Dehydrating and Freeze Drying Carrots 

I shred my carrots before dehydration, without blanching, and they dry beautifully, retaining bright orange color.

I like this angle better. It's brighter and cheerier

Here's a tip. When vacuum sealing powders, place a coffee filter inside the top of the jar. It prevents the risk of the powder going in your vacuum sealer and ruining it.

You're funny today. I'm definitely chuckling. Enjoy life.

😂 that's made my day I was in hysterics at the size of the bits of carrots. I actually did a double take

When rehydrating carrots, putting them in a zip lock bag of water and pushing the air out then sealing the bag seems to work best. They are surrounded in water rather than floating in a bowl. Give them 15 mins or so.

Awww! Your such a treasure! Sweet sweet lady

Oh, no! I'm sorry to hear about the freeze. 😫 I love the new music and your red shirt!

Got hungry for some carrots while watching this. Love the preservation methods comparison. Thanks!

Simply put, you are truly an amazing woman!

Thank you for teaching me how to negotiate old age without being a burden to my children. I have a freeze dryer because I saw the potential but didn't know how to make it work for my situation. Thank you for teaching me

Thank you so much for sharing all of your great knowledge and enjoy your videos and you have a very awesome evening

Container gardening is great for this unusual weather.

Look forward to every video. You're a wealth of knowledge, thks.

I so appreciate this simultanious comparison between methods and your demonstration of the results. Thanks. 👍👍👍👍👍

Sorry to hear about your garden. And thank you for all your hard work to show us different ways to preserve our food.

Great demonstration! Thanks for showing all of the possibilities!

Wow I am so grateful for you!! Excited for your book.

You do such a wonderful job with your experiments. This is one that I really wanted to see as I have both a freeze dryer and dehydrator. You have answered my questions beautifully! Thank you so much!

Love the experimenting for us. Thank you

Very interesting!!! I have been trying to talk myself into dehydrating carrots and you have won me over. Thank you for sharing your results🥰

So Im just seeing this and wow I started crying when I saw you cry. That was too much. I know how hard you work for the food security. This next season is going to be better. Bless you beautiful lady.

I just love you, you have taught me so much!

You are so good at expressing yourself.....practical advice as well as day-to-day, we-all-have-them emotions. I so love your channel. Thank you.....for all you two do. (You may enjoy the new stainless steel Vitamix carafe. I looove mine!!)

I just ordered a freeze dryer, it will be here in a couple of days, can't wait!! You have inspired me to start freeze drying and canning again. Thank you so much for all the info you give. I trust your canning because so many videos go against the recommended process. Love seeing you and Jim, you have become my go to for all preserving. Oh, I used to can and dehydrate years ago, at 67 I'm starting again, thank you for the videos.

Another Wonderful video!! Thank you!!

Thank you for experimenting. I love your channel.

Love your experiments. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the powder.

I’ve just finished my 2nd batch of carrots in the FD. I powdered them and are they delicious! I added a 1/2 cup to my chicken & dumpling broth last night, along with spinach powder. So very good!. So glad you tried them and found them to be orange. I bought big 5 lb bags of whole carrots. I peeled and hubs sliced them on the mandolin- much brighter than yours but still….the nutrients! 🌺

I love making veggy powders, learned the hard way not to dehydrate onions and garlic before leaving for the office though...the odor hit me like a brick wall when I got home. Never thought to make carrot powder though. Ty for sharing.

Awesome, hungry for carrots. Powdered carrot goes well in fresh pasta.

Very cool presentation. I like the idea of having veggie powders other than tomato powder. 🙏 for your gardens in this crazy year of extremes

Excellent adventure in carrot preservation!!! So interesting!!! Good to know that blanching carrots will help keep their color when dehydrating carrots!!!!!! I would think the same should be true of freeze drying carrots too. Thanks for great experiments today!!!!!

Creative problem solving as you said is so important and it is essential to be self reliant. I prefer the freeze dryer for my carrots, but if shredding, dehydrator okay. Waiting for my F.D. to be finished in a few hours. I sneak veggies into everything. Because of these weather times, I started with a tunnel and 2 raised beds. With nothing but clay and rocks, root crops are difficult to say the least. Last year is the first year with the raised beds and my beets and carrots were a great success.

Great video, thanks for sharing.

These experiments are so fun to watch.

Thanks for the interesting comparison. I wouldn’t have thrown out the canned and then dehydrated carrots. Cooked carrots actually have more food value than fresh because the vitamins are assimilated more easily by the body. They probably have less than they would have if just cooked from fresh, but I think they would be good in a soup. Wow! Those freeze dried carrots powdered up easily! I’m impressed with that.

Enjoyed your video, carrots are so versatile

I love your videos. Very informative

I got the grain grinder for my vitamix it's worth the investment. I powder all my stuff coming out of the freeze dryer

We dehydrated carrots and, for the blanching part, I used your newer advice for blanching celery. We blanched the carrots with a few tablespoons of baking soda in the blanching water, cooled and rinsed thoroughly in ice bath. then dehydrated them. Just to be sure, we did up enough for a meal this first time and then re-hydrated and cooked for dinner that night. BINGO, full color retention :)

I used the method you showed for making pumpkin powder on my carrots. Shredded, dehydrated, then very nice powder.

Lots of good info ....thank you.

Thank you for this video! I'm expecting my freeze dryer to arrive sometime in June. I have been dehydrating for a few years now and am excited to begin freeze drying! On a side-note...Vitamix sells a separate "Dry Grains" container. The blades are made specifically for grinding/powdering. I use it for grinding my own flours, coffee beans, powdering my dehydrated foods, etc. to keep my regular Vitamix containers from getting etched up. It's pricey, but a good investment if you use it often for these kinds of things.

Sending prayers and hugs

Thanks I learned quite a bit.

Thank you for sharing your content. I really appreciate your scientific approach to testing your methods. I am a recent subscriber and have also recently purchased a harvest right freeze dryer. I am not finding much information regarding freeze drying liquids, (especially broth and milk) either on RU-vid or the Internet.I would love to be able to freeze dry my bone broth and powder it. I would really appreciate you doing a video and giving your scientific opinion of properly freeze drying liquids. Thank you so much!

😁love it

I didn't know there are mixers to powder foods! I've been using a coffee grinder. Thank you for the great video!!

Thank you both for all you do to give us good info. ....... I used to never blanch veggies before hydrating, but I kept hearing that to dehydrate, as with freezing, we need to blanch vegetables to stop the enzymes that even freezing won't stop. I'm to understand that the taste and structure of the vegetable is compromised if we don't blanch. Also, I've now seen and experienced first hand that blanched vegetables RE-hydrate closest to original shape and texture - a much better end product for me.

Thanks again for sharing another amazing video. We love you guys and will support you and keep you in prayer.

Just working on my first batch of carrots this morning... thank you so much for your perfect instructions... you are absolutely amazing!🥰 I just thought to tell you what I saw on a different video; someone used a cupcake liner to prevent the powder from going into her FoodSaver hose. Thought that might be helpful for you since you don't have to cut it.

I was fortunate to buy a big sack of the LDS cannery carrots before local laws forbid bulk buys as 'unsanitary'. Baloney! I love those for soups & stews. For our side dishes, I buy 'horse/deer' carrots' cheaply from local Mennonite produce farms, peel and pressure can them. True, some nutrition is lost, but you don't care in mid-winter as you enjoy them and they don't cost the earth in winter prices. I also partially cook then dry them in my 'Vegeta' mix. They're truly universal.

It would be very exciting to have a freeze dryer.

You might try a sunken garden area out of the wind on a south aspect for fall winter spring crops like the "Indian" protected planting... I spent 29 years in the CA. Desert growing gardens fighting the wind with a deep straw mulch (6) inches of wet straw, but just discovered wood chips here in Oregon that work well when it's dry.

I am waiting for my very first dehydrator to arrive. I plan to make a powder to put in the kids food ..

I have a cheaper model of dehydrator. I have tried dehydrating, but it is very humid here. Last time I dehydrated bananas after 2 days, they were still sticky and chewy. One day I may accomplish that better because, like you, I want to really want to make powder products. Thanks for sharing and Have a Blessed Day.

I wish I could buy an all metal vitamix like my Mom and Dad had. Even the container was metal. Although I do love my newer vitamix (it's 20+ years old) I wish for one of the old all metal types. It is better to grind harder things like dehydrated foods and grains. I would like to try making Ezekiel bread. My vitamix came with both the wet and the dry containers.

Loved this. I also love the idea about the vegi powder. Great idea. Last year when canning tomatoes i saved all the tomato skins and dried and powdered them. They are great and will do it again this year. Thank you Pam and Jim. I love your channel

It looks like you’re using the “wet” Vitamix container. You need the “dry” container to powder dehydrated vegetables, herbs, seeds, grains, coffee beans, etc. the blades are different in the “dry” container.

I love watching your videos and so wish I could afford a freeze dryer!! I’m in the U.K. and our weather is crazy too. Climate weirding is everywhere now and we all need to change our use of fossil fuels for the future of our kids snd grandkids whilst we prepare for the worst. It will get worse sadly. When I met my husband 40 years ago he told me we would be here in 50-100 years snd we all thought he was crazy! But he was so right. I wish he had been crazy instead. 😢

I have been delighted with the results of dehydrating in my Sun Oven! Moved on to kale today. But my question is whether I can extend shelf life by vacuum sealing: parboiled long grain brown rice, long grain brown rice, whole wheat pasta, 100 percent whole grain wheat pasta, 100 percent whole grain oats, whole grain quick oats, raisens?

You are just lovely.

I have been binge-watching your channel for the last week 🤣🤣 We just moved to Florida from Germany and I have to buy all new kitchen appliances. We’re planning on growing our own food as we have in Germany for the last five years (very short growing season…). With what you know now, would you say that a freeze dryer is sufficient and preserves the nutritional value best or would you recommend getting both a freeze dryer and a dehydrator? Looking forward to all future videos 🤩

As usual a very instructive great video. Could you use your grain mill to grind the dehydrated carrots? Thanks

Good for compost

Rules on blanching: potatoes, essential! and after a few tries with carrots, I would say to do it for the color and taste when finished with F.D. or D. Hydrating.

I am enjoying the humor you are displaying in some of the last few videos. Nice carrot comparison. You really feel it is safe to eat home canned food after that long a period of time, a few you tuber's go 3 or 4 years, but 10 and why do you say it is safe? I am just curious. Also hoping you get some rain, thankfully we did, about 2 inches now hope it lasts the rest of the summer.

What brand of freeze dry equipment do you use? I was interested in purchasing one as well. And Thank you for sharing you have a new subscriber.

Excellent! Tfs and experimenting! So the best product to powder eggs and veggies is the Vitamix? I've been using my Hamilton Beach blender, and it may be okay for smoothies but not for powdering eggs! Please stay safe y'all 😊

I have recently read some useful information about canning jars in "Preservation - the Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration" by Christina Ward. Christina is a Master Food Preserver and works out of the Wisconsin University Extension. Beginning on page 52, Christina begins talking about the various different types of jars out there. To my horror, I learned that Golden Orchard, Penly, and the Walmart house brand jar Mainstay, are manufactured in China. Recently, LEAD has been found in glass canning jars made in China. American brands: Ball, Kerr, Bernadin, and Golden Harvest are made in the U.S. and do not contain lead. I learned of a new brand, Pur canning jars. I did a quick search, the company is located in the U.S. but they MANAGE THE PRODUCTION of the jars in other countries. (according to their website, which I was only able to access through LinkedIn. The page that comes up on the general web is only a single page with a picture of the jars). I could not find where the jars were manufactured. This company also manages the manufacturing of face masks and other PPE. While I am happy that a new company has been able to get up and running - and hiring people in the United States - I would like to know where the jars are made. I have also read reviews that the lids have problems with sealing properly. My choice is to stick with the jars made here in the U.S. I thought this information might be useful to others.

You rotate your canned goods like me. I've only had problems with pickles going soggy and/or the acid eating through the lids

Sorry about the loss of your plants :( If i were local I would give you some of my everglades tomato plants and florida pink tomatoes. I'm swimming in them :(

I love dehydrating. I slice/blanch my carrots. They look like your canned ones did, and they come back a little wobbly looking, but fine for soups and stews. Did you say how long it took to dehydrate the little carrot tubes?

I know this is many months later and I am not sure if anyone has suggested it - Many people who freeze dry things that they are going to powder, puree it with water and freeze dry the puree.

I canned carrots and saved the tops. Dehydrated them and then powdered them. There is so much vitamin C in the tops that they should not go to waste, however they are rather bitter. I put it in fruit smoothies and you can’t even taste it!

Thank you so much for all your honest testing! I must have missed your video on not blanching carrots. So, are you saying that all veggies, even root veggies, should be blanched? (Just not fruit?)

What dehydrater do you use? TY for great videos!👍🏼

I’m a recently new subscriber and this is off topic but I am so curious I have to know. At the 1:58 mark in your video during your opening montage you have some quart jars with I believe are lemon slices and vegetables. What is that and is there a video featuring it?

We are looking to begin dehydrating carrots soon ... thanks for the instruction and insights! ... just curious ... how will you use the powdered carrots?

I can't found beets new sub just learning pl do I have to cook it before drying thanks

Just bought a dehydrator last month, July, 2022. I am using a tip Pam, gave us, that is using frozen slices carrots as I presume they are pre blanched. Following the correct temp 55 degrees Celsius for 9 hours approx. Turning out like tiny bricks/pebbles, color not vibrant either. Is this normal? Any advice would be greatly aporeciated. Vaccum packed in a glass jar. Going to keep and use but would would like to know if I can improve my method or are tiny carrot bricks normal.

will be curious to see what you do with the powder carrots. Also I noticed you vacuum sealed the carrots after FD instead of sealing them in Mylar. Is there a reason for that? I love your videos.

You've inspired me to dehydrate & powder 5 pounds of shredded carrots I got on a dead good sale. My powder came out rather granular. I powdered it twice. Yours looks very powdery. Do you think I did something wrong?

Very nice video. Very comprehensive. What do you use the carrot powder in?

I have a question concerning freeze dried carrots. I've done them raw, blanched and in soups. After some months have past, the carrots have a perfumed smell and tasted. Any idea why? I've kind of gave up on fding them, because of this. Also, puree your spinach with water when fding, you can get a whole lot more on a tray. Works great with things you are planning on powdering them anyway.

What is the brand name of the vacuum sealer are you using ? Mine has stopped working. Also have you recommended a battery operated vacuum sealer ? Thanks !!

Interesting! What will you do with the carrot powder?

Awww, I’m sorry Mamma Rose 🌹 about your freeze 😔.

I know your name is Pam....but I love the name rose 😆

Great video. What do you use the carrot powder in?

Mrs. Cantrell have you ever canned, dehydrated or freeze dried parsnips, turnips or rutabagas?

Great experiment. How do you plan on using the powdered carrots? 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕

Have you ever tried to freeze dry regular carrots or organic carrots to see if they dry as white as baby carrots. Baby carrots sit in chlorine to clean them so I wonder if once the water is driven out by freeze drying if the white residue is the result of the chlorine residue, thus the reason they they dry so white.

Do you have an air fryer? My daughter was wondering if you could put the freeze dried carrots in the air fryer with your cheese powder? Like a healthy alternative to Cheetos? Would they still be crispy/chrunchy?

May I ask in what you use the carrot powder? Thank you

I heard you say that “they say” that dehydrated food should be used within a year or so but that you have used them far beyond. Would it be the same for the freeze dried carrots/vegetables?

so I'm trying carrots shreds in my dehydrator for powder. wish me luck

Have you tried carrots in pots, mine usually do pretty well

How do you use vegetable powders? Do you have a video?