Freeze Drying Off Grid

Embracing the Limits of Our Solar System

When I first learned about freeze dryers, I wasn’t really interested. I can a lot of food already, from fruits and vegetables to meats, the old fashioned way. Even my water-bath canner comes in a close second to my old school pressure cooker. And don’t even get me started talking about “Rebel canning…” To me, The Ball Blue Book is sacrosanct.

Then again, I’ve been wrong before…

I first ran into these freeze dryers at North 40 and then, days later, at our local True Value Hardware… they seemed to be everywhere all at once, working to wear down my resistance.

Not that I’ve done a lot of investigation on the matter, but it seems that Harvest Right brand freeze dryers are just about the only household option out there (let me know if I’m wrong). They come in four sizes and prices range from $2,200 for a small to $5,000 for an extra-large.

After doing some research, I started to lean toward making the investment on a medium-sized unit. Harvest Right, along with a host of YouTubers, all made…