Saturday, February 9, 2013

Freeze Dried vs. Dehydrated Food

I have been surprised to find that the majority of people I talk to don't know the difference between Freeze Dried and Dehydrated foods.  If you fall into this category, I strongly recommend you read through this post, as it will provide a great overview of both!

Dehydrated and Freeze Dried foods are similar in some ways:
- moisture is removed from the product
- product has an extended shelf life

The methods that are used to dry the foods, as well as the finished product, is where the differences come through.

Dehydrated Foods
Dehydrated Onion Slices
"Dehydrated" is a term used for all foods that have had the water removed.  Whether it be open air drying from the sun or wind (as has been done for hundreds of years), or by drying with higher temperatures for shorter periods of time; several foods lend themselves well to the dehydrating process.