Can you Freeze Dry Candy in a Dehydrator?
One of the most repeated question in our list is can you freeze dry candy in a dehydrator? Will it work accurately or we are able to get similar result like the results coming from freeze dryer? And what is freeze drying process and how it increases the shelf life of freeze dried candies.
Basically, in the process of freeze drying water is removed in the form of moisture through which the shelf life of freeze dried candies increases. Plus, the taste of each candy similar like the original candy and it retains 97% nutritional value content which is far better than other preserving methods. Now, to get the answer of your question can you freeze dry candy in a dehydrator? let’s discuss in detail…
Can you Freeze Dry Candy in a Dehydrator?
So, the answer of this question Is Not really!!! Because, the process of freeze drying and the process of freeze dry candy in a dehydrator is totally different from each other. Through which you will get opposite results from each process. Generally, you are able to make variety of delightful foods just by using your food dehydrator but you can’t imitate the process of freeze dry candy using freeze dryer. Also Read: Can You Eat Freeze Dried Candy with Braces?
What is the Difference between Freeze Drying and Dehydrating?
Basically, both these processes remove the moisture from the food in order to preserve. Both of these processes are totally different from each other, But, still you are able to make variety of delightful foods by using both processes.
How Dehydrator Works? | How freeze Dryer Works? |
Well, it dries the whole food with the low heat and air flow. It’s similar like the old process which humans are using from thousands years. But you will get best results from modern high quality machines. | First of all, freeze dryer cools your whole food to below zero Fahrenheit. Then, vacuum pump removes all the air from freeze dryer chamber and leaves your food under nearly to zero pressure. Your food becomes slightly warmed when reached to -10 degrees. Under very low pressure, ice crystals evaporate before they get warmed enough and starts melting. |
By using this process, you are able to remove 70 to 90% moisture from your foods. | It removed 97 t 99% of the moisture from your foods. Through which the shelf life of your food increases. |
What’s the Difference between Freeze Dryer and Dehydrator Products?
Freeze Dryer Products | Dehydrator Products |
It removes 98 to 99% moisture from the food. | It removes 60 to 90% moisture from the food. |
The shelf life of freeze dryer products more than 25 years. | The shelf life of dehydrator products is not just more than 10 years. |
Just because of low heat, flavor of food changes and the nutritional value goes below 60%. | But, here the flavour of food and texture will be same like the original food. Plus, it retains 97% of the nutritional value in the dried food. |
Candies in the freeze dryer expands just because of low pressure environment. | Here, you will notice that your candies usually shrink and becomes very chewy. |
What you can do with the dehydrator?
Well, you can make variety of wonderful things with the dehydrator. But as far as the candy concerned, you are not able to get the same results of freeze dried candy from the process of dehydrator. But, I assure you that you gonna get variety of good things from the dehydrating method.
Normally, if you really like peeps then you already know that peeps are even getting better if they have gotten a little stale. Well, this process takes couple of day but you can make them in just few hours with the help of dehydrator. Same this method is applied to mini marshmallows. Also Read: How Long Does It Take to Freeze Dry Candy?
What are the best fruits to dehydrate?
Dehydrated fruits usually becomes very chewy and having very concentrated flavour which is similar like a candy. Such fruits are very portable just like potato chips. Well, according to my point of view, some of the best fruits to dehydrate are: Apples, Blueberries, banana’s, grapes, peaches and strawberries etc. Also Read: How to Freeze Dry Candy Without a Machine?
You know that you can enjoy your favourite dehydrated fruit by just making a fruit leather. This process is ridiculously best and it also allows you to enjoy variety of flavour’s combinations. Now, you wanted to know the recipe of fruit leather then, don’t worry recipe is mention below:
Recipe of Fruit Leather:
First of all, choose your favorite fruits and then, wash, cut and dice 5 cups of your favorite fruits. Well, most of time we are thinking to leave the peeling process for the nutritional value. Except some fruits like bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits and kiwis etc.
After that put the pieces of fruits in the blender or in the food processor with your favorite taste of sweetener. Plus, add 2 spoon of honey and blend it until the mixture become too smooth. After that preheat it with the medium flame for at least 15 minutes. Because through this way dehydration process becomes faster.
Now, pour all the mixture on the trays with the parchment paper and leave it to dry at 145 Fahrenheit for at least 6 to 8 hours. When all the mixture is completely dried then, you will notice that it will not be sticky anymore. Now remove it from the trays and cut them into your specified lengths. Now you can eat or store them in the air tight container means in the cool dry place. Also Read: How to make freeze dried skittles?
Can I Get My Own Freeze Dryer?
Yes, sure you can. But freeze dryer is very expensive instead of dehydrators. Normally, freeze drying machines for the homes cost around to $2,000 to $5,000. But on the other hand, dehydrator cost around $30 to $200.
You know that once you purchased a machine. You will notice that they use same amount of electricity and takes same amount of time in order to complete a cycle. But here, Freeze dryer machine overall better than dehydrator because you just have to leave all the work on the machine and when the process completed it start beeping sound. So, its overall better than dehydrator.
But before buying freeze dryer for your home, you have to notice that overall cost is worth full for your house or not. Or you are able to cover the initial cost of from your business. Also Read:
Conclusion:
I hope, now you get the answer of your question can you freeze dry candy in a dehydrator? Not Really!!! Because, through the process of dehydrator, you are able to make variety of different candies but not able to create similar taste like freeze dried candies. Plus, if you are not ready to buy your own freeze drying machine then, don’t still you can enjoy the freeze dry candies easily. You can buy freeze dried candy using our site. If you like this article then, stay with us for more informative article related to freeze dried candies.