At a recent preparedness expo I observed a demonstration of an “in home” freeze drying machine. Up until now, freeze-drying was been the one food preservation option not available to most preppers. We can dehydrated, smoke, pickle, cure and can, but we have to pay a high price for freeze-dried foods. Freeze-dried survival foods are by fare the lightest weight and longest lasting of all survival food supplies, but are also the costliest. A dollar’s worth of beef stew can cost from $6.00 to $8.00 in a freeze-dried package. Purchasing a six-month or one-year food stock of freeze-dried is a considerable investment.
The Harvestright ™ freeze-drying machine is about the size of a vey large microwave. The machine freezes the foods down to around 40 below zero and then vacuums away all of the moisture content. Finally the food is vacuum-sealed in oxygen and moisture proof packages. The manufacturer claims that 97% of the nutritional value of the food is preserved with a shelf life of over 25-years.
At this point the machine sells for a hefty $4,000.00. You would save about $5.00 to $6.00 per freeze-dried meal so you would need to do about 600 to 800 meals to pay off the machine. This may not be cost effective for a person or family, but could be a good business investment or cooperative purchase for a survival/preparedness group. Cost may come down some, but the need for the refrigeration, dehydration and vacuum systems will probably sustain prices well above $1,000.00 for years to come.
For more information go to: Harvestright.com or call 1-800-923=4673.
