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@@j.l.dawson1290 ... did they tell you that the oil free pumps have to be sent back to the company every 2 to 3 yrs for service??? at a cost of around $300. +/- too much for me. i think that changing the oil would be a much better option!
@@ohwhatelse No, when I bought the oil less pump, everyone on RU-vid was saying. Zero Maintenance! Zero Maintenance! The reading material I received with the machines had nothing included with any mention of Maintenance flushing the system or sending it back routinely. I was quite upset by that info.
Props for you for freeze drying rotisserie chickens. I couldn’t do it. I would eat 3/4 of the chicken before it would hit the pan. Another good thing for a freeze dryer (not for you but for families with newborns and breast feeding mothers) is to freeze dry breast milk! Aka liquid gold. Especially if there is an over abundance of it. As an L&D/ mother baby nurse, I see that as a HUGE benefit.
We purchased the large Harvest Right freeze dryer mainly because we have about 200 chickens. We just couldn't keep up with all the eggs. We were giving away most of our eggs until the freeze dryer arrived. Now, in addition to freeze drying the eggs, we have stored meats, seafood, cheeses, yoghurt, cream cheese, ricotta, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, blue berries, garden produce and herbs. It really is amazing how the flavor is indistinguishable from the fresh product. I share our experimental batches with friends and family, so that they get an idea of what can be done. There is an additional advantage that I have not heard being presented: Energy savings. The cost of running a batch of food through the freeze dryer is about the same as putting it in your deep freeze for a week, I would guess. Energy wise, you have the operation of the freezer, the vacuum pump and the heating pads, which sit under the trays on each shelf. Roughly twice the energy of running a freezer for the same period of time, which for us is about two days. So, I give a rough guess of a week of operating a freezer. Perhaps that is a bit high. But accept that figure just for illustration of my point. Now, after the product is freeze dried, no refrigeration is needed for the next 25 to 30 years! How is that for energy saving? Another matter to consider: we were hit by the double punch of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. Power was out for several weeks each time. Consequently, we lost everything in our freezer. If those products had been freeze dried, it would have been no problem. I forgot to mention: I love the way ham turns out. It is crispy, like bacon, without all the fat. Freeze dried bananas are an amazing treat.
This may seem like an odd thing to compliment you on but I'd like to say that I appreciate that you remain 'secular' on how you describe keeping your Sundays to yourself. As a non-religious person, I can't help but feel warmth toward your respect for others' beliefs. I can surmise from your wording that you refrain from work so that you may focus on your beliefs and worship on Sundays. I respect this. I have never felt so warmly about someone's religious day of rest before today. This may not mean much from someone who doesn't share your beliefs but, may your god bless you both. :)
This is a really sweet sentiment, I felt that too when she made the comment, funny that stood out to you (your spiritual side just popped out, maybe it’s a sign ❤️ that’s kinda what they look and feel like) it did for me as well, take care!
@@hungrydad7537 oh boy, as a believer myself, I cringe when another believer is as abrupt as you. I sometimes wonder if posts like yours are just troll attempts.
How would you become offended if they described that they didn't work on Sundays because Almighty God requires it? Do you want to tell me how their beliefs could hurt your feelings or someone else's feelings? Your statement of being "a non-religious person" doesn't bother me and I know that we have a creator, so why is it ,that you that choose not to acknowledge him are offended by people that have made a choice to have a relationship with our creator? Is it jealousy? I'm sorry but I really don't understand that way of thinking.
Great video!!!! As somebody who literally knows NOTHING about freeze drying, or dehydrated whatsoever for that matter, I found this video very, very helpful… & can we just take a second to admire this couple too?? So sweet the way they worked this video & their prepping together as a team!! 😌😌💜💜
For anyone out there that worries the food will not taste as good. It tastes Amazing! I sometimes like it better than fresh. Home freeze dried is leaps and bounds above commercial brands sold, plus you know what went into the food. Happy Freeze Drying Everyone! 🥰💝
I've had my harvest right for about two years now. It bothered me to make $3000 investment into a food preparation machine. It is absolutely worth the money. You can buy $3000 on pallets of freeze dried food and after it's been consumed you have a bunch of the empty buckets. However with the harvest right you have a machine that can keep freeze drying food as it becomes available and have it last 20 years. Their customer service is outstanding. If I had to do it over again I would buy the large machine as opposed to the medium. But if you're a human being that eats it's a top-of-the-line investment. I love it.
We bought the medium size one and love it. We are a family of 2 old people with friends and family that we need to look out for. We love to experiment with different things, but it is fun.
Janice Crowell there are a number of vids showing size and tray comparisons. You will find that time is the issue. To prepare the food on the trays, freeze drying time and bagging. If you do one large load - About 30 min. Prepare time - 50 hrs processing- 30 mins bagging. Two batches adds 50 hrs runtime. If you do not have a lot of food to process you can put in an empty tray. All the best.
@@JaniceCrowell I don't remember the price of the bigger one but it's like one more tray (5 instead of 4 trays). We find that 4 is plenty, because we can do experiments on different trays. IT'S FUN. We didn't know we would like prepping this much. Only found one thing that we didn't like. Dill pickles. We have a surplus of eggs now and they are great freeze dried.
@@JaniceCrowell if I had the medium it would drive me nuts. I don't remember the price difference as my large one is 4 years old. My daughter got hers a week ago and was thinking of calling the company to see if she could return her medium and up grade to the large. The large has 1 extra tray and the trays are bigger.
Perfect for family farming where the harvest usually comes in waves... I'll bet one could also use the "ugly produce" aisle, as looks wouldn't matter much at all... Perfect way to mail a care package of a home cooked meal to a friend or soldier.
My wife and I have been using a harvest right for about 1-1/2 years now. We started out with the standard vacuum pump. After about 6 months it needed to be replaced, I would put new oil in and it would come out black. We suspect a seal went bad. We upgraded to the commercial oil pump. What a difference, the pump is quieter than the freeze dryer and I get a better vacuum. I don't need to change the oil after each cycle like I did with my first pump. I'm changing the oil after approx. 30 cycles, the oil comes out a very light amber color and there is no water in the oil. We went away from the Mylar bags and are now putting everything in quart canning jars. We were having problems with the oxygen packets not sucking the air out of the sealed bags. We purchased cardboard boxes for the jars so we can keep light from shinning on the jars. We love our freeze dryer, we're running 3-4 cycles per week. Is it wort it? In my mind yes, especially if there comes a time when we can't buy food. Then I guess if was worth the cost.
When you seal a mylar bag, it is critical to avoid any wrinkles at the seam, as those tiny wrinkles create a pinhole size path for air and moisture to enter. Key: don't overfill the bag, as I tend to do. It is much harder to get a good, smooth seam on a full bag.
Suggestion that if possible form a small co-op to fund freeze dryer and share use or even pool and share finish products as you did for the beef That way not every can raise cow but maybe chickens or good a gardening
Great video Jonathan and Kylene. Love the feedback. We saved our pennies, did not go on trips, tightened our budget and finally got a medium sized with the Premier pump a couple years ago. After COVID and hopefully the lessons learned with the reduced availability and limit of food I believe the wise will follow your example. I also had some issues with my freeze dryer and the vacuum. Worked them out with Harvest Right or figured them out. I just put the product back in our freezer till I fixed it and started the batch again. One of my children now has one also, I wish they all did and used them. The food is what you put in, good product - good results, poor quality - poor results. Doing this yourself guarantees the best quality instead of the cost cutting results of the businesses trying to make a buck selling freeze dry food. You have your favorite home made meals ready for you. We love it. Thank you Jonathan, Kylene and family for your important channel. Happy trails!
Glad you are enjoying the freeze dryer! There is truly a huge difference between the quality of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. I don't have the budget or the space, unfortunately. But I have been happy with the bulk foods I have purchased and am converting all my camping meals to home-packed freeze dried versus the expensive $10 to $15 store-bought junk! Thanks The Great Out There
Been in Texas coast, we have hurricanes and this year we got hit with a winter storm!!! We not only lost power for one week, but the grocery infrastructure was disrupted and people panic as they were NOT prepared. I’m not surprised!!!! This is one of the BEST investments one can make. I love it!!!
Thank you so much for this. I totally geeked out watching this. I've been picking up extra work and throwing everything i can at my "harvest right" fund (yes i even labeled the savings account for it 😂).
I do not have a freeze dryer. I would use one for the family. Right now I can and dehydrate. I like the fair and honesst review you have done. I also appreciate your stance on advising people against debt. That is admirable. Have a blessed night.
Very informative video. I liked the fact that it was not a sales job. They made it pretty clear that freeze drying should be based on individual circumstances and preferences and was not essential for food storage.
We used Galvanized garbage cans to store our horse feed in, the mice couldn’t chew through it or squeeze into the can to get to the grain, so I think they would be great for storing the Mylar bags in and they come in several sizes.
One cost that many reviewers never mentioned is the cost of energy to pick up, process and cook the food that you are going to use later. Settings aside cost, the value comes knowing that you have a portable product to sustain your life for various emergencies.
Harvest Right has a layaway plan. Have to call them to set it up. Haven’t purchased mine yet but with recent events in Texas sure needing to ramp up my preps for sure.
I’ve had my Harvest Right freeze dryer for about four years now and I love the machine. Don’t know if it’s for everyone but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is serious about long term food storage. I would like to have the oil less pump one day. Congrats on having one and I hope you keep enjoying yours for many years.
Love our freeze dryer. Easy to operate. Easy to oil change. I don't run it as much as the first 8 months of having it, but still run it often enough. We'll be running it lots when harvesting our garden again. We too don't like debt. Saved up for it and it was worth it. I love preserving my garden harvest most of all using this method.
I use a 2x4 like you do to drain my oil as well. The best food investment I have ever made was my Harvest Right and my Instapot. I buy 30 pounds of varying types of meat from my local restaurant supply store, chop it up and throw it my Instapot with some added goodies. I get four full trays a batch. I have been using it for for almost three years. It has saved me tons of money. Great video!
We received our freeze dryer 6 weeks ago. (A large). I an amazed every time I run eggs and can do 10 dozen at one time. I LOVE that I can cook the healthy lowfat meals that we usually eat and have that food put away for harder times. I also love that I can package in larger or smaller containers. My sister has #10 cans of diced mea that she purchased, not understanding that once opened they have to be refrigerated. She had several cans spoil and that cost her hundreds of dollars. Because of this we are packaging in smaller containers. If we have no electricity to store them after opening it will not be a problem.
@@cheymc237 I just did my first batch. I did 16 large eggs per medium tray, each individually. I used a blender on pulse to mix & then put the first three tray's contents in quart size jars and used the blender container for the 4th. I omitted pre-freezing the trays as I didn't have an adequate setup. With the trays in the HR, I carefully and slowly pour the egg mixtures into the trays. I believe I should have gone to 18 large eggs per tray. (I will try that next time to see if that is correct.) For pint size bags, I put half of the tray into a mixing bowl and used a spatula and a whisk to break it into powder. Quart bags I used the whole tray. I haven't sampled them yet, but will try a 1 part egg powder to re-hydrate.
@@markchase5323 Once the eggs are FD, I scrape the pan into an 2.5 gallon Freeze bag. I then take a rolling pin to the bag to break the eggs up. Be sure to remove any air first.
Great info on this product, just a side note: we have had mice chew through plastic totes that may just as well been cardboard boxes. We prefer metal garbage cans or whatever could compare in price/size. Even clean metal 55 gallon drums with metal lids work great, but storage space may dictate how reasonable that application may be.
@@CheZfrmdaWestWisc We see them for sale occasionally in our area but the plastic drums are the most prevalent. We have been using the plastic totes in the house since with 4 indoor cats they keep the rodents almost non existent. If we were storing food items anywhere other than the house, we would be more likely to be using metal containers of some sort, but there are fewer choices with metal for sure. However I really feel the plastic 55 gallon drums would be okay if they had a heavy lid that could be locked down, as long as the mice were not too populated. I have rarely seen a decent plastic lid though.
Just a note re: Mice. They hate the oil of peppermint. I would put a few cachets in the storage room and maybe one inside each tote. I use them in my RV and the Mice hate it. They chewed my hybrid camper up and I started new with the peppermint oil. I spray it in every opening and put it on a dryer sheet in all the cupboards and NOT ONE mouse poop in 4 years. SO, I'd invest in a bottle of Pure Peppermint oil. It isn't going to affect the taste of the food in the mylar bags.
You guys have inspired me. After all we have gone through with this Pandemic, I have learned alot. I'm a canner normally, but my eyes have opened up to new ways of persevering food gor my family. My sister and I are going halves on one of these freeze dryers. Great investment. GOD welling, we will be able to feed our large family, friends and neighbors should and emergency come again. Keep up the good work guys.
At the end if fall when I'm so sick of canning I take all my left over tomatoers(if I can't convince somebody they need them)and slice them tray thick and freeze dry,throw them in the blender to make"cheaters"powder which I use the next year to thicken sauces and paste. This about 1/4 my cook down times and give a fresher taste in thicken tomato products
My only advice would be to make sure you freeze anything liquid, including scrambled eggs, before you attempt to freeze dry them. I am speaking from experience...lol
Freezing scrambled eggs before or after they are cooked? Cook the eggs would you still need to freeze them or are you talking about freezing the mix after you scramble it
We've never had any problems freeze drying eggs from the raw wet stage. We whip them with a mixer and load the trays while they are in the freeze drier (just sticking out far enough to pour into them). The only thing we have trouble with is milk, we have tried D and 2% and it's a mess, any suggestions? We make a lot of chicken bone broth and we have put that in the freeze drier too and it comes out great.
We like to cook everything that we freeze dry. Two reasons we do this is that we know it’s cooked the way we like it, and if in worst case scenario, we can eat it out of the bag as is. We cook scrambled eggs mountain man style with hash browns, bacon and or sausage, cheese, and even salsa. ( I have to bag this quickly because I’ll eat the whole tray as it is.) Fruits, vegetables, soups and stews, cranberry sauce and even winter squash, there isn’t anything that we’ve dried yet that I couldn’t or wouldn’t eat dry.
We've had our freeze dryer about 2 1/2 years and was well worth the cost. First pump was the standard, but since we've replaced that pump with the premium pump and would suggest upgrade to premium with any new purchase. Mylar and mason jar storage great way to store.
Thanks for video! I’m “considering”purchasing one on layaway. I agree 100% on putting those Mylar bags in a tote. I learned that after my most delicious bag of dehydrated apples were eaten. I use my food storage as a rotating pantry. I keep a tiny grocery store at home so I don’t need to try to get food in a blizzard etc. It was also invaluable a few years ago when I was out of work and I had to live off my pantry.
I can stand behind the decision of keeping Sundays. Thumbs up to that! However, I think it worth mentioning to viewers that some types of food take longer than 24 hours in the machine, during which it is hands-off. (Unless something strange happened as an emergency) Feasibly, if they were of the mind to, folks could load in a long-processing batch on Saturday evening and not have to unload until Monday, with no more than a peek or two at the machine in the interim just to be sure all is as it should be. I am running a 3lb tub of sour cream (Costco. Fills one tray in our medium Harvest Right) and about 4-5 dozen eggs from our chickens as I type this. Not pre-frozen. It's been almost 24 hours already and has only been on Final dry the last 2....so likely still has a while, and if it is not done by an hour before bed, then I'll set the "extend dry time" to last until morning. I love how flexible it can be. Also, thanks for your efforts and content!
A couple of things I've learned are: 1) Over time, the mylar bags may become damaged and allow air in. Check them periodically. 2) Freezing the food overnight in a freezer helps lessen the time in the machine. 3) To rehydrate foods, you can use a Ninja Foodi on steam or pressure cooker for about 5 minutes. A bamboo steamer is also great too for meats, breads, whole foods, etc. 4) Items that have high fat or high sugar content aren't going to freeze dry. You'll just have a mess. For example: butter, oil, bacon with fat, chocolate chips or bars, heavy cream 5) Funny enough if you add chocolate chips *(melted)*, heavy cream, butter into a recipe and mix it well, then it works fine. Like chocolate cake or cheesecake or hot chocolate. Have fun with your new Harvest right.
If they are becoming damaged from the sharp edges inside the bag, you might want to look into the bone protectors you can buy from any food packing supply house online. They kind of look like a fancy paper towel but are designed to take the abuse from sharp edges and keep those edges from poking through the mylar.
Mine is being delivered tomorrow! I can't wait to get started! Thank you for your wonderful, informative videos. I have learned so much from both of you!
I just bought my HarvestRight freeze drier but I don't have it yet. I have a freezer full of meat I plan to start working on. I'll do the fruits & vegetables as they come into season. I'm so excited.
Your video was excellent and I think you’re probably the first person that I watched who’s in the prepper world that told people do not go into debt! GOOD ADVICE! there are so many women who live on the Internet and out of fear have run their credit cards to the max much to their husbands chagrin. This has nothing to do with prepping because this causes so many other deep issues in a families life. Thank you for your solid advice and your great review on the freeze dryer.
This is an awesome review on this machine. Breaking down the cost to run is very much appreciated. You have really shown the benefit to having one of these and the long term cost savings. I have wanted one of these for a long time but my budget has not allowed the purchase yet. Getting closer though :)
This sounds wonderful and I'm looking into it. I did find out from a friend of mine who sold freeze-dried food from Thrive life, I think. They have a warning on there products that you need to drink more water when you're eating freeze-dried foods or even dehydrated Foods I would think. They say that it absorbs moisture from the body and makes one dehydrated. Just a thought.
A lot of food has water in it and we need water to survive. Eating normal foods provides a significant portion of that requirement. So if you freeze dry or dehydrate food and then eat it without rehydrating it then you will have to get that hydration elsewhere. but if you rehydrate the food, then it should be the same as if it was never dried. Personally, I love freeze dried fruit and don't rehydrate it, so yeh, I need to drink the difference in water. For example, if you eat 1 whole apple it would average about 100g. Once it's been freeze dried it would weigh closer to 10g. So that's 90g (about 1/2 a cup) of water that you need to make up for. But if you never ate that apple at all in the first place, you would still need that 1/2 a cup of water anyway. I hope that helps clear that up. Stay hydrated, it is important.
Jars were my concern. They're also about 12 dollars a dozen. If the SHTF there's no way you could get lids (unless you stored them). I'm seriously considering purchasing a freeze drier. My wife may stand in my way.
@@beebob1279 I bought bulk reusable Tattler lids direct from the company last year. They are more expensive than the button lids but are reusable. They are plastic and don't corrode like the metal ones do with high acid foods. I love my freeze dryer but it's not worth a fight
@@beebob1279 I invested in Tattler lids and extra gaskets and a few years ago. Note they have more failures, but now that I've ordered a FD, those will just go into the FD instead of reprocessing. But I was GLAD to have them in 2020 when lids were so scarce.
My husband and I bought the medium freeze dryer with premier pump. We used the lay away plan..which kept us out of debt. We love the machine. After our first full batch, we had a problem with the screen. Harvest Right tech support was great. They are shipping us a new screen...and they sent some very detailed video instructions. They definitely stand by their product.
Oh yes it was worth getting a freeze drier. In the 2 years of having one, I have created a solid year of diversified meats, veggies, and fruits into an inventoried supply for my wife AND I and am still working on increasing the supply. I also use them on camping/fishing/hiking expeditions. So, is it worth it?? YES!! The cost of my food to store is much cheaper than what I will pay a few years from now and we feel comforted that it's here, available for consumption if/when any large scale emergency happens. So yes, it was a very valuable investment when purchasing the freeze drier. There's also the option that you could purchase one with a couple other families and share its presence. IT IS A PURCHASE THAT MORE RESEMBLES AN INVESTMENT. Btw,,,I store my mylar filled bags in stacked, labeled plastic bins. I very strongly recommend having a freeze drier. Btw...thank you for your informative videos.
Great video, PP team XD I would imagine prepping groups, or MAG's would get a lot of use out of one, that way the cost can be spread out, unless someone was going to do all their food as freeze dried preps. I like the totes and inventory sheet on it, thats what I do as well with the bulk herbs I have for remedies, but am shopping tomorrow for totes for the first batch of mylar bags your video was so helpful on preparing a while back. Luckily I have two 4 legged anti-mouse devices that work for just some canned food and chin scratches, so they've been safe so far, but the totes make stacking the bags them easier. Appreciate your up front and honest approach about the device, cant wait to see what else goes in it, many blessings!!
@@TheProvidentPrepper Agreed, they can be a handful, the city can be a plus as they have so many other options for shelter & the basics, they will pass by ones that have cats, dogs, etc. although if there's nearby construction, that can disrupt their dens, or whathaveyou, and more will come by. In a more rural area, theres so fewer options that they will take the chance more, so not surprised at what you saw. I think if I had a connex or some kind of prep storage room/bldg off grid id have a cat or two that stays out of the house & lives in it and build one of those cat doors with the sensor on it for their collar, I saw an interesting one online someone had custom built for their home that recognized the cats face normally and if it had a mouse in its mouth and wouldnt let it in if it did, so theres lots of cool options out there.
You guys always do the most practical videos. I say it everytime you make a video but you always astound me with the practicality of the subjects you decide to talk about. Most prepper channels are just so monotonous and redundant, and usually embellish getting over on people. You guys are the complete opposite. People that aren’t preppers who listen to you would probably feel far better than if they listened to the other fear mongers. Even my wife who was listening to you said “oh wow, I thought the power usage would be worse than that.”......now I’ll have to keep throwing hints about getting one 😬😬
We bought our Harvest Right 5 years ago while living on an Alaskan island. When food is short, no bananas for 8 days--the store manager didn't know if bananas were coming back--or the meat shipment accidentally was shipped to Juneau--the next shipment is due in 2 weeks--and just not being able to rely on food arriving to the island--especially in today's international climate--I cannot say enough good about this machine providing food security! If you cannot afford one on your own, make it a family, church, neighborhood or other group purchase and get started on beating store prices. In 4 weeks a large bag of frozen stir fry vegetables at Costco went up $2.00 a bag...Pork has gone up tremendously. Definitely recommend!
Thank you both. You’re encouraging. We just brought our new large freeze dryer and oil less pump into the home and are eager to start using it. We reared our 19 kids with doing food storage on an ample basis and how I wish we had had an Harvest Right freezer all through the years. Three of the kids have purchased H. R. since the first of the year and immediately talked us into one. Today is Sunday so we’ll let you know how well we agree with you folks when we get going tomorrow. Thanks again.
Love, love, love the bartering arrangement! Also, we all love freeze dried bananas so much! I actually toss some somewhat regularly. I could save that waste! I used to bake banana bread or keep in freezer to do so, but I gotta be honest with myself….I’m not gonna get to it any time soon.
Thank you for this incredibly insightful review. Most of all, I really appreciate your honesty and stating that you do not NEED a freeze dryer and to not go into debt to purchase one. Many blessings ❤
Thank you for your review. We have a large family: 19 (mom, dad, kids & grandkids) and we were contemplating buying this. I think that we'll go ahead & splurge.
Sooooo worth it! Sounds like you need a LG FD for sure.. Freeze leftovers in quart ziplocks, cut them open and place on FD trays for easy sizing. Just make sure you know what is on what tray, hard to tell on some foods once FD. Lol. Great snacks options for the kids that you can have shelf stable on hand all the time. Get the kids involved by FDing candies & fruit too. Skittles, gummies, marshmallows, Taffy are super fun and yummy.
Great review! When I started I used the totes the same way, then I found that my containers resembled a "junk drawer" of supplies, not very organized. I decided to have dedicated totes to each kind of food. But, everyone has their own system to keep things straight. Also, as a side-note in saving money, if you have a business and a Restaurant Depot (wholesaler) near-by, you can get 50% off retail in most cases. Angus Hamburger 80% lean is $2.18lb, where Costco is more than double that right now. Online Freeze Dried Hamburger is $40Ib.
Looking into purchasing a freeze dryer with our tax refund this year, along with a Berkey water filter system. After purchasing some freeze-dried food, I was aghast at how much salt was in it. I would rather make my own, and save some money in the process. We often end up throwing out leftovers after they've sat in the fridge, much better to freeze dry them and eat them later! We also plan on helping family and neighbors with their food stores, and will set up a similar trade system. Great video, thank you!
@@TheProvidentPrepper I've had mine 4 yrs and run it almost 24/7. I don't load mine on Sundays but don't stop it if there's something in it. A little over a year ago I went to the store for reduced price spotty bananas to freezedry. Walk out with 160 lbs(good the bottom 2 boxes were green. Spent a week vacation from work slicing and freezing bananas to freeze dry. Took 1/2 the winter to get them all done. It was funny but don't ever want to do that to myself again.lol
do you know where costco got its chicken --- do you know what the supplier fed those chickens --- you can be sure of much about costco rotisserie chicken but you cannot be sure of everything --- but the food you grow and process you can be sure about --- the freeze dryer is a good purchase and will pay for itself sooner than expected
I have mixed feelings when it comes to my freeze-dryer. I love the food that I make and the food that I save from spoiling. I really love that I can make my own recipes. On the other hand, It takes a lot of work to run the machine, fill the trays, and package the food. It feels like a second job. When I took the cost of the machine and calculated how much meat/vegetables I could purchase for that price, it blew me away. In a lot of ways I wish I had purchased the meat and vegetables and saved all the work. I'm a Mom of three little kids who works full-time, so my time is limited. One thing I would mention is not to buy a large size. I didn't know this upfront, but the large requires a dedicated 15A power supply. If you go with a medium it will work in a standard size plug.
2nd job feeling. Understandable. It is a lot of work. Depending on your children's ages, they could help some. Safety banana slicer, put them on skewers, you slice strawberries, they put them on the tray. Parchment paper makes clean up easier as well. Make a little extra on recipes you are preparing, put them in a quart size ziplock, stick it in the freezer, pull it out when you are ready to do a batch. Cut those baggies open, and bam! Easy sizing and separation. I got a recommendation from a FB group on this popcorn scoop. Makes it easier to scoop and put in the mylar bags. I hold up my bags with two pot lid racks. Scoop Check this out at Amazon Olde Midway Commercial Popcorn Scoop, Aluminum Speed Scooper for Filling Bags and Boxes www.amazon.com/dp/B07R86DLST/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_fabc_10HYQSK2NJACCD0ZHXA6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Racks Check this out at Amazon Spectrum Diversified Euro Kitchen Organizer for Plates, Cutting Boards Bakeware, Cooling, Pots & Pans, Serving Trays, Reusable Containers, and Lids Holder Rack, Satin Nickel www.amazon.com/dp/B0019HQH32/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_fabc_5SCKSGDRYV5EQ3ZPEN7Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
At 75 I've decided to give up camping and am going to sell camper on a lot. With the proceeds and no debt my first purchase will be a freeze dryer - the small one but it's just me. I will also be freezing for my son and family.
For storing mason jars there is something called a safecrate that, although fairly expensive, works very well. It's stackable and washable. It looks kinda like an egg carton and holds 12 jars each...
@4:15 Speaking of Auguson Farms, I just ordered the #10 cans of dried peanut butter and cheese. They were $12.30 and $16 today so worth it but I forgot to look at cheese ingredients. No point eating poison, I find reasonable real food mostly. Another tip for those looking for bulk or surprisingly real food STILL STOCKED. Try Hispanic grocers and maybe other cultures in your area. I'm in Texas so there are many Hispanic grocers, they also have our American equivalents stocked. They had macaroni I'd never seen and all their pasta was JUST semolina and durum. It was also made or distributed in US or countries I trust more than others. Some of the American pastas had additives, completely unnecessary. I'm eating some chips Venezuelans like but the Hispanics here say they're too expensive, they eat our poisonous chips. These Yuca, Plantain and Casava chips are the best I've tried and only cooked in palm oil and salt so food not fuel. I bought 80lbs of white rice and thanks to them being so helpful jasmine too. I didn't know if it had oils and I buy the products they recommend. The checkout lady makes the pasta I bought, it was stars and other shapes. Hispanics cook everything fresh so apparently they make alphabet soup. I'm not a fan of inorganic veggies but I buy theirs when nothing organic, they usually have my spinach. Their produce turns over fast so hopefully it's not as sprayed. There are always fruitflies around the plums so I'm hoping no pesticides...🤨😒😔
I’ve recently started running my oil through a brita filter after running it through the HR oil filter. Makes a huge difference in clarity. Takes a while tho.
I am been trying to buy freeze dried food on a budget after inflation, so now is not the time to be buying it AND most of the companies that sell it are sold out especially meats. I might splurge and get the freeze dryer!! Thanks for showing how easy it is. just takes time and I have it!
I have been looking at the harvest right freeze dryer for about a year now. Still saving. Used a friend’s when visiting her ... fell in love with it. In the interim, learning to can and dehydrate.
I’ve got one and didn’t realize how loud it was going to be before I bought it, especially since I don’t have a garage or laundry room to put it in. Other than that, I absolutely love it. Fun hobby that creates security for my family.
This was a great video! Your advice for not going in debt is important. Although we still had to save, the cost for us was divided by 3. I'm blessed to have my two sisters living on the same street and so we split the cost. That way we could all 3 afford to get the unit. We just received it, after waiting 2 months, and have the initial bread run going. We are excited to use it and add freeze dried foods to our food storage!
I use a solar/air dehydrater I made myself... some items take a little longer than the electrically powered one but it's FREE. Can't do better than that as far,as I'm concerned.
My FD'r is about 5 feet from my kitchen and I don't even notice the noise. It's not loud at all (maybe I lucked into getting that 1 in a million that is balanced perfectly?) I've had it about a year & 1/2 and never even a tiny problem with it. Love it!
Thanks for the review. We are working to make the dryer better all the time. I have been freeze drying soups and chili and stews. Janine Neville Harvest right
So glad you are enjoying your FD. I’ve had mine for 4 years and it has been down more than working and I have to say that my experience with customer support has been frustrating and disappointing with the problems not resolved. You’re lucky you have someone to deal with the technical difficulties. There are some foods that do freeze dry well and I suggest being selective on what is freeze dried. I wish you well on your continued success with your FD.
We had ours for less then a month now and the last batch it started giving me those error codes for the vacuum problem. So I figured out that the wire behind the wiring box on the back of the shelves had kept it out just enough to keep the door seal from seating tight as can be. I finished that batch and at the end vacuum was not to bad but I'm making sure that the wire won't stop it again because you loose precious time. I also have the regular vacuum pump. So far so good.
My Harvest Right just came in yesterday. It will relieve the amount of time I spend processing food. Not to mention, it will keep longer and taste better.
We just bought the small one, it’s only two of us. We love it! I’m on my 4th batch. I’ve been concentrating on harvesting all our herbs. I thought herbs would be a good introduction for me in order to gain some confidence wit( the FD.
@@j.l.dawson1290 Changing Oil only takes 5 minutes and isn't a hassle at all. I use a large Brita water filter with the filter replaced by a stuffed-in part roll of bathroom tissue to filter oil. Have clean oil "on tap", everything sits in or on a Uline cart.
I stock up on mountain house brand because it tastes good, lasts a long time. It is a bit pricy which is why I stock up slowly, every pay check I just buy 4 or 5. Good to be prepared if the shelves go empty! Stock slowly and before you know it you’ll have a good amount, I keep mine in a big plastic container, soon maybe ever two
I have the Commercial 5 tray unit and run it almost 24 hours a day. I help friends in my Ward with their FDing (especially eggs) and am now making my own MRE's using my own and others recipes. The average cost with the meal pouch runs about $1.85/meal. It's great for outings, camping, hunting and other trips when I am away from home. I also have the Eagle Pump which is a bit noisy, but only if I'm in the garage. The only dray back I have is it's a 20A system and have not found a meter for 20A to calculate my electric cost. I check my bill, in a year I calculate the overall monthly average is $10-!5 more on my bill. Realizing that's running it 24/6. LOVE MY HARVEST RIGHT.
The other reason I'm looking to join a Christian prepper group.I am a Christian prepper I believe in prayer prepping and no panicking - proverbs 22:3 Luke 22:36 Matthew 24:9. I am looking for a group of like-minded people. Near Helena Montana
I’m not a prepper, but live in a hurricane prone area in South Alabama. Hubby and I have been looking at purchasing the Harvestright, since we often face power outages and the stores seem to empty every time a storm approaches, and your honest review has been wonderful!
WOW my new favorite channel. Thanks for the video!! Im sick today so i got a bowl of chicken noodle at the gas station. Yes i know gas station are more expensive. But $4.09 for a bowl of mostly water and only 4 flakes of chicken seriously tells me that buying a freeze dryer is actually a solid business move both for saving on my own bills as well as selling to other shmucks.
Another viewer tried freeze drying a jar of sliced pickles on a tip from someone else they were sceptical but admitted the rehydrated tastes exactly like what can out of the jar but the kicker was the crunchy ones were even tastier than the original. They liked them even better. Try them out.
