehydrating pork chops from WWII so it was 30 years old. It tasted fine. I didn't think anyone would believe me but my Dad back in the states read an article about the Army having 30 year old meat from WWII they were serving the troop. Well I am a witness to the fact this was true.
I was a cook in Germany, too. 1969 - 1971. We had #10 cans with freeze-dried fish. They were in perfect squares about 1/2" thick. Had to lay them in water ever so carefully or they would break up. I had no idea when they were canned, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were from WWII. They tasted fine, but were a pain to handle because they were so fragile. One cook who had an attitude, when it was his turn to prepare the meat, he turned the fish squares into fish crumbles.
Thanks for serving Daniel. I was also in Germany in 1776, Idar Oberstein Germany, 2nd 81 Field Artillery Battalion. Electronics stationed to an artillery unit. I was born in Wiesbaden, as well as 3 other siblings.
@@johnny7047 was Germany even a country in 1776? Lol.
@@johnny7047
1776 .. how were George & Thomas?
😁👍
@@johnny7047 1776 !! 👍👍
Great video. Only thing I would add is to NOT add rehydrating ingredients one at a time. If you add a "dash" of Worcestershire sauce to completely dehydrated meat, the meat that first contacts the liquid will absorb it all into that piece, or pieces. Mix all your rehydrating liquids together, and add them all at the same time. That way, they get an even distribution through the meat.
I wonder if you put the Worcestershire sauce in a mist type spray bottle if it would cover and absorb more evenly?
Yeah. Like take a cup. Mix beef broth and sauces of choice.
Then pour that mixture over the meat
On your ground beef. Have you thought about using some tallow to rehydrate it?
You can learn to make your own.
@@RobertBrown2 Good idea!
@robertzeurunkl8401 only needs beef fat, salt, water, a bowl, and a crock pot.
Just a suggestion for those that don't want anything but the food taste and no extra spices. Use a simple steamer. Put the food into a bamboo steaming wicker and Put it over a boiling pot of water. That limits the amount of water that infuses the food.
Tip for optimal water usage: Measure before and after drying. Then you have the exact value of water you need to replace to avoid that soaked water flavour
This is an excellent tip. But one thing to remember less is best bc it’s easier to add more then to remove it and some things will occasionally need a little more and or a little less water or liquid. Beef and chicken broth are excellent choices as well to reconstitute your meats. But also presoak I them in broth, then prepare/cook and finally freeze dry. Hope this helps.
Ah, that helps a lot. I was wonder if you just keep adding water and guessing as you go until it's rehydrated. Good tip.
What have you typically used to weigh before and after? Just a countertop scale?
So do you use a kitchen scale and weigh the meat before freeze drying, the weigh it after freeze drying and then document missing weight of liquid (like in oz or grams)?
How about steaming?
Suggestion ... freeze dry various types of stock and make stock powders or bases. Then rehydrate with your stock of choice. A seafood stock for that tilapia may have been better than plain water.
Ive had epic results using the instapot pressure cookerto rehydrate
What setting do you use?
I worked for Oregon Freeze Dry for a while. They make the Mountain House freeze dried food. They do cut up all their foods to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch sizes for the most part, so the hot water is more easily absorbed. At least at the time, they didn't try to do large meat entrees, probably for the reasons you stated. Their largest individual item was ice cream sandwiches.
how did they package? did they do anything special like add a gas to them
@@skylinelogging8783 With some products, they used especially large bags and filled them with Nitrogen gas. The vast majority were just bagged in the (approx) 6 oz bags just with an oxygen absorber.
Rehydrate ground meat with cream or half and half. The milk fats act to re-bind the meat like it's own fat did before drying.
or add an egg
Does the fat evaporate when freeze drying?
When in the Army we would soak our freeze dried burgers in milk to rehydrate.
Yes. It’s those fats that make the difference.
@@IWantMyCountryBack2 NO, fat isn't affected by freeze drying. That's why you're supposed to drain off any fat from pre cooked meat to extend shelf life. Fatty meat will only last a few years before it goes rancid. Only way to freeze dry bacon is to render all the fat out first and make it crispy, for example.
chef 38 years,beef stock,chicken stock,pork,lemon water,fruit water,n all marinades,ty your awesome
I found pork tenderloin medallions rehydrate awesome raw, then fry em gently..... still tender after four yrs.
you can rehydriate with the vacuum sealer WAY faster. it basically forces out all the air and instantly infuses your steak with liquid. works great for marinades with non freeze dried meats too
I was wondering about this and didn't have much luck looking it up with a quick Google search. Thanks.
agreed!
I just asked this very question in a comment above! Thank you!!!
With regards to the ground PORK, if an egg were added prior to making patties, the egg might have some ability to help bind the ground pork. Thus giving you a patty rather than crumbles. Love the videos keepem coming!
Great idea! Also, that would add some fat, giving it a better “mouth feel”.
I seem to recall that there are some issues with freeze drying eggs.
@@DMS20231
Ppl are freeze drying eggs like crazy though
I didn’t know it can only be certain eggs
@@DMS20231 hi Matt. I am waiting for my freeze dryers so have no experience. Did you find out about cooked eggs by themselves or used as an ingredient in other food?
@@DMS20231 Thanks!
Like others have mentioned, stock gets better hydration.
With re-hydrating big slabs of meat, time is your friend. I usually rehydrate it with a stock-based marinade in the fridge for two days. Don't worry, it won't get any soggier than it would if you were marinating it fresh.
Your ground pork also didn't have enough moisture, that's why it was crumbling like that.
Thank you for sharing. A lovely experience to watch. Everyone had an enjoyable time and am grateful to have met you. A lovely guy in my opinion. Thank you once again. Kids said “hi, hello again, remember me?” Hope you remembered us lol 👍😂
Use stock to re-hydrate, not sauces imo. Perhaps add something to the stock, but not pure sauce.
Exactly in fluid first then add the sauces. STOCK IT UP FIRST
stock first sauce second - did it- loved it 👍
@@Jordie0001 with steak I find adding freshly juiced beetroot works amazingly well too because it looks just like blood. I do 50:50 stock and beet juice. It turns it from grey to like a fresh steak. Half of eating is done with the eye, as they say ;)
@@ashmash1934 - sounds a really good idea ... i love adding beetroot juice to stuff. i add it to cheap dry wine to sass it up a bit. hic
@@Jordie0001 Beets are so healthy too, although maybe not so much added to cheap wine ;). Seriously though, I was dumbfounded at how much it looked like blood and improved the look of the steak. Give it a try and you will be pleased with result
Our Harvest Right freeze dryer is several years old. We've had good luck doing uncooked chicken breast & then rehydrating it before cooking.
Do you freeze the uncooked chicken breast whole the way it comes packaged?
@@kevincoelho4195 no, we cut it into thin strips, less than 1/2" thick.
I eat rehydrated meat all the time and it’s perfect. Absolutely fine and perfect
Was it dehydrated raw?
I dunno about everyone else but it’s pretty hardcore that you’re smoking that meat while it’s snowing outside! Cool
I was thinking if you had a good bone broth and re-hydrated the meat in the flavors of its brethren. The idea for me came from the Chefs Steps Class about the freeze-dried apples for their apple pie. They freeze dried apples, re-hydrated them in apple cider then made the pie. Seems like that would give it extra flavor as well.
what is Chefs Steps Class?
I was thinking broth too. I'd use beef broth for steak, chicken broth for chicken, and if you can't find a pork broth, use bone or veggie. I've made a delicious onion broth that would be fabulous with any meat too.
As far as the steaks go, in tough times, that would be a treasure to have any steak.
Well done! Loved how you told us exactly what the food was, how you were going to rehydrate it and what the results were. Your presentation was great. The stir fry looked delicious! But what happened to the apple crisp? How did you rehydrate it and what was the result?
Thank you for the video!
About hamburger: adding a dinced onions and egg will add some moisture and hold everything together.
When I freeze dried a whole pork tenderloin I cut them 3/4 inch thick. They lost 1/4 cup of water per slice. When I re-hydrated they were always tough and dry on the inside. I soaked them for a whole day and still dry in the center. I happen to push down on one in the Ziploc bag accidentally and bubbles came out of the meat. What I ended up doing was putting in 1/3 cup water in the bag and let is set overnight. Then I would press my hand on the bag and release a couple of times and drive the air out of the center. Let rest about 5 minutes and repeat. Once there was no air bubbles coming out the meat was ready. I would some times put it back in the fridge to use the next day just to let the meat relax as it ended up kind of squished. Then they cooked up good and were tender on the inside. Next time I will cut them thinner.
I wonder what would happen if you added the liquid then vacuum-sealed them in a bag - like with a food-saver. Might that help get the fluids back in the meat?
@@Former11BRAVO I think that would work. Food saver make a special container for marinating meat the pulls a vacuum and releases it. I did not think about trying it at the time and have not freeze dried any more meat yet.
Would puttin the liquid and meat back into the jar and pulling a vacuum on it help the rehydration. I use this method often to speed up marinating.
I will have to give that a try
Excellent point, I was wondering how you could actually pressure feed moisture back into the food and I think you've got my answer! Bravo!
Add an egg to your burger to make it hold together. We use pork for our burgers. I also add a little oatmeal or flavored breadcrumbs, works great!
I am so excited. My medium size Freeze dryer came today.
I apologize but I had to come back. I just bought my Harvest Right Freezer dryer and I am sooo excited I could cry lol Your videos are going to help me out a ton! I ordered a red one medium size. And I’m going to place it in our business hanger. Again thank you so much!!
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Good for you!!! Welcome to the FD community - how do you like it so far? Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
I personally like to cook all my meats before FD. If an emergency happens you may not have a way to cook so its ready to eat. Great video.
Good point!
Accurately weigh each item before and after freeze drying and write difference on labels, then ensure your rehydrating liquid is equal to that weight and leave to rehydrate overnight?
Can you possible use a steaming pot and steam the meat?
I just came across your videos yesterday and I love them.Ifound of a video last year on raw meat freeze drying and I started to SOUS VIDE my steaks then freeze dry after then grill,It turned out the best for flavour and actually looked like a steak.The reason why I boiught my machine was to make foods only for long term storage incase of the world going south.So for me I just wanted food that tastes good and is palatable.Keep up the good work.
I have been doing the sous vide as well. It keeps things very tender. I like the idea of throwing it on the grill afterwards.
I just freezedryed some turnip cubes seasoned with Tony's seasoning. Wow it's great.
"Don't leave fish in water too long" Huh. I never would have guessed that. ;-) Just kidding!
😂
About documentation, weigh the produce before and after freeze-drying and note that on the package for storage, then you know how much water is needed to rehydrate...
I'm thinking, based on your outcome, that a thick steak is doable if... Prepare/season the steak as you would normally, then grill it rare (125 internal). Once cooled, cut the steak into your standard bite sized chunks and freeze dry with notes on the bag/jar as to how it was prepared to that point. Once you are ready to cook, rehydrate by adding small but increasing amounts of beef broth (say every hour add a 1/4 cup of broth to the bag/jar) until it stops soaking in. You know, like when you mop the trailer deck with linseed oil until it quits soaking in! :) Pat the meat dry once hydrated, put a little butter or oil in a pan and get a light sear on all sides. The reason I think grilling it rare is best is that, once rehydrated, you aren't re-heating an already/previously well done steak. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Yoh this is the 10th video of yours in a row ive binged on for the past 3 hours
Thought I was the only one who seasoned their food that much. I like the fact that you’re not afraid of mistakes.
failure teaches a person much more than playing it safe.
This is 4 years later and I absolutely love your Facebook Page I refer to it all the time to look up recipes.
So glad to hear that! Happy freeze drying!
Use bone broth for added vitamin. Soak raw meat like you do wild game , in salt & ice , water. You can also use coke . We soak ours for up to 5 days takes the blood out . Taste much better when rehydrated. GOD BLESS FROM CHRISTMAS VALLEY OREGON
I just started a lay away at harvest right for a medium freeze drier. They told me the same thing about the meat, and that it turns out better if it has been cooked prior to freeze drying.
I am currently doing a steak video where I am trying raw vs. cooked and sous vide vs. grilled
I'd like to see the steaks weighed before freeze drying and again afterwards. Note the difference and add that much liquid and the steak, vacuum seal it for however long, then cook.
This was literally my thought process. Just put beginning and ending wright's on the mylar bag
OMG, that is A Lot of Worcester sauce!!!
Add an egg to keep the burger together when cooking!
RahRah on a Mission yes I agree...egg is perfect for getting meat to stick together before the grill!
That egg really tied the burger together.
That sound much better than non toxic elemers glue that I was using. Thanks!
was about to suggest that too ^
Egg , oatmeal or nutritional yeast all work well together or separate.
I am running my 1st test batch (bread) right now cant wait to get to the real thing maybe tomorrow soooo excited !!!!!!!!!!! thank you for the helpful videos
Vacuum seal with liquid then sous vide it to rehydrate and cook perfect at the same time
Debbie M this would be after you pull it from storage you can’t store it in liquid unless you’re freezing it which completely defeats the point of freeze drying. Sous vide is a type of cooking
@Debbie M vacuum out the air while it is under water so it will soak up the water when you are ready to use it.
I bet that would work great re-hydrating in a pressure cooker because you can use less water..
I saw another person off grid using a instant pot on a 400w solar panel too cook in less time with less water..
I have re-hydrated things in my instant pot using the steamer basket with broth.
So the food dont have to sit in liquid.
FYI: the red color in your steak isn't blood. It's myoglobin, which is the protein that delivers oxygen to the muscles. Every time you call it blood, a teenager somewhere turns vegan ;)
Looks great, stir fry possible add a table spoon +- and a half of brown sugar.
When you freeze ground meat it won't stick together either. Try making it into a burger shape before freeze drying.
reminds me of when i went camping some time ago. I didn't freeze dry but dehydrated instead. All the food i took for a weeks camping was as light as i could get it. I never took water with me because i planned on on-site access to water. But i can see where freeze dried scrambled eggs would have been nice. I think for your items, placing them into a ziplock bag and introducing moisture there would work faster. Just remove as much air as you can.
I believe its myoglobin and not blood in meats.
Just got a freeze dryer and you're video with very helpful thank you.
Great video my friend. Still paying on my harvest right. Can't wait to start putting food back. I'm glad someone finally made a video showing some food that had a little age.
Once you get started, it's almost an addiction. You can really start getting a good cache of food quick.
I bought the lg one and it paid for itself in about 6 mth. Freeze dried meat is REAL expensive to buy that way. Much cheaper to do yourself
I live in Florida I have experienced to much moisture in summer time I freeze dried vegetables 3times thinking I didn’t leave it in long enough, but garage gets pretty hot the minute I take it out it gets soft again
Maybe pressure canning is the better option for meats but I would defiantly go with the freeze drying for fruits and vegetables
He freeze dried the meat,before he put it in the jars.
use sous vide method to cook rehydrated steak then throw on a grill or cast iron pan to sear. Comes out awesome
Did you start with raw steak?
@@Shanmammy yes. sous vide method will cook the steak at a specific temperature so it won't overcook it.
Found your channel, awesome information!
Beautiful Equipment!!!
Quite the price for a homebound dis. vet.
Everyone needs a dream!
Thank You
Thanks for watching!
Definitely makes me want to double my efforts to buy one of these harvest rights
We got the big one for the same price as the small we just took one that had a dent in it and harvet right worked with us.
You can buy mine
@@drachenfeuer5042 u don't use it??
@@ravennight6744 when it works
My dad rehydrate pineapple in coconut water and strawberries in lemonade then refreeze drys them. They are great little snack!
Awesome video! Love the experiment. I've always wondered how it tastes after rehydrating. Someone once told me to try rehydrating apples with grape juice for apple pie filling. Sounds so good!
Suggestion use the appropriate broth to rehydrate instead of plain water can always add other seasonings to the broth
Thanks. That was great info. I was interested in the pork and the raw meats in particular.
So I have freeze dried stir fries containing cooked meats, and they came back OK but I found the meat tough.
I have taco spiced cooked hamburger that has come back tasting fine..
I get more success with wet cooked meats -- chili, stews, chili-mac, curries and Indizn style foods. The InstaPot has been great, and my older slow cooker has been OK, for cooking meat with lots of juices. Those have been more tender for me.
Yes meat in a dish seems to do much better than just plain. I think some of the toughness could be from not giving them a long enough soak and i think soaking them in a marinade helps as well.
@@thefreezedryingcommunity I find I tend to use too much liquid. When I first was experimenting with commercially canned stuff I would weigh what went in vs. what came out to figure out how much water I extracted (a lot easier in metric). For that stuff reconstituting with about 10% more water (warm) let it sit for a bit and then heating gave me the best results. I tended to add too much before that.
I recommend putting the burger meat back through the meat grinder again and the steaks I recommend rehydrating in beef broth then throw on the grill.
mix eggs into raw rehydrated hamburger. My freeze dried meatloaf mix turned out perfect
I cook it b4 freeze the meat it last longer. with out freezer burn i also add its juices back into it when freezing the cook meat. I open a bag of turkey meat that was frozen for 5 years. IT WAS EXCELLENT no freezer burn at all. YUMMY it tasted just like out of the oven YUM
Remember that Beef/Pork/Fish/Chicken Broth is your friend, Stop using water.
If you are taking out the Beef Juices, Rehydrate With Beef Juices.
Even if you are Just Thinning out your BBQ Sauce, No Water, Broth/Stock
And I am not talking about that Powdered Cubed Stuff.
Get the Liquid in the Cartons, The Real Broth/Stock.
When your done, Back in the Fridge. No Water Needed.
Nice Video, Good Job.
When he's cooking the meat, then he probably could turn that into broth and can it, right?
@Jason Reyes I agree, The “Better than bullion” is a very good product.
My point really didn't have anything to do with using the Broth or Stock from a carton.
Was just stating, that if you are Removing the Liquids from, for example, beef, Replace it with Beef Liquid.
Regardless if you make your own or buy a product.
Using water is just Flat.
To Me, it is like Making a Filet Mignon and Preparing it Well Done. LOL.
I know Preparation is based on Individual Taste.
Don't want to hear it.
Be Good, Eat Good!
Since the only thing coming out of the foods is water - it isn't necessary to use anything but water. Anything else is just personal preference.
I just bought my freeze dryer and haven't used one yet, but one thing I learned when b.b.q.ing and smoking meat is when the heat stops early it will ruin your brisket or ribs or whatever. My secret to saving meat is......the crock pot. And I wonder if a crock with a separator to keep the dry stuff on top might be the right steam bath to re- hydrate your meat. Or turn tough meat from freeze drying I to tender meat again? Just a thought
Mix in an egg with raw meat as a binder..:..or mix in some egg powderto form it into patties
Hi ,will the ground pork work for meatloaf.?...GOD BLESS
I appreciate you doing these types of videos, it is hard to find info on freeze drying foods and what to do with them so you can eat them down the road.
Thanks. I will continue doing them as long as people want to see them
Regardless of all the drawbacks, you have sustainable food stores to keep you and yours alive when the shelves are empty! I do canning rather than dehydrate, but I’ll definitely look into this again.
WHY you might ask? Pretty simple really. What’s easier and faster to load if you do have to bugout? A bunch of mason jars or a bunch of light dehydrated food? I will likely have both before long.
Thanks for the vid, excellent job!
Freeze dried does not have to go into mason jars. It can go into mylar bags.
Actually, re-hydrating with flavored liquid is Brilliant....!
I've used bone, beef and chicken broth to rehydrate.
i put cooked hamburger patties in the instant pot with some store bought beef broth for 2 min. they came out completely hydrated. only change id make is water down the broth or just use water if the meat is seasoned before hand.
that's cool! I figured they would not do well! Thanks for the input
I have found that the water you use to rehydrate definitely effects taste. Distilled water will add no of putting tastes, but sparkling water rehydration will tenderize meat
interesting, you bring up a good point
Hey man, I haven't seen all your videos, so I don't know if you've already covered this, but have you compared rehydrating cooked meat patties versus raw meat patties and then cooking them, to see which resulted in a better experience?
Here is another meat video you can watch
ruclips.net/video/7dRk1vfn3W8/видео.html
I like your honest assessment. Diane
Trusting the safety of my freeze dried food has been a question I've had. I see people doing candy and fruits and whatnot, but seeing meat brought back after years is a great vid..thanks!!
How do you know if it's bad? I get scared of botulism
12:10 Don’t use a metal fork on a non-stick pan!
Depends a LOT on the brand of pan, not all non-sticks are scrape loose Teflon!
Love your channel
Quick question on freeze drying I have one and I'm new to this.
Wh way temperature should my freezing reach before my vacuum pump kicks in?
Some say -30 but mine only reaches that on test mode wirh do is it kicks over to pump at around -17 I keep cancelling the cycle
Please help
For the dehydrated cooked steak have you thought of using a sous vide at a low temperature with a nice marinade to slowly rehydrate the steak over hours? This might give you the infused flavors you're trying for and give the meat the time it needs to fully rehydrate to it's fullness. Just a thought.
Try using beef chicken or vegetable broth. I have never freeze dried anything I’m on my way to getting my freeze dryer atm but I think it would do better than water cause it’s already seasoned
Soak it in beer!
I'm new to thi. So far what I see looks very helpful. Thanks for the info.
After watching your video, I think I would rehydrate the steak in concentrated low salt broth with olive oil. I think it needs the fat to become as it was, thus the olive oil. The sous vide idea sounds like it would be perfect, as the sous vide machine keeps the liquid at a certain temperature, where it would not overcook and dry out. At least it would be tender when it was finished, but not rare. You could then place it on the BBQ grill for one minute on each side, basting with oil, to get the flavor into the steak. You could even freeze dry the au jus, or drippings from your steak, after you let it sit, to rehydrate the steak, Just thinking as I go.
Thx for your time sharing your videos. But, dude you are the only person i know that doesnt label storage foods. 😉
Okay, y'all I've been saving for an entire year to buy my freezer, I'm VERY NERVOUS to finally pull the trigger on the purchase, I have enough!!! My guy tell's me I should just do it, but ☝️ I'm afraid to lose the money I just saved!!! I JUST NEED a little encouragement to get the actual courage to make my big purchase!!! I'm always the what if girl,I grew up very poor and am just a little nervous.
Sometimes my friend you just have to go for it. It will save you money the first year in throw out food. My Mrs. Just bought a counertop dishwasher and she couldn't be happier. I'm the one that usually spends money on this or that to make life easier but she made a decision and I'm really happy. Do it for yourself!
I did! Just TODAY!!! THANK YOU for your encouragement!!!
@@rinab4405 Good for you! Welcome to the FD community. Most people are saying their orders are on back order due to high demand. Are you experiencing this? The medium size is the most popular I assume that is what you went with. I've been using my large dryer and oil less pump for 2 years almost 24/7.
There is a learning curve that everyone goes through but you'll get comfortable with it quickly. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. I'll help any way I can.
How would using the marinate function in the vacuum sealer work to rehydrate? Even vacuum sealing in whatever you want to rehydrate with might be fast and effective.
It would work 👍
Fresh steak cut that thin would also be impossible to cook rare too. It's the thickness, not the freeze drying
Rehydrate in bone broth, yum...😋
And I dont wanna make it too salty (soy sauce) GLUB GLUG GLUG.... LOL Thats okay we do the same hehe
Which packaging and labels? Is texture or flavor better if liquid is warm or heated.
I have to admit, I'm pretty shocked that rehydrating with sauce produced a good result. I thought for sure it would be too salty!
It's only to salty if The sauce is too salty
I use a vacuum pump to stabilize my pen blanks; I think using a vacuum pump to rehydrate your Freeze dried food would work great.
I was thinking the same thing.
Rather than scroll down through all the comments I'll just give my two cents here, not knowing if it's already been stated. My understanding (from a food science friend) is that freeze drying raw meat can be a little dangerous without the proper equipment to test for zero water activity. If you have even a miniscule amount of water activity, a 3 year old steak in an anaerobic pouch could kill you. I'm speculating here based on what my food science friend warned me about when I made some freeze dried dog treats using raw chicken livers.
Imho, commercially grown chicken livers aren’t good for dogs in any state. They’re filters.
im a food scientist and a chef, they are freeze drying the meat so the water activity is cero... obviously, the thicker the pieces the more water in them so that is why is best to have no more that 1/2 pieces or thinner. Now for the point of this equipment the idea is to have food when the SHF, natural emergencies, camping, RV, etc. not the gourmet freshly made food. yes someone with cooking experience can make marvelous things with freeze dry method or dehydrated food. you can cook at home delicious recipes and freeze dry them and enjoy 95% of the original delight after 25 years. is just a matter of creativity, but is creativity in a situation on nothing matter, just make a pot of freeze dry items, a stew or a ratatouille... remember all type of vegetables, tubers , and fresh beans can be process and enjoy when the need comes. so dont mine the look or taste, just add your freeze dry veggies, herbs, season and fill the belly. remember always filter and boil saved waters. or make sure you Imodium on hand always.
Your food science friend is missing a few facts - by using an oxygen absorber with packaged foods will drastically reduce the activity of microbes and bacteria. Yes Bacteria can survive the freeze drying process - so cooking raw meats is one way of killing such food born microbes. As with any foods - not just meats - safe food handling practices must be followed. Foods will be completely dry when foods are not cold to the touch - indicating the presents of moisture/ice. I would never recommend consuming raw FD foods - they should be rehydrated and cooked.
Suggest using certain sauces from fruit juices example pork or chicken sweet and sour with pineapple with juice
Nice presentation.
Can you tell me how much dry end product (rice+, chicken+ some vegetables) is available in a 7kg batch?
should have freeze dried the veggies in the stir fry too!!! You should try that!! Freeze dry all the ingredients of the stir fry and see if you can have a full meal, just add water!! that would be awesome!
Do you have a video explaining what freeze drying is and why I would want to do it etc?
Something to possibly try for the steaks would be marinating it in a beef broth, then cook with sous vide, then you can torch it if you want that browning/caramelization on the surface.