It's a perfect substitute for fresh strawberries, preserving the flavour and nutritional value of the fruit. Have you ever had those strawberry powder extracts found in many foods? – NO WAY, I'm a fan. You will love these freeze-dried strawried fruit' at home.
Understanding Freeze Drying
What is Freeze Drying?
The low-temperature dehydration technique used in freeze drying, also called lyophilisation, involves freezing the product, reducing the pressure by evaporation of the water vapour, and subliming the remaining water to obtain the end product. This process produces a high-quality, light and crispy product, as in the ‘crispy fruits strawberry' type available in retail outlets.
Why Freeze Dry Strawberries?
The process of freeze-drying strawberries can preserve the fruit indefinitely, while retaining its colour and flavour – as well as its nutritional value – and allowing consumers to taste strawberries all year round.
Choosing the Right Strawberries
Factors to Consider
Choosing the right fruit – happily, still in season – is important when setting out to make ‘good ‧ smart freeze-dried fruit'. You know the strawberries are just right if they are ripe yet firm, and bright red. White or heavily hued are out of the question. Also, any strawberries with marks or mould need to be rejected.
The Best Time to Buy
Strawberries are best if freeze-dried when they are at their ripest and most flavourful, which will likely be from April to June, when these fruits are in season.
Preparing Strawberries for Freeze Drying
Cleaning the Strawberries
Wash the berries well to remove the dirt or deposit before freeze-drying them. This is a very important step to ensure the clean of your freeze-dried strawberries.
Cutting the Strawberries
Rinse, chop off the stems and slice the strawberries. The smaller you slice them, the quicker they will be freeze-dried (and the crispier, too). More importantly, will your freeze-dried strawberries still taste like strawberries?
The Process of Freeze Drying Strawberries
How to Freeze Dry at Home
And now the fun part – freeze-drying your strawberries! Take your strawberry slices and lay them out on a tray, then freeze them until they're entirely frozen. From here, prep the frozen strawberries by putting them in a vacuum chamber in order to evaporate the moisture and turn food into dry ice. (Though if you don't have a vacuum chamber, we've found you can buy home, do-it-yourself vacuum freeze dryers on the market specifically dedicated for such purposes.
Using a Freeze Drying Machine
If you take freeze-drying seriously and know you'll do it frequently, a freeze-drying machine could be a good investment. You simply press a button and the machine can handle the rest, producing top-quality results every time.
Storing and Preserving Freeze Dried Strawberries
Proper Packaging
Once they've freeze-dried, you'll definitely want them to be stored correctly. Package those freeze-dried strawberries tightly in a container that is airtight so you'll keep them out of moisture.
Shelf-life and Storage Conditions
When vacuum-packed and stashed away in the cellar, these freeze-dried strawberries will keep indefinitely. They've become one of my new favourite ingredients, and the perfect long-term store.
Using Freeze Dried Strawberries
In the Kitchen
Another great attribute of freeze-dried strawberries is their versatility. Because of their concentration, the amount of strawberry flavour you get is very concentrated. You can add them to breakfast cereal and pancakes, or use them in desserts or baking. In fact, add a few to your next homemade granola batch, or use it as a topping for your cheesecake.
For Snacking
Strawberries, freeze-dried, have no added sugar and are a convenient, healthy snack on the run. Enjoy out of the bag, or mix with other dried fruits and nuts for a tasty trail mix. Serve on a cheese board.
Comparing Freeze Dried Strawberries Products
Good & Smart Freeze Dried Fruit
Good Smart makes a line of freeze-dry fruits – including strawberries – known for their flavour, convenience and nutritional content.
Good and Gather Freeze Dried Strawberries
Good and Gather – with a strapline that encourages you to ‘Taste the goodness' – is another brand that stocks freeze-dried strawberries. Its aim is to offer ‘real tasting food products with benefits'.
Making Your Own Strawberry Flavoring Powder
If you're a strawberry flavouring powder fan – the powder has an extra dimension of flavour – you're in luck. When you grind up your freeze-dried strawberries to get strawberry powder, you've got a natural, potent source of flavouring to add to recipes.
Conclusion
You can have fun freeze-drying strawberries to harvest or to make a stash that will allow you to indulge all year long. You can limit yourself to fruits that are in season, controlled for quality or assurance, or you can handpick your own cherished berries from your own patch and make them available for miles around. Freeze-dried strawberries are the perfect option for a snack, a pantry staple, or an intense strawberry flavouring for concoctions in your kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I want to freeze-dry the strawberries but don't have a machine? The short answer is, sure, but it's harder work and not as reliable for producing consistent results.
Is freeze dried strawberries nutritious ? Yes , because , the freeze dehydration retains most of the vitamin of the fresh strawberries.
Can you buy other kinds of fruits to freeze dry? Yes, you can freeze any fruits you like including apples, peach and banana.
What is strawberry flavouring powder ?What do you use it for ?You can use strawberry flavouring powder on many things and it adds a nice touch to a dessert, or in some baking, and you can also mix a bunch of it with some water, milk, a smoothie, if you like strawberry.
Can I use the freeze-dried strawberries as an ingredient in whatever I am cooking? Yes. You can use them in your food in any way you want. For example, you could use freeze dried strawberries for breakfast, in a dessert, etc.
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